They don’t move at all.
I climb to my feet and ease the gun out of Jessi’s grasp, keeping it trained on Austin while pushing his sister behind me. “I do know how to use one and I’m not afraid to pull a trigger. The fact that you’re Jessi’s brother is the only reason why you aren’t dead already, and my patience just ran out. Go before I change my mind.”
The bats hit the ground with a drumbeat of thuds. The offenders shuffle toward the garage door, their hands up. I push the button and the door rolls open.
Austin leers as he bolts to the car, glowering at Jessi like a starved bear. “If you knew what he did to David, you’d stay away from him, Jessi.”
I square my shoulders, staring him down. “She’s safer here than she ever was with you.”
This isn’t the end of it. I know it, but I will die before I let him or anyone else hurt her.
The car screeches down the road minutes later, leaving long tire tracks on the pavement.
Jessi drops to her knees, sobbing and shaking. I scoop her up and carry her into the house. I set her on the island, holding her to me. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m never going to let anyone hurt you.”
“Jack, I don’t care about me. They hurt you! And they destroyed your house. I’m so sorry. Why does my family have to be so messed up? I swear I had no idea how psychotic Austin is.” She cries into my chest.
“I’m fine. I’ve had many beatings, a lot worse than this.” I take in her face. Her eyes dance as she assesses the damage. “Everything they wrecked can be fixed too.”
She gulps down air and composes herself. “Okay, let’s get you cleaned up. You need ice. We can deal with the door later.”
Jessi continues to shock me. No one has ever protected me like she did tonight. I’m the one always watching and playing the hero.
There’s only one way things between us can end. Heartbreak.
Because after tonight, I can’t let her go. If she wants out, she’ll have to destroy me. Because as far as I’m concerned, she’s mine.
CHAPTER 50
JACK
Jessi leads me to her bathroom and directs me to the toilet lid. After sitting down, I watch her unravel bandages and open packets of gauze. She meticulously sets out all of her supplies.
I underestimated her. I should’ve listened to her more, trusted her, thought of her more as a woman than a kid.
She comes at me with Neosporin and hydrogen peroxide. “This might burn,” she says with a wince.
“It’s fine,” I tell her, though when she dabs my skin, I shift a little.
Jessi wraps some bandages around me then inspects every cut on my face and hands. When I breathe her in, she smells like lilacs. I take a big inhale of her, savoring the scent.
Her eyes fly to my face. “Are you okay. Need a break?”
I smile, embarrassed that she caught me smelling her like a creeper. “No, it doesn’t hurt. You smell good.”
She peers at me sweetly. “Well, thank you.”
My hands find the backs of her thighs and curl around them. She’s so small that my fingers wrap halfway around her leg. She rests her hands on my shoulders, our eyes never leaving each other.
I squeeze her thighs. “Thank you for taking care of me. No one has done that before.”
She pales. “I’m sorry that I had to. It’s my fault you were hurt, but you’re welcome.”
I tighten my grip on her and shift her closer. “I would go to battle for you one hundred times, and then one hundred times more if it meant keeping you safe. I feel this overwhelming need to protect you.” She runs her hands through my hair and tugs me by the nape of my neck before kissing my forehead.
“Are you tired?” she asks.
“No. I need to burn off some of this adrenaline. I’m gonna grab a spare piece of wood to secure the door for now and clean up. I should give Mike a call. He’ll need a heads-up if they want to bust up the club next.”
