Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
JADE
I ’m going to fucking kill him for that stunt he’s just pulled. Actually I better add it to the long list of reasons I have to slit his fucking throat.
Sebastian Silver is a fucking arrogant, heartless bastard. Gorgeous but fucking infuriating.
Sebastian Silver knew my brother was back in town and kept it from me, conspiring with my sister behind my back. - This is also on the list of reasons I’m super pissed at Scar.
Sebastian Silver manhandled me in front of his posse and all these fuck heads from the academy, not to mention all the other bullshit he’s pulled in front of them in the past.
The conniving bitch, Kinsley, is here again and in her usual place as his pretty little shadow.
Sebastian Silver got me fucking PREGNANT.
I need to remember to add that one to the top of the list, it trumps them all.
Instead I’m standing here with a furious look on my face, unable to move, speak, or function as he walks away. Me at a loss of words, only seems to happen where Sebastian Silver is concerned. My eyes roam the space around me until they connect with exactly the person I was hoping to find first. Stella. My real friend who deep down I’m praying had nothing to do with the betrayal I faced from everyone else. She immediately spots me rushing over to me but I meet her halfway.
“Jade!” she shouts, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug, “It’s really you,” God it feels good. I almost lose my shit as a tear threatens to spill, but I bite my tongue and do what I do best in situations that almost shed light on the reality that I am in fact a real girl with a beating heart.
“Yes, last time I checked I’m still me,” I answer, mockingly. Jokes are my steel armor. Turning a bad or serious situation into one of dry humor or dark sarcasm is my wielding weapon of choice.
“I was so worried about you,” she says as she lets go of me, ignoring my blunder of sarcasm. I must admit she’s gotten quite good at that. “I tried calling but you wouldn’t answer, I wanted to see you, talk to you, to make sure you were okay.”
“Well now you see I’m perfectly fine, actually never been better,”
“Clearly,” someone snickers from behind me and I curse the gods on earth for bringing her here and now. “You look like shit Wolfe,” Ruby sneers, walking around me and standing beside Stella.
“Ruby, that’s so rude!” Stella shrieks, playfully punching Ruby in the shoulder and I almost flinch at what I expect Ruby to do in retaliation, but nothing happens. No smoke coming out of the Red Dragon’s ears, no fire spewing out of her pouty lips, no claws coming out to scratch the living shit out of Stella. Nothing .
“You don’t look so hot yourself Drake,” I sneer back at her. Although I must admit, I’ve gotten used to seeing the bitch daily and somehow she was missed, not to mention she always looks like a fucking ten. Fuck these hormones must already have me all mushy and emotional.
“I’m just saying, you look like you’ve just cried your eyes out or puked your guts out, either way not so good.” Fuck. I thought I did a fairly good job of covering my red blotches of skin with my foundation and the popped blood vessels in my eyes with some Clear Eyes drops, but I was wrong. I guess I can’t hide the fact that I've been vomiting constantly from someone who’s used to puking her guts out multiple times a day, having had an eating disorder like Ruby.
“You know I’ve done none of that Ruby, I guess I’m just not as hot as I used to be,” I say, shrugging my shoulders and playing off her insult.
She laughs at my response clearly not believing any one of my blatant lies. “Uh huh, that’s it. Anyways,” she says, looking dangerously bored, “Where’ve you been really?”
“With Gray and Sarah,” I answer bluntly, feeling someone approach from behind me. Stella’s eyes pale while Ruby’s smirk widens, letting me know my suspicions are correct. “Got a little homesick, felt like reaching out to my real family,” I say, knowing full well that it’s my sister who’s joined us, “you know the ones who didn’t betray me.
“Jade,” Scarlett murmurs, a pang of guilt mixed with anger, and sprinkled with a hint of sadness flows within me at the solemn tone in her voice.
Fuck these brand-new feelings.
“Oh Scarlett, I didn’t see you there,” I lie, my mask of indifference back in place as I turn to face her.
“Can we talk?” she asks, her body shifting nervously as she watches me with sorrowful eyes. I look behind her and see Ace hovering protectively over her, his gaze pleading me to listen to what she has to say. I can’t imagine this has been easy on her either, given everything that happened that night of the fire at Servite Manor, and to be truthful I haven’t even given myself time to ask anyone the extent of what occurred, but I just can’t deal with whatever is about to ensue if we do hash things out here and now.
“Maybe some other time sis, right now I need the bar,” I turn to Ruby who smirks at my dismissal of Scar. If there is anyone who is proud of me finally giving Scar the cold shoulder it’s Ruby.
