“Anytime, honey,” she says gently. I nod and wait until Hope catches up to me to go into the house and close the door, wishing I knew how to change the code so I could lock Jax out. Going to my room, I make sure Hope is settled while I start to put away my laundry.
“Ellie, I need to talk to you for a minute.” Jax says lightly tapping on the door.
Gritting my teeth, I get off my bed, making sure Hope is distracted by her doll before opening the door and stepping into the hall then to the side when Jax takes a step towards me.
“I never said you were a charity case,” he says, and the urge to punch him in the stomach hits me so hard I have to fist my hands at my sides to keep from doing just that.
“I never asked for a car, and if I wanted a car, I would have found a way to get one for myself.”
“I’m just trying to help you, Ellie.”
“Well don’t, and please take the car back, Jax,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I bought it cash, so you’re gonna have to suck it up and accept it.”
“I’m going to have to suck it up?” I repeat, just to make sure I heard him correctly.
“It’s paid for.” I have no idea how much a car like that costs, but I have a feeling it’s a lot of money, and there is no way in hell I would take a car like that from anyone. Definitely not from an almost stranger, even if he is just trying to be nice.
“I don’t want it. Take it back.”
“Too bad, it’s yours,” he growls at me. Yes, growls, like he has the right to be pissed off at me for not accepting it.
“We’re done talking,” I announce, turning and walking back into the room, hearing him growl again as I shut the door. I don’t even care if it seems like I’m acting like a child throwing a temper tantrum. I’m thankful for his help, but no way in hell am I taking a car from him. And he can’t make me, I think immaturely as I walk to the bed and plop down next to Hope, deciding then the only way Jax and I will be talking again is when he takes the car back to wherever he bought it from.
Chapter 3
Jax
My head lifts as the backdoor opens and Ellie whispers, “Jax?” loudly, stumbling into the kitchen. She’s holding onto Wes, whose body is bent almost double from her weight.
“What the fuck happened?” I ask, getting off the stool I was sitting at, working on a case for a client while waiting for Ellie to get home so we can talk, whether she wants to or not.
“Her, July, and all the sisters and cousins decided to have an impromptu bachelorette party at the compound,” he says, chucking when Ellie says something about loving July and going on runs with her.
“And you didn’t think to call me?” I growl, pulling Ellie away from him and tucking her into my front, smelling tequila mixed with her sweet scent.
“Sorry, man.” He shakes his head. “July told me if I called I wasn’t gonna be sleeping in bed with her tonight. I’ll do a lot of shit, but no way am I taking the couch over some shit that’s not my concern.”
“I’m not talking to Jax,” Ellie cuts in, looking at Wes then up at me, pointing a finger then going cross-eyed when she stares at it, muttering, “I’m not talking to you.”
I know this, since she hasn’t talked to me in almost a week. I had no fucking idea women could use silence as a punishment, but Ellie does and it fucking sucks. This shit has been going on since the day I drove up in the Rover, which is still parked out front of the house, because I refuse to take it back. Ellie needs something safe to get her and Hope around in, and I know eventually she will see it my way.
Or at least I hope she will.
For the five days, anything and everything Ellie felt necessary to tell me, she did it through text messaging, including the fact July asked her to be one of her bridesmaids at her wedding this weekend. After what happened with July getting kidnapped, Wes told her they were going to get married now, rather than in a few months. Aunt November refused to let July get married at the courthouse like she did, and she pulled my mom and aunts together and planned a wedding in just a few days, which apparently included an impromptu bachelorette party tonight, since tomorrow night will be the wedding.
I also learned through text that Harlen would be escorting Ellie at the wedding. Though that text came from my cousin, who I’m pretty sure was just saying it to piss me off. And it worked. That day, I found my ass at the Broken Eagles Bike Shop, where I had a talk with Harlen about his hands and what would happen to them if even one touched Ellie in a way that I didn’t like.
“My wedding’s tomorrow. Any other time, I would have called, but my girl needed tonight, so I gave it to her.”
“That’s ’cause your sweet…and hot,” Ellie slurs, looking at Wes, which causes my chest to vibrate in annoyance, but the feeling abruptly ends when she presses her face into my shirt while wrapping her arms around my middle.
To say I’m over this shit is an understatement, but now, seeing Ellie drunk and cute, I’m completely the fuck over it. We need to talk, and whether she wants to or not, it’s happening. Maybe not tonight, because she wouldn’t likely remember any of it, but it would be very soon.
“You should have called me to come get her.”
“Like I said…” He shrugs then looks at Ellie in my arms and raises a brow.
Shaking my head, I ask, “Where’s Hope?” while pulling Ellie’s hands out of the back of my shirt, where they had wandered. I was already hard from seeing her in the tight jeans and tighter tee with her body pressed against mine, but her hands on my skin would send me over the edge.
“Your mom took her home with her for a sleepover when the girls decided they were gonna drink and hang out.”
My mom is in love with Ellie and Hope, and completely backed Ellie in her silent treatment, so it doesn’t even surprise me that she wouldn’t call to give me a heads up about tonight. Still, that shit pisses me off too. What happened to loyalty?
“If you’re good, I’m gonna head out. July’s in the truck,” Wes remarks.
Lifting my chin, I walk with Ellie, who’s still glued to my front, to the door and lock it behind him.
“It’s so hot,” she gripes. Tilting my head down, I see she’s peering up at me. I close my eyes for a moment, praying for strength. “I need to get out of these clothes.” Opening my eyes, I watch as she pulls from my grasp and drops her coat to the ground, her shirt coming up and over her head, leaving her in a dark purple lace bra and jeans.
“Jesus,” I hear myself hiss under my breath, knowing I should stop her, but fuck if I can do or say anything as her hands go to the buttons of her jeans and I see dark purple lace is there too.
“Ellie,” I growl, needing her to stop.
“What?” she asks, tilting sideways, but before she can hit the floor, I pick her up bridal style and head for the stairs.
“I’m too heavy for you to carry. I suck at being on a diet; I don’t even like vegetables,” she murmurs, pressing her face into my neck, where I swear I feel her tongue touch briefly.
“You don’t need to diet, Ellie. You’re perfect the way you are, and I could run laps with you in my arms just like this.”