Vengeance (23 page)

Deciding after an hour, that I am not going to hide from my husband, I join the men for breakfast in the dining room. Jax glares at me when I walk in, but I simply ignore him. I get my food and sit at the end of the table with Sam and Margy, chatting happily away about my little brother Eli, who is also staying at the palace while we are away.

“I got shit to do, no one disturb me.” Jax announces, and then goes to leave.

“Aye
aye
Captain.”
I say loudly.

He shakes his head. “Stay in your room tonight, I don’t want you in mine. In fact, don’t come near me again until I tell you to.”

Wow, that hurt, much more than I ever would have guessed. He turns and leaves and I am left feeling ashamed and embarrassed. I guess I deserved that. I finish eating and then make my way back to my room. I pass Jack on the way, and he stops me.

“Hey, are you ok?”

“Sure, I am fine.”

“He is just
mad,
you shouldn’t have done that Jade. He is trying hard to be everywhere at once and is trying hard to protect you.”

“I know.”

“Don’t go see him
now,
it will only end in disaster.”

“I know that too.”

“Here, I got this for you. It can’t hurt to carry it around.”

He hands me a dagger and I glance at it, very nice. It is old school, with Celtic swirls on the handle and a black blade.

“It’s pretty.”

“It is
mine,
I want you to have it.”

“Really?”
I smile.

“Yeah, it has saved me a good number of
times,
keep it with you Jade, no matter where you go.”

“Thanks Jack, I will.”

He kisses my head.

“See you later ok?”

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“You didn’t call me angel.”

He gives me a half smile. “Sorry angel, see you later.”

When he is gone, I tuck the dagger into my shorts. It does make me feel a little better. I plod up onto the deck, and Jax’s door is closed.
In your face Jade.
I take a seat and just stare out at the ocean, an hour later Jax comes out, storms past me and down below deck. Wow, he really is mad. When he comes back up, and storms past me again, I call out.

“Really, you are just going to ignore me?”

He walks in the room and slams the door. Oh wow, we are going the whole nine yards. I walk up and bang on the door, over and over. He doesn’t answer.

“Jax, grow up!”

He still doesn’t answer.

“Fine, have it your way then, you overgrown child.”

The door swings open now.

“I said I didn’t want you in my room, get the God
Damn
ed hint and leave me the hell alone.”

“I
s there any need to be so cruel?”

“You treat me like a fuck head in front of my entire crew, so yeah, there is a need. Get lost Jade, I don’t want to see you here.”

I step back, really hurt.

“O-ok.”
I whisper and turn.

He makes an odd noise, but he slams the door anyway.

“I am going to sit here Jax, even if you don’t like it.”

And that is just what I do, I sit, and I sit. Two hours pass, and I feel awful. He is right, this is his ship and wife or not I disrespected him.

“You’re right,” I yell out weakly. “It was wrong of me to speak over you like that. I was rude, disrespectful and out of line. You are the Captain and that sticks, no matter what I am to you. I was wrong, and for what it’s worth, I am really sorry Jax.”

It starts raining, slowly and lightly. I crawl onto the small bench outside his room and curl up. The drops soak me in minutes, but it is somewhat relaxing and cool.
I don’t move, I won’t.
The rain gets harder and louder. I drift in and out of sleep, God only knows how, but I have always loved the rain. I hear a curse, and then I feel myself being pulled into a set of arms.

“Stupid girl.”

I am carried into Jax’s room, and he kicks the door closed. I blink the heavy drops of water from my eyes and the light burns. Ouch.

“You stupid girl, you will have given yourself a cold.”

“I said I wasn’t leaving.” I croak
,
my throat does kind of hurt.

“Get in the shower, move.”

I stand on wobbly legs and peel off my wet clothes. I plod into the shower and sigh as the warm water cascades over me. When I get out, Jax throws me a shirt. I pull it on and find a pair of underwear from my suitcase on the ground. I sit down onto the couch and look over at him. He picks up a brush.

“Get over here.”

“Are you going to spank me with that?”

A ghost of a smile plays across his lips, but doesn’t crack. “I ought to, but no, your hair is ratty.”

I shrug and nod, fair enough. I crawl over and sit on the ground between his legs. He pulls the brush through my hair and groans.

“Jesus, do you brush this?”

“Yes.”

“What once a week?”

He drags the brush through again and I yelp.

“Now I see what you are doing, this is punishment right?”

He snorts. “I can think of many more things that would better suit,
no,
I am brushing your hair, that is the end of it.”

“Well you are being brutal.”

“You deserve it.”

“I know.”

He stills a moment, and then continues pulling the brush through, gentler now.

“I am sorry Jax, I know it doesn’t change what I said, and I know I made you feel stupid in front of your crew. I was out of line.”

“Yeah, you were.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.
I should have pulled you away, not made a scene. I am stressed mate, scared and stressed.”

“You’re scared?”

“Yeah, I am scared. I know, it sounds weak but you are my wife now and…the thought of you getting hurt…”

“I won't get hurt Jax, I won't.”

“Just like I can’t promise that, neither can you.”

