Page 44

forty-four

One Crisis At A Time

Dario

“Can I check your arm?” Spade asks, rolling up the sleeve to my black tee.

“It’s fine, Reid.” I spit, taking my anger out on the wrong brother. Can Jameson ever just give her a fucking minute? I swear he knows how to ruin a whole fucking high with his bullshit. He always thinks he knows best, and look how that shit turned out. Look where the fuck we are today. Half the shit that has happened is his doing. Not to say we all didn’t have a helping hand in the destruction, but he never fucking listens. Cold liquid hits my sutures, causing a slight sting. He pats it dry, rubbing ointment over the wound and placing a new bandage on top.

“There, all clean.” He smiles and I shake my head.

“Do you want me to wrap your ribs? Get you some meds?” he asks me, and I quirk a brow at him as I watch him fiddle around the kitchen.

“Spade, why are you acting all jumpy?” I question, but he lowers his head, chewing on his lip. What the fuck has him so nervous?

“Reid, I’m fucking talking to you!” I shout, and his eyes finally snap to mine.

“Fine, you know I don’t like addressing my feelings and fuck. So, Ryder wants to be more than what we are, and Jade said I don’t have to choose, and now I don’t know what the fuck to do. Ryder said some shit in the van and Jade asked me a question and I know Ry is going to want that answer, but I’m fucking scared,” he stammers out.

“Jesus, slow the fuck down. One crisis at a time.” I say with a grin. “Do you have feelings for Ryder?” I ask, and he takes a deep breath.

“Yes, I do. But I love her,” he admits and I laugh.

“Okay, you can love her and still be with both of them. What did she say about it?” I ask, grabbing a cold water bottle from the fridge.

“She said I’d never have to choose, that I can have both of them.” He says, biting his bottom lip.

“Okay, so then what is the problem?” I ask, punching him in the shoulder.

“I don’t fucking know. I guess I’m just nervous. I don’t know. It’s always been her, with a side of Jay. Oh god. Jay. Fuck.” He says grabbing at his hair.

“Will you calm the fuck down? Go roll a joint and I’ll order some food. Jesus, you need a Xanax.” I laugh and he shakes his head, walking out of the room.

Pulling out my phone, I check my emails and texts and see one I refuse to open. I don’t give a flying fuck about Marsela or her family. The contract is now null and void. I’m free, for the time being. They’ve already tried to kill me once and they won’t stop until the job is complete, I just hope this mess doesn't land on Jade’s doorstep.

Sliding my phone back into my jeans, I walk into the living room and see Jade and Jameson finally made it back down here. It’s been hours since we got back and I know Spade is starving, but he wanted to wait for them.

Tonight is the night we finally talk and hopefully clear the air. I know she’s not going to give us the answers we need, but hopefully we can give her some insight on her lost memories, or maybe trigger some to help her.

Clearing my throat, everyone’s eyes are on me, and I laugh.

“What do you heathens want to eat?” I ask as Jade jumps up to sit next to me, but Jameson grabs her wrist, causing her to side-eye him.

“Caveman.” She says with an arched brow and he lets go as she continues to come sit with me.

“So Big Man, what are our options?” she asks and of course Spade chimes in.

“Pizza!” He yells, taking a hit off the joint and passing it to Ryder. The rest of us groan at the idea of pizza. That’s all he ever wants to eat. Like a fucking child.

I can feel the tension in the room and someone better spill the fucking beans already before I do it myself. Looking down at Jade, she winks as she takes my phone and scrolls the menus, not missing a beat.

“So, Spade, I had a vision earlier with Caveman of the three of us hooking up,” she starts, and my eyes snap to Spade’s, who's now coughing on the joint he just hit. I laugh because shit is about to get interesting.

“What was happening in this vision, Babygirl?” He asks with a smirk and I shake my head.

“Yeah, I wanna know too,” Ryder interjects as my eyes widen.

“You would, but don’t you have a boyfriend and a scum bucket of a girlfriend?” Jameson chimes in. Oh, shit, shots fired. I look down at Jade who has a smirk on her face. She set this shit up.

“You’re right, I would, seeing that my cock was down his throat not even thirty minutes ago.” Ryder snides, and there goes Spade, choking on the joint yet again.

“Excuse me? Spade had his mouth on your cock?” Jameson asks, standing from the couch. Uh oh. Shit is about to get real. I lean into Jade and nudge her shoulder.

“What are we supposed to do when blood starts spilling on your new rugs?” I whisper and she turns her head, brushing her lips against mine.

“I guess we'll sit back and watch it play out. They have to get through this one way or another.” She whispers back as I cup her cheek, bringing her lips back to mine, kissing them softly. She moans, causing everyone's head to turn to us. Fuck.

“Carry on, nothing to see here.” She says, waving them off before grabbing me and pulling me down to her.

“Can we just disappear upstairs and let them fuck it out? I think that’s what they truly need, and I much rather have you to myself without an audience.” She whispers, but as much as I want nothing more than to take her upstairs and do filthy fucking things to her, I need to tell her the truth. I refuse to be the guy I was. I want to do this the right way.

