Page 13 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

Miles slaps his hand away, and fixes him with a malicious glare, as an almost evil smirk causes his lips to twist upwards. “Oh, that’s right, it’s not just pussy that does it for you, is it? Or are you still lying to yourself, Pretty Boy?”

Before I even have a chance to process what Miles has said, Jake pulls his arm back before launching forward, smashing his fist into Miles’ nose. Jake lets out a roar as the sound of skin hitting bone fills the room, and I yelp, running backwards from the violence.

Miles doesn’t even move, he just stands there waiting for Jake to hit him again. Jake looks like he’s about to, until suddenly, Marcus jumps in between them.

Marcus had walked into the club just before Jake threw his punch, but with everything going on, I’d barely registered his arrival, before he was throwing himself into the middle of their argument.

He pulls Jake back, keeping his arms wrapped around him to prevent him from throwing any more punches.

Miles just stands there, not even attempting to stop the blood that’s pouring from his nose. Marcus reaches over the bar and grabs a towel, throwing it at Miles. He catches it and presses it against his face, wincing as it makes contact with what I’m sure is a very sore nose.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Marcus doesn’t shout, but his authoritative tone makes it sound like the demand it is.

Both men remain silent, and so Marcus turns to me. I had paid little attention to what I was doing, so focused on the violence that I’m not entirely sure when I ended up sitting on the floor against the wall, with my arms wrapped around my legs as I pulled them against me, almost like I’m a ball.

With all eyes on me, the tears fall harder, until I can barely see through them. A sob catches in my throat, and panic forces my heart to race so fast that I can feel it trying to break free from my ribs.

“Indie, what the hell happened?” I can hear Marcus talking to me, but I can’t claw back enough control to answer. Panic has a hold of me now, and I can barely breathe.

Marcus and Jake take a step towards me, but my eyes widen frantically of their own accord, fear taking over. They see my reaction and freeze. I can tell Jake really wants to come to me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he turns to Marcus to answer his question.

“Indie and I planned to spend the day together, and we arranged to meet here before heading out. As we’re still getting to know each other, and building up trust, Indie wanted to meet somewhere she felt safe, and chose here.

“Miles walked in, saw us here, and completely lost the plot. He said hurtful things to both myself and Indie, and I made it clear his behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but if he’s disrespectful like that again, there will be consequences.”

As Jake talks to Marcus, there’s something different in his tone, and Marcus must see it too, as he looks a little startled. Jake holds his shoulders back, his head high, and there’s an authority to him that I’m not used to seeing.

Marcus straightens up too, suddenly looking much more professional than before. “Are you saying this to me as my friend, or as a ruler of Blackthorn?”

Jake flicks his gaze from me to Miles, before turning back to Marcus. He may not have said it aloud, but it’s clear what both men aren’t saying. Jake is pulling rank on Miles, and as his employer, Marcus will now be responsible for Miles’ actions.

“Both,” Jake replies, making his message clear.

Marcus gives him a nod of understanding, but doesn’t say anything more. I want to see how Miles is reacting to Jake’s thinly-veiled threat, but I can’t bring myself to see the hatred in his beautiful blue eyes, which used to only hold love for me.

Whilst they are talking, I manage to claw back a bit of control over my breathing, and my head is no longer swimming like I might pass out. I focus on taking deep breaths as Jake slowly approaches me.

With each step, he watches for any signs that I might stop him from coming closer, but when I don’t, he keeps moving until he’s crouched down in front of me.

With slow, deliberate movements, he reaches out and uses his thumb to wipe the remaining tears from my red cheeks. I look up at him as he gives me a sad smile.

He takes one of my hands from off my legs and laces our fingers together, squeezing it tightly, as though he’s trying to pass some of his strength over to me.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

With the slightest nod, I let him pull me to my feet. I’m shaky from being curled up so tight, and from the lack of air while I was hyperventilating, and so I’m not surprised that my legs feel wobbly.

Jake lets go of my hand, so he can wrap his arm around my back, before reaching over with his other hand, grabbing mine again. He pulls me to his side, letting me lean on him as he helps me walk. He uses his body like it’s a shield, preventing me from seeing anything that might hurt me.

As much as I’m grateful to him for protecting me, the clearly insane part of my brain that is still in love with Miles—or maybe it’s my heart—can’t help wondering how he is.

Is his nose broken? Does he regret the things he said?

Those thoughts lead to me struggling to catch my breath again, so I push them from my mind. Once we’re outside and the fresh air hits me, I take a deep breath, filling my lungs in a much needed way.

Jake keeps his hand in mine, but takes a small step away from me, giving me the space he thinks I need. In reality, it only makes me feel more empty and alone, but I can’t blame him for wanting a bit of distance. Since I came into his life, I’ve caused him nothing but trouble.

Although I try to keep the pain, loneliness, and sadness from seeping into my voice, I’m not sure I do a very good job. “I should probably go home. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

I try to drop his hand and walk towards my car, but he refuses to let go as he steps in front of me. He places his hand under my chin and tilts my head, so that I’ve got no choice but to meet his gaze.

Jake’s beautiful chocolate eyes are staring at me with nothing but kindness, and my heart aches. “You don’t have to apologise. You’ve done nothing wrong. And you are definitely not going home. Our day of fun is needed now more than ever.”

My eyes widen as I shake my head slowly in confusion. “You still want to go out?”

Jake chuckles as he rapidly nods his head, his smile growing with each bounce. “I promise, it will put that gorgeous smile back on your face, and you’ll have a great time. What do you say?”

As I’ve come to learn about Jake, his energy is infectious, and I can’t say no to him. The moment I agree, his smile lights up his face, and butterflies flutter in my stomach at the way he looks at me.

He pulls me towards his car, and I soon realise I’m grinning alongside him. I try to focus on the sweet guy in front of me, who didn’t even hesitate when it came to defending me, but my heart continues to betray my head.

I can’t help thinking about when Miles looked at me the way Jake is doing. That’s quickly replaced by the way he glares at me now, like he hates me, and the awful things he said to me.

I’m used to being hurt and abused by people who are supposed to care about me. I’ve known that more than I’ve known love. I just never thought Miles would ever be capable of hurting me in that way.

When you give someone your heart, they have the power to hurt you more than anyone else. I just never thought he’d break mine the way he has.