Текст книги "Aftershock"

Автор книги: Sylvia Day

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“Gag,” Vincent muttered, walking through the open front door, carrying my suitcase and a duffel bag. “Where do you want this?”

“You can just put it down,” I told him, squirming as Jax nibbled at my neck. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, perfect for being out in the city. Moving didn’t qualify, but I wasn’t complaining. And neither was my family, which I considered a minor miracle.

Jackson Rutledge could sell sand in a desert. He never once said we were heading to a lifetime commitment, yet he’d managed to convey an earnest and passionate desire to be with me when we sat down with my family after Rossi’s closed on Thursday night. I think we both understood that my family heard wedding bells, but he didn’t seem pressured by that expectation. For my part, I was working hard not to get my hopes up.

Lei had wished me well at work on Friday when I told her what was happening, but she’d been notably subdued. That was hard for me, because I’d come to seek and depend on her approval.

“Looks like I arrived right on time.”

I felt Jax stiffen at the sound of his father’s voice. His hold on me loosened and he straightened, freeing me to turn around and face Parker Rutledge.

“I brought beer,” he said, holding up a twelve-pack. His smile was wide, his face startling in its resemblance to his son’s. He thrust his hand out to Vincent and introduced himself, then glanced at me. “There she is, the woman who’s got my son smiling nonstop lately. It’s good to see you again, Gianna.”

“Hello, Mr. Rutledge.”

“Parker, please.” He ripped open the top of the twelve-pack and handed a beer to Vincent, then stepped down into the living room to shake hands with Nico. “Saw the other Rossi downstairs in the lobby. Sounded like he was making a bet with the doorman.”

I shot a look at Jax and saw his face had hardened into an inscrutable mask, his attention on his father, watching as Parker passed a beer to my older brother.

“Let’s plan for all of us to get together sometime this coming week,” Parker said, taking in everyone with a sweeping glance. “Your parents, too, of course. And my wife, Regina.”

“The Rossis are as busy as we are,” Jax said tightly. “Possibly more so.”

“I’m sure they are. American entrepreneurship at its finest.” Parker set the case of beer down on the coffee table and pulled one out for himself. “But surely we can work something out. Family is family, after all.”

Nico’s dark, thoughtful gaze met mine. He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

* * *

Jax holed up in his home office after everyone left, leaving me to put my stuff away wherever I wanted. We didn’t talk about it, but I was pretty sure he’d had different plans for our Saturday before his dad showed up. It tripped me out how Parker Rutledge blew into a room like a ray of sunshine and his son turned instantly arctic.

What wasthe story there? Why was it that every time his dad popped into our lives, it automatically put a wedge between us?

I was unpacked within an hour, leaving me hanging around an unfamiliar place with nothing to do. I debated watching TV, then decided to surf online for movie showtimes and dinner reservations. I was damned if Parker was going to ruin my first weekend living with Jax.

Dropping onto the couch, I propped my bare feet up on the coffee table and set my laptop on my knees. I’d scarcely typed in my password when Jax appeared.

“Hey,” I greeted him. My smile faded when I saw the tightness around his eyes and mouth. “Everything all right?”

“Sure. Why?”

“Your hair’s a sexy mess.” The dark locks were wild, as if he’d been shoving his hands into them to release inner tension, something I would have been happy to do for him.

Giving me a sheepish look, Jax ran a hand over his hair to smooth it. “I was just thinking—you up for one of those mind-numbingly boring affairs I warned you about?”

“I’m up for anything that puts you in a tuxedo.”

His mouth softened into a wry smile. “All right, then.”

I snapped my laptop closed and set it on the coffee table. “I’ll need to go shopping, though. When is it?”

“Tonight.”

My brows rose. “You couldn’t give me more warning?”

“Just found out about it,” he said grimly. “We can have a stylist come here with some choices for you.”

“Seriously? How important is this thing you’re asking me to?”

