Текст книги "Beautifully Loyal"

Автор книги: Nicole Edwards

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Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

Chapter Forty

This… Yes, this I could get used to.

Present day

Sunday, November 8 th

The following morning, Jase had woken before Ashlynn and Leyton. He’d slipped out of the room, and after changing, he had headed for the gym Ashlynn had set up in one of the spare rooms upstairs. Two hours of intense focus hadn’t helped to settle his mind much, but he physically felt somewhat better.

He was consumed by emotions he didn’t understand, and he’d wanted to find a way to push them aside, but that wasn’t his nature. He didn’t run from things, he faced them head on, but when it came to what he was feeling for Ashlynn and Leyton, he wasn’t sure how to handle them.

His feelings for Ashlynn, the love he felt for her, wasn’t new, and it didn’t surprise him that it was intensifying. The more time they spent together, the more she seemed to open up to him, the deeper his feelings for her got.

But what he was feeling for Leyton… It seemed far too quick for him to feel anything at all for the man. Yes, the sex was phenomenal, but he’d always suspected it would be. The chemistry between the three of them was off the charts. But like Ashlynn, Jase had never linked sex with love. So what he was feeling for Leyton didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t love him, not yet, he didn’t think. But he felt something.

After a quick shower, he’d checked in with everyone as he usually did. And as the day wore on, he was only confused more by how normal things seemed to be between them. After Leyton and Ashlynn had finally emerged from her room sometime before noon, Cowboy had whipped up lunch, and they’d all eaten, then dispersed as they usually did on a Sunday. Ashlynn had gone to her office, Leo and Teddy had decided to play foosball in the rec room, Cowboy had left to go visit his kids, and Derrick had continued to stand guard outside the house. That had left Jase and Leyton sitting at the kitchen table. Alone.

“What do you usually do on days like this?” Leyton asked, leaning back in his chair and staring at Jase.

“Depends. Sometimes I hit the gym. Ashlynn’s got quite the setup here. Or the rec room. Most of the time I spend in the virtual shooting range.”

Leyton smirked. “You up for a little challenge?”

“Always,” Jase said, smiling as he pushed back his chair.

They made their way to the game room, then shut the door behind them. Jase grabbed the Glock he usually used, reset the system, and geared up for the challenge.

This he could get used to. The usual tension—sexual or otherwise—wasn’t lingering between them at the moment. They were simply two guys with a competitive streak, ready for a friendly wager. For the first fifteen minutes, they were both focused, warming up. It wasn’t until Leyton started talking that Jase relaxed completely.

“You always been into guns?” Leyton asked, his attention still on the target.

“Yeah. My mother dated a cop when I was a kid. Didn’t last long, but he taught me a little about guns. I took it from there. When I was in high school, I met a guy who taught mixed martial arts. We didn’t have money, so I couldn’t take the classes, but for some reason, he took pity on me. Taught me about defending myself and how to use guns.”

“Where was your dad?” Leyton asked.

“No idea. Guy split when I was a baby. Never met him. Don’t even know his name.”

Leyton glanced over at him. “My mother left when I was four. Never saw her again.”

“Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids,” Jase muttered as he took aim, then released five shots in quick succession. “Your dad was abusive?”

The silence lingered long enough that Jase didn’t think Leyton was going to answer him, but he finally spoke.

“Extremely.”

“He’s responsible for the scars.” It wasn’t a question. Jase had heard the rumors.

“Yeah.”

“Prick.”

Leyton smiled over at him, and Jase felt that strange tug in his heart. They had more in common that he’d realized. Although Jase’s mother hadn’t been physically abusive, she’d done a number on both him and Derrick mentally. He was pretty sure she’d blamed them for their father leaving, though Jase had no idea what had actually happened there. His mother hadn’t told them much about the man, and Jase had never cared enough to ask.

“You and Derrick aren’t close?” Leyton asked.

“Not really, no. We didn’t spend much time together growing up. He’s five years older and always did his own thing.”

“He’s doin’ well here?”

Jase nodded, lowering his weapon briefly. “He’s sober at least. Don’t think it’s been easy for him, but after he checked himself into rehab, he came lookin’ for me. Ashlynn gave him the job. He’s grateful, I guess.”

Jase knew that Leyton would know all the gory details of Derrick’s life. Hell, Leyton probably knew things about Jase’s past that he’d forgotten. The Adorites didn’t trust just anyone to be in their fold, and he understood why.

