Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
CHRISTOPHER
A ll I see is red. My fist pulls back, and with a snap, I drive it into his jaw, feeling the crack of bone against my knuckles. He stumbles, clutching his face, but he barely has a second to breathe before I grab him by the shirt and slam him against the wall. Blood trickles from his lip as he looks up, his eyes widening as recognition dawns.
“Oh, shit—wait, you’re… you’re Christopher Jackson. The NHL… the Golden Boy ?” His voice shakes as he coughs out his words. “Man, I didn’t know.”
I don’t even respond. I throw him back against the wall with a shove, the dull thud echoing through the alley. He crumples, clutching his side, and I’m tempted to keep going, to make sure he regrets every second he laid a hand on her.
“Come on, she didn’t tell me she had a boyfriend.” He groans, and a part of me likes the sound of boyfriend; husband would be better, but I can’t even be joyful, because why would she need to tell him she belonged to me for him to stop? No should be fucking enough .
I clench my jaw, breathing hard, trying to calm the storm surging through me. But I can’t shake the image of his hands on her, his smug look like he owned her, and the way she looked— terrified . That’s what’s fueling this rage; it’s knowing he thought he could touch her, intimidate her. That if I wasn’t here he would have…I can’t even think about it.
“You know what men do to boys like you?” I don’t even give him a chance to respond before my hand locks around the throat of this tattooed, skinny-jean-wearing punk, his legs kicking uselessly in the air as he gasps for breath.
My pulse thunders in my ears, drowning out everything except the harsh rasp of his strangled gasps and the faint sound of Josie’s panicked breaths. If it weren’t for the pull to turn and hold her, to make sure she’s safe, I’d have already snapped his neck without a second thought.
“C-Chris,” she whispers, her voice trembling, barely cutting through the haze of red clouding my vision.
“Turn around Josie.” I snarl, my eyes locked on the reddening of his skin, the way his eyes are seconds from popping out of his skull. I knew I was going to break every bone in his hand the minute I saw his hands on her, even before she said stop— this man was nearing injury, and well now he’s dead.
Who am I kidding, this punk was dead when he crossed the dance floor. Dead when he brought her a drink. Dead when he followed her outside. Even if he didn’t know it, he should have, Josie is mine, even if she doesn’t want to be. I am hers even if she won’t have me, right now, I will make sure she will.
I won’t blame him for being attracted to her, Josie is the most gorgeous girl in the world and we are all at her mercy. I am at her mercy, because this is what she does to me. All these years of media training being known as the golden retriever of the NHL and I am in an alley where anyone can see me seconds away from murdering a guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Chris, please. He stopped,” she stammers, her fingers shakily pressing into the curve of my spine.
I grit my teeth, my grip only tightening around his throat as I growl through clenched teeth, “He hurt you.”
The words feel like fire in my mouth as my fingers press harder, the guy’s nails scratching desperately at my arm, but I’m barely aware of him. All I see is Josie’s face, the fear in her eyes, the bruises blooming on her skin, and the sick satisfaction this asshole probably felt when he thought he could get away with it.
“M-man,” he gasps out, his legs kicking beneath him.
“Shhh, I’d pick your last words very carefully.” I taunt, slamming his limp body against the wall, ready to make him fight for the final moment of his pathetic life.
But then her hand slides from my back to my shoulder, and she pulls at me, trying to get me to look at her. “Chris, please… look at me,” she whispers, voice trembling as her hand slides up my neck, leaving feather- like heat in her wake.
My eyes leave the purpling punk and land on her wide, green eyes brimming with tears. She pleads with me, her bottom lip between her teeth as she gnaws on it nervously. My grip loosens slightly, and I can hear him sharply suck in a breath.
She shakes her head, her thumb brushing lightly over the vein popping out of my neck in a way that makes something inside me crack.
“He’s not worth it.” She says barely above a whisper. “I-I’m fine. Look at me. I’m fine.”
I cut off her stammer with a snarl, pushing the fucker against the wall harder. “You’re crying.”
“Because despite how much I hate you. I can’t stand the thought of you going to prison.” Josie lips twists to the side after she speaks, and right when she is about to take her hand off of me I release my grip on the punk and grab her wrist stopping her from not touching me.
