Page 192 of Tattooed Love

I respected him. I admired everything he had done. I looked up to him, but had our closeness turned into something more? Was Troy right when he said this was Tae’s way of locking me down to be his?

“So, what do I do?” Right now I needed to be told what to do. “Tae said I can go back with him and lead, or stay here. I think he knows it nearly killed me, being away from you lot.”

“Would he stay if you did?”

“I don’t know. I think he would travel back here more if I was here.” I spoke the truth of what I thought of the situation. I could see Tae’s business trips here increasing if I was here. I don’t know why I thought that… I just did.

“Well, he is the first man to put you as equal. You should factor that in before you make a decision.”

I nodded my head.

“And tell Jax, Amber.”

My eyes snapped up. I couldn’t do that. If I looked at mine and Jax’s relationship logically, considering our history and how he’d behaved; well, with no emotion, it made sense for me to take this opportunity with Tae and wipe Jax out completely.

“It makes more sense to leave with Tae than it does to stay.” I found myself speaking my thoughts out loud. It did make more sense to leave if I put how I felt about Jax aside. If I could think clearly; make a logical decision.

“You never do what makes sense.” Troy gave me a pointed look. “Talk to Jax. I think he will help you make a decision.”

“I really didn’t want to rely on him,” I sighed and almost groaned. “He will just yell at me.”

“Nah, I don’t think he will Amber. If anything, he will be begging.”

“Begging?”

“For you to not marry Tae.”

I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling. “I’m not marrying him.”

“You are. What he is offering is marriage. Maybe even more serious than marriage, considering his position.” Troy’s hand landed on my knee. “Sorry I couldn’t help you.”

My lips twitched into a smile. If there was one thing Troy always did, it was help. “You did help.”

“If it makes any difference, I never wanted you to have this lifestyle.”

“I was dragged into it.” I shrugged. “And now it is all I know.”

And that was the cold hard truth. I wasn’t the girl who flinched at blood. I wasn’t the girl that had the captain of the football team following her around. Instead, I had one man who was considered the King of the underworld saying he loved me, and, on the other hand, I had a man whose name struck fear in people, offering me a life with him.

So, who would I pick?

Tae or Jax.

Or should I do the cop out and take Tae’s business offer and stay here and keep a relationship with Jax?

But, for some reason, that felt like I was betraying Tae.

God! Why could I never just have a normal problem! Like should I wear my hair curly or straight? Or should I wear makeup today or not?

I groaned and fell back on Troy’s bed. “Why does life have to be so hard?”

I heard him laugh but I knew, as much as I wanted Troy to fix the problem, to tell me which choice to make Tae or Jax, he couldn’t. It was a decision I was going to have to make on my own.

Jax

All fucking day. All fucking day I was dealing with bickering bikers about money! All complaining that they hadn’t got their share as soon as the deal had been settled. Then when I finally sorted that out, a fight broke out about why I wasn’t telling them whom we’d sold to.

I didn’t have to give them answers.

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