Jake’s Angel (King’s Of Fury MC #2)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AVERY

The light coming in through the sliver in the curtains wakes me up from a dead sleep. When Jayde brought me to the house last night, I was so tired I didn’t even bother to eat any of the groceries we bought. Sadie came out to help unload and put the food away, but I was too exhausted to do anything else. The last two days of functioning on an adrenaline rush and lack of sleep had finally caught up to me. I walked through the front door and came straight back to the guest room—which I guess is now my room—dropped my backpack on the chest at the end of the bed and crashed.

I didn’t even bother to take my shoes off. Judging by the kink in my neck and the stiffness of the rest of my body, I don’t think I moved all night. Sadie must’ve come in and covered me up at some point because I don’t remember getting under the blankets either.

Sitting up slowly and placing my back against the headboard, I clutch the pillow to my chest and admire the surrounding room. There’s a note on the nightstand written in Sadie’s handwriting.

Went to Baron’s Edge to grab a few things. I’ll be home late, if not in the morning. Jayde will be by to check on you later. We’ll decorate your room this week. And Aves, be ready. We’re going out dancing tomorrow night. Get some rest. You’ll need it.

Badass Bestie

The room is nice. It has a masculine feel to it. Large, with a decent sized walk-in closet and a small dark wood desk with a chair by the window. There’s a wooden chest at the foot of the bed with a piece of black leather stretched over the lid. There’s a picture embossed in the leather with intricate detailing created with brass tacks and fine stitching. My interest piqued, I crawl to the edge of the bed and run my fingers over the intricate stitching of the design. Upon further inspection, I realize it’s the skull and crown from Jake’s cut. It’s beautiful workmanship. But the room is too masculine for a young woman.

My wheels turn with all the possibilities of how I can make this space my own.

I’ll need to find myself a new bedcover. Something with some color, and maybe some fuzzy throw pillows to match. Oh, and I should look for some posters to hang on the walls.

The thought of making this place my own has my heart feeling lighter as the reality of freedom is finally beginning to set in. Who would’ve thought something so simple as decorating a room could be so liberating?

My room at the mansion was depressing with the stark white walls and linens. Everything from the bathroom to the bedding, to the walls, even the carpets were all white. The only color was the floral painting that hung on the wall, in a white frame, and a dusty rose printed area rug used to prevent the carpet from getting dirty. Even my desk and bedframe were white. It felt more like something you’d find in a hotel than the bedroom a young girl grew up in.

This bathroom isn’t as big as the one I had in the mansion, but I don’t mind. I don’t need much space anyway. Sadie’s guest bathroom is decorated with pastel-colored butterflies on light lavender walls. There are big comfy, pink, lavender, and powder blue towels folded in a light gray built-in shelf, and a soft shag style lavender rug on the floor.

It feels like a space a young girl would love.

I would have loved growing up here.

This is perfect. It feels inviting. Comfortable. A place I could see myself relaxing in with a few candles and a good book while taking a long, hot bath.

Maybe next time.

I turn the water on to let it get warm. I am thankful once again for Sadie’s ability to plan ahead. She has all my favorite toiletries already stocked in the bathroom. Stripping myself down, I get into the stream of hot water, letting the smell of strawberry shampoo and green apple body wash take over my senses as I wash away the events of the last two days. The heat from the water relaxes my body as I let my mind wander, thinking about the last couple of days.

My grandmother’s elaborate party. Leaving Baron’s Edge. The diner. Jake. That kiss. My belly piercing.

I wash around the shiny piece of jewelry, remembering how it felt to make such a simple decision and not having anyone forbid me from doing anything to defile or devalue myself.

“Respectable people do not debase their character by marking themselves with tattoos or by piercing holes in their body.”

My grandmother’s voice is still fresh in my mind. She said those words the first time she met Sadie and saw she had her nose pierced.

Old Bitch.

Stepping out of the shower, I wrap myself in one of Sadie’s comfy towels and head back to my room to get my clothes. Grabbing a pair of denim shorts and a green T-shirt from a bag, I get myself dressed. My hair is up in a ponytail, the new haircut makes the bottom barely touch the nape of my neck. It feels lighter.

I feel lighter.

I grab my green converse high tops, put them on, and I’m ready to tackle this day. I don’t bother with putting on any make-up. I’m not looking to impress anyone.

Except maybe a sexually attractive, grumpy ass biker you wish would kiss.

Nope!

Looking around the living room, this place screams ‘Sadie lives here.’

