Jake’s Angel (King’s Of Fury MC #2)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

AVERY

“Okay, first things first!” Jayde spins on her heels, clapping her hands. “There’s a vintage shop over there and Sadie tells me you love Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page. Am I right?” I nod enthusiastically. “Well, then, shall we?”

“Oh, wow.” I gasp. This is the most spectacular boutique I’ve ever seen.

Her smile widens as she smacks my ass.

“Let’s do this.” Sadie rubs her hands together, and I’m not sure if I should be excited or frightened by the gleam in her eye but decide to just go with it.

We spend the next four hours picking out outfits and trying on clothes. We must’ve gone into fifteen different stores trying on clothes, examining ourselves in the mirrors, and being chased down by salespeople who didn’t want to lose out on their commission. Skyler tapped out an hour ago and had Ethan come pick her up. She was looking a little under the weather, but I didn’t mention it since she seems to not want anyone to know about her condition yet. I wish I had someone to pick me up and take me away, but Sadie’s my ride and she seems to think this is a shopping marathon. She just keeps going, from store to store.

“My feet hurt. My stomach is rumbling. Our late night and lack of sleep has finally caught up with me. I’m exhausted,” I whine.

“Okay, last stop and then we’ll get you home,” Jayde tells me as she drags me by my arm into Night and Day, a cute little dress shop.

“You’ll need a few dresses when we go out for Bella Noche and the parties at the clubhouse. You’re coming to Sadie’s graduation party this weekend, aren’t you?”

“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not yet anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. You’ll still need something to wear out to the local nightclub. Sadie and I go whenever we can. It’s eighteen and over. You can’t drink, but the DJ is good and the guys who pass through on the weekends are nice to look at.” She winks.

I’m so tired, I don’t care to look at another dress. I just want to take a shower and pass out in a soft bed. Jayde grabs piece after piece off the racks for me to try on. I groan in exasperation, but she doesn’t care. She laughs at my expense and shoves me toward the dressing rooms.

I try on every dress and skirt she throws my way, passing them back and forth through the dark curtain. I choose two and am about to come out with them when Jayde throws a short, black leather dress at me. She takes the two from my hands and, without further explanation, shoves me back into the dressing room stall with the little black number.

“Try it on, and I want to see it.” She orders.

It’s got spaghetti straps and fits tight across the chest with a slight v in the cleavage. It’s form fitting to the waist, then it free flows out, stopping at just above the knee.

“This is not … I wouldn’t wear this Jayde. It’d be a waste of money.” I try to convince her.

“Just go try it on. Humor me.” She fusses. A pit forms in my stomach. I haven’t checked my legs since we left the estate. I have no idea if the arnica cream I put on after my shower did anything to reduce the bruising. It’s why I wore jeans in the first place despite this God-forsaken heat.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll come in there after you.”

“Fine.” The sooner I try it on, the sooner we can leave. I’ll just have to stand with my back to the wall and hope she doesn’t ask me to turn around.

I try on the little black leather dress and spin around in the mirror. It’s a perfect fit. My waist and hips look amazing in this particular cut. My legs look long and lean, despite the welts and bruises. They’ve faded but are still noticeable. Give it a day or two and they'll be gone.

“The perfect pair of heels would probably make this dress look even more killer, but I’ll probably wear my black converse for comfort.” I murmur to myself in the mirror.

Jayde must’ve heard me talking to myself and decided I was taking too long because her head pops around the curtain and I scream at the intrusion.

“Sorry! Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you. I just want to see,” Jayde apologizes, smiling sheepishly.

She takes in the sight of me in the dress, a wide smile spreading across her face. I know the moment she sees them, because her smile fades and her eyes narrow to slits. “Who did this to you?” Her voice is low, full of fury. “I need a name.” I watch as she slowly takes her purse off her shoulder, pulling out her phone, readying to text someone. Who? I have no idea.

I throw my hands out, grabbing for her phone to stop her.

“Jayde. Please.” I beg. “It’s nothing. It’s done. It’s over. I’m here now. I’m safe.” saying all the things I have been repeating to myself since the moment I sat my ass in the seat of the old pickup truck Sadie rescued me in. “Please. If you tell anyone, and they try to intervene, it will only make things worse. The people I ran away from … they’ll find me and take me back there. I’m begging you. Please, just let it go.”

“Let it go?” She snarls at me. “I could call my brother, then he and Hawk could find the fucker and make him pay. Remind him why he shouldn’t treat women like his own personal punching bag.” She takes a deep breath. “My daddy will kill …”

“ NO! No Jayde.” I try to reason with her. “Mack cannot know about this! He would take me back. He would have to. Please. Please. Don’t tell anyone. I can’t go back.” Tears fill the corners of my eyes. I feel the first one slide down my cheek. Everything me and Sadie have done to get this far floods my mind.

The months of planning.

Her, causing the security system to glitch for weeks on end, making the guards think there’s a system failure so they wouldn’t think twice about a hacker when she cut the power, allowing me to escape.

Finding the perfect time for her to leave town and not having to worry about her family spying on her every move.

