Chapter 29 Jake
For the second time this week, I find myself at Hopper’s regarding my father. If it were for anything else, I’d be furious, but the idea of making him pay for the shit he’s put me through is too good to pass up. Not that I could even if I wanted to.
Rick messaged me bright and early this morning, letting me know they would be at my house to grab me later. It hadn’t been a question, and I knew if I wasn’t there, there would’ve been hell to pay.
The drive to Hopper’s wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Rick and Spencer looked like they were about to jump down my throat, and while Zander didn’t look upset, he had a way of looking like he might kill you even when he was smiling.
He’d always had an unsettling aura to him if he needed to, but I feel it now more than I ever have before.
He’s a fucking psycho, really. I’m unsure if it’s because I’m nervous about the meeting with Kratos again or something else entirely.
I bet if Jade were here, they wouldn’t be like this. They all seem to be on their best behavior when she’s around. Except for Spencer. But last night, he’d been all about her, which shows me he can if he wants to.
We pull up at Hopper’s, and I follow the guys as they file out of the car and into the back entrance. The club is pretty dead since it’s still early in the day, but a few people linger. I expect us to head up to Kratos's office, but Rick heads down the stairs instead.
We make our way down two flights of stairs and end up on the floor where the girls dance. I’ve been down here a lot with my father, even before I was old enough. It’s one of his favorite places to hold business meetings. He said it helped give him privacy while also giving him a show.
I have to bite back a shiver thinking of the way he would watch them. My father has always treated others as if they were prey, beneath him.
Tonight, the crowd is empty. I hadn’t expected a full house or anything. It is a Sunday afternoon, after all, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so empty before, no matter the time of day.
And now just with attendees but dancers as well.
On the far side of the room, one dancer is mid-routine; she’s the only dancer. The lighting prevents me from seeing the dancers clearly, but it's obvious she knows what she’s doing.
Rick stops just inside the door. One by one, the others follow his eyes to find the lone dancer just as I had.
“Son of a bitch,” Rick hisses under his breath, and Spencer huffs in response. I look from them back to the girl and realize that there is one person sitting alone in the audience. Even from here, with his back to us, I know it’s Kratos. He’s impossible to mistake.
Rick moves forward at a much quicker pace, and I watch as Spencer and Zander follow him.
Spencer seems annoyed as well, but Zander has a fucking grin that's so big it threatens to split his face in half.
They leave me standing near the stairs without a glance back, and I have no choice but to follow them or stand there like an idiot.
It isn’t until we're about halfway across the room that I understand what’s caused their reaction.
The girl on the pole isn’t just anyone.
It’s Jade.
I flick my eyes to Kratos as we approach him, but he doesn’t so much as glance in our direction.
Zander falls into a chair next to him, and just like Kratos, he’s lost in her movements.
Spencer sits as well, but he doesn’t openly watch her the same way.
Instead, he pulls out his phone and fiddles with it like he’s busy.
I’m not sure if he’s trying to distract himself or make everyone around him think he is.
It lasts only a moment before he looks around the table at the others, ensuring they aren’t paying attention before his attention turns back toward the stage.
Spencer watches her out of the corner of his eye as if he’s ready to look away at any moment if he gets caught, but the interest is written on his face, whether he wants to admit it or not.
Rick remains standing, his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched, the anger clear on his face as he watches her.
I’ve known these guys for a long time, and Rick has always kept his shit in check.
That's one of the things that makes him so intimidating. Other than the fact that he’s fucking huge and could kill you, you never know what he’s doing until it’s too late.
If he’s mad, you won’t know it until he’s laid you out on the ground or put a bullet between your eyes.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with Jade, though.
I’m willing to bet that if Kratos weren’t sitting here, he might have ripped her off the stage by now.
The guys might have vastly different states of mind while they watch her, but they all watch her nonetheless, and while I hang back observing them, I can’t help but turn my attention to her as well.
Her hair’s pulled back, braided down either side of her head, falling loose over her shoulders.
She’s not wearing anything that the usual dancers wear.