“After we eat and have a conversation. Then if you still want me, I’ll take you upstairs and make you purr on my cock. All ten inches are yours, Kitten. You just say the word.” I say, reaching down to adjust my hardening cock. Yelling takes us out of the moment as my head snaps to Spade, holding his head. Ryder and Jameson are in each others’ faces and it’s time to diffuse the situation, but of course the Irish prick makes his presence known as he takes the stairs two at a time, entering the living room.

“Awe, a lovers' quarrel,” he says as Jameson spins on him.

“Run that back.” He spits and I get up from the couch before these walls really become a shade of red.

Pushing Jameson back towards the couch, Jade grabs him and pulls him down to sit with her and I look over at Spade, who's in deep whispers with Ryder.

“Looks like it’s just me and you Lad.” He laughs, folding his arms over his chest. This guy is a fucking joke. He says one more thing and I’m going to punch him in the fucking face.

“Alright. It’s time to lay some shit on the table.” I say, and Spade shakes his head.

“Too bad. Jade’s right. You three need to either figure this shit out or fuck it out.” I say, and Jameson laughs.

“I don’t bottom, so if they ain't taking it, there’s nothing to speak about,” he says and I shake my head.

“Okay, well, I didn’t need a fucking play-by-play brother, like Jesus fucking Christ.” I spit as Kane laughs.

“Awe, are you not in touch with your sexuality, Dario? Are you too masculine to be surrounded by a bunch of dudes who like to fuck each other?” he accuses. I don’t even give anyone the chance to see it coming before I rear back, my ribs screaming at me as I send a quick jab to his nose, feeling the slight crunch under my knuckles as blood immediately seeps from his nostrils. He licks the blood and comes at me full force, causing me to drop the cane, side-stepping him and sending him flying into the wall head first. My eyes snap to Jade’s as this prick tries to right himself.

“Kitten, this is your second? Aint no mother fucking way. Send his ass back to Ireland. He’s useless.” I spit, and she shakes her head as he tries to come at me again.

“Kane, enough. Find a fucking seat or go find something fucking useful to do.” She commands and like the bitch he is, he sits over on the windowsill, far away from us.

“Now, back to the problem at hand. Jameson and Spade would hook up only when it was the three of us. Now Spade and Ryder are a thing. Y’all can fill Jameson in on the middle part of this. I don’t care how it happened. If you want to be together, I'm good with it. Like I said in the van, I’ll never make you choose. Just as long as I’m the only female for the three of you, I’m good with it.” She says as Jameson snickers.

“So while I’m in the hospital, you find someone else and start fucking him?” He accuses Spade, and he shakes his head.

“It wasn’t like that. You fucking flatlined. We thought you were dead, and then me and Ri were arguing. Apparently you didn't like that and the drs took you into surgery. Then I met up with Slim who told me Jade was dead and handed me a box of her ashes,” he says and Jameson stands from the couch.

“How stupid can you be? You should’ve known right then and there she was still alive. Why don’t you ever stop and fucking think?” Jameson yells, getting in Spade’s face.

“How can I think when this fuck was MIA, our girl was drowning in the lake, and then I stabbed you because it’s always your fault?” He screams, pushing Jameson in the chest.

“Then you both get carted away after Kayla comes in running her fucking mouth about how we should let Jade die. How am I supposed to think clearly when all the people I love are either fucking dying or not here? Huh? You tell me, you fucking selfish prick.” Spade yells, pushing him again.

“You should’ve been fucking smarter than to listen to the Irish prick who sleeps with the fucking enemy. Jesus Christ.” He spits, then spins on me.

“And you. What the fuck were you doing this entire time?” he shouts, his chest moving up and down quickly.

“I can’t say where I was. It’s not for everyone to fucking know, but I was there while you were in surgery until I was knocked out and kidnapped. I didn’t know he was told that she was dead until almost two days later. So get off it.” I growl, shaking my head at him.

“Fine. So everyone but me, knew Jade was gone, which is what you were both getting at when I woke up. Then what?” Jameson asks.

“When I got back here, Ryder pulled a gun on me and we had a conversation. Which one thing led to another, and those things kept happening, and over the course of a month, feelings grew and here we are.” Spade says, lighting up another joint.

“There’s still plot holes, people. Can we just put everything on the fucking table from the beginning?” Jameson states, but I shake my head.

“There are things I want to tell Jade alone. If you can’t accept that, then that’s too fucking bad.” I say and he nods.

“Fine,” he says, but turns back to Spade, “You and I aren’t finished yet. I got something for you, but it can wait until later,” he says, and I can only imagine what the fuck it means.

Taking a deep breath, I pick up the cane and go sit by Jade again as we wait for the food to arrive. She didn't even tell us what she ordered and I don’t really care. I’m not even hungry. I just want to take my girl away and tell her the truth.