“I trust you, and the crew, I am in the best hands.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Are you angry that I got my memories back?”

He doesn’t answer for a while.
“No, not really.
I can’t say the idea of starting again wasn’t a pleasant one though. The thought of being able to correct the past, give you the life you deserve…”

“You give me everything I
want,
I wish you would believe that.”

“I do believe that.”

“I love you, true to God.”

“And I love you, true to God.”

I smile and lean back into his shoulder. “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?”

“That depends.”

“Oh yeah?”

He leans into my hair and inhales my scent. “How are you going to make it up to me?”

I roll over so I am flat on my belly.
Right in line with his groin.
I peer up at him.

“Let me count the ways.”

His gaze is still a little tense, but it is full of love and desire. I unzip his jeans and release him, he growls when I take him into my mouth.

“Yeah,” He rasps. “Like that.”

His hands tangle in my freshly brushed hair as I take him deeper. His hips thrust upwards, and I relish in the sound of his pleasure. This is for him and him only. I am taking it from myself, this is all Jax. I take him until he is moaning loudly and tensing around me. When he releases into my mouth, it is hot and feral. He yanks my hair and hisses until finally his body relaxes.

I rest my head on his lap, and he runs his hands through my hair. “So?”

He chuckles.
“Forgiven.”

“Well if that’s all it takes, I might misbehave more often.”

“Next time I spank you.”

“I might be encouraged to misbehave now.”

He laughs. “All you gotta do is
say
the word darlin, and my hand is on your ass.”

“Will it make you feel better?”

“Hurting you?
No, never.”

“What about just fun, sexy fun?”

“That’s different.”

“You would never spank me because you were mad?”

“Maybe once upon a time I would have but now, no…no way.”

“That…is pretty special.”

“You are pretty special.”

We lay in silence a while, he strokes my hair and neither of us speak. I sit up finally and sniffle. His eyes narrow at me, and he sighs.

“You are getting sick, aren’t you?”

“What, no…” I lie. My head does hurt.

“Fuck, you are
stu
…”

“Don’t call me stupid.”

He softens. “You are, but I won’t say it. Get into bed.”

“I just want to hang out.”

“Bed.”

“No.”

He grins, finally.
“Bed.”

He lifts me up and tosses me onto the bed, I land with a laugh.

“I am not tired.”

“Don’t care, you need to rest.”

I huff.

“I will watch you work.”

“Fine, but be quiet, if I hear a noise…”

“What you going to do?” I grin, leaning back on my elbows.

“Reconsider that hair brush.”

I smile and he grins back, we have an odd relationship, we joke a lot, fight a lot, make love a lot, but we are strong. We have a connection that runs deep, we love each other, we are best friends, and we fit. We just fit.

“I love you Jax.”

He stops grinning and walks over to me, he gets on his hands and knees on the bed and crawls towards me until he right up close. He presses his lips to mine.

“I love you too, darlin.”

“How much?”

“To the sky and back.” He grins, repeating what Lilly always tells us.

“Well, it doesn’t get better than that.”

He looks at me for a long, long moment then sighs. His hand reaches out to stroke my cheek. “You know, you drive me fucking crazy. You make me happy, you make me mad, and you make me feel things I have never felt before. You make a man mental and yet, I can’t get enough of you.”

“I think that is the nicest thing you have ever said to me.”

“Come on now, I have been much nicer.”

I smile, broad and beaming.
“Maybe.”

“Now, rest.”

“What are you going to do?”

“
Wank
myself.”

I snort a laugh, his answer is so unexpected. “You are kidding right?”

He winks at me and gives me a lazy half smile.
“Maybe.”

“Dirty old man.”

“You know it. I am going to make a call, sleep.”

“Ok.”

“Oh,” He says, picking up my dagger. “Jack gave you this?”

“Yeah, for protection.”

He nods and puts it on the bedside table beside me, then he picks up his phone and leaves the room, I curl into his bed, relieved that we are speaking nicely to one another. I drift into sleep quickly, and when I wake, I am coughing and spluttering, I know I have a fever. My eyes are burning, and I feel like crap. Where is my gift when I need it?

“I heard that coughing.” Jax says from his desk.

I sit and stare over at him, my head is thumping.

“You are crook, aren’t you?” He asks.

“Y-y-yeah.”

“Silly girl.”

“That’s nicer than stupid.”

“I will go get Margy to sort you out with some stuff. Don’t move.”

“Oh yeah, I feel like jumping up and running a marathon.”

He gives me a look, then walks over and hands me some water.

“Stay away from me, no kissing…”

“Charming.”
I mutter.

“Hey, I love you to death, but you are diseased.”

He makes a cross over his chest with his fingers, as if to warn me off.

“You are truly amazing, you know that?”

He grins and leaves the room. I fall back into the bed and wait for him to return. He does, with Sam, Margy and Mack.

“What is this, a party?”

“Aw, poor baby.”
Mack croons with a grin.

“Wow, you are as charming as my husband.”

“Ignore them honey, how are you feeling?” Sam asks, sitting on the bed.

“Like crap.
My fault.”

“So I heard, is it a cold?”