He leaned into the wall in what might have seemed like a casual pose if he wasn’t so edgy. I could almost see the agitation radiating from him. “I’m outing you as my girl. But before you get it into your head that I want you looking any particular way, let me tell you that I’d take you out just the way you are right now.”

Pushing to my feet, I glanced down at my basic white ribbed tank top and tan capris. “Shut up.”

“Baby, that killer body of yours makes everything sexy.” He crossed his arms, settling in. “I just don’t want you running all over town.”

“I can find something off the rack, unless you have a problem with that.”

“Takes all the fun out of it for me. We bring someone here, I get to watch you dress and undress. We hit the stores, they’ll kick me out of the dressing rooms.”

My lips twitched with a repressed smile. “Pervert.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“You do this sort of thing often?” I asked as casually as I could manage. It hadn’t escaped me that most guys wouldn’t have a stylist on call for their girlfriends.

“Get kicked out of dressing rooms? Not as a rule, no.”

I told myself to drop it. “Well, that’s a good thing. Anyway...I’ll just head out for a couple hours, let you work.”

“And stew all afternoon over whether or not I play dress-up with all the chicks I fuck?” he asked, straightening.

“I don’t want to talk about your sexual conquests.” I grabbed my purse off the armchair and looked around for my flats.

“You just want to be mad at me for stuff you’re making up in your head.”

I glared at him. “Don’t pick a fight with me just because you’ve got issues with your dad.”

“This has nothing to do with him.”

“Really? Because I get the impression damn near everything in your life has something to do with him.”

“Not you,” he said quietly. Dangerously. He closed the distance between us. “Stop changing the subject and spit it out, Gia.”

“It doesn’t matter, Jax. I knew you were a player when I met you. I’ll get over it.”

“I had my moments,” he agreed. “They never included giving a damn about how the women I nailed felt about anything, let alone the clothes they were wearing.”

My chin lifted. “Why are you always so quick to make yourself sound like a class A prick?”

He shrugged. “Just calling ’em like I see ’em.”

“No, you’re trying to paint a picture of yourself that has nothing to do with reality. You can’t keep telling me that I know you, while insisting that you’re really an asshole.” I dropped my purse back down. “It’s like you’re trying to convince you and me both that you’re something you’re not.”

“More like reminding us both of what I am,” he stopped in front of me, “what I’ve got inside me just waiting to come out.”

“I think your dad reminds you of that.”

“You’re fixated on my father.”

“Just calling ’em like I see ’em,” I shot back.

Jax stared down at me for a long minute, his body tense and the air between us strained. “What you’re notseeing is that he and I have a lot more in common than just our faces.”

“So, let’s talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You just want to fight.”

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his biceps stretching the sleeve of his T-shirt. He growled. “What I want is to fuck you bowlegged.”

“Jax.” I laughed, I couldn’t help it. His frustration was palpable and his response to it was so typically... male. “You’re lucky I grew up with three brothers, you know. I’m used to chest thumping.”

“And driving me insane.”

“You’re doing that all by yourself, what with your self-confessed multiple personality disorder.” I touched a finger to my jaw. “Wait. I get it. You’re a twin. There’s two of you!”

Closing his eyes, he rubbed his temples with his fingertips. “Jesus.”

“If I sleep with both of you, does that count as cheating?”

His hands dropped and he looked at me. “Are you in love with both of them?”

I reached out and touched his chest. “I’m in love with you.”

With a sigh, Jax hugged me and pressed his lips to my shoulder. “Image is everything in politics. Sometimes, I’m asked to help others with theirs. That’s why I know a few stylists.”

I pushed my hands up beneath his shirt to touch his bare skin. His soft shiver and low moan sent my heartbeat skipping. “Good to know.”

I wanted to know more, but for the first time in our relationship we had time to let things grow and develop. I gave myself the right to enjoy that.

* * *

There were a handful of things in life that made me catch my breath in wonder—Jax in a tuxedo topped the list.

