Chapter 25 Roderick
It’s the last weekend before the new semester starts, and while we don't have much to do regarding Vengeance, that doesn’t mean we aren’t free of things to do in general.
Spencer has been looking into Jade with an intensity that's quickly becoming more of an obsession. When he’s not looking into her, he’s looking into Sin just like the rest of us; sometimes, it’s a combination of the two.
I don’t think it’s healthy, but with him so engrossed in his research, he seems to stay away from her.
With how close they have come to almost strangling one another lately, I can’t make myself step in to stop him.
Zander has today and tomorrow completely booked down at the shop. He took most of the last two weeks off to stay with Jade, and because of that, he's behind. Kratos wants business as usual, so he needs to get caught up before the start of the semester when we add even more shit to the pile.
Which leaves me on Jade duty this weekend.
It’s not terrible. Honestly, I don't mind, but that in itself is the issue.
I don’t like people. I may not be as untrusting as Spencer is, but mostly, we’ve always stuck to ourselves, especially after what happened with Trent.
Knowing who you’re dealing with is easier when you keep your circle small.
Women, especially, have been something we learned to keep at a distance.
Most only want us for what we can give them, which is fine as long as we keep that in mind.
Jade’s not only unknown but also very much so a woman, yet, here she is, living with us, in our business, and not asking a damn thing of us.
It’s fucking with my brain. It goes against every rule and standard we've set.
As if the mere thought of her has summoned her, Jade walks into the kitchen.
Her hair's wrapped in a towel on top of her head, and an oversized t-shirt swallows her small frame. I’m almost positive she doesn't have anything underneath it, either.
Shit, that’s a dangerous line of thought.
She makes a beeline to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup from the pot I just finished brewing a few minutes ago, and I can’t take my eyes off of her.
She throws in two scoops of sugar and turns to set the cup opposite me on the counter, offering me a soft good morning as she begins drying her hair.
Some of the water from her hair drips down her neck. I watch as a stray drop moves down over her collarbone, disappearing under her shirt.
Leaning forward, she flips her hair over her shoulder to reach the back better.
The shirt she wears sits low on her chest because of its sheer size, and I doubt it's hers.
With her bent forward, the water drop is once again visible, and I can't look away as I watch it come to rest on the curve of her breast. She wears a deep burgundy bra with lace edges.
The color highlights her naturally tanned skin, and the urge to lean forward and lick the water from her chest hits me hard enough that it momentarily takes my breath away.
Damn it. See, fucking with my brain.
With a deep breath, I force my gaze away, back down to the coffee mug gripped between my hands. A mug I'm going to shatter if I don't get it the fuck together.
“So, you're stuck with babysitting duty today, huh, Roderick?” she asks. Her words sound snarky, but the smile on her face lets me know she’s teasing.
She’s the only person I have ever met who continues to call me by my full name, even after spending so much time with me.
Most people who call me Roderick do so out of respect or even fear.
Oftentimes, it’s probably both, but Jade isn’t afraid of me.
Hell, I don't think Jade’s afraid of most things and probably even fewer people.
And while she may respect me, I don’t think she’s the type to show that by using my name.
She seems the type to show respect by allowing us to live and going along with what Froggie and Kratos say.
I have no doubt she could kill us if she so decided to.
Since she hasn’t yet, one can only assume there's a reason.
“Well, someone has to do it,” I tell her, sipping my coffee for something to do. She looks up at me with a wide smile, laughing as if I just told a joke.
I almost choke.
Jade’s been at the house for just over two weeks now, and the longer she's here, the more we get to see her.
When she first came here, she was quiet, confused, and hid a lot behind a mask.
Rarely did we see actual emotions from her.
Instead, she acted how she thought we would want her to, so used to trying to blend in.
She came off as unfeeling and timid, something I know now couldn't be farther from the truth.
“Did you just joke with me, Roderick?” she asks, mischief dancing in her eyes as she watches me attempt to choke down my coffee.
“Merely stating a fact,” I tell her, clearing my throat. If she notices my battle to breathe, she doesn't say anything.
