CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
LIAM
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I can’t let Jessie go.
I don’t know how to do this—how to tell Jayden that I love his sister, and she is the most important thing in my life. How to break my lifelong promise to him, while explaining it doesn’t change how I feel about him as my best friend.
How to navigate the entire family and their views on us being together while not hurting Jessie.
Because she is mine.
She is fucking mine, and after seeing her near that piece of shit, Bonito, I’m never taking my eyes off her.
Yes, I know I’ll eventually calm down. Maybe in 2050. Can’t see it happening any earlier.
Jessie is going to have to tell her family. They need to know what she’s been through. Jayden is going to be furious I didn’t call him when she was missing.
My priority was finding her, and I’m not sorry.
My Jessie.
The woman I love.
She’s been a part of me for so fucking long, I’m sick of denying myself. Sick of denying her.
Bonito could’ve killed her.
We know he’s a sex offender, and there’s every chance he could’ve gone too far and taken her life.
The things I saw lying in the hotel room scared the fuck out of me.
The strong-scented moisturizer, which the psycho clearly thought he was nurturing her with, the sex toys.
.. Christ. Thank God we got to her in time.
That motherfucker.
He’s broken pieces of my beautiful girl that she’ll never get back.
Her spark.
Her infinite optimism.
Her belief in magic.
It’s lucky that Ryder and law enforcement were there, or Frank Bonito would be in a body bag instead of behind bars right now.
I’ll never forget the sight of him crawling off her, the terror in Jessie’s eyes as she sobbed. The way she sobbed and fell into my arms as I ripped the ties of her wrists.
The smell of her fear.
He’d fed her like it was a date. A bottle of champagne sat nearby, half-drunk as if celebrating. Sex toys on the table, ready to be used.
On my woman.
The way she apologized to me as if she’d done something fucking wrong.
Jessie is asleep in my arms, in my bed for the first time, and the world feels more right than it ever has before.
Tomorrow we need to talk about the future. A serious talk. I want to know what she wants. What she dreams of in regards to a relationship. We’ve shared our dreams over the years, but I’ve strictly kept off this subject.
For obvious reasons.
You know what she wants.
Maybe I do. Still, I don’t know if she wants children, to get married, or pursue her career first. Does she want a big wedding. To elope. To live together only after we are married.
I should know these things.
Both our families will have a point of view, but they will be happy for us once they see how much I love her. How much I’ve always loved her.
If Jayden will accept it.
That’s the thing that could destroy everything.
Because it will.
If he alienates his sister or me because he feels like we have lied to him, it will be much harder. I made a vow and I just can’t see how he can accept it.
Or I would have kissed the beautiful woman in my arms a long time ago.
Jessie’s breathing shifts as my tummy rumbles, and I remember I haven’t eaten. Too bad. I couldn’t stomach food right now.
I slow my mind and let myself drift off to sleep.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day.
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“SURPRISE, ASSHOL—”
I sit bolt upright, reaching for my gun, and find Jayden standing in my doorway.
Fuck!
His eyes lock on Jessie.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he roars, pounding his fist on the doorframe. “You have GOT to be fucking kidding me.”
I shake myself awake and shove the covers off, casting a glance at Jessie. Holding up my hand, I climb out of bed and get between him and his sister.
“Jayden, stop.”
The last thing she needs is someone yelling at her after the trauma she experienced last night.
“I won’t fucking stop! You are sleeping with my sister! You motherfucker!” He shoves my chest and tries to round the bed, but I stop him.
Jessie sits, rubbing her eyes, and starts to sit up. Fortunately, she has a nightie on.
Jayden reaches and yanks the covers off her, and I watch face crumple as panic begins to set in.
Fuck.
She might know Jayden won’t hurt her, but the brain is a complex machine, and she doesn’t need someone being aggressive around her at this moment.
“Jay!” I yell, a dark warning in my voice, but there’s no stopping him when he’s like this. “I said stop.”
“Are you kidding me, you two fuckin—”
Nope.
He is not going there.
I punch him. His head flings back and he stumbles into the hallway, shocked as hell.
Jessie gasps behind me.
I don’t stop. I cross the space, grab his shirt and given he’s an inch taller than me and just as strong, I’m only successful because he wasn’t expecting it.
“Are you insane? You just punched me.” Jayden shoves me back.
“Jay, listen to me!” I growl as he tries to get back inside my room.
“I’m not listening to shit. Jessie, get out here, you go—”
Nope. I’m not letting him say something he’ll regret when he knows everything. Or hurt Jessie. I grab his face and squeeze.
His eyes bulge in confusion.
“Fucking listen.” I have to tell him, my hold on him is weakening as he fights me, and I know this will be stressing her out. “Jessie was raped yesterday. You need to shut the fuck up and calm down!”
Jayden stills. His eyes hold mine, seeking the truth, then he glances over my shoulder.
“What?”
I nod.
“What?” he repeats, and his muscles relax so I let him go.
“Liam.” I feel Jessie’s hand on my back.
“Jessie was raped yesterday. The team and I retrieved her and got home last night. We were going to call you this morning.”
She leans her head against my back.
I need to hold her.
I blink for a second, worried about how Jayden is going to react, but he’s still processing what I just said, stunned.
Fuck it, she needs me. I lift my arm and slightly turn, pulling her against my bare chest.
“Fuck,” Jayden curses, running a hand over his face, staring between us.
“It’s okay,” I say gently, running a hand over her hair. “You okay?” Her heart is beating like crazy, and I’m certain she’s trembling.
“Jay,” Jessie pleads.
“Does Mom know?”
She shakes her head. “I’m going to call them. I just don’t want Dad to know.”
He holds the back of his neck with his palm, looking as hopeless as I felt last night. Then his eyes return to me, full of betrayal.
“But you didn’t sleep in his bed last night because of that, did you?” he asks Jessie.
I fight the urge to punch him in the face a second time only because we have both betrayed him. Jayden has a right to be upset, but I would have expected him to put that aside for the sake of Jessie's wellbeing right now.
“Don’t answer that,” I growl, pressing my fingers into her shoulder.
Jessie shakes her head and slips from my hold. “I’m going to shower.”
I watch her walk back into my room, hating that she has to contend with this on top of her trauma. That her brother couldn’t hold his tongue for a few hours and then sit down like a fucking adult and discuss this.
Then again, when people are hurt, they do crazy things.
Which is why I turn to Jayden and say, “Whatever we need to say to one another needs to wait. Jessie needs me.”
“Tell me one thing.”
I nod.
“Do you love her?”
“More than my next breath.”
“You mean more than your best friend.”