Chapter 14
Spencer’s text comes through just before midnight, and I have half a mind to ignore it.
The asshole has been even more of a moody fuck since Jade disappeared and has no problem taking it out on everyone around him.
With the others, at least I understand it, but he claims to hate her.
Says he’s only looking for her because she’s important to his brothers, to Vengeance.
What a load of fucking shit.
Anyone with eyes can see the way he looks at her, not to mention feel the tension when they get to arguing. It’s only a matter of time before their words aren’t enough anymore; one of them will snap, and I’d bet money the sex is going to be explosive. Maybe literally.
Damn, I shouldn’t be thinking about sex, especially not when it comes to Jade.
Fuck, I don’t even know the last time I got laid.
Usually, it’s too easy to fill my bed. Women often throw themselves at me for a variety of reasons, none of which are because of me as a person.
They have no shame when they think they might be able to tie me down—chasing money, power, fame.
Others try to use me to get to my father.
Either way, it means I’m never short on choices, and while that hasn’t changed, I have.
I could text or call any number of women. I have at least a dozen unread messages, and yet not a single one sounds appealing.
Fuck.
I wish I could simply blame it on worrying about Jade, but since when do I even give a damn? I know the answer; I just don’t like it.
I stand from the chair I’ve spent the better part of the night in dealing with runners, adjusting my now aching cock before I stretch and snatch my phone off the table.
Information- meet at the house.
Those five simple words send a thrill through me, and I’m moving toward the door blindly.
“Jake?”
One of my guys calls out, but I don’t even spare him a glance.
My mind runs wild with the possibilities of what Spencer might have found, and suddenly I’m in the car and on the freeway in what feels like less time than should be possible.
I don’t even remember merging into traffic.
I really need to focus on the road, but I just can’t quiet my racing thoughts.
All this time with nothing makes anything feel monumental, but what if his findings only lead to another dead end? I shake the thought away. Even if it does, it will feel good to be doing something other than wandering the streets, hoping to hear something useful and finding Zander’s next victim.
Hopefully, this will, at the very least, distract him for a while.
I didn’t tell the others yet, but I’m running out of people to hand over to him.
Vengeance does a pretty good job of keeping the streets clean.
We keep our deals clean and people safe.
Anything less than that isn’t tolerated.
So, while we had a few people who deserved to meet his blade, we don’t exactly have a never-ending supply the way it used to be.
Back when Sin ran the streets, shit was dangerous all over, hard drugs on every corner.
They would sell their own grandma and have shootouts on streets filled with children.
Vengeance cleaned up the streets, ran out most hard drugs, and ensured we kept our own safe. Chicago used to be beautiful, and with Vengeance, it could be again. Anything that isn’t pretty is handled behind the scenes, with most people completely unaware.
I pull up to the gate keypad and punch in the code, waiting impatiently as the gates swing open.
The moment they open wide enough for my car, I floor it.
The driveway is long and winding, with trees so tall they look as if they go to the heavens on both sides.
It’s not exactly a straightaway made for racing, but right now, I can’t bring myself to care.
Spencer had been reluctant to hand out codes to the house, but it’s a good thing he did.
I have a feeling I wouldn’t have had the patience to wait for him to let me in right now, and I’m pretty fond of this car.
I’d rather not wrap it around the gates.
I throw the car in park, flying out of it fast enough that I have to double back to grab my keys. Not that it would matter much either way. I’d like to meet the person who had the balls to come here and try to lift a car.
Jade would.
The thought is wild enough that it brings a smile to my face.
It only lasts a moment, though, as I walk into the house.
Rick and Spencer stand in the middle of the living room, having what appears to be a very heated discussion.
Looking around, I see Trent leaning against the wall near the kitchen, watching them, annoyance clear on his face.
He seems to have fit back into their group with little fuss, but with how much history they have, I guess I should have expected that.
They were friends for longer than they weren’t, and that kind of friendship wasn’t something that was forced on them by having close parents.
Hell, mine and Spencer’s parents were close, and until recently, we could hardly look at each other without being ready to fight.
No, the four of them are more alike than I think Trent would ever admit. That is until Jade came in and caught us all in her web.
Now, we all have something in common.
What was most surprising was how things changed after Jade disappeared.
In the beginning, the guys’ distrust of me was obvious.
They didn’t want me around, and I was happy with what I did in Vengeance without being a part of their inner circle.
I just wanted a way to build a name for myself outside of my father’s shadow.
I didn’t need to be the poster boy of Vengeance the way they did.
Jade changed that.
She changed everything.
The best part is that we were all already in her web.
We just didn’t realize it. Now it’s too late, but even knowing it, there's no going back. Jade isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before.
Most people I know want power and money.
They want to make something of themselves, for themselves.
Vengeance was a fine mix. I always thought they helped to ensure the city thrived.
The better the city did, the better they did—a win-win situation.
I never would have guessed Vengeance was formed purely to help, but it was.
Jade had both power and money. She didn’t care for either outside of how she could use it to ensure others didn’t suffer the same way she did.
She was the first person to look at me and not wonder what I could do for her, what having a tie to my name could mean.
She didn’t care about status or my fancy cars and clothes.
No, Jade looked at me and saw beyond the mask I crafted for the world, because she lived behind a mask of her own.
She looked, and instead of finding the spoiled rich kid everyone accused me of being, she offered me help.
Jade trusted me when I gave her every reason not to, and I can’t explain why, but that made me want to be worthy of it.
Something I failed at when I let my father take her from us.
I thought for sure Kratos or one of the guys would gut me for losing her, but they didn’t.
Rick pulled me into their search for Jade from the beginning, and as much as I hate to admit it, I can see the appeal of having people you trust the way they do.
They made a group that's more than friends; they're brothers both in and out of Vengeance, and somewhere along the line, I no longer felt so far on the outside. I wasn’t like Trent, but it didn’t feel impossible that I could be someday.
I asked Kratos about it, but he'd laughed, saying if Jade trusted me, that was enough for him. It was such a simple answer, but it made sense, and while I didn’t ask the guys, I’m almost positive that would be their reasoning as well.
Trent notices me before the others, nodding in way of greeting, and I make my way over to him.
“Just in time to enjoy the show with me,” he says with a smirk while I shake my head and lean against the wall beside him.
“What is it now?” I ask, returning my attention to Rick and Spencer with a sigh.
They might be brothers, but they hardly ever see eye to eye, and these last few weeks have had everyone more on edge than usual.
Meaning they spend more time at each other's throats than before, and that’s saying something.
At least before they would argue in their brooding way, glares and snide comments; now we’ve had to pull them off of each other on more than one occasion.
Rick has always had a temper that burns hot and quick. Add that to his fighting skills and his size, and most know better than to mess with him. Too bad Spencer doesn’t give a damn.
“I honestly haven’t a clue. I’ve only been here a few minutes myself, but it could be anything,” Trent shrugs.
“Or it could be because Spencer is being his usual asshole self,” Rick says, clearly having heard my question.
“Oh, I’m the asshole. That’s rich coming from you. I’m not the one who came in here demanding to know shit like you're the only one who matters. Like you're in charge.” Spencer spits, slamming his hand into Rick’s chest, hard.
Rick obviously hadn’t been expecting that and stumbles back a step. It doesn’t sound like much, but I’ve seen him fight. I know how hard that is to do.
“I don’t have time for your fucking games right now. Some of us have better things to do than sit around and waste time!” Rick damn near growls the words, and I see the shift in both of them. Things are about to escalate quickly.
I glance at Trent and find him watching them much the same way I am. He knows where this is headed.