Chapter 27 #2
“Yes, there are more. I have no doubt both our sister and her… protector are well aware that being alone in a rainforest for vipers isn’t in either of their best interests.
However, I understand your reservations, Emmeline, and you’re right, we’ve been particularly smothering.
That won’t happen again. As long as there’s direct, decent communication between all of us. ”
Was there more of an amused look on Alexander’s face? I think there was.
“Fair enough,” she told him. “We will always have enemies, which means we’ll need to maintain a level of protection around our loved ones. At this point, I won’t mind getting home. It’s been an adventure, but I’m a little tired of being shot at.”
“Okay. So we’ve established several important details including that we need to hunker down and determine the best elimination tactics to use on our enemy and that having security around isn’t such a bad practice.
Why do you suddenly think you won’t need anyone to protect you any longer?
” Jaxon’s question was met by a frustrated laugh.
Apparently, my lovely bride had just figured out we were both about to slip-slide from scalding water straight into toxic quicksand.
Whether involuntarily done or not, she twisted the wedding band on her finger and the slight action given our silence immediately drew Jaxon’s attention.
“Did you know there were some pretty risqué pictures recovered from the sim card you provided, Donatello?” Jaxon’s question was all about goading me.
“Yeah, they were of me. Weren’t they?” Emmeline refused to shy away from anything any longer. I had to admire her chutzpa.
“Yeah, they were. Now, I can’t imagine you were simply doing a little strip tease in your kitchen with open blinds unless you were doing it while knowing you were being watched. Would that be the case?”
“What the fuck are you getting at, Jaxon?” Her question was pointed and all I could do was smile.
“You know, maybe a hot lover.” He moved two inches so he could more clearly see me then in an effortless, slow and steady move, shifted his gaze to my left hand.
Taking a giant step backwards, he pressed one hand against his heart while whistling.
“So, let me ask this question. The two of you were at this little church where you encountered a group of the bad guys. Begs the question. What were you doing there?”
I wasn’t certain if Emmeline was prepared to grab the elephant in the room. She twisted her body so she could look me in the eye, her eyebrows lifted in curiosity as to how I’d handle the question.
Alexander was staring over the vehicles toward the road, both hands in his pockets.
This wasn’t a ‘let me explain’ kind of moment and I wasn’t that type of man. “Jaxon. As your sister said, she wants… no, she is going to live her life the way she chooses. That’s her right and you need to honor her request.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Emmeline snapped, her patience gone. She lifted her hand toward him, wiggling her finger.
“Yes, we were married in that little church, Jaxon.” My words needed to be direct.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t shock in my buddy’s eyes, which was almost immediately driven into anger. “You were what?”
“Married. As in taking a vow to spend the rest of our lives together. You should know what that means since you just married the love of your life.” Maybe I was a little too cavalier about the situation since he was genuinely shocked, but so be it.
Pretending to toe the family line about who she could date and who she couldn’t had seen its expiration date.
Emmeline was mine.
All mine.
Maybe my arrogance prevented me from expecting Jaxon’s reaction, which was why when he took two long strides toward me in record time, I didn’t react involuntarily or voluntarily.
He cracked his fist against my cheek with enough force that anguish exploded like white lightning from my temple to my chest.
That didn’t prevent me from reacting as I would if anyone had hit me.
I punched back.
Jaxon was tossed to the ground, immediately jumping up and throwing his body toward me. When he tackled me against the Charger, we both threw several brutal punches to the gut, ignoring pain and the absurdity of fighting like children.
“Stop it!” Emmeline yelled. “Stop it right now.”
As if two hot-blooded males with an overabundance of testosterone would stop based on the whims of a woman.
I shoved him backward and we both took a boxer’s stance, our hands fisted and moving around as if we were prize fighters. I threw a savage jab. Jaxon followed suit. We ended up on the side of the road wrestling like teenagers.
Punch after punch, we were apparently serious about killing each other.
