CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

—Jax—

 

I tucked the white cotton dress shirt into my slacks and reached for the drawer where I’d kept my cufflinks, sweeping a pair of black diamonds into my palm. I folded the cuffs one at a time and inserted the small links. After I was fully dressed I unbound the royal blue tie, turned, and faced the mirror.

I stood alone in the large closet, it was more of a room that housed my clothes, but they only filled one side. I was tall and needed to back away from the floor-length mirror to see how I looked. It was my typical dark suit, flashy, vibrant tie, and handkerchief. I finished the trinity knot, slid the dark hand stitched jacket on, and exited the bedroom expecting to see Bella. The room was quiet, the table a mess with breakfast dishes, but no Bella.

I approached the table annoyed that she hadn’t eaten the eggs and bacon Alessandra prepared. I slipped the large gold watch around my wrist and left the room closing the door shut behind me. Her door was closed, I listened for sound but heard nothing. I’d tasted her flesh, touched her innocence, and regretted it from the second I chose to have her.

Bella is defiant, disrespectful, impossible, and insolent. But she’s also beautiful, kind, and gentle. I consider knocking on her door but decide against it and walk toward the stairs.

“Jax,” her voice echoed behind me.

I stilled my steps when I heard Mickie speak.

“Bella.” Her presence shadows behind mine. “My brothers are here.”

I slipped my hand to the small of her back encouraging her to descend the stairs. Three men wearing suits stood in the entrance. Mickie, Adam, and Chase. “There he is,” Chase spoke.

“Who do we have here?” Adam said as he leered at Bella. “Hello.” He took her hand into his. “It’s been a long time, Bella.” His lips reached the flesh of her hand, and I instantly wanted to throw him against a wall. Adam wouldn’t consider for one moment that Bella was off limits because she was my wife.

“Adam,” Bella greeted as she pulled away. His eyes narrowed at her but she didn’t notice as her eyes slid to Chase. “Hello, I’m Bella,” she introduced herself politely while she ignored Adam.

“It’s a pleasure, Bella.” Chase stood his full six something height just an inch shorter than me remaining a respectful distance.

Chase is the ladies’ man for sure. They swoon at his feet… always have. But he’s kind to women. Never married, no children at twenty-six to my twenty-eight. Adam has a child, knocked up an Irish girl a few years back. Our very Catholic mother nearly fell over. He refused to make an honest woman out of her because he didn’t love her and convenience wasn’t in his vocabulary not even for our mother which nearly got him banned from our family. But Adam, of course, wormed his way back into our mother’s good graces.

“Would you like something to drink?” Bella asked.

“I’ll take some of Jax’s special stash.” Adam winked.

“And for you?” She turned toward Chase.

“A scotch would be great, Bella.” His eyes caught mine seeing something I couldn’t hide well. She removed herself from the entry way to retrieve the drinks. “Oh, Jax and Mickie, would you care for something?”

“I’ll take something from my special stash, as well.” I wanted to smile but refrained. I needed to keep this—whatever this was— simple or whatever people did after having the best sex of their lives without ensuing a relationship.

Bella’s bottom, round and firm, bounced from side to side while she walked away. I knew my eyes were caught at her curves, and I knew my brothers watched me come undone for her, but fuck it if I cared.

“I thought this was… you know.”

“What?”

“You wanting Boss and her getting’ that for you…”

My fists tightened to my sides just before I slammed Adam against the wall. I stabbed his eyes hard with my own. “I will fuckin’ end you. Never come into my home spitting that shit,” I demanded between my teeth. “You need me to teach you your role in this family, and how quickly that shit can be taken away?”

“Hey,” Chase whispered.

“Did I miss something?” Bella approached from behind me.

“Nah, everything’s cool,” Adam hurried.

I shoved him hard into the wall before I released him. “I was just reminding our guest of his manners.” I leaned back smoothing over my suit jacket.

“Your drinks.”

“Don’t you have a maid or somethin’?” Adam questioned sarcastically.

An annoyed breath left Bella’s lips. “I do see why he needs reminding. In my home everyone will be respected do you understand? I don’t give a shit if you’re made or not, I will kill you myself.” She walked away tossing that ass from side to side. She was a fearless woman—I had no doubt—but she may have made an enemy of someone not even I could control.

“Damn, you get to hit that shit every night? Fuck, big brother, that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Or not.

“Are you kidding me? Do you never shut the fuck up?” Chase’s eyes meet mine. “Let’s talk.” He nodded toward my office.

Mickie opened the door and I entered followed by Chase then Adam. I sat at my desk opening the drawer getting’ a look at the black leather box and slide it closed again.

“Third high, low deep, and middle strong.” All code words. My apartment wasn’t bugged, but Chase didn’t give a fuck.

“You’re fucking kidding me!” I slammed my fist on the desk.

Adam raises his hands in the air; he doesn’t want the ass beatin’ that I’m about to give him. “I told my crew to deal…”

“What? They had an epiphany? They don’t take orders from you anymore?”

“No, it means that the Russians are fuckin’ smarter than my guys.” He shrugged into the chair that sat in front of my desk. “This guy—” he said as he looked toward Chase to come in closer, “—this guy has location. He said he knows where Orlov is.” Orlov is the Boss of the Bratva and he’s a dirty son-of-a bitch that pisses on morality. He’ll kill women and children without a thought. And now he’s set his eyes on my territories, and my wife… he has to go.

