Shafted(Devil's Blaze MC 4)(21)

“You know what? I feel sorry for all of you, but especially you, Lucy.”

“Excuse me?”

“You feel sorry for us?”

“That’s rich, a river rat feeling sorry for us,” her friend chimes in, calling me a name I’ve heard often. It refers to the fact that I live on the North side of Laurel River, where the houses are mostly government funded. I don’t know how they know I’m from there, and I don’t care. Suddenly, I just want to tell Lucy what a loser she is and leave.

“Yeah, I feel sorry for you, but mostly for Lucy, because she had the chance to have someone amazing and wonderful in her life. Someone who loves unconditionally and she’s throwing it away. Which is fine really. You don’t deserve someone like Beast,” I tell her. “You’re not good enough for him,” I stress to her lastly, and then I turn to walk away. Beast is standing two feet away from me and there’s no doubt he’s heard it all. His dark eyes are more than expressive. The tension is vibrating around us. Two other men are standing with him, and Jax is standing there too. I feel color creep up my face.

“Lucy, let’s go,” one of the men barks, anger so thick I jump at the sound.

“Latch,” she complains.

“Now,” he says, even sterner.

Beast comes over to me and kisses my forehead. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have to, but my heart breaks even more for him. I watch as he moves away and then walks back toward the compound. I feel the tears leave my eyes. I don’t even try to stop them, but I hate Lucy and her friends so fucking much right now.

“Let’s go, baby,” Jax says next to me, and I jump. His fingers come down catching one of my tears.

“They hurt him,” I whisper the words that break my heart because Beast has been hurt enough.

“They did,” he agrees, not bothering to try and lie.

“He’s been hurt enough.”

“That he has, sweet Bree. That he has,” he says leading me away from the crowd. I go willingly, just wanting out of there, but I know in my heart that I’d follow Jax anywhere.





Chapter Seventeen





Jax





Fuck. That’s it. I’m screwed. I’ve been doing my best to stay away from her. I know what I agreed to, but I’ve spent the day at the party trying to back away. I have a list of reasons. She’s too young and immature to even think of going there. I barely know her. I even convinced myself I could have sex with someone else and work her out of my system. Then I saw the way she took up for my brother. I saw the way it hurt her to know he was in pain, and I was a goner. Her reaction was not that of an immature kid. She might be young, but even with the limited time we’ve known each other, one thought has cemented inside of me. Aubree Davis is mine.

“Yo, Shaft! Where ya’ going?” I look over to see Keys leaning against the building talking to Denise. I see the look in her eyes as soon as she looks at me. I feel guilty, for some reason, as if I’ve cheated on Bree—which is crazy. I hadn’t even laid eyes on Bree the last time Denise and I did anything.

“Bree wants to go home, I’ll be back a bit later,” I lie.

“Well, when you get done babysitting come on back and we’ll party,” he says and the way Denise is hanging on him and smiling at me leaves little room to wonder what they’re talking about. I know Bree understands, because her body goes taut against me.

“Not tonight, brother,” I tell him and leave before he can say more shit that might set Bree off. She doesn’t say anything as I lead her back through the club. We go out the front door, and I’m on my bike before she speaks up.

“You don’t have to take me home. I can get one of the others.”

“Bree—”

“You should go back to the party Jax. I can get home without you.” I can hear the slight tremble in her voice, and the jealousy she’s trying to hide.

“Get on the damn bike, Bree.”

“Jax—”

“Now,” I order. I see indecision on her face and watch as she wars with herself. In the end, she gets on the back of the bike. I wait but when I don’t feel her arms go around me, I have to speak up. She wants me? She will learn what I want. “Arms, Bree.”

“What?”

“Put your arms around me,” I demand.

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t want to have to tell you again, Bree.” She’s gonna be the death of me. Her smart mouth drives me wild.

“You’re not the boss of me,” she huffs, but puts her arms around me.

“We’ll see baby. We’ll see,” I tell her, and I can’t help but smile as my bike roars to life.