chapter 22
Scarlett
AFTER BREAKFAST JAXON DROPS me off at home and heads to work while I get ready for a day at the shelter. When I arrive there, I smile as I run into one of the other volunteers, Becky, walking two of the dogs.
“Good morning, Scarlett,” she says, smiling warmly at me. Her smile soon drops as she tells me that three more dogs have been brought in today.
“I’ll go give them some love,” I tell her, heading inside. I step inside the gate and sit down on the floor next to the first dog. She’s scared, I can tell, her tail between her legs. I wonder if her owners brought her here to abandon her, or if she was found on the street.
“Hello, sweetie,” I tell her, reaching my arm out. I make a gentle noise, and slowly she comes next to me, letting me touch her. Sometimes your life only gets better with a second chance, and I hope that that’s the case for all the dogs here.
I stay at the shelter for a few hours, then go home to take a shower. Once I’m dressed, I decide to go shopping for a few things. After buying some plants and loading them into my car, I walk through the mall, having a look at all the clothes and variety stores. I come to a stop when I see Valentina in one of the jewelry stores, browsing through some bracelets. I smile when she sees me.
“Hey,” she says, coming over to me straightaway. “How are you?”
“Not bad, how are you?” I ask in return, knowing she’s probably not doing too well considering the man she loves is behind bars.
“I’ve been better,” she admits, pushing away an errant red curl. “But I’m trying to be positive and stay busy. It’s one of the girls’ birthdays, so I’m trying to find something for her, except it’s hard to buy something for a woman who has everything.”
“Want some help?” I ask, not knowing why I offered. Even though we should probably hate each other, I find I feel a connection with her instead.
“I’d like that,” she says, a little sadness to her smile. We browse multiple pieces until we find a bracelet that’s really different and unusual. I think Valentina likes it because of the dragon pendant it has on it, too.
“Faye will love this,” she beams, glancing at the now-wrapped gift. “I’m going to go grab something for lunch, want to join me?”
“Sure,” I say, happy to have some company. “What do you feel like eating?”
“There’s a food court here, so we can just grab whatever we feel like,” she says, looking at me like she wants to say something.
“What is it?” I ask her, letting her know with my tone that it’s okay, she can say whatever she likes.
“I was reading some information about the case; Faye gave it to me . . .” she says, looking down. “He stole from you, his wife. I don’t know why, but I would never have suspected that.”
“It’s okay,” I say, forcing a smile. “I honestly think he only married me for my money and the property I owned.”
It hurts to say that, not because of anything to do with Darren exactly, but because it’s an ego hit no matter who we’re talking about, and it hurts my pride to admit it.
“I’m so glad he’s dead,” she admits, cringing as the words leave her lips. “I know that sounds bad, but with what he did to you . . . It hurts me to know I wasn’t the only woman whose life he made a living hell. I’m sorry you had to go through whatever he put you through.”
“Me too,” I say, linking my arm through hers. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and I’m sorry Irish had to pay the price, but both of us are free now, and I think we need to make the most of that.”
“You’re right,” she nods, curls bouncing. “I’m trying to. It’s hard without Ardan—Irish here, you know? I know it doesn’t seem that bad, especially after everything you and I have been through, but the man is my soul mate and I feel like I’m just wandering around aimlessly without him.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, meaning it. “I would never wish any more pain on you.”
“It’s not your fault, Scarlett,” she says gently, stopping and looking me in the eye. “No one blames you for anything. You’re innocent in all of this. It sucks that Irish has to do prison time, it really does, but he killed Darren, so it is what it is. Two years will fly by, right?”
“Right,” I agree with her.
“I know that people will probably look at us and wonder how we both got caught with a man like Darren, but I think only you will understand when I say he wasn’t always like that,” she says to me, shrugging. “Before the drugs, I mean. He was good to me. Loving.”
“I know,” I whisper. “But the person he became was a monster.”
“He was,” Valentina agrees. “And I don’t feel bad for how things have ended up. He was a weak man. Did you know his father was abusive to his mother? Instead of breaking the cycle, he ended up turning out just like him.”
I actually didn’t know that about Darren, so I stay silent. He never spoke about his now-deceased father much, and his mother is in a senior-care facility. Despite the pain he caused me, it does make me feel better to understand where that side of him came from.
