Chapter Eight
Her voice steadied as she slipped into practical mode.
“You probably have a minor concussion. But I’m no nurse. I’ll give the nurse practitioner a call and see what she says. And I’ll reheat your food, so you can stop drooling,” she teased.
She moved quicky, wanting him fed and settled before her nerves unraveled further.
She grabbed his plate and a moment later had it nicely heated and back in front of him, along with a cup of coffee and a second glass of water in case he wanted it.
Then she fetched a pen and paper, signalling to him she was ready to record his information about the licence plate and the description of the attacker’s truck.
He relayed the information and she wrote it down.
“You eat, while I make the phone calls. I’ll use the landline phone in here so I can keep an eye on you,” she said and her tummy did that nice little dip again when the curves of his lips swung upward at her comment.
Oh boy, maybe staying in the same room as him was a bad idea. Too late now. She didn’t want to make it obvious that his nearness was making her uncomfortable in a really nice way.
She picked up the phone and placed a call to Ben, the cop friend she’d called last night. It went straight to voice mail. She left him the information that Nick had given and then called the nurse practitioner.
Voice mail again. She left a message.
When she hung up, Nick was serving himself a second helping of Axel’s cooking.
“Meds are kicking in. Headache is getting better,” he said and then he leisurely sipped on his coffee, keeping an eye on her.
“That’s good to hear. I’m glad,” she said and forced herself to make a plate of food for herself. She had to think about the baby, despite being worried about Axel and not wanting to eat until she knew he was safe.
“I bet Axel is turning around about now, realizing he’s chasing a ghost,” Nick commented as he turned his focus to the screen door and the parking lot beyond.
“I hope so,” Jenna replied, her chest tightening with both hope and dread. She warmed up her food in the microwave and a moment later sat beside Nick. She chose the seat carefully, close enough to watch him and far enough to keep her thoughts in check.
“It smells delicious,” Jenna said as she inhaled the spicy aroma of tomato sauce and garlic.
“You’re a good cook,” Nick complimented.
“Oh, Axel cooked,” she admitted.
“Really? How about that. He must have picked up a lot from those cooking shows and recipe books.”
“You sound like you’re surprised. He said your specialty is baking,” She didn’t tell Nick that Axel had used her mother’s meatloaf recipe. She’d seen it on the counter.
Nick chuckled.
“Well, he’s exaggerating or maybe because once in a while when he had a sweet tooth, I was able to whip up something.
You see we aren’t allowed to actually cook on a stove or bake in an oven in prison, but we did have an old working microwave in the day room, so I’m an expert at cakes in a mug, brownies, muffins, and bread without the crispy crust if you like that sort of thing. ”
“Sounds intriguing,” Jenna said as she forced herself to take a bite.
Flavor galore hit her taste buds like a delicious explosion, and she couldn’t stop herself from moaning.
“Hey, this is seriously good,” she admitted, moaning again as she took another bite of the meatloaf. Axel had made it even better than her mom or herself.
“Do you really think Axel will remember about his ankle monitor?” Jenna asked, her nerves growing as the minutes ticked by and the uncertainty weighed on her.
“No doubt. Sure, he’s got a temper, but he’s learned to reign it in. He just needed to go and get it out of his system. He’ll be okay. He’ll be back. Seriously, don’t worry,” Nick replied.
His calm certainly soothed her frayed nerves more than she expected. It was reassuring to hear that Nick believed Axel wouldn’t be so reckless as to screw things up again.
Jenna reflected on Axel’s temper in the past. It truly hadn’t unsettled her until it landed him in prison. His fighting spirit and outspokenness against injustice had earned him both respect and trouble with friends and family, regardless of whose feelings were affected.
Despite it, she’d always been drawn to Axel’s unwavering confidence. It was a trait Nick seemed to share, and the resemblance struck her unexpectedly. Different men, same steady certainty. Jenna found herself almost believing that Axel really would be alright.
“How long have you known Axel?” she asked, curious about their bond.
“We’ve been together about seven years,” Nick answered, the weight of their shared history evident in his voice.
Her fork paused halfway to her mouth.