Neither of them said anything for long minutes, both focused once again on the targets.

“How ’bout we kick this up a notch,” Leyton suggested.

Jase knew exactly where this was headed, and he couldn’t bring himself to say no. He didn’t want to say no. A dare was a dare, and he accepted the challenge. Even if that challenge would likely involve him and Leyton in a precarious situation that would probably confuse him all the more. Still, he was enjoying the time they had together. Being alone with Leyton wasn’t something he’d ever thought about, but now that they were getting the opportunity, he wasn’t ready for it to end.

“What’d you have in mind?” Jase asked.

“One shot,” Leyton said. “Closest to the bull’s eye gets to decide.”

“Decide what?”

“What they want the other to do,” Leyton stated, a wicked gleam in his beautiful green eyes.

“You’re on,” Jase told him.

Clearing the target in front of him, Jase nodded for Leyton to go first.

Leyton moved over to the lane Jase had been using. He lifted the Glock, took aim, and then took the shot. The shot hit to the left of the bull’s eye. Not bad.

“Your turn.” Leyton took a step back.

Jase took aim, fired. Hit the exact same spot as Leyton.

When he peered at Leyton over his shoulder, he saw the man smiling at him.

Leyton took position again, fired. To the right this time, second ring from the bull’s-eye.

Jase followed, hitting the exact same mark.

“Okay, point made.” Leyton laughed. “You’re good at this.”

“I’m pretty damn accurate,” Jase told him.

“Third time’s a charm,” Leyton said before turning. He didn’t get into position, simply lifted his gun, sighted it, and then fired.

Dead center.

Jase smiled. “You’re hustlin’ me,” Jase accused, then did the exact same thing, hitting the exact same mark.

Leyton set his weapon down on the counter, then took Jase’s from his hand. With both guns out of reach, Leyton closed the space between them. Jase met Leyton’s intense gaze and held his breath. When Leyton’s rough hands cupped his face, he felt a little off-kilter.

“I wanna kiss you,” Leyton whispered. “And I never wanna stop.”

“What’s stoppin’ you?” Jase could practically feel Leyton’s lips on his.

“Not a damn thing,” Leyton remarked, then gently pressed his lips to Jase’s.

Those same warring emotions churned deep inside. The kiss wasn’t forceful; it wasn’t fueled by lust, either. It was sweet and … perfect.

Cupping the sides of Leyton’s neck, Jase leaned into him, gliding his tongue against Leyton’s. Part of him thought they’d progress to the next level, end up ripping one another’s clothes off, but as it turned out, Leyton had meant what he’d said. The kiss continued until Jase was pressed up against the wall, crushed between it and Leyton’s big body. But Leyton’s hands never wandered. His tongue simply explored, his mouth left lingering kisses over his lips, his jaw, then back again.

“I meant what I said the other day,” Leyton finally said.

Jase lifted an eyebrow in question.

“I don’t regret this. The only thing I regret is holding back for so long.”

“Yeah, well,” Jase smiled, “we’ve got plenty of time to make up for it.”

Leyton’s grin was wicked. “Yeah, we definitely do. And I plan to use every second wisely.”

When Leyton’s mouth crushed against his again, Jase gave in, holding Leyton to him as he let the foreign sensations take over. He’d fallen for Ashlynn in a short period of time, and clearly, he was gearing up to do the exact same thing with Leyton.

Not that he could bring himself to care.

Not at the moment, anyway.

Chapter Forty-One

Is it weird in here? Or is that just me?

Present day

Monday, November 9 th

Ashlynn woke up on Monday morning to an empty bed. She wasn’t sure whether that was due to what had transpired the night before or simply because it was nearly noon when she’d finally stirred. Yep, two nights in a row of mind-blowing orgasms would do that to a girl. She’d fallen asleep a little after three and woken up just shy of lunch.

It wasn’t until her feet hit the floor and she was making her way to the bathroom that she realized how sore she was. Apparently, during those intense few hours she’d spent with Leyton and Jase, she’d used muscles she hadn’t even known she had.

And last night, once hadn’t been nearly enough. After her men had recovered from their first encounter that had started in her office and ended in Jase’s bed, some forty-five minutes later, they’d moved their tryst to her shower and resumed where they’d left off.

