Page 4

Jaelynn

I couldn’t sleep and was awake when the sun rose. Weariness finally took me over about nine in the morning, and I woke around mid-afternoon. No sooner had my eyes opened I dashed into the shower to wash all over again. After scrubbing for an hour, even when the water ran cold, I left the cubicle.

None too bothered what I looked like, I dressed in yesterday’s clothes and brushed my hair.

“Didn’t think you were ever coming out,” a man spoke, and I leapt backwards with a shriek and grabbed the nearest item for a weapon. A lamp.

“It’s Slate!” the guy exclaimed, and I gazed at him.

“Stop breaking into my home!” I snarled, putting the lamp down.

“Your security is crap. I’ve brought some locks and stuff to make it better,” Slate said, waving to a bag.

“What?” Had I fallen into the twilight zone?

“Jaelynn, this apartment has shit security. I can make you more protected here—and will.”

“And what do you want in return?”

“Your safety,” Slate answered.

I gazed at Slate and saw the confusion on his face. Was this man for real?

“Are you telling me you don’t require anything for payment?”

“Like what?” Slate replied, his eyes narrowing.

“A blow job or sex?”

Slate looked me up and down, and I almost cringed. Yeah, I didn’t look my best. He shook his head. “Feel sorry for you.”

“What?”

“Jaelynn, I’m fuckin’ sorry that nobody has ever done you a kindness without wanting something back. Babe, you were attacked last night, ain’t no man who’s a real man gonna push you for sex. A real man is going to ensure you feel safe, so you aren’t under a shower for an hour scrubbing your skin raw. Now sit down, shut up, or fetch me a drink. Don’t care which, but I’ve got work to do!”

Bemused, I gaped at Slate as he picked up the bag and began emptying it. He pulled out locks and tools and, without another word, started fitting a window lock.

“I’m three stories up,” I pointed out.

“Don’t give a fuck. Person might get to you from the apartment above,” Slate answered.

Who thought like that, I wondered? Clearly, the answer was Slate.

Slate spent the new couple of hours adding to the poor security my place offered. I watched Slate the entire time, unsure what his motive was.

“Can I have a drink?” Slate asked after an hour.

“I’ll check what I have,” I replied. Damn, I hadn’t been shopping and probably only had tap water. Money had been tight, and it had been a struggle to pay rent this week. Shit, I had to find another job tomorrow.

“Stay there, I’ll look,” Slate said.

“No! I’ll do it,” I cried, knowing what Slate would see.

Slate frowned but kept heading for the small kitchen area.

I closed in my eyes in embarrassment as he opened one cupboard after another. A noise left his lips, and I cringed.

“Where’s your food? There’s only ramen in here. And there’s fuckin’ cockroaches, Jaelynn,” Slate growled out.

“None of your business,” I said quickly, attempting to disguise my mortification.

Slate’s boots stomped on the bare floorboards, and he rounded my tatty sofa to stare at me.

“Did I miss something last night? Was it not me who stopped Royce and helped you? Nobody messes with a woman in my line of sight. You got fucked over yesterday; I’m trying to make things easier so you can heal. Jaelynn, I don’t need attitude,” Slate stated firmly.

“I’ve no money, okay? Is that what you wanna hear? I don’t get paid enough to buy decent food and pay the rent and bills. So, I have to choose. I don’t want to sleep on the streets, so I eat ramen and drink water! Happy now you’ve embarrassed me? Let’s get it all out. This sofa, I picked it up from the roadside. Someone had dumped it. Same with the rest of the crap in this shithole.

“No, I don’t like living hand to mouth, but I’ve no choice. I apologise that I can’t offer you food or drinks. Sorry, I was attacked and you feel responsible for me. Who are you? Why do you wish to help so badly? I’ve got nothing to give you,” I cried and burst into tears.

Slate huffed, and the sofa dipped as he sat and hauled me into his arms. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I snuggled in tight and sobbed in his chest. Slate rubbed my back, and I fell apart again. This man was turning me inside out.

Slate

Jaelynn was asleep. She had literally cried herself out. He’d left her tucked up in bed with tatty threadbare blankets to keep her warm, and Slate’s temper was on the rise. From everything he’d witnessed, Jaelynn was a genuine person. She’d not asked for money when she’d helped at the bar, nor had she kept her tips.