“Uh-uh,” she says, her tone skeptical, but she doesn't push. Instead, she finishes with her hair before dropping the towel on the counter and downing her coffee in one large gulp.
It’s funny that Spencer’s so set on hating her because the more I learn about Jade, the more I find similarities between them. The fact that they both guzzle down caffeine like it’s a lifeline, no matter how hot it is, is one of them.
She rinses out her cup and grabs her towel before heading out of the kitchen again.
“We need to go out for a few, so meet me in the garage in an hour,” I call to her. She gives me a thumbs up over her shoulder, but doesn’t turn around before she disappears down the hall.
It's not until she's gone that I realize how intently I'd just been watching her. If anyone asked, I'd say I'm doing my job, but it's always easier to lie to other people than ourselves, isn't it?
I hit the gym briefly before grabbing a shower and heading to the garage. Right on the hour mark, Jade walks out the door and joins me in the car. She buckles as I pull out, her head bobbing to a beat I can't hear in her headphones.
Zander mentioned she loves music, and he’s been happy to share it with her. Considering how often I see her around the house with earbuds in her own little world, it appears to be a good thing for her.
The drive takes just over an hour. Jade doesn’t say a word the whole time, but I see the question in her eyes as she looks at the new landscapes around us. She hasn't been this way much, but starting Monday, she’ll be spending a lot of time here for classes.
“Where are we?” she finally asks as we pull up to a gate not unlike the one outside of my parent's house. I press my finger on the scanner outside the window, and the gate swings open before I start down the driveway without answering her.
She watches me for a moment before turning back to look out her window as the trees pass. The drive to the house takes a little longer than it does at my parents' house, mainly because it’s not a huge open drive like theirs, but also because it's longer.
Spencer, Zander and I took a long time to agree on a place to live.
Spencer didn’t want anything so big and eye-catching as our parents went for, saying it drew attention; he’s not wrong.
All our parents live to show off their wealth, but you can be wealthy without painting a target on your back, and with our line of work, that’s important.
Zander didn’t care about the location so much as the house itself. He wanted something that could feel lived in, rooms with purpose. Growing up, his house was always quiet, and he was often left alone. He lived in the same house for years, but nothing made it feel like home to him.
I was most concerned with our ability to run our business and be where we needed to be. Although we may be a little farther from Hoppers here, we are close to campus and our businesses and smack in the middle of our territory.
We all had little things we wanted, too. Spencer wanted a surveillance room, Zan wanted an oversized garage for his projects, and I needed a gym and office.
This house was the first we found with what we needed and the potential for what we wanted.
While also being down about a half mile from the main road on a path surrounded by dense woods, except for the double-wide driveway we are currently driving on.
We’ve owned the property for over two years and have combed every inch of it.
So, while we might know it like the back of our hands, I can still appreciate the look of wonder on Jade's face as she takes it all in. I’m sure we all felt the same the first time we saw it.
The trees finally break a few hundred feet from the house that sits in the middle of our property. If you were to stand in the middle of the open circle driveway and take off in any direction, it’s a half mile out each way. A detail that doesn’t matter but is highly satisfying, regardless.
I steal another glance at Jade as the car slowly creeps forward. We’ve never brought anyone outside of us and a trusted few from Vengeance here before. Not our parents, not our few friends, and never a woman.
Before this mission, we had intended to keep it that way.
But it’s hard to watch her and plan to take down a sex trafficking ring if we're constantly looking over our shoulders. Not to mention, she needs a place to live, and on campus isn’t an option we can guarantee to be safe.
It would be one thing if we only had to worry about people trying to snatch her for skin trade.
For fucks sake, she'd offered to sleep with Zander as if it were the easiest option, and with the sleazy assholes on campus, we all agreed our best bet was to keep her close to us.
The moment the house comes into sight, Jade is all but out of her seat to get a better look; she lets out a gasp, her mouth falling open, and I can't help but feel a hint of pride.
Yeah, definitely worth watching her reaction. Somehow, I knew it would be good.