I watched him cross the ballroom with a champagne flute in each hand, his stride fiercely elegant and unmistakably sexual. The D.C. hotel was filled with men and women who were political and financial scions wielding tremendous power. Enormous crystal chandeliers cast light that glittered off priceless jewels and glossy, perfectly coiffed locks. Crystal glasses clinked against each other, and the hum of conversation sounded like a swarm of bees.

In the midst of it all, Jackson Rutledge stood out from the crowd.

His hair was nearly as dark as his tuxedo, his skin lightly tanned, his eyes framed by arrogantly slashed brows. The beautifully tailored tux hugged his broad shoulders and emphasized the length of his legs.

Discreetly, I licked my lips. Mine.

Jax would’ve caught my eye no matter what, but it was the look in his eyes that set my heart racing.

“I still love that dress,” he said, handing me a flute and bending to kiss my shoulder.

My lips curved against the mouth of the glass. The muted gold gown had been the first one I’d tried on and he’d voted for it on sight, shaking his head at the three dresses I had tried on after it. A smooth column of lined silk poured down my body, held in place by thin beaded straps at my shoulders and back. I’d been wary of the color at first, but the gown did a splendid job of hinting at my curves, instead of hugging them.

“Thank you.”

He turned to face the room, his hand coming to rest on my hip in a blatantly possessive display of ownership. “In a couple of hours we can fly back to New York. Or we can grab a room here in the hotel.”

“Or join the mile-high club. After all, what’s the point of taking a private jet if we don’t get naughty in it?”

His fingers flexed into my flesh. “And once again, I have an erection in public. Thank you very much.”

I laughed and leaned into him. “What do you need to do here?”

“Not sure.” He took a drink. “Once Parker shows up, I’ll have an idea.”

“He relies on you a lot, doesn’t he?”

Jax shrugged, but I saw the tightness around his mouth again. It was soon echoed by a corresponding tautness to his big frame, and when I followed his gaze, I saw why. Parker and Regina Rutledge had arrived. The two stood near the entrance to the ballroom, surrounded by those who wanted to rub shoulders with a Rutledge. There were several of them in attendance, but Parker was the wizard behind the curtain whom everyone wanted to see.

He looked over at Jax and me, smiling when he caught my eye and then glancing at Jax. A silent bit of communication passed between them.

“Gimme a second, babe,” Jax murmured, then he walked away, striding easily through a crowd that parted for him.

I watched him until he reached his father, studying both men for body language.

“Well, you cleaned up nicely,” a familiar voice said beside me.

Turning my head, I looked at Allison Rutledge, formerly Allison Kelsey. I raked her with a glance, noting the changes. I’d barely seen her the night I escorted Ian, so I took the opportunity. She was thinner than she had been in Vegas and she’d been slender then. Polished and perfect in a brittle way, she appeared to have hardened and grown more jaded. There was a world-weariness in her eyes that echoed what I occasionally saw in Jax.

But she was still as beautiful as ever, with dark hair cut into a sleek bob that framed delicate features and big blue eyes. Her aqua-hued gown was a lovely contrast to her porcelain skin.

“Hello, Allison,” I said, turning my attention back to the two darkly handsome Rutledge men across the room.

“That’s a beautiful dress.” She examined me. “Gretchen must be partial to it. She suggested it to me, as well, but it’s not my style.”

I took another sip of champagne to hide how I felt at the unexpected mention of the stylist’s name. So, Gretchen was an ace in the hole for the entire Rutledge family. Nice to know. “You might be surprised to hear that it wasn’t my first choice, either.”

Her smile was anything but friendly. “You’re smart to let Jackson dress you. But then you’re obviously smarter than I gave you credit for, or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Can you go be a bitch somewhere else?” I said, waving my hand carelessly. “This is my space and you need to see your way out of it.”

