AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jameson had defended me tonight. He’d thrown himself into a situation that could have resulted in his injury without hesitating, and if I’d had any strength to stay in my hometown and hold my ground, he never would have had to. Nodding in understanding, he slipped out of the cab. I hadn’t even realized we’d gotten home. Wordlessly, he opened my door, helped me out, and guided me into the house. I didn’t break the silence as I made my way straight for the guest room, stripping off my jacket and wincing as my back ached.
Numbly, I fumbled through the motions and got into the shower, as if that would wash it all away. Make the swirl of thoughts vanish in the suds, stripping away sweat, grime, and years of regret. When the steady stream of tears turned to a sob, it was only thirty seconds before Jameson opened the bathroom door.
For the first time, I was internally begging him to saysomething. He remained stoic, brow pinched, jaw set, and eyes evaluative as he slowly unbuttoned his flannel. Those beautiful, broad hands were both bandaged, the right one bruised beyond the white wrap the EMTs had applied over where he’d split the skin. Guilt twisted through me, my swallow hard, as he worked his shirt free and set it neatly against the counter. I wanted to send him away, to burst into apologies, but I couldn’t. Couldn’t muster words as he tossed the fabric aside and stepped under the steaming stream of water.
In the same level of silence, Jameson moved in behind me until our bodies were flush under the heat. There was nothing erotic about his cock against my ass or the firm wall of muscle wrapping around my back. But my soul seemed to melt as he freed the showerhead and slowly washed the sweat from my skin. Strong fingers turned gentle as he ran suds through my hair, then coated it in conditioner. Traced them along my collarbone, pressing the ghost of kisses down my neck through the steady water, melting my shoulders down my back.
He dried me off, led me back to his dark room, tohisbed, immediately cradling his broad body around mine. To my complete shock, my eyes drifted closed, knowing I was safe in his arms.
TWENTY-EIGHT
JAMESON
“You alright?” Broderick asked the moment I stepped outside. I assumed my brothers were responsible for the full pot of fresh coffee on my counter, and I pulled in a deep breath as I took my first sip. He and Axel were both rocking on my porch chairs.
I slid out of bed around five in the morning, eyes aching and dry from the hours I’d spent just watching her sleep. How she could watch me behave like a damn animal, letting my temper drive me to the cusp of murder in an open street and then sleep in those same arms was beyond me. But I savored every damn second, just waiting for her to wake up and come to her senses.
Nodding, I sipped my coffee. Millions of words rushed through my head—most of them angry, a few bitter that I hadn’t just gotten rid of him when I had my shot, but mostly…scared. “I’m going to lose her over this.”
“What?” Axel barked right as Broderick spoke up, straightening from his place on the white rocking chair.
“Why would you jump to that conclusion?”
The scalding liquid burned going down, but I savored it. Buying myself time. Reminding me I was alive. “She fled five thousand miles to avoid ending up with a monster. Only for mine to rear its head.”
“My man,” Broderick scolded, rising in the same motion. “This is not the same thing.”
“Kinda relieved you’re worried about that and not prison time,” Axel added, shoulders sagging.
I shrugged. “Bells would’ve pulled me in if Charlie didn’t have the balls to do it and they had any grounds to stand on.”
“Agreed,” Broderick interjected. “I think it was cut-and-dry defense. He fought back. You just finished it, like you always do.”
Nodding, I blew a heavy breath out. “The girls working damage control?”
“They’ve even got Max doing…whatever he does. And Mav and Milo working the rumor mill,” Axel said, also rising. Small-town gossip trains could be toxic as fuck, or your greatest asset. In this case, I was beyond grateful our family was enormous, and my siblings had hit the ground running. The girls released the truth of our story to every friend and petty Betty they could think of. El even typed up the release for the Gazette and sent it to one of their writers, who she’d befriended clear the hell back in elementary school. Whatever favor she called in had evidently been significant enough for her to trash the story they’d drafted initially in favor of Elora’s.
Our parents pleaded my case wherever they could. And the sun wasn’t even warm yet. We avoided the gossips of town like the plague, but in this case, the fact that a Rhodes hadn’t given them a juicy story in years would hopefully mean they’d chomp at the bit to sprinkle last night’s drama all over town, the way we wanted the narrative told. It wasn’t until Broderick set his coffee down on the side table so that he could open his arms up that I realized the gnawing in my gut was fuckingterror.
Holy shit, I’d never, not once in my life, felt fear like this. Surely, I’d scared her to fucking death, only shock keeping her anchored in my arms last night. She’d come to her senses. Or Eric’s family would do what they do best, and Charlie’s guys would slap cuffs on me tonight, and I’d lose the chance to tell her everything bombarding my head.
In my mere weeks with Noel, she’d shown me what life could really be. Stiffly accepting his hug, I said, “Love you, man.”
“You too. Glad you’re okay. You’ve gotta breathe through this, James. Don’t jump to conclusions.” His words brought a smirk to my face. Those evaluative brown eyes hadn’t left me the entire time Axel filled me in, and evidently, my genuine concern stayed etched on my face. Between Broderick and Rhyett, there was no hiding anything. “I highly suspect her thoughts aren’t anywhere near your own, but what do I know?”
More than I was willing to admit. Few humans in my life could dive as deep into the human psyche as Broderick Allan. Rival only to perhaps Elora, who had blown up my phone until one in the morning, incapable of taking the hint but unwilling to invade Noel’s sanctuary. Lucky for me. If it had just been me in this house, there was no doubt in my mind she would’ve let herself in the garage door. Followed by the rest of them. Nodding as though his words resonated, I pulled back, taking another sip of coffee as I looked to the forest that bordered our little strip of homes.
“She okay?” Axel asked after a long silence, save for the steady sip of black coffee. The same gray fog hung pendulously in the air, gradually rolling through the trees.
“Physically? Yeah. We got there before he could hurt her too much. But…she didn’t say a word all night.”
They both grimaced, knowing enough of her to recognize that wasn’t good. My Skittles was a perpetual chatterbox. The rumble of a familiar SUV rolling onto the gravel drive jerked all three of our heads up. Juniper’s sleek black car inched down my driveway, and I sighed, setting down my cup.
“We’ll hang tight,” Axel reassured. “Make sure she’s alright.”
Nodding, I headed for my mother.
After a wordless hug that threatened to shatter my composure, Juniper nodded toward her rig, and I silently complied, sliding into the passenger seat as she reclaimed the driver’s side. I hadn’t bothered to question her intention or where we were headed, just trusted that there was a reason she was alone. When her long, bare nails tapped at her phone and “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd came on the speakers, my eyes slid closed, burning despite myself. In Juniper’s world, those lyrics had qualified as a lullaby. And while she had six sons—not one—the words had been her go-to, filling the house through our childhood. So softly it was nearly inaudible, she began singing the lyrics.
