13. Jake
Present Day
“Hi, is Mr. McKenzie available?”
My ears prick up as I stride across the wide reception area, on my way to meet with Hank, to discuss my best friend’s sudden departure to China. He had been totally blindsided when a woman he’d had a one-night stand with had told him she was pregnant with his child. Against my advice, he’d believed her and fallen head over heels for her, until it had all come crashing down when he’d found out it was a lie.
Anger surges through me as I turn to see a heavily pregnant woman and the bitch that hurt my friend standing there demanding to see him.
“Do you have an appointment?”
I stand back as our receptionist tries to handle it waiting to see how far Lexi will take this.
“No, but I really need to see him.”
“I’m sorry, Miss?”
“Lexi. I’m Lexi. ”
I can see sympathy marring Molly, our receptionist’s, face, and hate the way this woman has everyone under her spell. I can’t see her face from this angle but I’ve seen enough to know that I won’t stand for this shit anymore.
“Well, I’m sorry, Lexi. He isn’t here.”
Moving quickly, I come up behind her and spit her name with all the malice I can muster. “Lexi?”
She spins to look at me, hope rising in her eyes and I take in her appearance through the red mist of anger. “Yes?”
“So, you’re Lexi,” I sneer, letting all of my distaste for the way she’s treated my best friend show as she flinches slightly at my tone. “What do you want?”
“I need to speak with Hunter.”
“You can’t.” I thank God that Hunter is away and not here to deal with her doe eyes.
“Please, I need to talk to him.”
“I’m sorry, you can’t. He and his fiancée have gone to China for six months.” I’m not sure why I add that extra detail, especially as Lana isn’t his fiancée. At least not yet or maybe ever, but I want this woman to feel a fraction of what she’s put my friend through.
She staggers back at my words and it’s then that I really look at her and see the bruises marring her skin. The fragility surrounding her and my stomach takes a nosedive in dread. Something isn’t adding up here. My intuition, which is usually so good, is screaming that I’ve read this wrong, that I’ve made a mistake here.
“Lexi.” I move to grab her arm, calling her name as she goes sheet white, her hand resting on her bump as pain that I can hardly look away from moves across her face.
Then she’s falling, her legs buckling under her and her body going down. I dive to catch her, breaking her fall with my arms, before I lay her gently on the ground.
“What the hell is going on out here?” I turn from where I’ve dropped to my knees at the side of the pregnant woman who broke my friend’s heart and see Hank McKenzie striding towards us with a furious expression on his face.
“She fainted.”
Staring at Lexi covered in bruises and looking as broken as Hunter had the last time I saw him, I have the horrible feeling that I’ve just made a huge mistake. I’m ashamed to admit how much pleasure I took in telling her Hunter had gone to China with Lana, referring to her as his fiancée when she’s nothing of the sort.
Seeing the devastation and defeat on her face should have given me satisfaction, but all it did was make me feel like a shitty human being.
“Out of the way.”
I move back as Hank sinks to his knees beside her and takes her hand. I wonder if he knows who she is and how much she hurt his son. I stand and move back, not really knowing what to do.
Hank turns to me with a glare. “Do you know who this young woman is?”
“Yes, she’s the woman who tried to dupe Hunter into believing he’s the father of her baby.”
Hank hums, his lips pursed in an angry line as he looks at Lexi as her eyelashes flutter. His touch is gentle as he strokes her hand before looking up at me, seemingly having made a decision.
“Call my son and get him back here immediately.”
His demand leaves no room for argument, so I step back and dial his number but it goes to voice mail. I dial Lana and the same thing happens. Knowing Hank won’t take failure as an excuse, I call the airfield and I’m told the flight has left.
“Get them back.”
The woman on the other end of the phone goes quiet. “We can’t, sir.”
Frustration fills my veins at her response. Can’t isn’t a word I accept. I’m more than just the lead attorney for Lungo, I’m a fixer and there’s nothing that can’t be handled given enough encouragement. When that doesn’t work, I’m happy to shade outside the lines of legalities to m ake things happen. Ruthless is my middle name, I owe this family everything and I’ll do anything to protect them.