Slate’s gut told him that Jaelynn was on the run from someone. Nobody needed a cash-in-hand job for any other reason. And Slate had decided he was going to help her out. Step one, call Mac.

Slate sat on his ass on his bike and waited for Mac to pick up.

“Yo,” Mac finally replied, out of breath. Slate stiffened, had he disturbed something? “Had to fuckin’ fight Pirate for my phone. Asshole bird was about to dump it in the ice.”

Slate allowed himself a chuckle. “You got the waitress position open?”

“One, yeah.”

“It’s filled, Jaelynn needs a job,” Slate said.

Mac grew silent, and Pirate made a rude noise. “The girl from the strip joint?” Mac asked.

“Yup, and she needs paying cash in hand, Mac,” Slate added.

“How much trouble is she in?” Mac demanded instantly.

“No fuckin’ idea. And that’s never stopped us helping someone before. Jaelynn, right now, is asleep in a second-hand bed she picked up off the streets. She’s got fuck-all. We’re gonna give her a break because she worked her ass off for us and asked for nothing in return,” Slate stated implacably.

“Fine by me. I’ll let Drake and Manny know. She’ll start in a week,” Mac replied and cut the call.

Slate dialled Ezra next, who answered with, “Brother.”

“Got a girl who can handle your paperwork. But she can’t work until ten in the morning, as she’ll be working at the bar from seven at night until two a.m.,” Slate explained.

“Part-time is fine. She’s just gotta stay on top of our shit. She can work eleven and finish at three,” Ezra replied.

“She’ll start in a week,” Slate added.

“Who is she?”

“Jaelynn. She needs cash in hand, Ezra.” “Girl’s running, obviously. Not a problem, tell Jaelynn casual dress, and I’ll see her soon,” Ezra responded, added a goodbye, and hung up.

Slate called Slick next. “Need a favour.”

“What?” Slick asked, sounding distracted.

“You okay?”

“No. I’m gonna kill me a kid if he looks at Summer’s ass again,” Slick replied, raising his voice. “Yeah, that’s right, she’s my woman.”

“Slick!” Slate heard Summer snap, and he swallowed a chuckle.

“Need a house, furnished, if you have one,” Slate explained, and Slick clucked his tongue.

“Got one that has just gone through the deep clean today. Pretty nice, three bedrooms with two baths and a half bath,” Slick said.

“Dude, I don’t give a fuck about bathrooms. Is it in a decent area?”

“Yeah. This for you?”

“Nah, my rental is good. It’s for Jaelynn. She’s living at the Greenslade Apartments,” Slate stated.

Slick whistled. “Not even druggies stay there. That’s a shithole, and I’m being polite.”

“And I will be covering her rent,” Slate added.

“Okay. Girl can move in today. Want to come and collect the keys?” Slick asked.

Slate appreciated Slick not questioning him paying for Jaelynn’s rent. But he guessed Slick would be straight on the phone with Drake. Slate’s brothers were all nosey bastards.

“I’ll get a prospect to pick them up, I’ve a few things to do,” Slate replied and hung up after giving his thanks.

Slate tried Harley, Tye, and Christian before getting Jared to do his bidding. He informed the prospect to collect the keys from Slick and then fetch groceries. After seeing Jaelynn’s cabinets, he told Jared to buy everything she might possibly need.

Once done, he headed back inside and ordered a pizza. Jaelynn needed feeding. She looked too thin.

Slate collected his tools and gathered everything else, taking down the locks he’d fitted. Jaelynn wouldn’t be staying, and he wasn’t going to leave them here either.

He sat and played games on his phone while she slept and glared at the sofa, which kept digging springs into his ass. About an hour later, Slate heard Jaelynn stir and glanced up as she entered the living room. She looked surprised to see him present still.

“Come eat, I got pizza. Didn’t know what you ate, so bought two and colas. You can pick off what you don’t like,” he ordered, and Jaelynn’s eyebrow rose.

“You’re very bossy,” she stated but hurried over and opened the box. Jaelynn grabbed two slices using his plate and started eating.

“Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Slate promised, and Jaelynn eyed him warily. He let her eat and then handed her a few more slices. When Jaelynn began to shake her head, he growled, and she chomped on one.

Slate was amused when she point-blank refused anymore pizza but was relieved when she opened a second can of cola.

