“Finn, I appreciate you looking out for me, but this isn’t up for debate. I like him and we’re both adults.” Grabbing his jacket from the closet, he faced them. “Do you think that Rain will mind?” Jax hadn’t spoken to Rain much before he left The Pointe and didn’t want to upset him. Did he even know that Jax had been interested in his stepfather?
“Rain? Well, he did send me a text this morning about you two needing to bang,” Ollie snickered as Jax almost dropped his jacket, leaning against the wall. “I guess you don’t have to worry about it. Soooo…” he grinned dangerously. “Will Rain beyourstepson, too?”
Finn tried to cover Ollie’s mouth, but Ollie was ready, blocking Finnwith fake martial arts, complete with wind sounds.
“And if you two get married, then will Rain be my nephew-in-law?”
“Finn, I’m gonna shut him up if you don’t,” Jax threatened with a smile on his face. “And we’re not getting married, you idiot.”
“Not yet,” Ollie coughed. “Anyway, I think it’s good that Tristan found someone else because his ex is the worst.”
“The one who stopped by The Pointe on Valentine’s Day?” Jax asked, and Ollie and Finn froze, shock rippling across their faces.
“What?” Finn asked hoarsely. “Eve was at The Pointe again? When?”
Again?That wasn’t the first time she’d been there?
“The night Marci got married. I went outside to get some air instead of strangling one of the prep cooks for leaving the walk-in open, and I saw her on the hood of a car. I was confused because I thought it was Rain in a dress. She’s been there before? Is she a stalker?”
“Yes, but she stalks Rain, not Tristan.” Ollie lost focus, putting a hand on his forehead and murmuring to himself. “That’s right, Tristan doesn’t know.”
“Ollie, what are you talkin’ about?” Confused and frustrated, Jax’s accent slipped out, and Ollie’s gaze snapped to him.
“When I’m done explaining? I want to hear why you just sounded like you were onThe Jersey Shore.” Ollie pointed his finger at Jax, circling it a couple of times. “Okay, a few hours before The Pointe’s fire, Rain’s mom - Eve - showed up with her disgusting boyfriend and made a huge scene looking for Rain because he went no contact.”
“She even slapped him,” Finn added with disgust.
Jax’s hackles rose, and fury began to unfurl in his bloodstream for RainandTristan. If Eve treated her own son like that, then she had probably been awful to Tristan. When Jax had watched them from the shadows that night, he’d thought it had been a typical spat with the ex, but she’d turned out to be more unhinged than he’d thought.
“Marci was so mad that she dragged them out herself.” Ollie folded his arms.
“Now that I know Marci, I believe it.” Jax could feel his forehead creasing.
“And they’re banned from The Pointe.” Finn made a face. “But Evedoesn’t seem to know that.”
“My turn,” Jax stated. “Why do I not know this?”
“The fire distracted everyone, and most of the staff is new,” Finn replied.
“And Tristan has no idea that Eve stopped by that day. Rain never told him because it would upset him, and since Tristan is close with everyone now, we’ve all been sworn to secrecy.” Blowing a curl away from his eyes, Ollie leaned against Finn. “Tristan doesn’t even know that Rain almost died in the fire.”
“Wait,what?” Jax didn’t need his nightly cup of tea because he was getting an entire pot right here.
“After Eve’s visit, he hid in John’s office, and we thought he left the building.” Finn cringed. “He ignored the fire alarms and had to jump out of the second-floor window.”
Jax had no words; he just exhaled in shock, still leaning against the wall.
“And since Tristan doesn’t know that Eve is banned, he wouldn’t think to tell anyone about her,” Ollie stated, as if he were thinking out loud.
“I’ll mention it to Opie.” Jax still wasn’t used to Finn calling Owen by his initials, but the two men had known each other for over fifteen years. “And I’ll also tell Marci when she gets back, but I’ll ask them to keep it hush-hush, to look out for her if she shows up again.”
“If she does? Tell me right away.” Jax growled. Finn and Ollie paused, looking at each other.
“Getting possessive?” Ollie’s grin was back. “Didn’t you already tell off some rando for bothering Tristan too much?”
“Sunshine…” Finn tried again, shaking his head.
“Just Finn…” Ollie shot back in the same tone.
