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He held his hand out to help me from the car, and I didn’t hesitate to take it. I’d felt safe with Asher from the moment I’d met him, but I’d never for a second thought I’d gain a family from him too. They were here to support me, and if I were being honest, I was going to need their support more than ever when I had my day in court. Today felt like the prelude to the real event, a snapshot of how things were laid out, but I had no doubt it’d be entirely different too.
“If it gets to be too much," Brody whispered as we entered the house, “you can escape to Asher’s room.”
“Okay.”
I stood at the edge of the living room, not recognizing most of the faces, but as soon as a leather cut flashed in the corner of my eye, my lips split into a smile. That was one person from my life before all of…this. The one person who’d witnessed me trying to crawl out of the hellhole that was the trailer park. He hadn’t spotted me yet, so I weaved through the crowd and tapped him on the shoulder.
“What the…” He whipped his head to the right, then to the left, his gaze finally landing on me. “Well, shit, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.” He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me and squeeze, just like he always did. My feet lifted off the floor as he turned me around and plopped me inside the circle of people he was talking to. “I heard you fooled Asher.” He smirked at something over my head and a second later hands grasped my waist. Hands I knew. Hands I’d felt over every inch of my body.
“You tryin’ to steal my girl, Jax?” Asher’s rough voice asked. My back met his chest and I dipped my head back, staring at him upside down. He looked down at me, placed a kiss on the tip of my nose, then moved his attention back to Jax.
“Nah,” Jax replied easily, wrapping his arm around the waist of the woman next to him. “Haisley’s all the woman I need.”
His hand lowered, and Haisley jumped forward, squealing at whatever he’d done to her. “Stop it, you caveman.” She narrowed her eyes at him and murmured, “I told you I wanted to make a good impression, and you’re ruining it with your goddamn antics.”
“What do you want me to do when your ass is right there?” He raised a brow, waiting for her answer, but all she did was huff out a breath as she turned to face me and Asher. Her cheeks were red from embarrassment, but her expression told us she was used to the way Jax acted.
“Hi.” She held her hand out to me and bit down on her bottom lip. “You must be Elodie.”
“I am.” I placed my hand in hers and shook it. Jax had told me he had a girlfriend, but the way he was staring at her with his chest puffed out and concern in his eyes told me this one was different. I’d seen him with plenty of women at the strip club, but he’d never once had that look in his eyes.
“I’m Asher,” Asher greeted, moving his hand from my waist toward her still outstretched one. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” She dipped her head and took a step back, so she was side by side with Jax. “I’ve heard a lot about the both of you.”
“You been shit-talkin’ me, Jax?” Asher asked, and I burrowed back into the safety of his chest.
“You know it.” He raised his bottle of beer and fake cheered the air. “I got loads of stories yet to tell.”
“Oh really?” Asher chuckled causing his chest to move. “You told her about the time we were on leave and road-tripped it to Florida, then?”
“Now, now, there’s no need to get nasty.” Jax’s eyes widened, a clear warning for Asher to stop, but I knew he wouldn’t. Once Asher got to talking about what he and Jax had done over the years they’d known each other, it was impossible to shut him up.
“What? I didn’t even say anything.”
“Come on, Hais, lemme introduce you to Brody and Lola.” He pulled Haisley to the side as he gave Asher a death stare. “Dick.”
“Love you, too,” Asher replied, laughing so loudly several people turned around. “Thank fuck for that. I thought he was never going to leave.”
I spun around in Asher’s arms. “That was you trying to get him to leave?” I asked, incredulous.
“Yep.” He pulled me flush to his chest. “And now I can do this.” He placed a soft kiss to my lips, causing my stomach to dip. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For looking out for me.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “For knowing what the best thing to do was when I clearly didn’t.”
“You’re welcome.” I paused, staring directly into his eyes. “Don’t leave me out of things again though, Asher. We’re in this together, okay?”
He nodded, his boyish grin making me melt as he whispered, “Okay.”
Chapter Sixteen
ASHER
“You sure about this?” I asked as I pulled up outside the tattoo shop. “I can get my kit and we can do it at home.” I kept the engine running, fully expecting her to take up my offer now that we were here.
“Nope.” Elodie unclipped her belt and opened the passenger door. “I want you to do this here.” Her shoulders were pulled back, her face not hiding a single thing, but I couldn’t help wondering if she was putting a front on. Was she doing this because she felt like she had to? “I can’t be afraid to come here anymore.” She pushed out of the car and dipped her head down to meet my gaze. “It’s time, Asher.”