“Don’t.” I don’t know what I am saying don’t to, but I hold onto her hand like it is the only anchor I have to earth.
I turn my attention fully to Josie, reaching out to steady her, my hand brushing against her cheek as I try to reassure her. She places her cheek perfectly in the palm of my hand, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
She nods, but I can see the lingering fear in her eyes. “I… I think so,” she murmurs, glancing quickly at the guy slumped on the floor. She looks back at me, her fingers curling around mine.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” I whisper, turning to guide Josie to my car.
“You think you can just assault me like that, Golden Boy?” he sneers, trying to muster up some bravado even though he can’t get out a word without groaning. “I’ll sue you. Take every damn penny you’ve got. Let’s see how tough you feel when your career is in shambles.”
I feel Josie’s hand tighten in mine, her face paling as she shoots a worried look my way. But I don’t let go of her, not even for a second. I turn back to the guy, my expression cold and steady as I take a step closer, looming over him.
I lower my voice to a growling whisper, leaning in just enough that he feels the heat of my anger. “Listen up, because I’m only going to say this once,” I say, my tone dark, controlled. “If you so much as think about laying a hand on her again, if you even consider trying to mess with her life, I’ll make sure you won’t have a life left to mess with. Got it?”
“You can’t just-”
“Let me make myself clear, if she wakes up tomorrow, next week, a decade from now and decides she wants you dead then I will hunt you down, and murder you with my bare hands.” I chuckle darkly in his ear. “I’d be more concerned with trying to outrun me than a payday. Don’t you think?”
The guy’s cocky smirk wavers, and his eyes widen. He tries to hold his ground, but I can see the fear creeping in, the way his shoulders shrink as he nods slightly, glancing away.
“Good,” I say, straightening up and never breaking eye contact, allowing him to see the deranged shadows in my eyes. It’s not often people see me, and not the golden boy image. “I’d suggest you keep your mouth shut and start running.”
In complete silence, I drive Josie home. She clings to my hand tightly, and I can't decide which makes me feel worse— her lack of communication or the fear evident in her grip.
Originally, I had intended to find her at the club. It was simple enough since her best friend Marissa constantly updated their whereabouts every half hour. That was something I needed to put a stop to the minute I could, because if I could track them anyone could, and I can’t let random people stalk my girl.
My plan when I finally located her? I would throw her over my shoulder like a caveman and have my way with her in the nearest secluded spot— a bathroom stall, a storage closet, or even a car if it came down to it. I wanted to make her quiver with desire and deny her the release she craved, for avoiding me the last two weeks. But when I saw her chatting with that guy, suddenly my plans changed. She was going to be punished for making me jealous. At one point I even thought she knew I was there and she seemed intent on taunting me all night long—until she uttered the word "no." That’s when I realized this wasn’t a little game, and all I saw was hot, bright red.
“Josie,” I mutter, squeezing her hand twice.
She pulls my arm closer to her, but turns her body to the window. “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to go home.”
“Well, sucks to be you, because neither of those things are happening.” I pull her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles, but she pulls her hand away with a scowl.
“Excuse me?”
“You avoided me for two weeks for the second time this semester. I don’t like being ignored Josie.” My voice comes out clipped and from the way she crosses her arms over her chest, which sinfully makes her breast pop out even more, I can tell she is unhappy.
“I just almost got assaulted and you want to complain about me ignoring you. Be real, Christopher.” She shrieks in an incredulous tone.
I smirk at the way my name sounds coming out of her lips. I look over at her from the corner of my eye and ask, “Do you want me to turn back around and finish him off?”
“N-no.”
“Did he get farther than what I saw?”
“No.” She groans.
“Then after we talk about this I will run you a bath and help you scrub his touch off of your skin, but until then, why have you been avoiding me?”
“Why did you try to fuck me if you have a girlfriend?” She snaps, her emerald eyes narrow on the profile of my face, right when I turn into the driveway of my house which is very secluded and off campus.
“Girlfriend? You mean Abby?” I tease, because when she meets the little girl with a smart mouth, an addiction to Taylor Swift, and literally looks like the girl version of me, she will be on her knees for me in seconds.