“Together?” she asked, wondering exactly what he meant by that.
“Cellmates. Actually, we’re more than just cellmates.”
Nick was about to confess to Jenna that they were lovers and stopped himself cold as a jolt of alarm swept through him, clearing the fog of the moment.
Man, that hit to his head had seriously loosened his tongue. He blew out a tense breath. That kind of mistake could have blown everything apart.
“We’re best friends,” he said quickly. “We care about each other. Watch each other’s backs. We’ve been through a lot. Too much…”
Thankfully, she didn’t ask any more questions. She got quiet and he let her eat in peace, keeping his gaze to the screen door, willing Axel to get his ass back here like right now.
Wow, how could he almost have made such a deadly slip like that?
Why would he want to rain on Axel’s reunion with the love of his life?
He practically knew everything there was to know about her.
They fantasized about her when they had sex with each other.
But he didn’t know if Jenna would understand their relationship.
Nick swallowed as his shaft grew ultra hard, thinking about the fantasies Axel and he had talked about in sharing her with each other.
Would she be open to that kind of arrangement?
Or would she send them right back to prison?
Had Axel been serious about sharing her?
Or had he changed his mind now that they were free?
Those thoughts startled him. Freedom complicated everything in ways he hadn’t prepared for.
“I think it would be best if you lie down in the guest room and just rest. I’m going to go out and see if I can hunt Axel down. Hopefully, he didn’t take a wrong turn somewhere.”
Nick wanted to protest at Jenna’s suggestion, but he swallowed the argument rising in his throat. She’d been through too much already today. He remained quiet and nodded. A faint smile tugged at his mouth.
Besides, who was he to argue with the boss?
* * * * *
Axel had completely lost his composure after witnessing Nick stumbling out of the truck with blood on his face.
The sight had an immediate and overwhelming impact on him, triggering a surge of rage that was as automatic as a bull reacting to the sight of a red flag.
This visceral response was not unfamiliar; it was rooted deep in his memories of his past, and of prison, where violence and conflict were ever-present realities.
Prison had been a place where he’d had to put his anger management training into practice on a daily basis and today he’d blown everything he’d learned into smithereens.
Those prison memories flooded back, completely killing Axel’s earlier peace, reminding him of just how perilous their time behind bars had been.
Throughout the years, both he and Nick had faced countless confrontations with other inmates, each battle had been a test of their resilience and their ability to survive.
The harsh environment meant that tempers often flared and physical altercations were a fact of life.
However, Axel had come to know the vital importance of controlling his anger. He’d realized that his unchecked rage would have dire consequences, especially in a place like prison. Learning to restrain himself became essential, not only for his own survival but also for Nick’s safety as well.
Retaliation would mean solitary confinement or even losing Nick as his cellmate. Nick truly anchored him and the man served as both a crutch and a reason to keep his composure.
Their friendship had evolved from being two reckless hotheads into a stabilizing partnership.
Being cellmates had a calming effect on both of them, which in turn made life easier for the guards.
It was probably one of the reasons the two of them had been allowed to remain together as cellmates for so long.
As Axel gripped the steering wheel of the truck, he slowly inhaled the humid air that blew in through the open truck windows until the anger that had been coursing through him gradually ebbed.
He knew all too well that this very rage had been the reason he’d ended up behind bars in the first place. The reason he’d lost Jenna.
The fear of returning to prison and losing Jenna again weighed heavily on his mind, and he forced himself to turn the truck around.
He’d stop the truck at the top of the ridge where Nick said he’d been attacked. He’d take a look around and walk off the rest of his anger. He needed to calm himself before he went back to Jenna’s place. He didn’t want her to see him mad again.
Embarrassment flooded him. He hoped she could forgive him for losing it so quickly and so badly and he hoped he hadn’t just jeopardized his future with Jenna.
That is, if there even was a future with her.
* * * * *
It appeared she wouldn't have to go looking for Axel after all. He was back a few minutes after she’d shown Nick where the bathroom was and where he could rest in one of the bedrooms. Not hers and not the one she’d used last night, but the other bedroom. The guest room.