“If I remember correctly, you’re not a woman who likes pretense and bullshit, so I’m not shoveling any your way. We have to get along, after all. Might as well start now.”

“We don’t have to do anything.” My gaze flicked over to her. “I suggest we do our best to avoid one another.”

Her brows rose as if she were surprised, then she laughed, the sound as melodious as her voice. “That’s not how this works, Gianna. You and I are going to be best friends, as far as public knowledge goes. We’ll have lunch and shop together. Ted and I will have dinner with you and Jackson. We’ll go to ball games and exhibitions. All sorts of things where we’ll smile at the camera and look tighter than sisters.”

“You’ve had too much champagne.”

“I’ll let Jackson explain it to you.” Her eyes were suspiciously bright, which got my back up.

“Explain what?” Regina Rutledge asked, joining us.

“Ted’s upcoming mayoral bid. Jackson’s outdone himself this time.”

My hand tightened around the stem of my glass, alarm bells ringing.

Regina’s mouth curved, but her voice came cold and sharp. “I think you should leave Gianna to Jackson. He’s very protective.”

“I get the hint.” Allison looked at me. “I’ll plan for us to have dinner in the city soon. Enjoy yourself, Gianna. And again, you look stunning. That dress was made for you.”

She glided off and I rubbed my nose with my middle finger, discreetly flipping her off before dismissing her and looking away. Parker still had Jax at his side, his hand resting on his son’s shoulder as they spoke to a white-haired gentleman whose face was vaguely familiar.

“Don’t pay her any mind,” Regina said, stepping into my line of sight.

Her blond hair skimmed her shoulders in stylized waves that were reminiscent of the heydays of Hollywood starlets. “She’s jealous. She has a Rutledge, but...” She lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Ted isn’t Jackson or Parker.”

I silently agreed with that. “It’s nice seeing you again,” I said instead.

Her mouth curved. “You and I are lucky women. Trust me, Jackson’s stamina won’t fade with time.”

My brows lifted. Even though Regina was nearer to my age than her husband’s, she was still Jax’s stepmother. It felt weird talking to her about sex with our men.

Jax appeared in front of me, taking my flute and passing it to Regina. His dark eyes hot on my face, he caught my hand and pulled me into him. “Dance with me.”

He led me onto the dance floor, his arms coming around me. “You’re the most beautiful woman here.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” It was heady being in Jax’s arms in public, nearly as heady as being held by him in private. “I have to say, though, that I’d rather not work with stylists who are also working with Allison. I don’t like her, Jax.”

His fingers stroked over my back. “She’s not one of my favorite people, either, but she’s married to Ted. She’s family.”

“I’m done with her treating me like I’m the scratching post for her claws.”

“She can be a raging bitch,” he agreed, “but she has those claws for a reason. You’ll need them, too, Gia.”

I treated him to a sulky stare. “I know you think I’m not strong enough to deal with your life, and I’m going to prove you wrong. That said, I am notgoing to go out of my way to spend time with people who give me grief.”

“So, the part about us acting as a team...that only applies to things you choose?”

“That’s not fair! I would never ask you to just suffer quietly while people insult you. I respect you more than that!”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “It’s not about respect, Gia. I shouldn’t have to tell you that I’m going to talk to Allison about how she approaches you—that should be obvious. But whether we like her or not, we’ve all got to work together.”

“I don’t have to do anything for her.”

“Then do it for me,” he snapped. “This is my life. I was very clear about how unpleasant some parts of it may be for you.”

I was startled by his vehemence. “You don’t like this any more than I do. I knowyou don’t. You don’t want to be here, at this party. It’d be different if you were asking me to hang in there because of something that’s really important to you, but that’s not the case!”

“I made my bed, Gia,” he said tightly, his face hard and remote. “And you made the decision to lie in it with me.”

I shook my head, trying to reconcile the Jax in front of me with the one I’d first met. That Jax had been fun-loving, larger than life, a hedonist in many ways. “I don’t understand you. Life is short, Jax. Why spend time doing things that don’t make you happy?”