“God! Do you have to say her name?” Josie kicks her feet, trying to move as far away from me as possible, as I park the car.
“Abby is not my girlfriend.” I sigh.
“You left me naked in an ice rink for a girl, and you do not have a wife, Golden boy.” She huffs, opening the passenger side door and slamming it in my face. My little princess has been stalking me.
I chuckle, watching her stomp her tight ass up the ivory steps to my front door. I am going to spank that ass so fucking red it’s going to look like Rudolph’s nose. My cock hardens at the excitement because in sixty seconds she is going to eat those words, and I am finally going to have a full dosage of my favorite drug -- Josie.
“It’s freezing; open the door.” She groans, pulling my jacket tighter around her shoulders, the alcohol from tonight already wearing off.
I move to unlock the door, as I speak. “Next time you go out, wear the proper clothes for winter.”
I open the door for her as she rolls her eyes, adding another punishment. Maybe I won’t let her cum at all tonight, or tomorrow if she keeps up with this attitude.
“Maybe next time don’t be a cheater.”
Did I say I was going to make her ass Rudolph red? With this attitude I am going to make it hard for her to sit for the next week. “Stop calling me out of my name.” I snarl between clenched teeth, but she narrows her eyes on me, not flinching a bit. I don’t break eye contact as I yell, “Abby!”
“Seriously?” She scoffs, rubbing her arms to warm herself up.
I narrow my eyes on her, leaning over so she has to break her neck to look into my eyes. “Princess, be quiet, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Chris--”
“Uncle Chris?” Abby yawns from over my shoulder, but I keep my eyes trained on the widened emerald eyes of Josie as she peers up at a would be tired Abby. “It’s two in the morning.”
“Sorry, Abby.” I smile, soaking in the narrowed brows of Josie as her eyes dart between me and Abby. “My girlfriend here wanted to meet you. ”
Josie’s eyes lock on mine, and her lips open and close like she is gasping for air. “Uncle?” She whispers.
“I’m Abby. You’re Josie. What’s up?” Abby stretches, and I turn to look at her lazily leaning against the railing as she speaks.
“I’m good. Nice to meet you Abby.” Josie stutters, her cheeks a pink that looks almost doll-like on her.
“Yeah, you too.” Abby groans, making her way up the stairs.
“Are you packed?” I call after her. “We leave at noon.”
“Yeah. yeah” Abby calls back, slamming the door behind her.
Josie’s eyes flick nervously from the staircase back to me, and I can see the wheels turning as she considers a retreat. Her fingers twist around the strap of her bag, and she inches back, like she’s planning an escape.
"I didn’t know you had a niece,” she blurts out.
“I like to let her keep her privacy.” I raise an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at my lips. Josie’s gaze darts around the foyer, clearly looking for a distraction, her teeth worrying the corner of her lip.
“Oh, well… total misunderstanding,” she says, her voice wavering as she nods, feigning casual interest in the decor. “Nice place you got.”
I chuckle, low and dark, stepping closer as I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her flush against my chest.
“No, no, no, Josie. You don’t get off that easily.” I let my fingers press firmly into her lower back, feeling her breath hitch as I keep her close. “ You need to apologize.”
“You could’ve just told me!” she protests, her cheeks flushing as she meets my gaze, her bravado slipping.
“Maybe, but you choose to avoid me for two weeks.” I murmur, dipping my head just enough that my lips brush close to her ear, “I think you owe me a proper apology— preferably on your knees.”
My hand slides up her back, keeping her pinned against me as I savor the way her breath catches, her hands instinctively pressing against my chest to steady herself.
Josie’s eyes go wide, her mouth opening, but she stumbles over her words, struggling to keep her composure. “I… I didn’t mean to… I mean, I didn’t know.”
My thumb traces small, deliberate circles against the curve of her waist. “Then show me how sorry you are, princess.” I murmur, my voice a low drawl as I tilt her chin up to meet my gaze. “Think you can do that?”
She swallows, her eyes flickering between my lips and my eyes, as she bites her lip, nodding slowly.
“Good girl,” I smirk, wrapping her long blonde hair around my fist.