“Follow me Wolfe,” Ruby says, as she turns and leads Stella and I toward the bar.
When we reach the full-service bar set up on the outdoor deck surrounding the large pool, a fucked-up realization hits me like an ice-cold bucket of water. I can’t fucking drink. I may not know much about pregnancy or having a kid, but I’m quite sure rule number one is no fucking liquor. Fuck. How is an alcoholic like me, who isn’t ever without a drink in my hand, supposed to hide the fact that I'm not consuming any liquor?
“Jade, hello?” Ruby snickers, waving her hand in my face. I must have looked off in a daze, consumed by my thoughts and ignored her calling my name.
“What sorry,” I say, looking between her and a worried Stella.
“The bartender asked what you wanted to drink. God Wolfe, what's wrong with you today?” Ruby sneers, rolling her eyes obviously irritated.
And I’m not sure why but something in me snaps, and I take all my anger out on my undeserving friend. “I don’t know Ruby, maybe the fact that my father’s dead, my brother killed him, and my sister knew and didn’t tell me,” I blurt out, fury taking over my common sense. The bartender blankly stares at us knowing better than to react to my remark. I’m sure working parties like this he’s either sworn to secrecy or forced to sign some NDA agreement of sorts. To be a fly on the wall here in Hillcrest Hills must be something .
“Fuck someone’s touchy, you on your period or something?” she asks and I know she’s not expecting an actual response. “I was just saying you seem off your usual no fucks given attitude and seem all emotional and shit. No need for your dramatics,” she scoffs, grabbing the drink the bartender placed on the countertop and giving him a flirtatious wink, “Thanks darling,” she adds, sensually licking the drops of the fruity cocktail of her bright red lips.
“I'll just have a gin and tonic,” I say, turning to the bartender who looks slightly amused at our interaction, his cheeks go bright red as he watches Ruby swirl the straw in her cup with her tongue. I’ll have to get Ruby and Stella drunk if I want them not to notice that I'll be babysitting this drink all night, “And another of whatever bubble gum concoction these two are drinking.” He nods his head walking away and grabbing the bottles of liquor and glasses from behind him.
“With an ass like that, I can only imagine the tips he’ll be getting tonight,” Ruby mutters, standing on her tippy toes and biting her lip as she watches him bend over to grab the ice from the freezer under the back counter.
“Do I smell trouble in paradise Ruby?” I ask, turning the conversation on her, and the lack thereof Jaxon Wylde on her arm.
“He’s around here somewhere,” she answers, not adding anything further and I think I’ve struck a nerve.
As if he heard us summon his name, Jax appear with Drake and Kai looking like fucking sex with their bad boy tattooed selves.
“Well, well if it isn’t the infamous Jade Wolfe,” Kai says, coming up behind me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I take their arrival like a fucking blessing and easy distraction from having to gulp down the drink in my hand.
“In the flesh babe,” I answer jokingly, placing a soft kiss upon his cheek hoping Sebastian is somewhere watching from behind a bush or something. Kai and I have always had an easy relationship. Although I’m not as close to him as Scar is or was, since recent events seem to have strained that relationship, we’ve always been the ones causing trouble together. I mean I can’t deny he’s fucking gorgeous and more times than not have our classmates back in Pleasant Hills thought we were an item, but Kai’s always been a brother to me, filling in the empty hole Roman left when he disappeared.
“Where’d you run off too Jade?” Jax asks, not moving to stand near Ruby further making me suspect something’s going on there. Those two are the king and queen of PDA. “Oh and why?”
I’m not sure how much they all know about what went down the night I saw Roman again and since then, but Ruby didn’t sound so surprised when I blurted it out earlier, so I figure they’ve been filled in.
“Just went back home for a visit,” I answer, shrugging out of Kai’s arms as I look up to Stella who’s staring at us with a solemn look in her eyes. She knows my relationship with Kai is nothing but platonic, one between a brother and a sister, but I’m sure it still feels weird to her seeing him so comfortable around me when she’s been crushing so hard on him.
“How are mommy and mommy?” Jax asks,
“They’re fine,” I mutter, not interested in taking this conversation any further.
“Well someone’s chatty,” Jax huffs out mockingly, turning to Ruby and receiving a murderous glare.
“Yeah Jade, what’s up you seem, I don’t know off?” Kai mutters from beside me, while Drake who’s been standing there in his usual broody mood scoffs, turning to me as he pats Kai on the back.
