Before You(93)

“Understood,” he said. “I’ll be there in an hour. I have some things to take care of first. Don’t let her leave—and Cam…”

“Yeah?” Cam said.

“Are we good now?”

“I think so.”

“And the band?”

“I think we’ll work it out as long as you take care of my girl.”

“She’s my girl now,” Jax said almost possessively. He hated that Cam still felt like he could claim any part of Bre. She was his forever girl from the moment he first laid his eyes on her and he’d spend the rest of his life making sure she believed it.

“Not yet,” Cam said before hanging up the phone.



***



Jax pulled through the gates of his childhood home fifteen minutes later. He hadn’t stepped foot in the house for over five years, not since the day after he had graduated from college, to be exact. On that day, his dad announced that Jax would start working for the studio in two weeks and the celebration dinner his mom had planned spiraled downhill from there.

While his dad dictated the terms of Jax’s future, which including working for the family business and eventually marrying Katie so the business would be united in the future, his mother sat silently, neither contradicting her husband nor supporting him. Jax refused, and his dad had kicked him out and threatened to do everything in his power to make Jax tow the line.

As Jax walked out with his suitcase in hand, he asked his mother why she didn’t stand up for him. She had told him that some things were inevitable, no matter how much we fought them, and he would learn that as he got older. On the surface his mom appeared strong, but she always caved when her father pushed her. He vowed never to be like his mom and live his life under his dad’s thumb.

Jax banged on the door, hoping and praying that his parents were home.

James Carmichael opened the door. “So I guess you’ve reconsidered marrying Katie?”

“No. Is Mom home?”

James’ mouth tightened. “She’s in the library, reading.”

“Good. We can all talk there so I only have to say this once.”

His dad nodded. “Good enough.”

Jax followed him from the marbled foyer down the hallway that led to his mother’s library. He only had fifteen minutes to say what needed to be said so he could intercept Bre and Cam before they left the restaurant. In retrospect, he should have visited when he had more time, but he couldn’t allow his dad to interfere with his life any longer.

His dad knocked on the slightly ajar door to the library and then entered. “Katrina,” he said. “Jax is here.”

“Jax, what are you doing here?” She unfolded her legs from underneath her body and stood up.

Jax stared pointedly at his mom’s now bare ring finger. “I came here to tell both of you to stop interfering in my life. You can give Katie a ring and tell her I’ll marry her, but it’s not going to happen. I won’t marry her. I won’t work for Dad’s company. This is my life, not yours. Let me live it.”

“Jax, as parents, sometimes you have to make hard decisions. Sometimes those decisions are good and sometimes they aren’t so good, but I’ve always had your best interests at heart.” James walked behind the large wooden desk in the far corner of the room and sat down. “I thought you loved Katie,” he said, softly shaking his head.

“No, I don’t, not even close. I don’t care what you can do for my band. I don’t care what you threaten to do or refuse to do. It’s not worth it, so I would suggest you get Mom’s ring back from Katie unless you two have finally decided to end your miserable marriage, in which case, I don’t give a shit what you do with the ring.” Jax turned to leave.

“Jax,” Katrina said, her voice low and urgent. “Don’t be mad. We only pushed this because we thought you wanted to be with her, but you felt like you couldn’t because it would mean you’d caved to your dad’s ultimatum. As much as we adore Katie, we want you to be happy, and if Katie isn’t the one that can do that, we’re okay with that,” she said.

“What? I don’t understand,” Jax said, spinning around.

Katrina walked behind the desk and put her hands on his dad’s shoulders. “Tell him, James.”

“Can you sit?” his dad said, gesturing toward the chair across from him.

“No. I prefer to stand.” Jax shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Fine.” James exhaled loudly. “I want to apologize for not giving you or your mom the time you deserved over the past ten years or so. I should have been a better parent and a better husband.”