Chapter Ten
1240 Words
Jett
Fuck.
Fuck , f**k f**k. Why the hell had I left the bar with some skank last night and not waiting for her.
If I had waited for her…. I let the thought drift off as I pushed the bike to go faster. Weaving in and out of the sparse early morning traffic , the sound of Teddy’s panicked phone call still ringing in my ears.
“Jett you need to come to the bar , we have a situation”
I had growled at him, not even attempting to hide the animal in my voice. Who the hell did he think he was ringing me at the ass crack of dawn and summoning me like I worked for him and not the other way round. I had cracked my neck where it had become stiff from sleeping on the recliner and not my bed.
“f**k off Teddy” I rolled my shoulders , glancing about me to the shadows that were only barely recognisable as people. Men and woman were strewn everywhere, not all of them dressed. “I’m trying to sleep”
Truth was I was awake. Even if my head was pounding and I wished I wasn’t.
“Jett, Harper is… just come quick brother ok”
I froze, not caring that the bear was calling me brother when he had no right. Harper? He was phoning me because of Harper.
“What the hell? Is she ok?”
“Just come” He had put the phone down before I could say another word but it was ok I was already moving, stuffing my feet into boots I was out the front door without even pausing to do them up and sprinting to my bike.
The ride down couldn’t have been more than ten minutes but it honestly felt like hours. Each car that got in my way seemed to be going at snails pace.
What the hell had I been thinking? Or in my case not thinking when I had left the bar the night before? My hands full of ass of a girl who I couldn’t even get it up for instead of waiting for the girl I really wanted.
Sure, patience had never been my strong suit but I didn’t even give her a chance to show up . Not really .
Maybe if I had , then what ever had happened that had Teddy phone me in such a panic wouldn’t have happened.
Banging on the closed door with my fists , I had to curb my strength. It wouldn’t do for any humans to see me punch the heavy wooden door off its hinges. Even if that’s what I wanted to do.
Wouldn’t do for Harper to see that either.
Just the thought of her made me start hammering on the door again. She was inside. And she was scared.
I could taste it on my tongue.
I could hear her heart hammering, fast like a hummingbirds wing. And two other steadier heart beats as well but hers was the one I concentrated on.
“Easy brother”
I didn’t even blink as Bat opened the door a crack. I would ask later what he was doing here, right now I had more important things to worry about.
“Where is she?” I shoulder barged him , forcing him to open the door wide enough for me to slip through.
He didn’t need to answer. Even if my superior eyes couldn’t see her in the gloom I could smell her.
I could smell the absolute despair that was washing from her in waves. Her tears.
She was sat in the furthest booth, one of the only clear tables in the whole place. Her legs drawn up so her chin was resting on her knees.
Someone’s jacket was over her.
Leather.
Bats.
Jealousy ripped through me before I could control it. What the hell was she doing here with another mans jacket over her shoulders and then I caught sight of her feet.
Her dirty bloody feet.
What the hell?
“What the hell happened?” I said it out the corner of my mouth. I didn’t even think she realised I was even in the room. She looked like she was drugged , almost like a zombie.
In shock, I realised with a start. She was shaking like a leaf in a gale.
“Found her out by the bins when we came to tidy up” Bats voice was steady but his eyes didn’t leave the trembling girl. “Don’t know how long she was there but we got her in here as quickly as possible and phoned you” He arched an eyebrow in my direction. “Did we do the right thing?”
I shot him a death look.
“Go easy now Jett, she’s skittish as hell”
Frowning I made a beeline for the back table. What did he think I was going to do? Rush over and bend her over the table. As much as my d**k liked that idea it hated seeing her in so much pain.
Shit, I really really hated seeing her like this.
“Hey Harper, you ok baby?” I stopped a few feet from the table keeping my voice as soft as I could.
“Harper?” I tried again when she didn’t raise her face from her knees. “Harper’s it’s Jett”
Finally she looked up, her face ashen , the dark tracks of her tears stood out in sharp contrast to the whiteness of her face.
Her bottom lip trembled.
“Jett” She mumbled thickly.
“Yeah baby, you ok?” I took a hesitant step forward because it was killing me not being close to her when she so obviously needed me.
“Jett?”
I smiled, but it was a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.
“Jett” Suddenly She was on her feet , moving across the distance that separated us to wrap her arms around my waist, she pressed her face against my chest and sobbed.
My arms snaked about her , holding her to me like I had dreamt of doing so many times.
Ok not quite like this, I hadn’t day dreamed about tears and snot but holding her? Yeah that I had thought about.
“It’s ok baby, it’s ok” I brushed my lips against her wayward blonde hair. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m here , you’re safe now”
And I meant it.
Whether she wanted me like I wanted her didn’t matter. I couldn’t ever see her like this again.
She was mine to protect.
Mine.
Ours.
My animal had claimed her as ours. In our heads anyway. And that meant she was ours to protect.
The roar in my head was loud. Wicked canines glinting in the prison of my brain as he prowled back and forth, not quite pushing at my skin but almost.
Almost tearing free.
“Safe now Harper”
- Writer