“Well brother, that’s because you don’t understand what it’s like to be betrayed by Scarlett Steele,” Drake says, giving me a knowing glance before he turns and walks away disappearing into the crowd.
“Well I’m glad he doesn’t hold grudges,” Jax blurts out, “I thought he’d forgiven Scar and swept everything under the rug after she went and almost got herself blown up,” he adds, and it surprises me how easily Jaxon forgave and forgot when just weeks ago he was the one acting like Scarlett had broken his heart and betrayed him.
“Some things aren’t so easily swept under Jax,” I say, my gaze shifting from him to Sebastian, as I spot him heading inside his father’s house, his eyes connecting with me for a passing moment before he disappears inside. “Excuse me,” I mutter, walking away without giving them any further explanation. Although I’m already feeling sick to my stomach, I know I have to follow Bass, we have a hell of a lot of unfinished business.
Deep breath. Inhale in, exhale out. Repeat.
I manage to calm the queasiness in my stomach as I march across the elegantly decorated lawn complete with ice sculptures and twinkling lights, toward the back entrance of the mansion where I saw Bass enter through. I can hear the whispers and snickers of the partygoers, all dressed in semi formal attire as I strut past them in my leather pants and midriff baring top. At least I wore heels. I quicken my pace, my heart skipping a beat as I anticipate my meeting with Sebastian after what he whispered in my ear earlier. You better make sure to never run away from me again, because if you run Little Wolf, you can be sure as fuck I will catch you.
Just thinking about those promising words sends an equally exhilarating yet fearful shiver through me filling me with a daunting arousal just like when he said them just moments ago. The blazing desire in his gaze and the gravel yet confident rasp of his voice oozing sex appeal, made me want him to just wrap his hands around my ass and kiss me stupid for all to see. I step forward almost at the back door entrance, but just as I am about to cross the threshold into the mansion, I’m stopped. Long, thin fingers, covered in chrome and silver rings, with calloused tips wrap around my arm gently applying pressure as a silky voice coos my name, “Miss Wolfe,” he says, smoothly and ever-so-slightly supercilious, “I see my son has kept you around.”
I turn around slowly and fearfully, coming face to face with the daunting reflection of Stephan Silver. His tall stature is unnerving even in my stiletto heels, his raven black hair not a strand out of place, and those mesmerizing slate eyes watch me carefully and meticulously. I inhale a deep breath, the queasiness and nausea I had just managed to contain threatening to resurface.
“Mr. Silver,” I manage to finally say after blankly staring at him for what seems like hours. “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” I add, trying to inconspicuously pull out of his grasp. Seems like he’s just as domineering as his son.
“The pleasure is all mine my dear,” he says, emphasizing on the word pleasure far too long for my liking, “I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight, it was my understanding you and my son were currently how should I put it, not on the best of terms,” he adds, bringing a glass of amber liquor held tightly in his free hand to his lips. After a small sip, his hand still holding my arm releases me, “You know after the unfortunate ordeal with your brother Roman.”
I’m not surprised he’s aware of everything that happened, being Wesley Servite’s right hand man and all, I just can’t help but wonder if he heard the news from his son's own venom-stained lips. But his tone is anything but sincere as he casually and calculatingly throws out his son's indiscretions reminding me why I'm so pissed off at him. Must be exactly his intention if the sly smirk on his face is any indication. God these men are so damn predictable.
I fake a cheery smile, “Yes, well that’s all water under the bridge sir,” I lie, knowing well enough that is the opposite of what he wants to hear. Stephan Silver doesn’t seem like the type of man that would allow his only son, his heir, to fall in love with the likes of someone like me. I laugh internally, and apparently out loud at the thought of Sebastian Silver falling in love with anyone, gaining me a deep scowl from Silver Sr.
“If you’ll excuse me sir,” I say, stepping away from him but not making it far before he speaks again.
“I’d tread carefully my dear,” he states rather methodically, “my son isn’t one to forgive indiscretions or take threats or ultimatums lightly. He’s a level-minded man, he makes decisions based on logic and not on matters of feelings or emotion. I wouldn’t wish for you to end up broken-hearted or worse.” The nerve of this man.
“I appreciate your sincere concern Mr. Silver, but you see I’m not as fragile as I may seem. I’m not just some parentless little girl with an attitude problem and a track record of impulsive behavior. I can manage well on my own. Besides,” I whisper softly, stepping toward him and reaching out to smooth the fabric of his tie, “it’s not my heart I’d be worried about.”