Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
"Where the fuck is he?" I ask, brows furrowed.
"Los Angeles, trying to convince Constance to come back."
"What the fuck?" I sit upright in the chair, clearly missing entire volumes here. Last I heard, he was turning over his part of the winery to her, so he wasn't her boss any longer. How'd he fuck that up already? I haven't even been gone that long. "What happened?"
"It's a long story. He's fixing it, or we'll killing him."
"Agreed," I growl. We need Constance. She's the only person who can handle Bastian's moody ass.
"Why are you calling?"
I rake a hand through my hair, cursing softly. "I wanted to give you a heads up," I start. "Things with Chloe are…well, let's just say she doesn't hate me."
"You're surprised?" Jax snorts. "Motherfucker, that girl has never hated you. You were the only one who thought that shit. So, you two are together now?"
"Yeah." I swallow. "I know you don't ever want to talk about shit with Jade, and I won't pry or whatever. I just thought you should know that we're together."
"Good to know," he says. "It's not like it changes anything."
"It could."
"Jade isn't Chloe, man. She's spent her whole goddamn life ignoring my existence. The girl wants nothing to do with me."
"You're an idiot if you believe that," I mutter.
"Says the idiot who didn't see what was right in front of him," he retorts.
"Maybe I'm speaking from experience. Shit isn't always what you think, brother."
"And sometimes, it's exactly what you think," he says with a sigh. "Jade doesn't want me, man. She never has. I'm the only one hung up on a girl who will never see him as anything but a brother. She actually told me that once, you know. That I'm like a brother to her."
"Fuck."
"Yeah, exactly. She hit me with the kiss of death. So, you don't need to worry about shit on my end. It's good. We're good."
"Jax…"
"Just cool it, man," he growls. "We're done talking about this."
I mutter a curse, staring up at the sky. I know that tone. It's the same fucking one he always gets when he's being a stubborn pain-in-the-ass. There's no talking to him when he's like this, and no changing his mind.
He's wrong about Jade, though. Doesn't matter what she told him about him being like a brother; the girl wants him. I can't make him see it, though. He has to figure that shit out for himself.
"I'll drop it," I mutter.
"Good."
We fall silent for a moment before he growls a curse. "Look, I'm happy for you and Chloe. It's about goddamn time you two worked your shit out. You deserve each other. But we're not talking about Jade again, clear?"
"Yeah, man. I hear you," I sigh, letting it go. What the fuck else am I supposed to do? Until he's ready to see the truth, nothing I say will rip the blinders off. Only Jade can do that.
Chapter Nine
Chloe
Idrag my feet about calling my dad all day. It's a coward's choice…but it's the one I make anyway. I'm a little afraid of what he might say about Donny. About Trystan. About everything, honestly.
But when Trystan steps out to handle a work call—something with a supplier that has Riley stressing out—I finally pick up my phone and dial my dad's number.
He answers on the second ring, well before I've figured out what to say.
"Hey, baby girl," he says, his voice full of worry. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." I curl up on the sofa beside Thanos, biting my bottom lip. "Are you…how mad are you right now?"
"You think I'm mad at you, Clo?" Dad asks, genuine surprise in his voice.
"Yes. No." I huff a breath, my fingers drifting through Thanos's rough fur. "Maybe?"
"I'm not mad, sweetheart. Not at you," Dad clarifies. "I'm mad as hell at that shady bastard, and I'm worried about you. So is your mama."
"I didn't mean to worry you guys. I guess I just…worried maybe you'd blame me?"
"What the fuck?" Dad growls.
"I know," I whisper, squeezing my eyes closed. "It sounds stupid when I say it out loud."
"It isn't stupid," he says with a sigh. "I'm sure whatever he said to you probably played a hand in making you feel like you couldn't come to us with it. But he won't ever be a problem for you again, I promise you that."
Worry shoots through me. "What did you do?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, baby girl."
"Is it something you could go to prison for doing?" I press, suspicious.
His rough chuckle crackles down the line. "You know damn well that I'm not leaving my girls behind like that, Chloe. There are too goddamn many men in this world who like to look at your mother like they think they can have her. I'm not nearly stupid enough to give one of them an opportunity to steal her away."