Needless to say, that was a weekend she likely would never forget. Her first time with Leyton, which had been earth-shattering—as well as highly confusing—all on its own. And then her first time with both… Ashlynn’s mind was still reeling, her heart… Yeah, she didn’t even want to think what that strange feeling was in her chest.

But now, she knew there was shit that needed to be taken care of, and the last thing she could do was sit around and contemplate the meaning of it all.

Sex.

“It was just fucking sex,” she muttered to herself as she flipped on the shower and went to brush her teeth.

Surprisingly, she didn’t have any interruptions while she showered and got ready for the day. It wouldn’t have bothered her except she knew that something was going on and she should’ve been prepared for it. Monday or not, their world didn’t stop for days off. And certainly not when some whiny-ass mafia boss had put a hit out on her.

Fucking bastard.

Come to think about it, Ashlynn hadn’t even asked Leyton what had happened during that meeting.

The fury she’d been fighting off returned with a vengeance. She figured it had something to do with the fact that she was no longer distracted by thoughts of sex with Leyton. She knew exactly what it felt like now, and though she was counting down the seconds for a repeat performance, she still had to get her head in the game. Before they’d drifted off last night, Leyton had mentioned that the meeting with Moroso hadn’t gone quite as well as they would’ve liked, and she wanted to see where they stood now, more than a day later. Getting out from under a contract killing wasn’t going to be easy, but Ashlynn wasn’t scared.

Fear wasn’t something she had much familiarity with anymore. She’d learned, after years of being at the mercy of her brutal and deranged father, that fear would only put her in more precarious situations. Thankfully, five years ago, she’d done the right thing and hired Jase. Although she’d taken a gamble on him, she’d known at the time it had been the right thing to do.

She could still remember the look on his handsome face when he’d realized what he’d signed on for. But, to this day, he’d never let her down.

“Where is everyone?” she called out when she ventured downstairs and found the place empty. Surely they hadn’t left her there alone.

“Hey,” Jase greeted, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her in a move that was so unlike him, so strangely intimate that she would’ve stumbled had he not been holding her.

Feeling a little off-kilter, Ashlynn pulled away. “Where’s Leyton?” she asked, straightening her T-shirt. She’d opted for casual today because, after all, she could wear what she wanted. Just because they had work didn’t mean she had to get all dolled up to handle it.

If her reaction took him by surprise, he didn’t show it. He poured her a cup of coffee and urged her toward the breakfast bar.

“He went with Max.”

Ashlynn lifted her eyebrows, encouraging him to explain.

“They had to talk to someone. Didn’t say who. Should be back any minute now.”

Ashlynn knew Jase wouldn’t have any details regarding how that meeting went, so she didn’t ask. She sipped her coffee and took the iPad he held out to her, curious as to what he was asking her to look at. He tapped the screen, and there before her was an article about Devil’s Playground—

“We’ve got a problem,” Max announced, his voice harsh as he stepped into the kitchen, Leyton, Rock, and Dane right behind him, their expressions somber.

“What?” she asked, setting the iPad down and giving them her full attention.

“I can’t reach Aidan.”

Ashlynn glanced from one man to another, praying like hell they weren’t fucking with her. Aidan wasn’t the type to not answer his phone.

“I talked to him on Saturday,” she said. “He said he was goin’ out with friends. Probably made a weekend out of it.”

“Speaking of Saturday, how’d things go with Moroso?” Jase asked.

The question would’ve sounded as though he didn’t give a shit that Ashlynn’s brother was missing, but she knew what he was inferring.

Max frowned, evidently picking up on Jase’s train of thought. “Guy’s a fuckin’ prick. I wouldn’t put anything past him. As far as I know, he didn’t do as I instructed.”

“Fuck,” Jase hissed. “Do you think…?”

Ashlynn didn’t want Jase to finish that sentence. She knew he was wondering the same thing they all were, whether or not Aidan’s disappearance had anything to do with Moroso.

“He was last seen at Devil’s Playground. Last night,” Leyton explained.

So he had partied the entire weekend away, just as Ashlynn guessed.

Jase snatched the iPad and cursed.

“What time?” Ashlynn asked, grabbing her phone off the counter.

“Darius and Felix couldn’t confirm a time, but they both said they saw him around one.”

“So he was there until closing?” Ashlynn asked as she dialed Aidan’s number.

