Page 69 of True Abandon

Jax drives with me to my condo. He waits in the car while I change into shorts and a tank top. We arrive at the bonfire together with the plan that he’ll take an Uber back to the hotel at the end of the night.

We arrive at the beach, and I watch as everyone’s eyes skip me and settle right in on the new guy.

“Shark bait!” Benji yells, obviously well into the rum by now.

Jax steps back as Benji attempts to give him a hug. His hands are up to keep the wobbly Hawaiian away.

“Ah,” Benji says with realization. “The burn. Give me some love.” Benji holds up his fists, which Jax, reluctantly, pounds. “’Cause of you, I’m forty beans richah.”

Jax looks at him questionably. “Aren’t you the guy who tried to kill me?”

Benji laughs a big, loud, crazy laugh. He then places an arm around Jax’s shoulder—as high as he can get on Jax’s arm—and walks him toward the bonfire. “You need to meet me bruddahs!”

Jax peers over his shoulder at me as he’s pulled away. At least he’s carrying the beer we bought so he can start drinking.

“He’s here with you!” Lani squeals in my ear.

“Don’t make a big deal about it.”

“Nice necklace.” She fondles the rose pendant around my neck.

I roll my eyes despite the smile on my face. “The guy spent the day looking for it—the least I could do was invite him here for a drink.”

“Invite who for a drink?” Kelli comes up behind us. Up until this very moment I forgot she was going to be here.

“Olivia Benson,” Lani replies to Kelli and, for once, I’m thankful she uses his ridiculous alias.

“The Law and Order chick?” Kelli asks in confusion. Her crop top is cut just beneath her boobs leaving her tummy fully exposed.

“It’s a long story.” I sigh, mostly because I know she’s going to have a very colorful opinion on Jax’s sudden appearance in my life again. “One I need to tell you about.”

Kelli’s face lights up. “Sounds juicy.”

“Sure,” I start. “You can say that. So, remember how last year—”

“Who is that?” Kelli interrupts me, her attention not on me at all. She bends he body all the way to the side, looking around me toward the fire where Jax is talking to Isaiah, Benji, and Kal.

Lani bends with Kelli. Together, they must look like a totem pole – one character on top of the other. “That’s Olivia Benson.”

Kelli whistles. “Why the hell is a hot as hell man named Olivia? I’d still do him.”

“His name is Jax,” Lani says his name with a sexy undertone.

Kelli stands up. “I love that name. Jax.” She rolls the word off her tongue. “It reminds me of Sons of Anarchy. It’s so manly—hunky, delicious. Jax. It’s short for Jackson, right?” She fakes a shiver. “Like that asshole you dated in high school. He ruined the name Jackson for me. Until now at least because that man is gorgeous. Who wants to introduce me?”

“You dated a Jackson in high school?” Lani raises, her dark, doe eyes now alert in keen interest.

Kelli brushes her off. “Yeah. Some douchebag who broke her heart. We do not talk about him.—at all.”

With wide eyes and a jutted-out chin, I visually scold Kelli for bringing it up, while on the other side of me, Lani stares at me with a tilted head and beaded expression.

“I need a drink,” I announce and head toward the bonfire. I grab a Long Board beer from the six-pack between Jax’s feet. Without missing a beat in the conversation with Isaiah, he takes the bottle from me, opens it, and hands it back.

“I see you’ve met my friends Isaiah, Benji, and Kalino. Gentlemen, this is Jax.” I don’t miss the grimace Kal gives me from across the fire.

“He’s maika`i,” Isaiah says to me with his bottle in the air.

“Yes. Jax is good people.” I give him cheers in confirmation.