Jax (Breaking the Declan Brothers #1)(24)
“I did, but now I got a big girl crush on him. If he starts to show interest after all these years, I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. This was supposed to be fun, breaking the Declan brothers. But Rayna,” I toss my hand out in there, “Jax Declan, he could be the first guy to break me.”
“Oh, Emmie.” She gets up and gives me a hug. “I’m sorry for making you come back here.”
“Don’t be.” I pull back and smile at her, remembering what Jax said in the café. That maybe I’d thank Rayna too for bringing me back to him. Depending how all this turns out, he could be right. “I’m okay. I’m glad that we came back. I’m worried about you, though. Besides the other night, have you seen Slate at all?”
“No, and I’m not sure that I want to.” She drops back down onto the sofa.
“I get it, but I think deep down you know that you need to. You guys had something special, and no matter how it ended, you still had that.”
“He fights, Emmie. Fights! Can you see my Slate doing what Jax was doing the other night in that cage? And you heard what Melody said, Slate brings in the biggest crowd. So, he’s gotta be good. Right?”
“Jax says he’s changed.”
“What? How?”
“He didn’t say, just said he changed.” I lean forward and pick up my mug.
She stares at me. “That’s it.” She shakes her hands. “I don’t wanna see him.”
“Yes, you do.” I grin as I turn and head to the kitchen for a decent cup of java.
“Dammit!” I hear Rayna say a few times while I pour the coffee.
I enter the living room, and Lurlene comes slumbering in, hair all around her lightly freckled face. She’s rubbing her eyes and says between a yawn, “Mornin’.”
“Coffee’s on in the kitchen,” I say passing by her.
“Thanks.” She makes a beeline for it.
“So,” I settle back down next to Rayna, “what’s on the schedule for today?” I ask the party planner, trying to steer the conversation away from Slate. She’d never admit it, but I know it makes her upset.
“Well,” she looks at me from the corner of her eye, “I have an interview today, so I’m not sure what you ladies—”
“An interview!” Lurlene stops in the kitchen doorway, holding her coffee with her mouth dropped open. “I knew it,” she shakes her head as she comes into the room. “I remember you mentioning some job a couple months back in Santa Fe, but I didn’t put two and two together until just now. You wanted to come here for a damn job interview?”
“No. I wanted to spend the summer with my two best friends. And besides, they had filled that position. But when I was on the hunt last week, I noticed it was back up. I guess the person they hired didn’t work out.”
“What’s it for,” I ask. Rayna went to school to be a social worker, but her career has taken a few turns.
“Same as what I did when I worked for David, mediator for a divorce lawyer.”
“And what are you gonna do? Move back here?” She can’t leave me in Manhattan. She’s the only reason I’m there.
“No. Right now, all I’m going to do is go check it out. I loved working as a mediator, and there aren’t many jobs out there for it.”
“Well,” I turn to Lurlene, “what’s on your agenda for today?”
“Think I might finally give that Zeke Declan a call.” She grins.
“What?” Rayna and I say at the same time.
“I don’t know about you, ladies, but I’m on task. I’ve accomplished breaking Zeke Declan’s first rule already.”
“You broke the ‘Don’t call me, I’ll call you’ rule,” Rayna says. “You really have his number, and he’s waiting for your call?”
“Yes,” she picks up her mug, “that boy’s been waiting now for three days.”
“Holy shit,” I say, hearing my phone chime a text. I get up and check it. And those huge letters, JAX, on the screen weaken my knees. I click to open the text.
Meet me at JZS’s tonight. I get off around ten.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I slide the draft beers across the bar, take the money, and spin around. I grab my cell from my pocket, toss the cash in the till, and check the time, nine-thirty. Shit, I hope Em shows. She never did respond to my text, and she was gone when I woke up this morning, both not good signs.
“Hey,” Rusty bumps me on the shoulder. “See who’s here,” she nudges to the left.
I slip my cell back in my pocket and look. Fuck. Lisa.