“Hey. Hey!” Jayde’s hand lightly slaps my cheek. She lets out an exasperated sigh, looking me in my eyes, searching them. “Calm down. Daddy would never hand you over to anyone if he thought they’d hurt you. I won’t tell them … for now. But if the asshole who did this ever comes near you again, all bets are off. I’ll send the Kings of Fury to light his ass on fire and the three of us will roast marshmallows and make s’mores with the flames. Do we have a deal?”

My forehead drops to her shoulder, and a long-held breath escapes my lungs. “Thank you.” My words are whispered. Her hand grabs the back of my head as she hugs me gently.

“You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me you’ll tell one of us if you ever see the bastard again.”

“I promise.” I say, knowing I’ll never see my grandmother’s henchman again. She wouldn’t send Chuck to find me. He’s her precious ‘yes man.’ She’ll send far worse after me than him. I don’t want to think about the punishment I would receive if she finds me.

You won’t survive it.

At the sound of Sadie’s voice calling for us, Jayde lets me go and steps back through the curtain. “She’s getting dressed. Two minutes.” Jayde hollers in response.

I quickly change back into my own clothes. Although I like the dress, I don’t see the point of getting it. Apparently, Jayde doesn’t agree with my thinking, because she snatches the scrap of leather from my hands and walks out without another word to me.

“Jayde, I don’t?—”

“Get a say in any of this. Yep, you’re right.” She slams the clothes we’ve chosen down on the counter in front of Sadie, grinning widely. The salesclerk rings everything up on Sadie’s credit card.

“You need to let me pay you for this stuff. You know I have cash,” I whisper, imploring her.

“Nope,” she says simply. “My treat.”

“But you’ve paid for everything today. It’s too much.”

Sadie spins toward me, her hand firmly planted on her right hip. “I have the money and you need a friend. Don’t worry about the cost of this shit. It’s fine. I promise. I’ll pay everything off at the end of next week anyway.”

“How?” I ask suspiciously. Sadie doesn’t have a day job I’m aware of. She uses an allowance given to her by Mack for as long as I’ve known her, and I’m certain it wasn’t enough to cover the damage we’ve done to her credit card today.

“I’ve got a new job. It pays well, and it came with a sign-on bonus of sorts,” she replies, taking her card back from the clerk and grabbing the bags off the counter.

“What job?”

“I’ll tell you all about it later. Let’s get these bags to the car, grab some grub, and get you home.” I trail behind them both, following them to the parking lot, allowing Sadie’s words to sink in.

Home.

We’re walking to the car and notice all the streetlights have come on. It’s gotten dark outside.

“Hey Jayde, can you take Aves back to the house for me? I’ve got an errand I need to run.” An eerie feeling has settled over me, like bugs crawling along my skin. Something doesn’t feel right. I stop walking for a moment to look around. Sadie and Jayde stop talking and walking when Sadie notices that I’ve stopped.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. I just have this weird feeling like we’re being watched.”

“It’s just Blake. Remember? The MC’s watchdog?” Jayde says nonchalantly dismissing me, but I don’t think that’s it. He’s been following us around the whole time, and I never felt this eerie chill. I scan the parking lot. When I see nothing out of the ordinary, I shrug it off.

Maybe it’s my exhaustion getting the better of me.

“I need to make one more stop by the grocery store. “C’mon Avery. Sadie, we’ll see you at the house in a little while?”

“You’re leaving, Sades?”

“I won’t be long. I need to check on something, and I need you to go with Jayde. If you leave with her, they might believe you’re one of her friends from school and I was just giving you a ride to the mall.” Her voice softens, “We need to keep a low profile for a while. At least for a few more days while we get your ID figured out, okay?” She gives me a hug. “I’ll see you at the house in a bit.”

“You good for one more store?” Jayde hollers over the roof of her mustang.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.” She chirps. “Look in my purse and start making a list of things you want from the grocery store.” I do as she says, suddenly feeling a burst of energy and excitement. I’ve never shopped for my own food before. As dumb as it sounds, I was never allowed. I ate the meals that were made for me. Carbs were rarely allowed, and junk food of any kind was out of the question.

We pull into the parking lot of the grocery store, and suddenly, I’m feeling like I’ve caught my second wind.

I grab the first cart I see and run for the double doors with Jayde yelling behind me. I make my way through the front and continue running, pulling the cart to a halt just as it bumps a crate of apples.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Have you never been in a grocery store before?” She shouts, half laughing, half frustrated. I’m too busy laughing at myself to answer with words, so I shake my head instead. “Well, let me tell you, if your goal is to not be noticed around town, then you probably shouldn’t go around racing at top speeds down the produce aisle running into crates of apples!” She’s trying to keep her voice quiet as she scolds me, except she’s failing miserably at it.

“I’m pretty sure after the new kid is done cleaning up after your mess, he’s going to be sure to tell all of his friends about the pretty new blonde girl in town that killed the apple cart!”

“What do you have on your list? We need to get what we came for and get the hell out of here.” There’s a long silent pause as she reads what I’ve written. “Are you serious? Candy, soda, cereal, chocolate—What are you four?”

“No.” Suddenly feeling unsure of my choices, I tell her honestly, “I’ve never been allowed sweets.” She stares at me in disbelief.