Glancing at Hank, I see him speaking to Lexi in a quiet tone, her lips moving slowly. Hanging up on the flight control, I move closer, wanting to hear her excuses, but none come.
“No. Honestly, I just need to go home.”
She looks exhausted and the bruises on her skin, which I hadn’t noticed in my anger before, mock me and turn my stomach with fury that someone has put his hands on her. I might be morally grey, but there are lines I’ll never cross and that’s one of them.
Moving closer, so I’m standing in front of them, I address Hank.
“It’s already left.”
Hank might be in his sixties, but he’s formidable and there’s no man alive I hate to go up against more than him. The air around us cools as his quiet displeasure permeates the air.
Standing up, he glares at me, clearly having overheard my part in what happened here today and not happy about it. Yet, all I was doing was protecting his son.
“Then see that my son gets the message as soon as he lands,” he growls, and gone is the patient man who placed his hand on my shoulder as I stood in court and shook with fear so many years ago. In his place is a force of nature—a man you don’t cross.
“Yes, of course, Mr. McKenzie,” I respond with forced politeness, my jaw rigid with tension.
Lexi begins to rise to her feet, and I resist the urge to reach out and help her, knowing I’m the last person she wants near her right now. Her balance is so unsteady she almost falls, reaching out blindly and grasping onto Hank, who places a hand on her back and eases her down.
“Please, Miss. You need to sit.”
I see the worry pass over Hank’s face and feel a sense of anxiety crawl up my throat, making my collar tight. Lexi looks exhausted, crushed, and broken and I know I should have done more research on her situation before I s poke. If something happens to her or that child, whether it’s Hunter’s or not, I won’t forgive myself.
I’m about to offer her a ride to the hospital when the door to our reception flies open and my past blasts in like a hurricane, taking my feet from under me. In stupefied silence, I watch as the only woman I’ve ever loved drops to her knees beside Lexi.
“Honey, are you okay? What did that asshole say to you? I’m going to kick his ass,” she demands before taking a breath.
God, she’s just the same, a stunning, wild whirlwind that is untamed perfection. Her hair is a softer shade of the pink she loves. Her curves are a little more pronounced, making my mouth water and my hands itch to explore every one of them.
Anger and determination tinge her pale skin the slightest pink and my dick hardens at all that fire inside her. I always loved Cherry for being so unapologetically herself. She was captivating, untamed, and I’d loved her beyond reason.
Even in a pink flowery skirt and a white, off-the-shoulder top, she looks like an avenging angel ready to slay anyone who hurts her friend. Lexi holds tight to her hand and Cherry doesn’t let go.
“I’m fine. Cherry, can we just get out of here? Please?” Lexi allows all the anguish she’d tried to hide from me and Hank show, and Cherry nods.
“Of course we can, sweetie.” Cherry looks up as she goes to stand, and I watch in fascination as recognition barrels into her. First shock and then anger cross her pretty features.
“You!”
“You!” We both say at the same time as we stare at each other.
Ignoring me, Cherry turns back to Lexi and gently helps her to her feet, her posture so rigid I can practically see the hackles prickle along her spine. I have the almost overwhelming urge to stroke my hand down her delicate spine and see if I can make her purr instead. “Come on, Lex. Let’s get you out of here. I don’t like the smell in here,” Cherry says as she helps Lexi toward the door.
Suddenly the thought of her leaving leaves me feeling untethered and desperate to hold on to her attention for just a few more seconds. “Cherry, hang on.”
Cherry goes stiff before she whirls on me, fire licking through her gaze as she rakes it over my skin like a brand. “No, Jake, I won’t hang on. I should have known you were involved. Breaking people is what you do, right?” she hisses as she turns to leave again.
I deserve that. I deserve everything she throws at me, but it still hurts to know that the woman who still holds the only living piece of my heart hates me.
My attention is yanked away by Hank as he moves to stop them.
“Lexi.”
Hank places his hand on her arm and I see Cherry move in closer, like a mama bear ready to throw down with anyone to protect her young.