“Doing you makes me very happy.”

I shoved at his shoulder. “Be serious. This is important. I really need to know.”

He didn’t answer me for a minute, long enough for one song to end and another to begin. I felt a change move through him, the quickening of his breath and a tightening of his hold on me. “The time for me to make a different choice came and went a long time ago.”

“That’s a cop-out. You’re not even thirty. Your whole life is ahead of you and nothing is behind you that you can’t fix.”

Jax looked over my shoulder, his gaze distant and unfocused, as if he were seeing something I couldn’t. “Sometimes you can’t go back,” he muttered. “You just have to face the consequences and own your mistakes.”

“You don’t have to keep making new ones.” I cupped his cheek, returning his attention back to me. “We’re starting over, Jax. We’ve got a second chance to get it right. Let’s not waste energy on people and situations that just drag us down.”

He heaved out his breath, then pressed a quick hard kiss to my forehead. “Let’s get out of here.”

7

“YOU LOOK FANTASTIC,” my best friend, Lynn, said, checking me out. “I haven’t seen you look this good since Vegas.”

“Considering that was a couple years ago, I’m not feeling too hot about that compliment.” I was teasing her and she knew it, just as I knew I waslooking pretty good lately.

Three weeks of living with Jax had led to me dropping about five pounds—the honeymoon diet without the honeymoon. Jax was insatiable and I was eating better because of it. There was a greater incentive to make smart food choices when you knew someone was going to be seeing you naked every day.

She laughed and glanced around Rossi’s. “This place looks great, too.”

Business at both Rossi’s locations was brisk, due in part to media mentions of Jax and me. Because I’d made an effort to avoid hearing anything about Jax while we were apart, I hadn’t realized just how often his name made the news. He’d said the gossip blogs and social media hounds would love me, but he hadn’t mentioned how much they loved him. The public wanted him in office. He was young, gorgeous, a Rutledge, and he had just enough ruthlessness to put him on the right side of edgy.

“The eye candy is delicious as always,” Lynn went on, her attention drifting to Vincent, who was working the bar.

He looked up, caught her eye, and winked.

“Be still my heart,” she said, tucking a stray lock of her red hair behind her ear and blowing him a kiss.

I groaned. “He’s got a big-enough head already.”

“Wouldn’t I like to find out?”

“Eww.” I rolled my eyes. I’d suggested we meet at Rossi’s because I wanted to relax without worrying about someone snapping a picture of me. I’d gotten used to having a bodyguard around all the time, but at Rossi’s I had the added eyes of my family watching out for invasions of my privacy.

She shot me a sympathetic look. “Is it really bad?”

“It’s not terrible. I’m not a celebrity or anything. But there always seems to be one or two photographers lurking around.”

“Stalker rat bastards.”

I shrugged, having accepted them as part of my life. Whenever I got irritated, I reminded myself that Jax had broken both our hearts to protect me from the attention. If I’d learned anything over the past three weeks, it was how happy being with Jax could make me. I couldn’t remember ever being happier. “I just have to be careful, that’s all.”

Twisting on her bar stool, she faced me, her long legs kicking playfully. Dressed in a long floral maxi and jean jacket, with a ton of bracelets and necklaces that she made—and sold—herself, she rocked bohemian elegance. “How is Jackson, anyway? I mean, on an ordinary day. He seems so...intense in interviews.”

“He is. But he can also be playful. And funny. He makes me laugh every day.”

She grinned. “Look at that smile on your face. Almost makes up for his conservative politics.”

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to get into a discussion about Lynn’s liberal views. I left that to my dad, who loved to talk to her about their similar stances on issues. “That’s not to say he can’t be stubborn, irrational, frustrating—”

“A man.”

“Yeah.”

“So...speaking of politics.”

“We weren’t,” I said firmly.

She gave me a toothy grin. “ Iwas. You manage to get the tribe all together in one place yet?”