Instead, she’s wearing a sports bra and tight shorts that hug her body perfectly.
Somehow she’s not any less appealing; if anything, I might say it makes her more appealing, though I couldn’t explain why.
Every scar, tattoo, and toned muscle is on display, and I’d be lying if I said she didn’t look better than most of the girls that usually occupy that stage.
Jade pulls herself up the pole, swinging around with ease. Even from here, I can see the slight shine on her skin as sweat clings to her. It makes her look even more intoxicating than usual.
Pushing her feet off the bar, she uses her arms to support all of her weight.
Her hands grasp the pole, and her arms give a slight shake, but she doesn’t lose her position as she arches her feet back.
Once her feet are level with the ground, she pushes off the bar just slightly, falling to the floor.
She lands on her feet beside the pole, a smile lighting up her face.
“Told you I wasn’t half bad,” she says before she even looks our way, and I bite back a snort of laughter. Nobody talks to Kratos like that and live, but a quick glance at him shows that he not only doesn’t mind, but he actually seems to enjoy her sass.
He smiles up at her, and while everything about him still screams I could murder you with my eyes closed, this is the softest I’ve ever seen this man look at anything.
“That you did,” Kratos says with a nod as he pushes to his feet, tossing her a towel.
She catches it, wiping her face and down her neck before looking back up and realizing it’s more than just Kratos here now.
The only real indicator of her shock is the slight pink that tints her cheeks.
I would say it was from the workout she just did, but it wasn’t there a moment ago.
“I’ll say. I think we should get a pole for the house. We can put it right in my room, and you can come and work out whenever you want, Doll,” Zander says, and while it sounds like a joke, I have a feeling he's completely serious. Kratos ignores him, but Jade laughs, and Zander’s smile grows.
When Kratos makes it to the edge of the stage, he holds out his arms to her.
Without a word, Jade drops the towel and sprints to him.
He catches her as if it’s nothing, and honestly, it probably is to him.
She can’t weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds tops, and while that’s still small, she’s actually filled out a lot since the first time I saw her.
Jade throws her arms around his neck as Kratos holds her tight for a moment before setting her down, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head.
“Go change and meet us upstairs,” he tells her, and she nods before taking off toward the side door that I assume leads to the changing rooms backstage.
Zander smacks her ass as she walks past. “Hurry up, Doll. I missed you last night when you went out on an adventure.” He cocks a brow, and I get the feeling I’m missing something, but I don’t dare ask.
Jade squeals in surprise before she sticks her tongue out at him as she disappears through the door.
“Zander.” Kratos's voice pulls all of our attention. The softness that was just there with Jade is gone, as if it was never there.
Not that Zander seems to care. “What? You weren’t the one who went to bed with her just to wake up without her, now were you?” Zander says with a shrug, and I take a second to look between them. Yeah, I definitely missed something.
I don’t know when it changed, but something has definitely shifted between the two of them. Zander used to be terrified of Kratos, and rightfully so. But now it seems as if he’s treating him the same way he treats Rick and Spencer.
I wait, expecting Kratos to snap at him or even go after him, but he does neither. Choosing instead to roll his eyes and walk away, back toward the stairs to head up to his office, leaving us to follow.
We only make it about halfway up the stairs before a shriek from Zander has us all whipping around at the threat of danger. Rick’s hand is on his gun in the blink of an eye, but he quickly realizes it's unnecessary.
Jade hangs off Zander’s back, a huge smile on her lips that changes her face completely. She looks younger, happier, less tortured, and I wonder which version is the real one. I’ve seen so many sides of her in just our few interactions—the many faces of Jade.
Judging by Zander’s shriek and the look of horror on his face, I’m guessing she snuck up on him. She smiles before she smacks a kiss on his cheek, and his look of terror melts away.
“You scared the shit out of me, Doll,” he chuckles, shaking his head, but he doesn’t complain about her being on his back; he simply adjusts and continues up the stairs.
“Yeah, well, you try to sneak up on me all the time. Serves you right,” she says with a laugh.