“Here’s my number. If you need anything, please call me. I have a feeling there’s been a huge misunderstanding between you and my son. Despite everything you’ve heard and seen this morning, Hunter is a good man, and he cares about you a great deal.”
Lexi cocks her head with a sad smile. “Thank you, Mr. McKenzie, but I think Hunter has made it clear what he wants, and I’ll respect that. I won’t stop him from seeing his son if he wants to, but I won’t contact him again, either. I’m afraid I’m all out of energy where men are concerned.”
I feel Cherry’s eyes on me, hatred so strong it is palpable aimed my way. Yet, all I see is the beautiful girl I loved. She has every right to feel the way she does, but there’s so much she doesn’t know, so much I still can’t tell her. But the thought of her walking away and me never having the chance to try and explain some of it or make things right makes every muscle in my body rebel.
As they reach the elevator, I know I can’t let my Blossom walk away. My hand shoots between the closing doors, and they bounce open, allowing me to step inside. Seeing the cold indifference on her face, I suddenly doubt if this is a good idea. Cherry ignores me like I’m nothing more than a bothersome fly and it makes me want to push her, to make her admit t hat she feels more. That I’m someone to her.
Pressing the button for the ground floor, I turn to her, but she’s looking at her feet like her shoes are the most interesting thing on the planet. Honestly, hot pink stilettoes are sexy as fuck, and on her they’re lethal, and she wears them like a queen.
“Cherry, I—”
My little Cherry Blossom rounds on me so fast that I have to fight the urge to smile at her. Fuck, she’s magnificent.
Pointing her finger at my chest she pokes hard, and my whole body heats at the first contact from her in over a decade. In those seconds, everything falls away except the memory of her hands on my skin. Cherry and I weren’t just hot between the sheets, we were burn-the-world-down lava hot, and I remember every single second of it like it was yesterday.
“No, you don’t get to speak to me. You’re nothing but a lowlife, lying asshole. Stay away from me and stay away from my friend or you won’t like what I do,” she snarls and I have the strongest urge to bite that bottom lip until her tirade turns to moans of pleasure.
In the past, I would’ve backed away from an argument with my Blossom. I would’ve been patient, but she isn’t the only one who was changed by what went down between us. I stood back instead of pushing when we were at Harvard, and look where that got us. Now I have no intention of letting Cherry call the shots or blame me for everything. Yes, I am to blame for a lot, but she walked away without giving me a single chance to explain.
“Me? I’m a liar? You’re the one who promised me forever and then left, not the other way around, Blossom.”
Cherry looks like her head is going to explode, her jaw tight, her face red, her breath heaving. I can’t look away, from her fury, it’s so fucking hot.
“Fuck you, Jake. You can’t even be honest with yourself, and don’t call me that,” she growls as she turns back to face the elevator doors.
I’m half expecting her to stomp her tiny foot, and the image makes me hard. She’s b eing a brat, and I’d give anything to take her over my knee and redden that delicious ass of hers. She’d hated Blossom at first, or so she said, but I knew then, just like I know now, that she loved it. And even if she doesn’t, it gets a reaction from her.
“If I recall, Blossom , you loved me calling you that. Admit it. Even now you’re wet for me.” I give her a confident grin as she glares daggers at me. I see the change in her instantly, the metaphorical sound of her patience snapping as her friend sucks in a sharp gasp. I glance at Lexi and only see the fist coming toward me at the last second. I could dodge it easily, but she deserves this one. She’d earned it so I let it happen.
For a little thing, my Blossom lands a hefty punch and I feel pride in her as I rub my chin and jaw to hide the grin. The doors open and Cherry quickly pulls her friend into the lobby. I could follow her but Cherry needs some time to regroup and I need time to plan my next move.
I watch from the lobby, my hand in my suit pocket as she speeds away on those ridiculously high heels that make her ass wiggle seductively. My Cherry Blossom got away from me before, but I won’t let it happen again.
Not when for the first time in ten years I feel alive again, and she’s the reason.
She was, and will always be, my reason.