“Not yet.” My feet tapped on the brass foot rail. “Shooting for a brunch this Saturday. It’s the only time we could get everyone together.”

“God. You’re going to have to give me all the details. Wish I could listen in. That’s going to be a hell of a brunch.”

She wasn’t wrong. In most ways, the Rossis and Rutledges were two different breeds of family.

I took a bite of a crostini, then glanced at my smartphone as it buzzed on the bar. The text message from Jax made me smile. Bring home lasagna.

Lynn glanced at it, too. “Girl, don’t tell me the romance is over already.”

My phone vibrated again. I’ve got the gelato to lick off your body....

She laughed and I laughed with her.

“I need a boyfriend.” Her gaze slid over to where Vincent was shaking up a drink. “Or a booty call.”

I distracted her from my heartbreaker of a brother. “How’s work?”

“Busy.” She played with her long necklaces. “Internet sales are really picking up. If my rent and taxes keep going up, too, I may close the store and just focus on the online business.”

“Really? But you love that store!” I knew how hard Lynn had worked to open it, and how much she’d wanted to prove that her jewelry making and pottery weren’t just worthless hobbies.

She shrugged, but I could see it bothered her. “Wouldn’t be so bad to set my own hours and have more time to come up with new concepts. I could also travel to more conventions and shows, which might be better for me.”

I wanted to keep her thinking positively. “I could use more of your business cards. I wore your amethyst earrings to a party last week and got a ton of compliments on them.”

“Yeah?” She brightened. “That’s great. Thank you.”

I gestured for Vincent to refill our beers, while Lynn pulled some business cards out of her behemoth of a purse.

“How’s work going for you?” she asked when she handed them over.

“Good.”

“You still love it?”

“I do, yes.” I smiled at Vincent as he set two fresh, full glasses in front of us and took the others away.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

I shot my best friend a narrowed glance. She was too perceptive. “Nothing.”

“And your boss is totally okay with you and Jackson?” she prodded.

Sighing, I picked up another crostini. “We don’t talk about it. Which is okay, because she’s my boss and not my friend, but still....”

“You think she’s got a problem with it?”

“I’d say she’s taking it pretty well, considering I’m living with the guy who is doing business with the man who screwed her over. She still trusts me with sensitive information. But there’s...something between us that wasn’t there before.” And that bothered me. A lot.

“What are you going to do?”

“What can I do?” I chewed and swallowed, chasing the toast down with a swig of beer. “I figure she’s waiting to see how it all shakes out. After enough time passes, maybe she’ll feel better about the whole thing.”

Lynn wrinkled her nose. “Have you talked to Jackson?”

“Can’t. He’s a fixer. He’ll want to step in and smooth things over, and that might make things even more uncomfortable.”

“That’s probably the best endorsement you could’ve made for him in my eyes. Every gal wants their best friend to end up with a guy willing to slay their dragons.” She winked. “And lick gelato off them.”

Laughing, I turned my head and glanced around the packed restaurant. Walk-in patrons waited in the foyer by reception, while tables were turned with brisk efficiency thanks to my dad’s insistence on a robust service staff. Families mixed with couples and groups, while a popular television star enjoyed the illusion of anonymity at her favorite table. A camera flash caught my eye, luring my attention to what looked to be a birthday party. Above the din of conversation and the clattering of silverware, an Italian tenor sang about love and loss through the speaker system.

Contentment slid through me, as it always did when I was at Rossi’s.

“Did hell just freeze over?” Lynn asked, bringing my gaze back to her.

“Huh?”

She gestured with a jerk of her chin and I followed. Blinking, I took in the sight of my dad standing beside Ted Rutledge, who had his arm tossed across his shoulders. Ted was dressed in a suit and tie, while my father wore his usual white chef’s coat, black pants, and red Rossi’s apron. Giovanni Rossi remained a striking man, with a full head of salt and pepper hair, and a strong jaw. A photographer snapped their photo.

