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I blow out a breath.
“I know you’re pissed. I’m sorry. This is another one of those things that has to happen to keep you safe right now. I meant to tell you myself. I apologize.”
I stare at the ceiling as Finn continues to rub circles into my back. His touch comforting even though it shouldn’t be.
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“No, I think that was the only thing.” When the silence stretches between us, Cole speaks up, “Hey, is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Peachy.”
He lowers his voice. “I really am sorry.”
“I know.” I press my lips together. He’s already apologized a few times. It’s not like I can keep making him feel bad. “I’ll just talk to you later. Okay?”
“Talk to you later.”
I hang up, dropping my arm to my side. “You okay?” Finn asks.
Turning to face him makes his hand drop from my back, and I immediately miss it. “Fine.” I force a smile, but it feels all wrong.
Both Finn and I turn back where we’re greeted by an unsmiling Jax. He gestures between the two of us. “We need to talk about this. And now.”
15
Finn heaves a heavy sigh. “Actually, we don’t.”
“I think we do,” Jax persists.
I groan and give them both my fakest smile. “I’m just going to head upstairs.”
Jax stands from his spot at the table, chair groaning against the hardwoods like mine did. “No, you need to hear this. You need to hear how Finn and I brought ourselves up from nothing. We took the one thing we were good at and actually did something for ourselves in this shitty fucking town, and we’re good at it. We don’t need you ruining it.”
“Jax,” Finn interjects, his attempts at getting his brother’s attention go unnoticed by the hot-headed jerk though.
“And you, too.” He faces down his brother. “You can’t do this to us. Tome,” he emphasizes, pointing at his chest.
“Listen,” I interrupt before this gets too deep. “Nothing’s happening. Trust me. Your brother made it perfectly clear last night. Cole won’t be touching your businesses. You’re both safe.” Surprise registers on Jax’s face, but Finn looks like someone literally kicked his puppy. I stride between them, grabbing my uneaten breakfast and a fork and turn toward the stairs. “Hope you don’t mind food upstairs because it’s happening.”
Finn takes a deep breath. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t want to be around either one of you right now, so I kind of do.”
I’m not even halfway up the stairs when I hear Finn snap, “Jesus, dude. Stop being a dick to her.”
This time, I slow my steps to eavesdrop. They started talking knowing I was in the vicinity, so if I can hear what they’re saying, oh well.
Jax lowers his voice. “I know you like her, but man, we have so much riding on this. You know we do. Plus, you let people in too easily.”
“And you’re too hard. Not everyone is out to get us.”
Jax’s mocking laugh sends skitters up my spine. “Keep telling yourself that, kid.”
“Just fuck off.”
“Don’t go running after her, Finn,” Jax warns. “You’re going to make it worse. If she likes you as much as you like her, let her cool down.”
“This is so fucked,” Finn yells, punctuating the curse word with a sharpness to his tongue that I don’t even recognize from him. It’s so the opposite of his personality that I feel bad I’m part of the reason that made him do it.