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“Okay,” I reply, dragging the word out as I wonder what he’s getting at.
He shakes his head, an amused expression on his face. “My name is Jacob Santoro. I’m the other ruler of Blackthorn.”
My eyes widen in shock, blush spreading to my cheeks as I shake my head in embarrassment. “I didn’t know.”
Jake chuckles, his bright smile lighting up his face in a way that makes my stomach flip, and I can’t help but match his grin. “That means…Miles isn’t the only person who can help you. I can, too.”
My mouth flops open in surprise, as I hadn’t even thought of that. I’d been too busy trying to imagine this sweet, funny, happy-go-lucky guy as a tough mafia leader. I just can’t make the image in my head match, or make any sort of sense.
Jake reads into my silence, jumping to a conclusion I hadn’t even reached yet. “I know you don’t know me yet, which means you don’t trust me. I don’t need to know you to be able to tell that you find it hard putting your trust in people. So I’m willing to do what it takes until you’ve gotten to know me, and you trust meenough to help you. I’d like to start by taking you out for dinner when you finish work.”
My heart is racing so quickly it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. Now that he’s mentioned trust, it’s hard not to think about it. I’ve not put my trust in anyone since Miles, and I’m still recovering from letting him in. I don’t know if I can survive that again.
Jake squeezes my hand, giving me that reassuring smile, and the words tumble out of my mouth before I even think them through. “Are you only doing this to get into my knickers?”
Jake throws his head back and chuckles, his smile growing as he stares at me. “I’m not going to lie… I think you’re beautiful, and there’s something about you that is drawing me in, but I’m more interested in being the friend you need right now. I think I can help you, and that’s more important right now than anything else.”
I nod like I understand, even though my mind is whirling. “So, you are attracted to me, but you’re not going to try anything?” I clarify.
“I’m not going to try anything…yet. I can’t make any promises about the future. But for right now, let’s just be friends,” he tells me with a wink that makes my stomach flutter.
“I can do that,” I say with a smile.
He’s right that I need a friend more than anything else. I’ve been running for so long, and I’m exhausted. If I don’t get help soon, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going.
I also can’t deny that the other part of what he said intrigued me. Knowing he’s attracted to me makes my heart race, and I feel giddy like a teenager.
Of course, I can see Jake is gorgeous, but you don’t have to be a genius to see that he’s a bad boy with a history longer than I care to imagine. Still, I can’t ignore that Jake is the first manI’ve been attracted to since Miles, and that scares me more than anything.
I’ve not had to worry about trivial matters of the heart since Miles. I knew coming back here would test me, but I never saw this coming. I need to focus on taking down the demons of my past, and then I can worry about my love life.
For the past few days, I’ve made a conscious effort to stay away from Caged. Whenever Marcus has to go there for work, I send another guard in my place—usually Leo.
I’ve had a fairly good excuse each time, but I’m not stupid enough to think that Marcus hasn’t worked out what I’m doing. He just has the good sense to keep his mouth shut about it.
I thought that if I kept away from her, I’d be able to calm myself down and think about the situation rationally, but that hasn’t happened. If anything, the rage continues to simmer just beneath the surface, just waiting for a reason to bubble over.
As I pull on my workout clothes, slamming the locker closed when I’ve filled it with the stuff I just took off, I crouch down to tie my laces, focusing on my breathing as I do. Ever since I overheard Chloe and Marcus’ conversation last night, I’ve been on edge.
I shouldn’t give a shit that Jake took Indie out on a date, or that they’ve been spending a lot of time together. Neither of them mean anything to me anymore, and I definitely don’t get to have a say on who either of them dates… Yet the idea of them together creates a maelstrom in my stomach that I can’t explain.
Sleep evaded me for most of the night, as I tossed and turned, trying to drown out the noises in my head.How the fuck did the two people who broke my heart find each other?
It sounds super fucking bitter, but why do they get to be happy after the hurt they caused me? That disturbing and slightly irrational thought kept me awake, and now I’m exhausted.
Tired, angry, and on edge are not a great combination, which is why I’m at the Morelli-owned gym, so I can work out my frustrations. One of the great things about being in charge of security is that I always have a long line of people I can beat the shit out of and call it training.
The first couple of newbies that get in the ring with me have no idea what they’re facing. But after letting my anger dictate my movements, I’m able to take them down far quicker than I should in a situation that’s supposed to be a teaching opportunity.
After that, the guys are reluctant to volunteer to get in the ring with me…and I don’t blame them. I’m not pulling my punches, and I’m not holding back. It would take a very experienced fighter to even stand a chance against me, and the majority of these guys are still trainees.
As a new, slightly terrified young man enters the ring, it occurs to me I’m not even teaching them the way I normally do. Usually, I’d talk through my stance, my moves, how I predict what my opponent is going to do, and how I plan my next blow, but not today. Today, I can’t get my brain to focus enough to provide instructions.
All I keep thinking about is what sort of date Jacob took Indie on.
Did he kiss her? Has he fucked her? Has she told him why she’s really here?
These thoughts are whirling through my brain on repeat, and it’s driving me fucking crazy. The biggest problem is that I’m not sure what I’m most jealous of…Jake dating Dee, or Indie getting to date Jacob.