“Hard to tell from here,” she said. “Is that a campaign button on his shirt?”

I looked at my dad first, then at Ted. Sure enough, Ted had something pinned to his jacket.

“Second time he’s been in here this week,” Vincent said behind me.

When I looked at my brother, I saw the muscle ticcing in his jaw.

“I didn’t know anything about this,” I told him.

“Yeah?” His brown eyes were hard. “Can Jackson say that?”

* * *

Lynn took off around eight, but I decided to stay and wait until closing, so I could talk to my dad. I also decided to head back to the loft with Angelo and Vincent.

Because I didn’t want to get into it with Jax when I was tired and cranky, I sent a text letting him know I wasn’t coming home, and then dropped my phone back into my purse. I sipped at a glass of anisette decorated with a lemon twist. After seeing my dad with Ted, a liqueur was calming.

I felt Jax enter the restaurant before I saw him. I’d always been attuned to him, but it had gotten more intense since we started living together.

“Gia.” His hands slid possessively over my hips, his warmth radiating into my back.

I glanced at Vincent, who was scowling at us, and spoke over my shoulder to Jax. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up.” His arms encircled my waist. “You didn’t really think I was going to let you spend the night somewhere else?”

I finished my drink. “I didn’t realize I was a prisoner.”

He stiffened at my tone, then whispered, “If we’re going to fight, we’ll do it at home.”

“I don’t want to fight, which is why I wasn’t coming home.”

Jax stepped back. “Let’s go.”

“You’re not listening.”

Spinning me around in my seat, he bent over me. “You haven’t said anything yet worth listening to.”

“Excuse me?” I glared at him, trying to ignore how sexy he looked in a black V-neck sweater and loose-fitting jeans.

He set his hands on the bar on either side me, caging me in. “I’m not leaving you here to drink and stew over whatever’s got you pissed off, and I sure as hell am not sleeping alone.”

“Back off, Jackson,” Vincent ordered, coming up to us.

Jax’s head snapped up. “You’re her brother and you’re watching out for her, I respect that. But she’s my girl and I love her, and you need to respect that. Don’t stick your nose in our business.”

“She doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to go.”

“Don’t talk around me like I’m not here!” I said crossly, shooting both of them a warning look. “I don’t appreciate Rutledges coming in here and yanking my family and me around. You said you wanted to protect us from the public eye, not drag us out in front of it!”

I saw when Jax understood what had me riled. Then his face closed off and gave nothing away. “And you’re welcome to hash it out with me—at home.”

“It’s late and I have to work tomorrow. Plus, I want to talk to my dad about this Ted thing, whatever it is. Obviously I don’t know because no one saw fit to tell me.”

“ I’vetalked to your dad about this,” he said, sounding so condescendingly reasonable he made my teeth grit. “And I don’t want to hear about it being late when you’re sitting here drinking.”

“News flash, Jackson: I’m old enough to drink a glass of liqueur. And anything else I feel like drinking.”

“Are you mature enough?”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

He reached down and grabbed my purse from the hook beneath the bar. “Getting drunk isn’t helping anybody.”

“I’m not getting drunk!”

“Good.” He gave me a tight smile. “Then you’ve got no reason to stay.”

“Jax—”

“We should both stop talking now.” He leaned down until we were at eye level. “There is no scenario where I walk out of here without you.”

“Gianna,” Vincent said. “You want me to deal with this?”

“I’ve got it.” I slid off the bar stool, suddenly very much in the mood to fight. At least if Jax was dealing with just me, it would be somewhat fair. If my brothers got into it with him, fists would start flying. “I’ll call you later.”

Jax jerked his chin at Vincent in a silent goodbye, then set his hand at my elbow to lead me out. He dismissed the bodyguard who’d been hovering by the entrance, then steered me into the cool night air toward a sleek, sexy car waiting in a no-parking zone.