“Why did you stay after I was rude?” she inquired, hiding a little burp.

“Because, babe, your life is in the shitter, and I can help,” Slate replied, leaning back and getting stabbed in his ass. “Fuck me.”

Slate shifted his butt as Jaelynn looked amused.

“You start work at the bar in a week’s time. Night shift on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That’s from seven till two. Mac’s gonna pay you the going rate, and it’s cash in hand.

“No, don’t argue, you will be safe there. From eleven to three, you’ll work at the landscaping business that Ezra owns. I’ll apologise now because Ezra and I aren’t the tidiest of people, and we hated paperwork,” Slate said.

Jaelynn looked stunned and opened her mouth to talk, but Slate continued, “That will also be cash in hand. You’ll be required to do filing, send invoices, and print shit up or type quotes for Ezra. You will start that next Monday, too. That’s Monday through to Friday. As you ain’t working bar on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you can speak to Ezra about doing more hours on those days.”

Slate grabbed a drink and waited.

“You got me two jobs? That pay cash in hand?” Jaelynn asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.”

“And want nothing in return?”

“Nope.”

“You are a guardian angel,” Jaelynn breathed, looking stunned.

“Ain’t no angel, baby,” Slate denied.

“You’re freaking something! I took the cloakroom job because there weren’t any other options available. Now you’ve just upped and found me two jobs?”

“And a house. That’s rent free for six months. Slick hasn’t got anyone to rent it, those who applied failed the checks. He doesn’t want the house standing empty as it’s in a good area, and people may break in as it’s furnished. Worse, squatters might get in and destroy it. You’re doing him a favour moving in,” Slate added.

“Are you joking?” Jaelynn exploded.

“Nope,” Slate replied calmly.

“You’ve got me a house? How the hell do you expect me to pay for it?” Jaelynn demanded.

Slate smirked and quickly wiped it from his face after Jaelynn sent him a death stare.

“Honey, it’s free for six months. Are you telling me you’d rather stay here than in a nice home with a garden?”

Jaelynn stared at him until he started to feel uncomfortable. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but her expression was unreadable. Slate didn’t care if Jaelynn thought he had gone too far. He’d seen her for what she was: a genuine person who needed help.

Whatever trouble had found her, Slate doubted Jaelynn had caused it. No, Slate had no qualms that she was innocent and deserved protection, even if she did have fight in her.

Jaelynn

Slate had got me two jobs and a house. In the space of an hour? Who was this wonderful man? An angel in disguise? Or someone who’d demand a high price at a later date? I dismissed the latter as I held Slate’s gaze. There was no deception in his eyes, nor distrust, just an honest desire to help. And I was pretty good at judging, considering what I’d lived with for a few years.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Slate repeated, looking surprised. He’d clearly expected an argument.

“Yeah. I didn’t pick this dump because of the scenery, I had no choice, it was all I could afford. If you have a better place that’s rent free, I can save up money and rent it myself in six months,” I replied.

Slate looked happy with my reply and offered a grin.

I gaped as Slate’s entire face lit up with that smile, and my heart thumped. Slate was a handsome man, not classically pretty boy handsome but handsome in a strong alpha male way. His dark hair and trimmed beard showed he took care of himself. And Slate’s tee stretched across a muscled torso, and as for his arms… I had to turn my head. A man’s prominent arm veins held a certain sexiness.

Slate was bulky and broad. And I liked him a lot, but I wouldn’t go there. He appeared to want to be friends, and that was fine. When I was alone, I could fantasise about him then.

“Is any of this yours?” Slate asked, and I brought myself back to earth with a thump.

“No. I only own my clothes,” I replied.

“Pack. I’ll get the prospects to haul this shit away,” Slate said.

“I have to give a month’s notice, and I paid three months in advance as a security deposit,” I murmured, suddenly recalling Tyson. He ran the building and was a tight ass where money was concerned. I recoiled at the thought of confronting him.

“The prospects will get it back,” Slate stated implacably.

“Don’t upset him! If I have to come back—”

“You’ll never return here, Jaelynn. Now go collect your shit,” Slate ordered.

I hurried into the bedroom before self-doubts could eat away at me. Maybe I was about to learn another harsh lesson regarding men, or possibly Slate was what he appeared. A sincere man!