How are we going to afford all of this?

My mind is reeling with questions and uncertainties.

Walking into the living area, there’s a room most people would probably use as a dining room. Sadie has turned it into a makeshift office space with four twenty-four inch flat screen televisions mounted on the wall, all connected to a couple of tabletop PCs on a long wooden dining table. There are three laptops stacked on the table as well.

How many computers does one person need?

Of course, this is Sadie.

I decidedly don’t want to know why she has so many or what exactly it is she does with them.

“Plausibly deniability.” I say to the empty room.

There’s a picture frame next to one of the computers. I pick it up to get a closer look, but quickly put it back when I realize who it’s a picture of.

My heart sinks.

I don’t know all the specifics, but Sadie’s mother was put in a mental institution when Sadie was barely two years old. Her dad left about the same time her mom lost her mind. She lost her mom around the same time I lost mine. It’s one of the things that drew us to each other as friends. We didn’t choose the lives we were handed, or the families we were handed to . We bonded over other people’s poor choices and how they made our lives what they are.

I glance around the space and smile to myself at all the Star Wars figures and Harry Potter memorabilia filling the floor-to-ceiling shelves on either side of the fireplace. There’s a beautiful gray slate stone hearth encasing the fireplace and mounted above it is a massive flat screen TV. Again, I wonder how we’re going to afford all of this. I don’t even know if this home came furnished or if she’s rented this stuff.

Where did she find a long U-shaped plum colored sectional couch with the chase lounge? Her flat screen tv must be at least seventy-five inches.

I jump at the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Jayde’s on the front porch, bouncing on her heels.

“Hi,” she excitedly squeals.

“Um, hi.” I don’t feel half the enthusiasm in my greeting.

“I need to run some errands, and Sadie thought you might want to go with me. What do you say?” She must have had at least three cups of coffee for the amount of energy that is buzzing through her.

“Sure. Where do you need to go?”

“Well, I need to go to Magpie’s to order a strawberry rhubarb pie for Daddy because it’s his favorite and Mama said he has to have one. Of course, he won’t get to eat it until she’s done chewing his ass for not coming home before he went to the clubhouse this morning.”

“I thought we could eat lunch there, and then I have a list of shit Liz asked me to pick up for Sadie’s graduation party this weekend.” She shrugs, ticking off all the other errands she has to run for the party, but my brain stopped processing everything after the word Magpie’s.

“Do they serve breakfast all day at Magpie’s?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, twenty-four-seven.”

I run to my room, grab my backpack, return to the living room and push her out of the front door, then I turn the lock and pull the door closed. I grab Jayde and drag her by her wrist to her car. “Let’s go.” She laughs at my eagerness. Waffles and strawberries with whipped cream have recently become my new favorite meal.

Jayde chats my ear off the entire way to the diner, talking about Sadie’s party, the clubhouse, and all the crazy preparations they have yet to finish. By the time we pull in, my head is spinning with all the things she’s said needs to be done, and it’s not even my party.

I wonder if I’ll be able to go.

It’s probably not a good idea with Mack being there.

We find a booth in the back. The same one Bethany and her tribe of tarts were sitting at. Misty, our waitress, takes our order, then we sit and eat in silence for the first few minutes.

“So, Sadie said you ran away from a shitty situation.” Jayde tosses her hands up when I glare up at her from my plate. “What I mean is—she told me you didn’t choose to live there, and the people weren’t accepting of you because you're adopted?”

I snicker to myself. That’s putting it mildly.

“People like rumors and gossip more than they care to know the truth.” It’s the best explanation I can give without telling her the truth. “My mother left a long time ago and pissed off a lot of people in doing so.”

“What about your dad?” She shoves a bite of pancake into her mouth, waiting patiently while I try to find the best way to answer her. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t have any answers for her except the simplest one, which is—I have no fucking clue.

There’s a lump in my throat I’m pretty sure has nothing to do with the waffles, and I’m trying desperately to swallow past it. I don’t like talking about my mother’s death. There are too many unanswered questions.

I shrug and give her the only thing I know about him. “I don’t know who he is. He bailed on her … on us.”

“Wait, he left you, and then she … what? She just left you there? No explanation, no nothing?” I see the pity in her eyes. She hurts for me, and although I appreciate her empathy, it’s unnecessary.

“Hey.” I reach over, touching her hand with mine. “It’s no big deal, really. He didn’t want to be a father and she …” I shove a strawberry in my mouth, turning to watch the passing cars out the window. “She died.”

