TWENTY-SEVEN
Jaxson
Blackwood Brewhouse is a madhouse tonight.
The bar is at capacity, there’s a line around the building, and every member of our staff is on the clock, Holden and I included. We’ve got several large groups tonight. A few here for birthdays, at least two bachelorette parties, and a bachelor party. It’s gonna be a wild night and a damn good one for sales.
There’s a steady flow of people to and from the bar, but we’re keeping up. Nobody has to wait long. A few girls from one of the bachelorette parties get to the bar and ask for a round of Blow Jobs. I check IDs and start lining up the shots with a wink and a smile.
One girl hands me cash when I finish making their shots and the three of them line up, lean forward, and tip 'em back like pros. One of the girls—a pretty little redhead—licks the whipped cream from her lips with her eyes locked on me and finished with a wink.
The wink was overkill. I get it. A pretty girl takes a shot using only her mouth and a guy's dick should react. I'm supposed to be impressed. Turned on. Hot and bothered. Interested.
Maybe I would be...if this same thing didn't happen practically every night I work. And maybe...if my head, my heart, and my dick weren't singularly focused on one girl. The girl that finally left her douchebag of a husband.
I'm not a fool to think things will go back to the way they used to be between me and Madelyn. It's not that easy.
We've both dealt with a lot of things in our time apart, her more so than me. But we both need time. She needs time to heal—physically and emotionally—but I plan on being there for her every step of the way. I won't pretend that I'm not going to try to get her back.
Now more than ever, I believe that the two of us are meant to be together. I hate that it took something so fucking terrible to bring her back to me, but I've no intention of letting her go again.
I'm drug from my thoughts when the redhead leans as far as she can across the bar, tits pressing again the polished wooden surface, and places her hand on my forearm. She's got that lustful gleam in her eye and I know what she's going to say before she opens her pouty lips.
"Lookin' for some fun tonight, handsome?"
I smile, not wanting to hurt her feelings even though I'm not the slightest bit interested. Leaning forward, I try to let her down easy. "Sorry, Sugar. Busy night."
"Oh," she says, batting her eyelashes. "I don't mind waiting."
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Do guys really go for that shit? The pouting lips, puppy dog eyes, and fluttering eyelashes. Hard pass.
"I'm spoken for, Sugar, but I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding what you're lookin' for," I say, nodding to the crowd behind her.
She pouts again before turning away with a huff.
From the corner of my eye, I see Holden shaking his head at me as he pulls his phone from his pocket.
I'm sure it looked like I was flirting, but he wasn't close enough to hear what was said. He should know me better. As soon as there was any little chance, even the tiniest sliver of hope for me to get Madelyn back...other females ceased to exist to me.
Planning to ignore him, I turn to the next customer in line, but something makes me look back. Holden has his phone to his ear and his face has drained of all color, a look of complete terror marring his expression. Before I can even move to ask what’s wrong, he vaults over the top of the bar, slapping the surface with his hand when he lands on the other side.
“Jax, we gotta fucking go man!” he yells over the crowd. “Now!”
I don’t ask questions, but I quickly turn to Noah, who obviously saw the same thing I did.
“We’ve got this man, GO!”
Following Holden’s lead, I jump over the bar and race outside. I wrench the truck door open, barely getting my ass on the seat before he peels out of the parking lot. He doesn’t even give me time to close the damn door.
“What the fuck happened, Holden?” I ask, slamming the door shut and buckling up.
“Mads. She...fuck!”
He isn’t making any fucking sense, but a sense of dread washes over me and my stomach sinks.
“Holden. Get it together, brother. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
He sucks in a deep, stuttered breath. “Fuck! The call was my neighbor in the apartment across from mine. He heard arguing, loud banging noises, and a female crying out coming from my apartment. Called the police, but before they could get there, he heard gunshots. Three gunshots, he said. Then silence.”
I have no time to react because Holden whips into the parking lot in front of his apartment building as he finishes explaining.
Emergency vehicles are everywhere. Flashes of red and blue color the buildings and the sounds of sirens drown all other sound.
We both bolt from the truck, calling out her name.
Nothing matters more than getting to Madelyn.
Holden and I don’t get very far.
We’re stopped by police officers and forced to stand behind an invisible line while our thoughts run wild imagining the worst.
No one is allowed to enter the building. It doesn’t matter that it’s Holden’s apartment, or his baby sister. The officers won’t budge. We’ve tried everything to get into the building, everything short of bribing them, which I’d do if I wasn’t worried about being arrested. I can’t do shit for Mads if I’m behind bars.
We know exactly nothing, aside from what Holden’s neighbor told him on the phone. The parking lot is full of people who live in the building, but no one has seen Madelyn. No one can tell us what’s going on, or if she’s okay.
The officer keeping an eye on us at least seems sympathetic. He’s just doing his job and I understand that, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be pissed off that we can’t get to her.
I need to get to her. I need to know she’s okay.
I’m going out of my fucking mind waiting.
I know it’s only been a few minutes, but the minutes drag on when a loved one hangs in the balance.
Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, there’s a flurry of activity at the building entrance.
Police exit, clearing a path for the EMTs following closely behind, rolling a stretcher toward the ambulance in a hurry.
It takes a second for my brain to process what I’m seeing.
Madelyn is on that stretcher and an EMT is straddling her motionless body performing CPR.
With that realization, I move.
I don’t think about the officer tasked with holding us behind that invisible line.
I don’t think about Holden, and whether or not he saw them bring her out.
I don’t give a fuck about anything except getting to Madelyn.
There’s not a force on this fucking earth that could stop me.
I reach the ambulance as they’re lifting her into the back. I’m right behind them, moving to climb in, but I’m stopped when someone tugs on my arm.
“Stop, I can’t let you in.”
“It’s okay. He’s family.” My friend’s voice says from over my shoulder.
A pang of guilt hits me when I realize that Holden wants to be with his sister. When I meet his eyes, there’s a clipped shake of his head and he tells me, “Go. I’ll follow. Stay with her, Jax. Please.”
His voice is cracked, broken, so damn hollow.
I climb into the back of the ambulance, following the EMTs instructions to the letter.
I can’t bring myself to look at Madelyn yet, so I look out the back and Holden is standing there with tears streaming down his face. The other emergency responders shuffle in and those doors slam shut, effectively closing us off from my friend.
Slowly turning my gaze, I allow myself to take in what’s happening around me.
Amidst a flurry of activity, Madelyn lays there completely motionless.
I see red. Everything is fucking red.
Blood covers the majority of her body from head to toe. There’s so much of it, I can’t even tell where it’s coming from.
The EMT in front of me swiftly moves to the side sending a rush of air passed my face. I’m immediately overwhelmed with the sickeningly sweet, metallic scent of her blood mixed with overpowering scent of antiseptic. I choke down the bile that rises in my throat.
My mind wars between devastation, disbelief, and anger.
I watch the EMTs work on Madelyn with a sort of numb detachment.
Tears fall from my eyes in steady streams, but I don’t notice.
Shivers and chills take over my body, but I don’t feel a thing.
My entire focus is on the love of my life lying practically lifeless before my eyes.
If I lose her. I won’t survive.