Page 113 of Jake's Angel

Jayde’s right. If anything had happened to her, Pop would’ve taken her to Mom, and the asshole in Parisi’s hold would already be a memory. Pop would’ve killed Parisi, and his threats be damned.

They’ll get what’s coming to them either way. Since this prick’s been on Pop’s list of most wanted for a few months andbecause he has information we need, he’ll die slow and painful. I smile inside.

“Now, we both know you aren’t scanning the room like a madman for me,” she says, brushing off my shoulders. “Avery’s laying down on the couch,” she tells me, stepping up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. Jayde steps away and back over to the bar near Blake, who looks both sick and nervous. He should be.Pres is going to hand him his ass for the shit that went down tonight.

“What the hell happened to you two? You drink too much when you were supposed to be watching the girls?”

“Nah man. We both had one beer.” Blake looks at Jayde, who looks down at her drink, looking extremely guilty. “Someoneslipped something into our drinks.” He side-eyes Jayde.

“You ask Jinx about it?” I ask. Jayde still won’t look up.

Shit. She was in on it.

“Yep. Wasn’t her. The last person who touched our drinks was Sadie Jay.”

Goddamnit.

Jayde turns to walk away, only to be stopped by Blake grabbing her elbow. “We’re pretty sure she put some type of sleeping pill into the beers, and I’m pretty sure I have an idea where she got it from.” Giving a pointed look at Jayde, and I know he’s right.

She shrugs it off. When Blake whispers something in her ear, her cheeks turn three shades of red.

“I’ll deal with you later,” I say, pointing my finger at Jayde in warning.

I turn and make a beeline for the couch to find my sleeping beauty. She’s curled up into a ball with a lightweight Harley blanket covering her. She’s so beautiful. I hate to wake her, but we need to get out of here. I need to take her home, where I can be sure she’ll rest.

I brush the hair back from her face. “Avery, wake up, baby.” She whimpers but doesn’t open her eyes. I try again, this time I grab her shoulder and shake lightly. “Come on, Angel. It’s time to go.”

She opens her eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them and takes a good long look at me. “Go where?” Her voice is soft. She sits up with the covers pulled all the way to her neck.

“You’re coming home with me.”

“No,” she bites out. “I’ll stay at Liz’s house in my own bed.”

What is with the change in attitude? What the fuck happened while I was outside? I wasn’t out there that long.

“Not a fucking chance. You’re coming home with me, sleeping in my bed, where I can keep you close.”

Avery glares at me. Drea and the red-head come walking through the room from somewhere behind me, headed to the bar.

“Don’t you have anotherjobyou could be doing for the club tonight besides babysitting?”

What the hell has gotten into her?That’s when I notice she’s glaring at the two club girls over my shoulder who are glaring right back at her. “I’m sure there are other women here more suited to your needs who are less burdensome. They’d love nothing more than to be in your bed. Maybe you should take one of them home with you instead.” Avery shirks her head toward the two club girls.

Is she serious?“I don’t want them. I’m here for you.”

She narrows her eyes, sizing me up. “Thanks. Not interested.”

The fuck?She did not just blow me off.

Tired of playing games, my anger gets the better of me. “You’rekidding me,right? You sneak out. Go to a nightclub you have no business being in. Go toe-to-toe with that cock sucking bastard, andI’m the bad guy here?” I’m so pissed I want nothingmore than to take her over my knee and whoop her ass until she remembers why she needs to follow instructions, and she’sstillstaring me down. “I hauled ass to get to you, to rescue your crazy ass from some punk-ass bastard, and you think I want to fuck some club whore?”

She’s out of her damn mind.

“Thanks for the rescue.” Her voice comes out in a sarcastic whisper.

She’s pissed, but the humiliation of tonight’s events is evident on her face. It’s there and gone. She snaps her sassy attitude back in place. “There are two whores over there—consider them your prize.” Avery stands up, dropping the blanket and spinning herself toward the door.

Where the fuck she thinks she’s going, I don’t know. My jaw clenches. I’ve had enough of this shit.I move in front of her, put my shoulder to her stomach, and scoop her up. My hands firmly holding onto the silky skin of her thighs. Her little dress is creeping up to the edge of her ass. I hold back a groan. My dick stands up and takes notice.She feels so good, so soft under my calloused hands.

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