I hear her sharp intake of breath and close my eyes for a second, trying not to react to her sympathy. People have always reacted one of two ways when they learn about my parents. Most think I’m trash because of who my mother was and how she rebelled against her parents, tarnishing their good name. Others offer pity. Poor orphaned girl. Her mother died and her father abandoned her. Such a shame.

I see the sorrow in Jayde’s eyes. I don’t fault her for it. She doesn’t know how her pity makes me feel. She’s just trying to be a good friend by getting to know me and empathizing with me over my fucked-up situation. I can’t find the right words to tell her that my parents leaving me wasn’t even the worst part. It was just the first cloud in the long running shit storm that is my life.

I excuse myself to use the restroom, leaving money on the table to cover the bill.

I handle my business, then wash my hands and splash cold water on my face. Leaning on the sink, I stare at the woman in the mirror staring back at me. She’s broken, damaged, and scared. Sometimes she feels all alone, but the one thing she is that everyone has always overlooked and underestimated—is resilient.

I may not have been wanted by my father, and my mother’s death may have delivered me into the hands of the Devil herself, but I don’t have to be that scared little girl anymore. I get to choose from here on out who I want to be, what I want to do, and where I want to do it. My life, my decisions. It’s time to find out who Avery really is.

Walking out of the bathroom feeling proud and confident for the next stage of my life, I feel an arm grab me from behind, pinning my back to a large, muscular body. Another hand covers my mouth, and a man’s deep, husky voice whispers in my ear.

“Don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ve come to warn you.” He waits for my reaction. When I nod, telling him I understand, he slowly backs us into the corner near the exit door. The same corner I shared that searing kiss with Jake.

“I’m going to release you now. Don’t talk. Just listen. Nod if you understand.” I do as he asks, and he lowers his hands, taking a step back. “You’re being watched. A man by the name of Marco Cusenza has sent some of his peons to kidnap you and bring you back to him. They were supposed to grab you at the mansion, but Chuck fucked it up.”

I’m barely able to take in air. My breathing is coming in short pants. He sees my trepidation and attempts to soothe me, even though he’s the cause of the terror I’m feeling.

“Hey. Hey. Take a deep breath, sweetheart.” I do as he says. “There you go. Okay, look, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m not one of them. I was, but I’m not. Not anymore. Shit.” He places a phone in my hand, clasping his own hand around mine. “When you’re ready, you text me from this phone. You tell me where and when, and I’ll meet you there. I’ll tell you everything you want to know about your mother’s death.”

My eyes widen, my heart thumps so hard in my chest it feels like it may burst. He nods his head, his eyes never leaving mine.

“I was there. I know exactly what happened. For that reason alone, I should be dead. I’m putting my life on the line to help you, and now, since you’ve run from them, you’ve put your life on the line too.” The stranger says quietly.

My palms are sweating, tears are streaming down my cheeks. A mixture of fear and anger is causing my body to vibrate. I can hear the thrumming sound of my heartbeat and the airy sound that echoes in my ears with my every breath.

There’s a clash of dishes coming from around the corner. It startles us both.

“Take it. My number is in it. When you’re ready, let me know. In the meantime, watch your back.” Another crash is heard causing my attention to turn toward the noise. A second later, I hear the loud locking sound of the latch on the door. The same one I used for my own escape.

I take a moment to catch my breath. Walking back into the bathroom, I wash my face one more time, erasing the evidence of my tears. I fix my ponytail, dab on a little lip gloss and pinch my cheeks to add a little color to my face. One more deep breath, and I head back to the table where Jayde is standing holding what I assume is Mack’s pie in a teal cardboard box.

“Hey. You all good?” Her eyes cloud with concern.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m not used to eating sugar.” I put my hand to my belly, hoping she’ll get the fake excuse without forcing me to explain the lie any further.

“Oh, gotcha. Are you feeling better? Do I need to take you home?”

“Nah, I’m fine now. We should probably get going. I don’t know what time Sadie is coming back, and the dark-haired hottie on the bike is supposed to be coming back with her.” I lean in and whisper where only she can hear me. “I don’t think I’m supposed to let them see me since the mall.”

“Oh, right. Yeah. She did mention she didn’t want you around the club yet. Okay. Well, let’s go then.” I follow her out to her car, tamping down the need to throw up and try enjoying the summer wind on my face as she breaks the speed limit, tearing off down the road.