“Stop it!” she called again. “You’re being childish.”
Her demand went unheeded.
“Enough.” Alexander’s single word wasn’t said with anger, but it was gruff and loud enough both Jaxon and I stopped beating the shit out of each other.
“Get up,” Emmeline directed. “Both of you. This is ridiculous.”
Jaxon snarled when he struggled to his feet, even hissing at me since I’d split his bottom lip. He pressed his fingers against it and when he pulled them away, blood covered the tips.
Mine wasn’t any better. Hell, my eye might swell shut.
“You’re my brother and I love you,” she told Jaxon as she got in his face. “But that’s my husband and I love him. And you’re just going to need to deal with it.”
Jaxon didn’t act like he was ready to back down but finally took a step away.
So did I or we’d be here fighting each other until one of us was unconscious.
“How the hell did this happen in a couple days?” Jaxon literally spit blood. “Let me guess. It didn’t. You’ve been fucking each other for a long time. Haven’t you?”
Alexander still had his hands in his trouser pockets and when he moved directly in front of his brother, I could tell he was finished with either one of us throwing a tantrum.
“Emmeline is your sister. Donatello is not only your friend, he is also part of the family. Not just because he is married to Emmeline, but also because since the day he was invited into our home, our father ensured we knew that he was to be treated like our brother. Like family.”
“That’s my point,” Jaxon threw out. “We trusted him like family and he broke that trust.”
“How so?” Alexander pressed, yanking off his sunglasses.
“By risking his life to save hers on several occasions through the years, including many of which Emmeline isn’t privy to but should have been told about?
” He turned so he could look her in the eye.
“By loving her from afar, keeping a distance only because of this unwritten, Neanderthal rule about soldiers being unable to date a Prince family member?”
“Well…” Jaxon was clearly confused, his eyes narrowing. “Hold on. You’re not angry with either one of them at all. Are you?”
I dropped my head, rubbing my eyes as I laughed. “You called Alexander after all, even after all your posturing that you wouldn’t. Didn’t you?” Being the little brat that she was, Emmeline didn’t want to admit I’d caught her. I lifted my head toward her.
Her shrug was all the admittance I needed, but she continued. “I did. I wanted to tell him we were getting married and I wanted but didn’t need his blessing.”
“And I gave it to her. In fact, what did I say, sister of mine?” Alexander kept his harsh gaze on his brother.
“That it was about time.” She could barely contain the laughter, especially when I took a sideways step, yanking her into my arms.
“When did you call him?” I needed to know.
“This morning while you were gone. And no, you can’t hide anything from me.” Her laugh had returned, something I wasn’t certain I’d hear again for a long time.
“You’ll soon learn that women are the true backbone of any relationship, Donatello,” Alexander offered by way of advice.
“The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be.
” He took a step away, turning so all that he needed to do was to glance from one side to the other.
“Shake it off. Now. We have a flight to catch and business to attend to.”
“Yes, sir,” I answered, although I wasn’t entirely certain Jaxon was ready to shake off his anger and disgust.
“And I’m certain you have the information provided by Francoise Barnett?”
Laughing softly, I pulled out what Francoise had provided. “We were in a bit of a hurry, but he did give me this.” I handed him the photographs.
“How did you know?” Emmeline asked, as surprised as I was.
Alexander finally broke into a grin. “The sooner you accept there is very little that goes on inside my world that I’d not aware of, the better. Congratulations, sis. I’m so happy for you.”
When he pulled her into a hug, Jaxon and I took the opportunity to glare at each other, neither one prepared to extend an olive branch just yet.
“Um, boss. I think we need to get out of here.” One of the soldiers approached, a handheld computer in his hand. “We have a serious number of fast approaching vehicles.”
I moved toward the man, getting there first. The new application was already worth its weight in gold.
“He’s right. We need to get the hell out of here.” Lifting my head, I studied the road.
Just as a brigade of vehicles rushed around the corner.