I sat back in my chair and crossed my fingers. “Okay,” I said, thinking out loud to myself. If we know where he is, and that’s gonna make my life a little easier. “Where?” I doubt Adam’s idiots know shit, but I’ll let him run on the hamster wheel a minute.

He slid me a piece of paper with all sorts of shit written on it. “What’s this?”

“A code, I can’t remember everything. The address is down the middle. You give the go and it’s set.” Adam shrugged into his jacket as if he’d just solved all of our problems. Adam and Chase are capos. They aren’t supposed to have a sit down with me, but because they’re family they think they can cross that line. And because they’re family I allow it.

I slid the paper across the desk toward Mickie and from there he’d handle it.

Adam’s eyes watched between Mickie and me. “I got this.” He’s offended once he realized I didn’t trust him. Orlov is evasive, never in the same place for long. The word paranoia has been thrown around. Crazy is my thought, so for this I want Mickie. He’s diligent and the only one I trust.

My eyes hardened. “I’m not taking any chances, it’s decided.” I stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I buttoned my jacket.

Chase and Adam stood as they realized I’d made my decision and decided not to bother me further.

 

—Bella—

 

I ran from Jax’s office door heels in hand as I heard him dismiss his guests. Huh, guests. They’re his own flesh and blood, but you’d never be able to tell because he treats them as if he is higher on the pedestal than they are. Well I mean yeah, he is, he’s the boss, but how can you dismiss family like that. He looked as if he was ready to kill Adam earlier, and honestly I couldn’t care less about that. That guy is a douche. He’s creepy, even back when I dated him a few times, I couldn’t stand him. I was just trying to piss my father off, rebellious and all that.

I heard the door open just as I rounded the corner into the guest bathroom. I hugged the door tightly, gently closing the door behind me. My phone rang just as my palms pressed against the cold counter top.

“Hello?” I whispered.

“That asshole blocked my number!” Emily screeched.

I clung to my phone. I hadn’t heard her high-pitched voice in so long. “Emily, what are you talking about?”

She exhaled roughly then spoke, “Nothing… How are you?”

I leaned against the counter staring at the cream heels I’d sat next to me. “I’m okay, lonely but okay. How are you?”

“Ugh—girl, I have so much gossip, but… I don’t want to waste a second hearing your voice. So, tell me have you slept with big dick yet?”

“How do you know he has a big dick?” I whispered into the phone.

She screamed, “Holy shit, you did!”

“Just last night, and it was purely a lapse in judgment.”

“Yeah, your vagina’s judgment. It needed to get laid.” I smiled. “Oh, Bella, are we gonna see you again? I feel like you’re a figment of my imagination. I feel like I should walk around wearing black—lighting candles all day or somethin’,”

“Yeah, just give it time. There’s a lot going on right now, but you’re in my heart, all of you are. How are Tony and Sal?”

“Meh, I haven’t seen Sal much, but Tony’s good.”

“Oh?”

“He misses you.”

“I’m sure he just misses being able to boss me around,” I laughed.

“Oh he’s making up for it.” I could hear the silent eye roll.

“I miss you.” I hugged my chest. Emily was a good friend, and I missed our talks.

“I miss you, too. Are you comfortable there? Falling in love yet?” She was getting down to it.

“Yes, and no.”

“Damn it, I was hoping you were at least getting’ the fairy tale.”

“Yeah, no fear of that I’m afraid.” It wasn’t so bad, and there were times I was really happy. But only few of those moments had included Jax.

I heard footsteps falling, and I knew that Jax’s brothers were leaving. “I need to go, but I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

“Bella, save this number under something Jax won’t recognize okay?”

“Okay?”

“Just do it.”

“Got it.”

We said our goodbyes then disconnected. I saved her number under some random name then slipped into my heels and exited the bathroom. The hallway was empty then my eyes slid to Jax’s office door seeing it was closed, so I continued down the hall.

“Did you enjoy your visit?” he asked from behind me.

My steps stilled quickly. “What?” I turned. He rubbed his jaw as he approached.

“Adam, seeing him after all this time.” My heart beat again.

“Oh, yeah—” I shook my head to clear it, “—he’s still a pig.” That was obvious by that ridiculous kiss on my hand, completely for show, no doubt. I gathered he didn’t like his big brother very much, if at all. I knew Adam as the guy who wanted to be popular, and that was a huge turn off for me.

Jax smirked. “That’s never gonna change.”

“Chase seemed nice.”

He walked past me. “Yeah, he’s a good kid.”

“Good? Are you saying he doesn’t kill people for a living?”

He narrowed his hard eyes on mine. “You should consider getting your nose out of the clouds.”

“What, because I don’t consider murderers good people?”

Jax crossed the three feet that separated us, his jaw clenched as his fists caged me on either side of my head. “Did you consider your father a good man, Bella?” My face heated. A smirk raised on his lips. “Because he was our boss. He told us what to do and…” he leaned into my ear, “…who to kill, so be very careful who you judge. You were born into the same life I was.”

My face was hot. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to slap Jax. I wanted to raise my knee and get him where it counted for bringing a dead man into this conversation. A man that wasn’t here any longer and unable to defend himself. But I didn’t, I couldn’t. My emotions folded inside of me bending every rational thought I should’ve had. I should have done all of those things I’d wanted to do. But I couldn’t.

A growl, low and deep resonated from his throat. “I’m sorry.” His eyes narrowed then closed. He shoved off of the wall and walked away leaving me to mourn alone.

All alone.