Jake’s Angel (King’s Of Fury MC #2)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

JAKE

I’m startled awake by the sound of Avery whimpering in her sleep. At some point, we turned over, and I’m spooning her. I gently wrap my arm tighter around her waist and she draws herself into a little ball next to me.

“Shh, Angel. You’re safe. I’m here.” I rub her hair away from her face. She allows her legs to stretch out and her body relaxes into my touch. “That’s it, baby. You’re ok.” I kiss her shoulder and hear the little sigh she lets out. It makes me smile.

I lean up to grab the blanket to pull it up over us, when I notice how high on her body my shirt has ridden through the night. Her sexy legs are on full display. Her black lace panties and soft porcelain skin are completely exposed. Raking my eyes slowly over her body, I take in every line and curve before looking up to the mirror to get the full view. My body reacts immediately to the look of her lying half naked next to me in my bed.

I trace her legs with my fingers, gradually moving up to her hips. Goosebumps form on her legs, making me smile. Leaning up on my elbow, I continue to caress her legs gently. Her breathing has changed, but she’s not moving. She likes this. She’s enjoying my touch as much as I’m enjoying touching her.

I have no intention of taking this any further than simply touching her. I won’t risk having her hate me for taking advantage of her while she’s in the emotional state she is.

I reach a little higher this time, catching the edge of her lacy panties with my thumb, stopping just at the edge. Something in the feel of her skin changes. I lean up further while moving the elastic up ever so slightly. Her breath hitches.

She’s awake.

There’s a mark about the size of a nickel, maybe a little bigger. At first, I think it’s just an old scar, but what would make a perfectly round circular scar? The way her body trembles tells me she’s nervous for me to know about it, whatever it is.

Removing my hand from her leg, I pull the blankets up over the both of us and pull her close. I lay back down on the pillow, thinking of all the possibilities when I feel her stir again. “I can hear you thinking,” she whispers, her voice strained like she’s been crying.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask, but she just shakes her head. “Talk to me, Angel.” I nudge. “I need you to tell me what happened? Please let me help you, baby.” She starts to pull away from me, but I don’t let her, tightening my grip on her waist a little.

“Listen, I just want to help. I don’t think the jackass you were dancing with did anything to physically hurt you. At least I’d like to hope the fucker wasn’t that stupid.” She chuckles.

“He didn’t hurt me, Jake. I freaked out.”

“Sadie was calling your name, and you didn’t respond. It’s like you weren’t there.” I wait for a beat to see if she’ll open up, but when she doesn’t, I push a little more.

“Where did you go, baby? You were physically with us, but where did you go up here?” I ask, brushing her hair away from her temple and lightly tap there.

“It hasn’t happened in a long time,” she says, and I hear her sniffle.

Shit. She’s crying. I’m an asshole for creeping on her while she’s sleeping.

“What hasn’t, Angel?” I ask hesitantly, not sure I want to hear what she has to say. Thinking she’s going to tell me about some old rich boyfriend feeling her up in her sleep or some shit. Her next words slam into my chest like a freight train and have me feeling like an asshole all at the same time.

“The flashbacks.”

What the fuck?

“ I thought I was almost over them, but I guess I was wrong.” She lets out a deep sigh. With her back still snuggled to my front, but with her legs now pulled back up, making her seem so small in my arms, she starts. “It was a while ago, a few days after my birthday. I was leaving the dance studio where I worked when some men attacked me.” Holy shit. I growl rumbles deep in my chest.

A feeling of uneasiness washes over me. I know there was talk of an attack, but from what they’ve been saying, she’s never told anyone about it, so no one really knows what happened to her. I don’t take it lightly. She’s offering to share this with me.

Caleb was right. She does trust me .

I sigh in relief and rub my thumb on her stomach, making light circles while silently encouraging her to go on.

“There’s a spot in the parking lot off in the corner. It’s hidden in the dark. There're trees and bushes, but no lights, so the security cameras can’t see anything over there. I had just finished cleaning up the studio after my last class. I rarely stay late by myself, but one of the girls had gone home sick with the flu, so I was there alone that night. Chuck wasn’t available to drive me that day for whatever reason, so I didn’t mind the extra time to myself. I was heading out to my car to go home when they grabbed me and carried me to the corner.” Her voice trembles slightly. “There were four of them. All much bigger than me.” She shudders as she speaks and I wrap my arm around her a little tighter.

“Two of them held me down and bound my arms and legs while the third one was their lookout. He never touched me, just stood nearby. But the one who …” She takes a deep breath. “The one in charge. He wore a pinky ring that bore his initials.” She stops talking for a second, as if lost in thought. My stomach is twisting in knots. In an effort to keep her from falling back into the memory too far, I kiss her hair and rub small circles on her belly with my fingers, and I don’t miss her little sigh.

“Your safe now, Angel. They can’t hurt you anymore. I’ve got you now.” I push her to go on.

She nods and laces her fingers through mine over her belly. “He took a knife to my clothes, ripping them off me, leaving me to lie naked on the cold hard ground while he grabbed and groped at me, leaving bruises everywhere he touched.” Laying here listening to her relive her trauma, I’m thinking of all the fucked-up ways I’d like to torture the son of a bitch who thought he could put his hands on such a beautiful woman. My woman. My body is shaking with rage.

