Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
BLAKE
After taking care of Jax's car, we climbed back into mine and sat in silence. The sun had risen and early morning beachgoers were already hitting the sand. Luckily, we had gotten one of our men to bring a tow truck within twenty minutes.
"Did you think...?" Jax leaned forward with his elbows on his legs and cradled his head in his hands. "I thought she was in there."
I put my head back against the headrest. "Yeah."
"What are we going to do?" He looked over at me with a helpless expression. It was the same expression he wore when we found out about his sister. "My dad isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants."
I shut my eyes and took a calming breath. I was tired of everything always being about what his father wanted. It was true he was in charge of us, but what he was trying to accomplish here on land was out of bounds.
Humans had been destroying the ocean for centuries, but never had our kind gone after humans like this. We trained to protect our cities in the water and have a presence on land to help mold environmental protections. We didn't kidnap humans and waterboard them.
"I'm starting to wonder if he's acting of his own accord. I don't think this is an order from Poseidon." I braced myself for Jax to lash out at me to defend his father, but he remained silent.
I sighed and started my car. Now that Admiral West hopefully had what he needed, we could stop tormenting Riley. It was wishful thinking to think she'd ever forgive us and give us a chance at her friendship.
I tapped my hand on the steering wheel as I pulled onto the highway to head back to our house. We had the rest of the weekend to figure out our next move. We couldn't just let her be; she knew too much.
"Did you hear when my dad said that Robert took Natalia from him?" Jax was staring out the passenger window. From the set of his shoulders, I could tell he felt defeated. It wasn't a look I saw often. "What do you think he meant?"
"I heard it but didn't want to piss him off more by asking questions. Maybe he knows her somehow." Was there more to it than just an oil spill?
Jax's father had attended Salinity Cove High back during his training. The best alphas were sent to Salinity Cove because of its proximity to our city and the land entrance to the main land operations was nearby.
They spread those that qualified to be alphas along the coastlines to attend high schools and universities. Alphas were the first line of defense against our kind being discovered and played a vital role in ocean conservation.
Being an alpha was fifty percent genetics and fifty percent hard work. Some never made the cut and worked in the underwater city, never to set foot on land again. I loved the land just as much as I loved the water.
Being an omega or even a beta was unacceptable to me. I had plans, and all of them involved having two feet firmly planted on the ground.
"If I asked, he wouldn't tell me. He doesn't share much about his time training." Jax finally looked over at me. "When I got into the training program and asked him what it was like being around humans all the time, he told me to keep my dick in my pants."
"You listened to that real well." I fought a smile. "Women do complicate things. Human ones, at least."
"Riley's not completely human." Jax put his head back against the headrest and sighed. "She's always on my mind."
"I'm pretty sure Morgan is in love with her." I turned off the highway and onto the dirt road that led to our house. "He's taking ballroom dancing lessons and he hasn't even raced since before school started. If that isn't love then I don't know what is."
Jax made a noise in his throat. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" I stopped the car and waited for the gate to open. After the ease with which Riley drove off the property, we needed to add another layer of security. Having the gate open by scanning our license plates wasn't going to cut it anymore.
"How do you feel about her?" Jax took off his seatbelt as we pulled down the drive.
"I enjoy her company." I pulled into the garage and turned off the car just as Morgan pulled in on his motorcycle. "You know how Morgan is. He isn't going to let up until she's his. I'm not going to get in the way of him being happy. He hasn't been happy in a while."
Jax snorted. "I already said she's mine."
"I don't think she wants either of you anyways. She hates us." We got out of the car and headed inside. "And even if she did forgive the shit we've done to her, she's not a triton and never will be."
"Don't be such a fucking downer, man." Morgan slapped me on the back as we headed up the stairs. "Just because you haven't tasted those lips..."
I shoved him toward his room. "Because I'm a gentleman and know what boundaries are. You two just take and take and don't give a shit."
"You know what I hear? The sound of a man that's jealous." Jax chuckled and opened the door to his room. "What the fuck?"
He took a few steps into his room and his hands went to the top of his head, rubbing vigorously. Morgan and I shared a look and cautiously approached.
As soon as I saw the paint smeared everywhere, I had to hold back a laugh. There was paint all over the bed and on the floor. Jax walked to the corner where he had his painting area set up and let out a slew of curses that would put a sailor to shame.
"Oh, man." Morgan opened up the closet that had red handprints on the door. "She fucked your shit up, bro."
Jax rushed over to the closet, his face red and his jaw ticking. He pushed past Morgan, who was still gaping at the mess.
Jax was anal about how his belongings were organized, thanks to his father, who was the same. Even when we were kids, he'd keep his room clean, and if we played at his house, he'd make us help him clean up. It only got worse after his mother died.
"She's dead." He turned back to us, fury in his eyes. "Who does she think she is-"
"This is her revenge." Morgan rubbed his hands together. "What do you think the odds are that she will take her hate out on me in the bedroom?"
I shook my head. "I'm going to take a nap. Don't do anything rash, Jax. It's just stuff."
I went to my room and faceplanted onto my bed with a groan. She hated us, and I didn't know what to do to fix it.