Slate

He was unimpressed when Jaelynn exited the room ten minutes later. She had three bags with her, and only two contained clothes. The rest seemed to be toiletries and ladies’ items.

“That it?” Slate asked.

He saw the struggle Jaelynn had not to bristle.

“Yes.”

“Come on then. Give me your keys, I’ll get the prospects over to deal with the crap, and they’ll get your money back too. Was anything here?”

“The cooker, fridge and freezer. That’s it. I used the laundrette down the road and everything else I scavenged,” Jaelynn replied.

Slate swore there and then that Jaelynn wouldn’t ever scavenge again.

“I need my bedding, and that’s it,” Jaelynn added.

“Was it second-hand?”

“Yes.”

“Leave it. I’ve some wages for those shifts you worked at the bar, plus tips. I keep forgetting to give them to you. We will go see the house, check Jared has stocked it, and then we’ll go shopping for whatever you need,” Slate said as he opened the apartment door.

“I didn’t ask to be paid for those two shifts!” I exclaimed as I exited.

“No, and that’s how Mac and I knew you were different. It was clear you needed money, but you didn’t ask. Can respect that,” Slate replied as he shut the door.

Jaelyn didn’t say a word as he followed her down the stairs. He’d managed to wrestle the bags off her and stopped when they got outside.

“Where’s your car? You can follow me,” Slate asked.

“I don’t have one,” Jaelynn answered and held his gaze. She was clearly waiting for his reaction.

“What time did you finish at the strip club?” Slate growled out, not disappointing her.

“Three in the morning.”

“And you finished at two both nights you worked the bar. And you got the bus?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus.” Slate began muttering under his breath as Jaelynn looked vaguely amused. Before Slate lost his temper at Jaelynn, putting herself in danger, he stomped towards his SUV. Jaelynn followed behind as he opened the back and threw her shit in.

“Get inside,” Slate demanded. He slipped into the driver’s seat and waited until she’d put her seatbelt on. He inserted an earpiece and called Drake.

“Prez, I need a loner for Jaelynn,” he said when Drake answered.

“Girl doesn’t have a car?” Drake questioned.

“Nope,” Slate stated, knowing what Drake was thinking.

“I’ll send Harley over with one.”

“Can I have Harley and Christian? Jaelynn’s POS apartment needs emptying, and then they have to get her deposit back,” Slate explained.

“And you’re expecting trouble?”

“Yeah. She’s been living at the Greenslade Apartments,” Slate replied.

“Fuck, I wouldn’t put a dog in there. Jaelynn got somewhere else?”

“Slick needs a house sitter,” Slate replied.

“Does he now?” Drake asked, amused.

“Yup.”

“Very kind of Jaelynn to help a brother out. I’ll send a long-term loaner and Harley, Christian, and Cody over. There shouldn’t be an issue,” Drake said and cut the call.

“What was that about?” Jaelynn inquired suspiciously.

“Drake is loaning you a car,” Slate replied.

“Don’t you think you should have checked if I can afford one? You wasted Drake’s time because I can’t,” Jaelynn responded, offended.

“Good job it’s free. And do not start any bullshit! A lot of Drake’s cars sit there and cost more in maintenance because they’re not being driven regularly. With you driving one, it saves them issues. You can fill up on gas at the garage weekly. Drake will deduct it as a tax break. Just say thanks, Jaelynn, and let’s not argue,” Slate replied.

“This is too much,” Jaelynn insisted.

“You wanna know what I see? I saw a woman who’d already put in a day’s work bust her ass helping strangers out because she noticed they needed it. She didn’t do that once, but twice. Then, she faded away and didn’t demand money, food, or drink. She didn’t even take the tips she’d rightfully earned, and they added up to a fair amount.

“I next see her attacked, bruised, and shocked. You didn’t deserve that. Jaelynn, I know you’re running from something, I get it. And you ain’t ready to talk, fine. But no Rage brother would stand by and allow you to walk alone. You’ve got me, and I’ll be at your back come hell or high water.

“There aren’t many honest women like you around. Truly good ones. When we find one, we cherish and look after them. It’s too soon for you to realise the truth, but I’m the shield between you and those who’d hurt you. I will take down anyone, male or female, who comes at you,” Slate promised.

Jaelynn twisted in her seat and stared at him as he continued driving.

“Fucking unicorn,” she murmured.