Leyton shrugged.

She listened to the phone ring but hung up when it went to voice mail.

“Shit,” Jase said. “Did no one read the article?” He held out the iPad, but no one looked. “It’s about the club.”

Leyton’s eyebrows shot up in question.

“And the unconscious man they found behind it,” Jase explained, clearly exasperated that no one seemed interested.

“Motherfucker,” Max bellowed, then turned away when his cell phone rang. They all watched Max as he stormed out of the room but came to an abrupt stop at the doorway, turning back slowly. “What did you say?”

There was a lengthy pause, and then Max was racing back to the door, Leyton, Rock, and Dane all chasing after him.

Ashlynn’s head was spinning, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening.

“Wherever they’re goin’, I want to be there,” she demanded as she glared at Jase.

He simply nodded, then hollered for Teddy and Leo. Both men came into the room with matching expressions on their faces. Jase already had his phone to his ear after he instructed them to bring the Escalade around.

Ashlynn didn’t ask who he was calling; she didn’t really give a shit.

“Rock? Where the fuck are y’all headed?” Jase’s eyes widened. “I’ll fucking let you tell her. Yeah? That’s what I fucking thought.” Jase stabbed his phone, then grabbed Ashlynn’s arm, practically dragging her behind him.

“Where is my brother?” she demanded.

“At the hospital,” he relayed, his tone hard.

Ashlynn jerked to a stop, ripping her arm from his grip. Her heart felt as though it were going to pound right out of her chest.

“He’s alive, Ash. That’s all I know at this point. Come on. I’ll take you to him.”

She was grateful for Jase at that moment. Leyton hadn’t batted a fucking eyelash at leaving her behind, and that pissed her off. So much so, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to talk to him again.

Forty-five minutes later, Ashlynn was pacing the floor of an empty office, somewhere deep in the bowels of Baylor Hospital. Apparently, Dr. Hank Jergen—whoever the hell he was—didn’t have hours on Monday, so Jase had commandeered his office, stashing her there until they could find out when Aidan would be out of surgery.

Surgery.

Shit.

From what she’d been told by her sister-in-law, who had been the one to locate Aidan by using her family’s resources, Aidan had been beaten within an inch of his life and left for dead in the alley of the club. And yes, Jase had been right to assume that the article had been referring to Aidan. Apparently, it was front-page news.

Ashlynn didn’t know the logistics, because no one was telling her anything. They all seemed to be worried that she was the next target, that Moroso had used Aidan as a way to send a message.

Fucker. She was ready to kill the bastard, slice him open with her knife…

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. They didn’t know for sure what had happened, so jumping to conclusions wasn’t going to help at this point.

Outside in the hall, Jase, Teddy, and Leo were standing guard, ensuring no one made their way anywhere close to where she was. Max, Leyton, Rock, Dane, Courtney, and God only knew who else were waiting for Aidan to come out of surgery.

From what she’d gathered, Aidan wouldn’t be kept at the hospital, nor would she. If they were right—and she could only assume they were—the Moroso family had retaliated, and since they couldn’t get to her, they’d played a different hand.

And thanks to that fucked up delivery, her family was ready to wage an all-out war.

Ashlynn wanted to see Aidan. She needed to see him. Needed to know that he was going to live. Anything else was unacceptable.

Finally, the door opened, and Leyton stepped into the room. He was alone, which didn’t surprise her. She knew Jase was being vigilant, ensuring that no one got remotely close to her. He hadn’t liked the idea of bringing her to the hospital in the first place, but she’d given him no choice.

“How is he?” she asked, scowling at him. She was still pissed that he’d left without telling her what the fuck was going on. She deserved at least that common courtesy. But she should’ve known, Leyton’s loyalty to Max would always have her playing second fiddle to him.

“Stable,” Leyton relayed, closing the door behind him.

She released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Was it Moroso?”

Leyton nodded.

“Where’s Max?”

Leyton regarded her with an odd expression. “You don’t want to ask that.”

“I’m not Courtney,” she argued. “Don’t act as though I’m sensitive to this shit. Where is he?”

“He’s … making preparations.”

“For…?” Ashlynn hated this hedging bullshit. She asked a question and she wanted an answer.

“Retaliation.”

“Who’s he contracting?” They knew quite a few contract killers, but there was one man she knew would get it done.

