Chapter 35 Jenna
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
jenna
ONE MONTH LATER
“Marley, you look amazing! Blaze is the luckiest man alive,” I whisper to my best friend as we stand in line, getting ready to walk down the aisle.
With my winning personality and a lot of Blaze’s money, we were able to get the venue and all the vendors to reschedule the wedding.
Everything is perfect, and Mar made me promise I wouldn’t leave her side today.
I’m still dealing with the physical effects of my injuries.
Even now, bruises and marks that linger on my neck and shoulders, but everything is healing well.
Thankfully, when Jack shot me, he didn’t hit any major organs and recovery has been better than I could have hoped for.
Emotionally, I’m still working through the trauma of being kidnapped by my crazy ex-boyfriend and used as a bargaining chip in a turf war.
As I smooth a rogue hair down on Marley’s gorgeous head, I feel a familiar hand snake around my waist and pull me in tight.
I look down to see Axel’s tattooed fingers splayed across the front of my silky black dress.
I opted for something a little more covering as I don’t want to be bombarded with questions and concerned looks about my current appearance.
“You look amazing, baby. So good I could eat you right here.” His eyes flash with lust and a hint of something dark.
I can’t help but giggle at his remark, knowing full well his words have ulterior motives.
His silver wedding band stands out against his tattoos, and I intertwine my fingers with his, melting into his side.
Axel and I couldn’t wait to be married and, unlike Marley, I wasn’t dying to have a big, traditional wedding.
Nothing about our relationship is traditional.
We went to the courthouse a few days after I was released from the hospital.
Luckily, both of my parents had rushed to be with me when they had heard what happened to me and have been staying in town since.
My mom nearly had a heart attack when I told her we were going to elope and before we left the hospital, she surprised me with a gorgeous, simple wedding dress.
Leave it to my mom to find me a wedding dress day-of.
Marley came and did my make-up and hair and everything had been perfect.
A soft ballad fills the room as the large wooden double doors open in front of us.
I turn to Marley and see her trying to peer around us, hoping to catch a glimpse of her future husband.
The wedding coordinator stands off to the side, nodding to each pair of bridesmaid and groomsman, alerting them when it’s their turn to walk down the aisle.
Finally, it’s Axel’s and my turn. But before we start walking, I hear the wedding coordinator ask Marley if she’s ready. I smirk when I hear Marley reply.
“Absolutely.”
So sure, so calm. She has found her person, just as I have found mine.
The ceremony and reception are gorgeous. Every detail screams tech wizard and biker, right down to the custom drinks—“Data Daiquiri” and “Whiskey.” Marley had made a big deal about Blaze naming his own drink, only to have him choose the actual name of his favorite liquor.
I decide I need a break from the fun. Grabbing my thick coat, I make my way through the reception hall and out the large French doors.
An open deck surrounds the building, overlooking a peaceful lake.
I lean on the thick wooden railing that outlines the deck and peer out onto the water.
The wind whips around me, filling my nostrils with the smell of winter frost. Thick fog settles against the water and forest, making it feel dark and unsettling.
A chill runs down my spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
On a night that feels so perfect, I hate that I still let my brain pull me back to that day.
But something keeps nagging at me, and I can’t let it go.
The man who let me go—who is he? Where is he?
I asked Axel about him at the hospital and told him about what had happened.
He had called Prince and Blaze, and they both confirmed that he wasn’t left at the house.
I didn’t ask any further questions because I wanted to distance myself as far as possible.
Thinking maybe he just had a change of heart and wanted to clear his conscious in that moment.
I tried getting into contact with Jill a few days after I got home from the hospital, but she hasn’t returned any of my calls so far. Maybe I should go over to her house to see if she’s okay.
The sound of clicking heels catches my attention, and I turn just in time to see Ace and a bridesmaid walking to the far side of the deck, the side completely encased in darkness.
I don’t think they see me, so I start to walk inside when Ace turns slightly and smiles in my direction.
Stifling a laugh, I scan the room for Axel.
My feet are killing me, swollen and sore from walking in heels all day, and the slight buzz I had from my earlier cocktails has worn off, leaving me tired, sore, and ready for bed.
Even in this room of enormous bikers all clad in the same leather vests, I spot Axel almost immediately.
His broad shoulders and shiny dark hair stand out in any crowd.
I gaze at him for a moment, enjoying the view of my handsome husband.
The sexy, relaxed look on his face is quickly replaced with a scowl due to whatever the man next to him has said.
I realize it’s Cal who’s talking to him, and he is equally irritated.
Both of them see me walk in at the same time and make their way to me.
The group of people dancing in the middle of the reception hall part for them, and I can’t help but laugh a little.
Even at a club wedding, they have a way of letting their presence be known.
“We need to talk,” Cal says before they come to a full stop in front of me. His face is flushed like he’s just been riding out in the cold, and I can’t help but touch his nose.
“Gosh, Cal, why didn’t you drive here in a car? You’re going to get frostbite.”
“Jenna, focus. Remember that guy you told Axel about from the…house?” He whispers the last word and pauses, knowing I’ve been struggling with what happened with Jack and the Reapers. I don’t say anything but nod at him, spinning the ring on my finger.
“This him?” I glance down at his phone and see the familiar man staring back at me, but he isn’t wearing a cut like he was back at the house; he’s wearing a police uniform.
I’m stunned for a moment, unsure what to do with this information when I snatch his phone out of his hand and zoom into his neck.
The rose tattoo is sticking up out of his collar, and I inhale a sharp breath.
“Yes, that’s him.” I stay frozen, staring at the screen.
“Wait, if he’s a cop, then what the hell was he doing in that house?
Why aren’t you arrested?!” I feel my chest caving and inflating rapidly.
Axel presses his hand to the small of my back and pulls me into his side.
Rubbing small circles with his thumb, he leans into my ear.
“We can talk about this in the truck. We can’t do it here.
The club just needed confirmation that this is the man who helped you escape. ”
“Wait, Jill!” I whisper-shout at Cal. “Is she okay? I can’t get ahold of her and haven’t seen her since everything happened.”
“Jill?” he asks, looking confused and quickly glancing between Axel and me. “Who’s Jill?” He holds his hand out for his phone back, and I slowly hand it to him, trying to take in every detail about the man that I can.
“Let’s talk about this back at the clubhouse,” Axel says, using a voice that tells me not to push it.
“Fine. Let me say goodbye to some people and then we can head out.” Marley and Blaze left a while ago and the people still here will be heading home soon, so I feel okay leaving.
I make my rounds, thanking everyone for being here and giving my parents a hug goodbye before I find Axel again and we make our way outside.