We stop at the food court for pizza and soda and sit down opposite each other. We talk about Darren, about what we went through, the mental abuse. The physical. The threats. His using his cop buddies to make it look like he was doing nothing wrong. Feeling like there was no way out. And then we talk about now. About being free. About how life goes on, and that our past doesn’t define us, all it’s done is make us stronger. I used to see myself as weak, a doormat, someone who was lost and too scared to get out of the situation I was in. But now I’m out, and I’m ready to take on the world.
“So are you seeing anyone?” she asks me, making me almost choke on my bite of pizza. “That’s a yes.” She smirks, arching her brow. “Come on, give me the goss. Your secrets are safe with me.”
“Well,” I say, swallowing the rest of my bite.
“Who is it? I’m sure the men of the city will all be in mourning,” she says, and I smile as I remember my conversation with Preston and his friend in the diner.
“It’s actually my lawyer,” I blurt out, bracing myself for her reaction.
“Jaxon Bentley?” she asks, eyes going wide. “Fucking hell, when you upgrade, you upgrade. He’s so hot! And badass! Even Faye admitted so, and trust me, that’s no small feat.”
“He’s . . . amazing,” I say with a sigh. “He saved me, and he keeps saving me every day.”
“Sounds like you have it bad,” she says, taking a sip of her soda. “I’m glad you’ve found someone worthy of you.”
“I’m glad you did too.”
We share a smile.
It’s nice to have another woman to talk to, because I think Aunt Leona is sick of hearing me rave on about Jaxon and how wonderful he is.
“I’ll give you my number,” she says once the meal is done. “Call me and we can hang out or chat. Whatever you want.”
“I’d like that, Valentina,” I reply, feeling really good about the chat we had, and about us being friends. Who would have thought? But it makes sense when you think about it. I think only we can know what the other has been through, what we’ve overcome in our lives. Like I said, we’re connected by our pasts, by pain, by the same man who tried to break both of our spirits and failed.
He failed.
“There’s my ride,” she says, nodding toward the big black motorcycle that pulls into the parking lot. “Ever since Irish got locked up, they aren’t letting me out of their sight.”
“So who is that one?” I ask, as the huge man parks the bike and gets off, patiently waiting for Valentina.
“That’s Vinnie,” she says, waving at him. “Where’s your car parked?”
“Just over there,” I tell her as I point to the left. “It’s not far, I can see it from here.”
“Okay. I’ll wait until I see you drive off safely—you never know these days.”
She’s sweet.
“You know what? With all his faults and evil ways, Darren did have good taste in women.”
She throws her head back and laughs, and it’s a glorious sight. “You’re right on that one. Always look for the positive, right?”
“You have to,” I say, shaking my head at her as we share this moment of amusement.
We hug as we say ’bye and head our separate ways, but I know it’s not the last time I’ll see her.
And that makes me happy.
HE THRUSTS INTO ME from behind, while I bite down on the pillow, moaning. I feel like I’ve been missing out on good sex and now I need to make up for it. So when Jaxon walked through my door this evening, he didn’t stand a chance. He stops moving his hips and cups both of my breasts with his hands, sliding them underneath me.
“Oh my god,” I utter as he pinches the nipples, then continues a slow, delicious grind that has me so wet, I can feel it all down my inner thighs.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs, placing a kiss on my spine, and letting my breasts free. His hands go back to my hips, gripping then firmly as he pushes back and forth. “Play with your clit for me, Scarlett.”
I instantly do as I’m told. Wanting to wet my finger, I dip it inside of me, stopping when my finger touches his cock.
Fuck.
Moving my finger up, I start to rub my clit, just the way Jaxon normally does, knowing it’ll soon make me come, even though it doesn’t feel as good as when he does it. He pulls out of me, rolls me over, and slides back inside. Kissing me, he continues to absolutely destroy my past sex life, touching my mind and my body. Having a connection like this, a mental one, I can’t explain how it makes the sex so much better.
We come together this time, and it’s something I will never forget.
Gray and hazel clash, our bodies bringing each other pleasure in sync, both of us completely vulnerable and open to each other in this moment.
No boundaries, no walls, just us.
A gentle kiss, and then he’s off me, but right beside me.
“A man could get used to coming home to that every day,” he says in a raspy tone. As soon as he’d opened the door, I’d run up to him, jumped into his arms, and started kissing him. It probably is the best way to be greeted after a long day at work. That, and I cooked him a delicious dinner, which we now get to eat as soon as we can make our bodies move again.
I’d say it’s the small things in life, but with Jaxon, nothing about him is small.
I grin and roll over into him.