Page 100 of Hot for the Jerk

“I understand this is a weird situation all around.So I don’t want to do anything to make it weirder.”He faced me.“If you want to cook, cook.You don’t have to cookforme, but if you feel like cooking or baking, or grinding meat for your own sausages, then do it.”

Marco snickered in the backseat.

Jagger flashed me a big grin.“Does everybody understand that there’s to be no awkwardness in my house?None.I won’t have it.If you’re awkward, I’ll tell you to cut that out.”

More chuckles from my kid eased the tension constricting my heart.I reached across the bench seat for Jagger’s hand and gave it a squeeze, mouthing, “Thank you.”

He shot me a wink.Then we drove the rest of the way to his family property, mostly in silence, the terror of the day playing over and over in my mind like a horror film.My brothers were now helping Soloman.This was like a nightmare come to life.

Azriel and Ezekiel were twins.And they were monsters.They weren’t nearly as terrible as my oldest brother, Ozais, though.He was a combination of my father, Josiah, and Soloman all rolled into one toxic abomination.Nobody will ever be able to convince me otherwise that Ozais isn’t a psychopath.The man has no soul, no light in his eyes, and certainly no moral compass.His wife makes my own mother look like a lively, chatty Kathy.And, of course, Ozais cursed the world with six sons: Ira, Isaiah, Zion, Asa, Lucius, and Cyrus.Each one of them being taught to emulate their father and grandfather, and treat their future wives like chattel.

Where were Azriel and Ezekiel now?

Gabrielle called Myla and told her what happened.She put out an island-wide BOLO for my brothers, and authorities from the mainland were on their way over as well.Azriel and Ezekiel didn’t really have two brain cells to rub between them.So my money was on this being Ozais’s brainchild.All three of my brothers were probably on the island somewhere, either waiting for another opportunity to strike, or hiding until things cooled off and they could escape back to the mainland.

It wasn’t that big of an island.There weren’t too many places to hide, particularly if they didn’t have a vehicle and took the water taxi over.

We arrived at the McEvoy property and, just like the last time when I came here to ask Jagger to ask me out again, we had to wait for the gate to open.A wave of fragile relief washed over me when it closed, with us safely behind it.

“They’re all the same, just different colors.Like Skittles,” Marco remarked as Jagger drove past his brothers’ houses to his gray one on the far end.“That’s kind of cool.”

Jagger parked his truck and started unloading our stuff.“Door’s unlocked.If your mom’s cool with giving you first pick of the rooms, you can head upstairs and choose between the two guest rooms.Big one’s mine, obviously.”

Marco grabbed his duffel bag and headed for the front door, his posture stiffer than normal because we were in a new place.As much as he was getting comfortable with Jagger, he’d never been to his house before, and my kid changed when he was somewhere new.With his hand on the knob, he glanced back at me, unsure.

I nodded.“Go on.You can have first pick of the rooms.”

He entered the house while I helped Jagger grab the rest of the stuff.

“You two don’t pack lightly,” Jagger teased, unable to see where he was going, his arms were so loaded.“It’s like you’re moving in for good or something.”

“Oh, if that were the case, you’d have to make several trips just for my plants.”I took his lead and just unloaded everything at the base of the stairs, then went back and closed the door.

“I’m taking the room on the left,” Marco called from upstairs.

“Good choice,” Jagger replied.“That one has a partial ocean view.”

“So, I’m stuck with the garden view?”I chided.

He leaned down toward me, but glanced upstairs to make sure Marco wasn’t on his way back down.“My room has agreatocean view.”

Heat filled my cheeks, and I’m sure I singed his lips when he planted a chaste kiss on me right before Marco came thundering back downstairs.He grabbed a bunch of bedding, his school backpack, and a few other things, then ran back upstairs.

“I figured we just do pizza from the pub for dinner tonight,” Jagger said, gathering up all my stuff and ascending the stairs.“Is that cool with you?”

“Do you just get free food all the time?”I asked, following him to the bedrooms.

“I mean, I don’t eat from the pub very often, and wedopay for the ingredients.So it’s not exactly free.”He turned right into a nice, but sparse guest room with a queen-sized bed, a dark wood bed frame with a matching dresser and single nightstand.The window did indeed look down onto his backyard, and beyond to a steep green hillside that I’m sure was freckled with wildflowers during the spring and summer.He plunked all my stuff on the bed and I did the same.Then he turned to me and grabbed me by the shoulders like I often did with Marco.“You’re safe here, Raina.I promise.You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.We’re not going to let anything happen to you or Marco.”

A rush of emotions came barreling forward and my breath stuttered out of my lungs as salty tears stung the backs of my eyes.All I could do was nod.My throat was too tight to say anything.

He didn’t need me to either.Jagger just hauled me against his big, hard chest, my ear over his heart, and he rubbed my back and absorbed my fear until my lungs stopped with the shallow breath bullshit.

I pulled my head away and glanced up at him, my eyes blurry from the tears.“Thank you.”Lifting up onto my tiptoes, I pressed a tear-soaked kiss to his mouth.He tightened his hold on me a little and took the kiss deeper.I melted into him, relishing his closeness, his kisses, his protection.

“Mom?”

As if the man in my arms just caught fire, I jumped away from him, wiped my eyes and mouth, and spun to face my son.But it was too late.

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