“What do you mean, you weren’t allowed?”

Not wanting to go too deep into details, I give her the simplest version I can. “I competed in pageants and had to keep my figure, so I wasn’t permitted to have junk food or sweets.”

“At all? Like never?” I feel Jayde’s gasp more than hear it. “Oh, hell no. Give me that cart. I’ll be right back. Don’t you fucking move from this spot. I don’t need you drawing any more attention to yourself.” She spins the cart and takes off, scurrying down the aisle and I’m left standing here feeling like a scorned child.

I’m reading the labels on several bags of tortilla chips. Who knew chips could have so many flavor combinations?

A purple bag on the top shelf catches my interest, and I step onto the bottom shelf to reach it. My feet wobble and the shelf creeks. A hand reaches out to grab my arm to help steady me. I immediately spin myself around to face the person who came to my rescue to thank them. The movement causes his grip to tighten on my arm and me to wince slightly. Catching his eyes with mine, I try to pull out of his grip, but he tightens his hold on me. I don’t know what he wants, but he’s not letting go.

Jake.

Maybe he’s still pissed at me for leaving him standing in the hallway at the diner this morning.

“Let me go, please.” I whisper. It’s all I can muster the nerve to say. It’s lame, but it’s not every day a sexy biker with deep blue eyes, a panty-melting smile, and who kisses like it’s a professional sport he’s trained his whole life for, takes me captive in his hold. My lips form a tight, thin line. I try scowling at him. Thinking maybe if I seem indifferent or irritated with him, he’ll take the hint.

I’m wrong on all accounts.

Glancing around, I’m searching for anyone who would help me, but no such luck. It’s just me and him.

He relaxes his grip but doesn't release me.

“What’s the rush, Angel?” He taunts. He scans my body from head to toe slowly. The heat of his gaze is like a warm caress over my skin. I shiver, seeing the desire that pools in his eyes. I pull again, trying to get free from his hold. He tightens his grip again, only this time I whimper at the pain it causes as his fingers dig into my bruises. His brow creases and he lets me go immediately.

Taking a step back, I rub my arm, trying to soothe the sting and cover the marks before he has a chance to say anything. My actions seem to frustrate him. Jake grabs my wrist, pulling my hand away from my arm. He lifts the edge of my T-shirt sleeve. His heated gaze, once one of desire, has morphed to fury and rage.

Run, Avery.

There’s something very dangerous radiating off the man in front of me, yet I can’t seem to make my feet move.

“How did you get those marks? Who did this to you?” He grits out.

Feeling defensive, and a little taken aback, I snap at him. “A guy.”

It’s none of his fucking business. Who is he to get mad at me?

“He left bruises on you?” He looks like he’s barely holding his shit together.

I shrug.

What the hell is his problem?

“He got a name?” He has no reason to be this upset. It has nothing to do with him.

I go for the evasive answer. The half-truth. “Doesn’t matter.”

“I want his name, Angel.” Jake pushes.

“Why? Like I said before, it doesn’t matter. He can’t hurt me anymore. Just drop it, Jake.”

“What happened?” Jake grits out, his voice low and threatening. “What else did he do?”

I find myself wanting to tell him. Wondering if he’d genuinely care enough to do anything, but it’s a ridiculous thought. He doesn’t even know me. The best thing to do is give him the bullet points version. It’s vague, but still the truth.

“I wanted to leave. When I struggled, he grabbed me and his hand left marks.” My voice is low so others around the store might not hear, while I look pointedly at him. “There's no need for you to worry about it. It’ll go away in a few days.” It’s the same thing I used to calm Jayde’s reaction.

“Has this happened before?” I can tell he already knows the answer to his question, so I don’t bother to say any more, choosing to avoid his gaze. “Fuck.” He snaps. “Where is he, Angel?”

“Gone.”

“Avery!” Jayde’s voice carries through the store. I gasp. Hearing my name sends a sharp pain through my chest. “Where the hell are you?”

Please don’t recognize me. Please don’t tell your dad.

There’s hurt and confusion in his eyes. It doesn’t make sense but, whatever has caused it, I know I need to get out of here.

Does he know who I am?

“ I got you a shit ton of cereal. I hope it’s enough to get you …” Jayde stops abruptly, noticing the staring contest that is now taking place between me and her brother.

“Jake?” The distraught sound of her voice grips me. I turn to find Jayde’s eyes are wide, staring at my lifted shirt sleeve, and the exposed bruises on my arm. She looks at Jake with concern for me in her eyes, which swiftly turns into expectation. She knows he didn’t do it, but she’s looking to him to do something about it.

Why do they care so much?

“Avery?” Jake whispers my name, then drops my arm as if touching me burns him. He’s not looking at me, he’s looking through me. It’s as if I’m a ghost or something.

Should I run? Will he tell Mack about me?

I stare at him with wide eyes, expectantly waiting for him to do something. Though I don’t know what I’m expecting exactly.

Jake fists his hands at his sides, glances between me and Jayde, then gives us his retreating back as he leaves the store.

What the hell was that all about? And what the hell am I supposed to do now?