“Jake?” Avery stills.

“Sorry, baby. Hearing someone could hurt you like this, I’m struggling to keep my shit together.” I take a deep breath and reign in my emotions.

“We don’t have to talk about it.”

I lean up on my elbow, grip her chin, and force her to see me. “I want you to tell me. You shouldn’t hold something like this inside. Give me your burdens, baby. I can handle it.”

Avery nods. I wipe a single tear from her cheek.

If I get my hands on this motherfucker, my brothers and I are going to make him pay. Maybe Pop will dig out some of his old school methods.

No crime goes unpunished in the MC world, especially those performed against a woman or a child. But those committed against a brother or his ol’ lady, those come with our own special brand of fury.

Avery continues to tell me all the things this son of a bitch did to hurt her and how his friends held her down so he could.

“Last night at the party, the guy he didn’t—the man who was dancing with us—he didn’t hurt me. I don’t want him to get into any trouble. It wasn’t him that upset me. It was seeing his ring.” I sit up, lean against the headboard, and bring her to sit on my lap. Her head settles in the crook of my neck.

“Go on. What was it about the ring? Why did it upset you?” I ask, hoping she’s not about to tell me she recognized him as one of the assholes who attacked her. I don’t know how I would explain to Gabe and the club I killed the bastard without them, but then again, if it turns out he has something to do with any of this, no one will stop me from doing what’s necessary.

Avery starts shaking in my arms. I pull the blanket back up over her and cradle her to my chest tighter.

“Breathe, baby.” Her body has grown cold to the touch. She pulls the blankets back, slides off my lap, and stands before me at the side of the bed. I move to the edge, placing her between my legs, halting her movements. She grabs the hem of my T-shirt, ready to lift it off her body, but freezes when our eyes meet.

My brow creases, not sure what she’s wanting.

“I want to show you. Please.” The insecurity swimming in her beautiful green eyes is fucking killing me.

Using my hands, I rub along her thighs, trying to both warm her up and calm her down. Her body tenses when I rub her scars. “You don’t have to do this.” I tell her. A tear slides down her cheek, but she says nothing, only nods, letting me know she wants to.

I lift my T-shirt up along her leg slowly until I can see the scars the knife left on her skin. Her eyes are shut tight as more tears fall. I pause, waiting for her to give the signal to keep going. “I’m not going to hurt you, Angel. If you don’t want to show me, you don’t have to.”

“Do it.”

My brave, beautiful woman.

I reach up, caressing her cheek and wiping away the tears, but they keep falling. She nods, then allows me to lift off the shirt.

She stands before me in only a see-through pair of black lace panties and a matching bra. My cock jumps at the sight, but I keep my composure. As much as I want this woman in front of me just like this, now is not the time. She’s giving me something at this moment.

Her vulnerability.

Her trust.

I know how hard this must be for her to bare her soul and her scars to me. I won’t let the lust I’m feeling for her make a mockery of this.

I hold in the growl I feel in my chest, trying like hell to reign in my anger. I see the marks on her thigh and hip and touch them lightly with my fingers. As I run my hands along her hips, I notice another rough patch of skin. Her breathing stutters as I lean back to see the second mark.

I want this bastard! He fucking branded her!

The son of a bitch left his symbol on her skin as a sick reminder, one she can’t ever erase. I pull my shirt back over her head and stand up, pulling her body into mine, cradling her head against my chest.

She sobs softly into my chest, but doesn’t speak for a while. “I’m sorry Angel. I’m so sorry this bastard touched you like this.” Her sobs are ripping my heart to pieces. I need to find this motherfucker, and fast. But first—I need a name.

With one hand on her waist, the other stroking her hair, I gather enough courage to ask, "Do you know them?" She stiffens in my arms again.

Yeah, she knows. But she doesn’t want to tell me.

“Avery, look at me.” She leans up to meet my eyes. I graze her cheek with the back of my hand. “Will you tell me who did this to you? I promise he will never touch you again. But I can only keep my promise if you’ll tell me who he is.”

She’s silent for a minute but surprises the hell out of me when she straightens up, pulling away from my hold and says, “I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t? Those are two very different things.” I argue, trying to keep the rage from my voice.

“I can’t. Too many people will get hurt, and I won’t be responsible for that. I already ran away, which will cause enough trouble, but it was the only way I could see to escape. I left so he can’t get to us anymore,” she whispers.

My head is reeling and before I can reign in my temper, I let it get the best of me and shout, “What the fuck, Avery? Who’s us? Did this sick fuck touch Sadie too? I need a name.”

I try to calm myself when she jumps back from me. She’s just poured her heart out to me and she doesn’t need my shit added to it— but fuck! How can I resist the urge to kill this fucker?

She walks over to the dresser and leans against it, wrapping her arms over her belly to hide herself from me. She’s thinking about something. The scowl on her face tells me she’s still not too sure what she should say. She paces back and forth a few times until I’ve finally had enough. I go to her, taking her hand and bring her back to my bed. Sitting down, I grab her around the waist and bring her to sit on my lap, her back to my chest, leaning my chin on her shoulder.

“Take a deep breath.” She does as I ask. “Now, let it out.” Again, she follows instructions.

So, she can listen. I keep those smartass thoughts to myself, now is not the time. “Just relax, Angel. Sleep. I’ve got you.”