“Ace,” Leyton replied.

Yep. That’s who she would’ve chosen, too. “When can I see Aidan?”

“They’re not done in surgery yet,” Leyton said, leaning against the desk.

Ashlynn watched him for a moment, noticed the crease in his brow. He was worried, more so than she’d probably ever seen him. A strange urge to comfort him came over her, though she should’ve been pissed at him. This sensitivity crap was something she wasn’t familiar with but couldn’t seem to ignore.

When she was close enough, Leyton surprised her by reaching for her, pulling her up against him as his arm banded around her, the other sliding beneath her hair to cup the back of her head. He tucked his face into her neck as he held her tightly.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if somethin’ happens to you,” he whispered.

That weird pinch in her chest happened again. “Nothin’s gonna happen.”

Apparently he knew as well as she did that there were no guarantees, so he didn’t say anything.

But that was okay. For now, being in his arms, feeling the safety and security that came along with it, this was all she needed.

Chapter Forty-Two

Fancy seeing you here.

Rock stood at the door of the waiting room, keeping an eye on the hall while the Adorites waited for information on Aidan. From what he’d gathered, it didn’t sound good. Those fucking assholes had done a number on the kid, beating him and leaving him for dead. The doctor had mentioned something about a skull fracture, and at that point, Rock knew all hell was about to break loose.

He welcomed it.

He was fucking tired of the bullshit.

For the past few months, he’d seen a side of the Adorite family that he hadn’t known existed. Well, not entirely, anyway. Sure, he’d seen what went on at the club. That was child’s play compared to the shit they had to deal with. And after he’d witnessed that prick Moroso at the restaurant … Rock had wanted to take the bastard out with his bare hands. Still did.

“Rock?”

The soft voice with the subtle accent sounded from behind him, causing him to turn.

“I thought that was you,” she said, light gray eyes staring back at him.

Rock’s throat dried up like the Sahara Desert when he saw her. Her. That’s all he knew her by. He had no fucking clue what her name was, because she had never bothered to give it to him, and until now, he’d never expected to see her again. The one woman he’d found himself enraptured by, so caught up with that he’d thought about her for days now, and he didn’t even know her name.

He glanced down at her name tag. Brooklyn Sanborn.

Interesting. She didn’t look like a Brooklyn.

She looked like … an angel.

Great. And he was waxing fucking poetic about some chick he’d met briefly at a nightclub where he worked. Then again, that chick was by far the most exotically beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. It was obvious she was a perfect mix of black and, if he remembered correctly, German. Her accent was subtle and sexy as fuck. She had light gray eyes, curly, golden-brown hair … and she was tall. Somewhere close to six feet, easy. She’d been wearing heels that night, but today she was wearing tennis shoes. Still, she was much taller than any woman he’d ever been with.

Not that he’d been with her. Hell, he’d been lucky to have a conversation with her. When he’d returned to the bar after delivering Ashlynn and Jase to the penthouse, he’d been surprised to find her still there. She had been talking to another guy, but Rock had easily inserted himself into that conversation, not willing to take the chance of her getting away.

But she had, anyway. And he hadn’t even gotten her name.

“You work here?” he questioned, realizing she was staring up at him, waiting for … something.

“Yeah. Hence the scrubs.” Her brilliant smile, the flash of perfectly straight white teeth, damn near stole his breath.

But it was her eyes that captivated him, made him unable to think clearly.

“Well, since you don’t have anything to say,” she teased, “I’ve got a family I need to talk to.”

“The Adorites?” he asked, pulling himself out of his stupor.

“Yeah.” Her eyebrows darted down. “You know them?”

He nodded.

Rock was pretty sure there was a question she wanted to ask, but she didn’t. Instead, she smiled again. “It was good to see you again.”

When she started to walk away, he panicked. If he let her go, he might very well never see her again, and since she’d been playing a starring role in every damn one of his erotic fantasies as of late, Rock couldn’t let that happen.

“Can I get your number?” he blurted out.

Her eyes lit up. “Let me think about that for a little while, and I’ll get back to you.”

Fuck.

Not wanting to scare her away, he simply nodded as she disappeared into the waiting room.

He’d learned over the years that thanks to his intimidating size and his gruff demeanor, women didn’t exactly flock to him. But this one—Brooklyn—she didn’t seem to be put off by him.

And that made him want her all the more.