Chapter 24 She’ll Never Be Yours #2
“I don’t need him to promise me forever,” she said evenly. “I just need him not to treat me like I’m disposable.”
His nostrils flared.
“You think he's sticking around after you've served yourself up like a fucking whore? Tell me you’re not this stupid. Honestly, Savannah, the hotel bathroom? Really? Humiliation knows no bounds with you. My parents are in there asking about you and you're here fucking him in the bathroom.”
My jaw clenched, trying to bury the temper thrashing beneath my skin. Dropping my arms, I moved to stand beside Savannah and glared at him.
“Shut the fuck up.”
“This doesn't concern you,” he threw at me, eyes blazing.
“Call her that again and I'll show you how much it concerns me.”
“Is that a threat?” He took a step toward me and I smiled.
“You can bet it's a promise.”
“Jax, don't,” Savannah started, stopping me just as I took a step toward him. Her touch made me take a breath and wrap an arm around her. Then she turned to Chase. “What I do with my man is none of your business.”
“And I thought I got through to you before.” He shook his head, disdain shining in his eyes. “You had everything any woman would dream of, and you screwed me over. All for the likes of him.”
Savannah gave a humorless laugh. “Ironic considering you literally screwed someone to get out of our relationship.”
“So that's what this is, then? Getting even?
Feel better about yourself now? You finally slutted yourself out to the likes of him—does it even the score?
I fucked her, so you fuck him? No doubt you were as pitiful with him as you were with me.
Yes, Savannah, that's how you were in bed—pitiful. Boring, cold, barely there. You want someone to blame for us falling apart, look in the mirror.”
Something in me snapped.
Something cold.
Deadly.
My hand left Savannah’s waist slowly—slow enough for me to feel the tremor in her. I stepped between them, Chase’s last words hanging in the air like rot.
“Say another word. Go on, I dare you.”
My words were calm, but he wasn't as stupid as I thought he was since he clearly assessed the threat of them. Or maybe it was the ruthlessness in my eyes. I didn't give a fuck about who he was. If he talked about my woman like that again, he would be walking down the aisle with a black eye.
“Jaxon, come on,” Savannah murmured, stepping in front of me. She tugged at my shirt, and I held Chase's gaze a bit longer before dropping it down to meet hers.
My trouble.
Her eyes must’ve held some mystical powers because as soon as they locked with mine, the anger slowly faded away.
“Let's go,” she said softly, stepping closer and intertwining our fingers.
If it wasn't for that dickhead, I'd be happy that it was the first time she'd ever made the first move. Instead, I just gave her a nod and followed her lead.
We'd taken three steps before Chase decided he wanted that black eye.
“Yeah, run along like a little puppy,” he called out. “Has you fucking pussy whipped, doesn't she? She may be boring, but she has a tight grip that will have you—”
He had trouble finishing since my fist met his jaw. The force had him sprawling across the marble floors and grabbing hold of his jaw.
“Watch what you say about my woman.”
He growled at me, launching to his feet and sending a fist to my face. A sloppy right hook fueled by ego and champagne, and easy enough to block. I grabbed the fist before it connected, twisting it hard until I heard him grunt.
“Stop! Both of you stop!” Savannah called out.
I pushed him hard, but he still refused to give in. He stormed over and threw another punch, one that connected clean with my jaw. Snapping, I slammed my elbow into his chest and gave him an uppercut. He ripped out of my grip and connected another punch to my jaw.
“Better watch yourself, Cage. Wouldn't want to end up like your little sister, now, would you? How is she these days? Dead as a doorknob, right?”
What the fuck did he just say?
Fury.
Blinding rage consumed me and the bastard smirked as if he found my weakness.
“Run along and maybe—”
All bets were off now. Hell, I didn't even feel myself move.
One second, I was standing by Savannah, and the next, I was pounding repeatedly into his face.
I snarled, shoving him hard again and again.
He came at me again, tackling me around the middle.
We both hit the ground, fists flying, grunts sounding.
I landed another punch.
He caught me across the mouth.
The metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.
Voices were shouting now, someone yelling for security, but I couldn't decipher anything else.
All I could feel was this rage overflowing inside me.
How dare he bring up Lyra? My sister's name didn't belong in that asshole's vocabulary.
My fists rained down on him again and again, losing everything to the raw anger.
“Jaxon! Jax, stop!”
Everything but her.
Through the chaos, I heard her voice like a beacon in a treacherous storm. Chase tried to swing again, but I pinned him by the collar and drove my fist toward him—
“Jaxon!”
Her voice broke into a plea that had my fist frozen above his face.
My chest heaved as I tried to even my breathing, glaring down at Chase with retribution. But I didn't hit him; I just held my fist inches above his destroyed face.
Then I felt her hand on my shoulder now.
“Please.”
I looked over my shoulder at her.
Really looked at her.
And the fight drained out of me.
I shoved off Chase and stood, running a hand through my hair as I stepped back.
My eyes met hers and something cracked inside me at the sight of her wide eyes.
Fear was an expression I never thought I'd see from her to me.
I moved toward her slowly, deliberately taking it one step at a time as her gaze ran across my face.
“You think this is over—”
With my back to Chase, I never saw him scramble up and lunge toward me. His fist would've slammed against my head—maybe even hit Savannah—if a familiar face didn't step in. He stepped smoothly between us, one hand catching Chase’s first square in his palm.
Adrian Maddox.
Calm. Immovable. Impeccably dressed.
“Enough,” Adrian said evenly.
“Mr. Maddox, this man is—”
“A friend of mine who should know better,”
Adrian finished, throwing a pointed look over his shoulder before looking back at Chase. “And you're fighting in my hotel.”
He tried to step around him, but it was pointless.
“Try that again, and you'll be meeting one of my fists as well.” Adrian snapped Chase's wrist, causing him to cry out, and he pushed him into the arms of the security. “Take that one. He's bleeding on my floor.”
“Of course, sir.”
Chase’s breathing was ragged and his lip split, but he still managed to protest, “Let me go! Do you know who the fuck I am?”
Two men walked away with him, everyone in the hotel lobby ignoring his loud outbursts.
Adrian glanced back at me briefly. “You owe me.”
“For what? He started that bullshit and—”
“Cage, I have ears. I heard what he said.” He glanced behind me for a split second before returning to me. “If it's any consolation, I'd have done the same.”
Smirking, I wiped the corner of my mouth with my thumb and saw blood. “And yet, I still owe you.”
“Seems fair. You did destroy my lobby.”
“Your lobby? When did you even buy this place?”
“Last week.” He tucked his hands in his suit pockets, looking at the mess around us. “Also note you aren't in handcuffs like young Sinclair over there.”
A smile tugged at my lips.
“Like that, do you? You won't be smiling when I cash in. Keep an eye on this one, will you?” he added to Savannah, then walked off.
Shaking my head, I chuckled and ran a hand down my face, wincing at the bruises. And when I looked down at Savannah, she was frowning at me.
“I'm fine, trust me,” I reassured her.
She swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly, looking away from me. There was a thick silence between us, and when I tried to take a step toward her, she put her hand up.
“I think we should go. I'll go… get my purse.”
“Trouble—”
She didn’t wait for a reply.
Fuck.