32. Thirty-Two
THIRTY-TWO
H arley
I don’t have time to react when Leroy throws Jax into the plexiglass. The hit was hard enough that there’s not a doubt in my mind it knocked the wind out of him. Except right now, I’m distracted by the burning that spreads across my scalp as I’m pulled over the seats by my hair.
“What the fuck?” Alicia yells.
“Perfect Hackey Harley can’t hide in Kill Ridge forever,” Maria snarls, dropping me to the floor at her feet.
It takes a split second to realize that the entire side of this stadium has broken out into utter chaos. Maria’s friends have ganged up on Alicia, and from the look in her eyes, she’s really about to lose control. Waiting for her eyes to lock with mine, I give her a shake of my head. Alicia throws her hands in the air in surrender, stepping away from Maria’s posse as I rise to my feet.
“You know what, Maria? I’ve been waiting a long time to put you in your place,” I say flatly.
She throws her head back, a cackle passing her lips just before a shrill scream. I take the opening and slam my fist into the bottom of her chin. The rest of the fight is a blur from there. We both landed solid hits on one another before I had her pinned to the floor between the two rows of seats. I broke her nose just as a security guard pulled me off of her.
“Alright, time to go,” he grumbles with an arm around my waist.
“Gladly,” I hiss.
Alicia grabs our bags, running behind us as the guard escorts me out of the arena. I get a glimpse of Leroy being placed on a backboard while being carried into the concession area. A slow smile spreads across my face knowing that Jax gave Leroy exactly what he deserves.
I stand in the KRU parking lot waiting for Jax. I have my bag strapped across my back. When the bus pulls up, I shift uncomfortably from side to side. I know the moment he looks at my face, he’s not going to take it well.
The second Leroy shoved him into those boards, I had a hand in my hair, dragging me back over the seats behind me. I may have been caught off guard, but I put up the fight of a lifetime.
Alicia was so proud of me. She didn’t stop talking about it while she cleaned me up in the parking lot and the entire drive back. I walked away with a black eye and a busted lip, but Maria walked away with a broken nose and a gash to her head that likely required stitches. I almost wish I felt a little sorry for the shape I left her in.
But even as my stomach rolls at the thought of Jax’s reaction when I see him step off the bus, I have never felt as good as I do right now.
Maria deserved every punch I threw tonight. Just like Leroy deserved every broken bone that Jax gave him. I have no doubt that Leroy was egging Jax on every second they were on the ice together. I could see the tension written all over his face every time he got off the ice.
Jax throws his bag in the back of Quinton’s truck as he circles the bed toward me. His eyes narrow on my face, and I brace for the worst.
His fingers unlock the buckle between my breasts, freeing the duffle bag from over my shoulder. His eyes don’t leave my face as he steps back and tosses my bag in with his. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls his phone out. Seconds later, he shines the flashlight in my face.
I blink rapidly at the brightness, feeling his thumb and forefinger gently pinch my chin. He turns my head to the right, examining the bruise that covers the entire left side of my face. Then he tilts my head up to examine the cut on my lip.
“Fucking hell, Davidson,” he mutters under his breath.
“I could say the same,” I reply, reaching up and pushing his face to my left. “Leroy got a pretty solid hit in.”
Jax grins at me. “Yeah, well I broke his jaw and his nose. Pretty sure I won that fist fight.”
Trying to hide my smile, I say, “I’m sure Coach Tyson wasn’t too mad since you won us the game as well.”
“Nah. I have to pay a fine for fighting, but it was totally fucking worth it.” His dark eyes lock with mine. “But I’m gonna need to know who has to die for leaving marks all over your gorgeous face, doe eyes.” With his low demand, he grabs my hips and backs me up until the leather of his seat presses into the small of my back. “And if you think I’m bluffing, you have another thing coming.”
“Interesting, I always considered you to be a man of your word,” I breathe, staring up at him.
He dips his head, lightly grazing his teeth up the column of my throat. “Who’s on my hit list, Davidson?”
“That psycho bitch, Maria,” I hiss through my teeth as he nips at my skin. “But you don’t have to kill her. I think Alicia already called dibs on that.”
“She can’t call dibs,” he murmurs into my collar bone.
“She already did. I believe her exact words were something along the lines of, ‘I can’t wait to get my hands around her stupid throat.’ So, dibs were definitely called.”
“Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t call the shots around here.”
His hands slide down, fingers digging into the flesh of my ass. I arch into him, feeling the hard length of his erection pressing into my stomach. I breathe in the scent of him, my eyes rolling into the back of my head the moment his teeth drag across my skin again.
“Zayden,” I say with a breathy moan. “Take me home, please.”
“I like the sound of that, Davidson,” he says, lifting his head with a grin and pressing a kiss to my lips.
He grabs a helmet and slips it onto my head. I keep my eyes on his as he lifts my chin. With each stroke of his fingers as he carefully buckles my helmet on, I have to force myself to remember to breathe. Jax grabs his own helmet, giving me a wink that melts my insides.
I straddle the back of his bike, holding onto the sides with my thighs alone as he settles himself in front of me. Before he starts the bike, his big hands grab me behind my knees. With one swift pull, he closes the space between us.
“You’re needy tonight, hockey jockey,” I murmur with a smile.
“You have no fucking idea.”
The bike roars to life, vibrating beneath me and making me even more aware of the effect Jax has on my body. I wrap my arms around his stomach just as Livin La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin starts to play through the helmet speakers.
“Umm, have you lost your mind?” I ask as he pulls the bike out of the parking lot.
“You don’t like the playlist you put together?”
Oh apples. “My playlist?” I squeak.
“Mhmm,” he replies. “The looks I received in the locker room today would’ve made your whole night. I also caught most of the team singing along to Taylor fucking Swift.”
A laugh bubbles up my chest. “Oh?”
“And then, Coach walked in, demanding to know who changed the playlist. After he heard it was you, it was no longer an issue. How’d you do that?” he demands, flying down the road toward the mini mansion.
“Do what?” I ask innocently.
“Make Coach Tyson love you more than he loves me? I didn’t think that was even possible until tonight.”
The music fades out as I start to shake with silent giggles. But the moment Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men starts to play, I lose it. The most unladylike snort leaves me as I start to laugh uncontrollably.
The bike's speed increases, and a low growl sends a shiver down my spine. “You’ll pay for that one, doe eyes.”
“Totally worth it,” I say through more laughter.
“You’re lucky that didn’t play in the locker room. I don’t know if I could promise your safety moving forward,” he teases.
“Still would’ve been worth it.”