into view. He pulled up next to me, and I got in. I didn’t look back at Harlow or Scott, although I could feel Scott’s scowl behind me. My night out with Harlow had turned to shit, and I’d called on the one person I knew who was removed from the situation so I could get his take on it.
“Your house or mine?” he asked, eyes focused on mine in that intense Blade gaze I’d come to know well.
I sighed. “Mine.”
He raised his brows.
“He won’t be there, and I’m tired and want my bed,” I said.
“Your call, babe,” he replied, and then put the car in drive and focused his gaze on the road as he sped off.
We were both silent for the drive, and I appreciated him even more for that. It was one thing I’d learnt about him over the past few months; he was a perceptive man, and could read moods and needs very well.
I sat staring at the rain that had started falling. The darkness, the traffic lights and the rain all blurred together as I thought about the events of the night. I shivered from the air conditioning in the car, and Blade must have noticed because he reached out and shut it off. Normally, I would have thanked him for that, but tonight I just didn’t have it in me.
Twenty minutes later we arrived at my house. No lights were on; J definitely wasn’t home. I didn’t move to unbuckle my belt, and Blade turned to me. “You sure you don’t want me to take you to my place?”
I undid my belt. “No, I’m going to wait here until he comes home and then we’re going to have it out.”
He nodded and got out of the car. I waited because I knew that he liked to open my door. A moment later he came around to my side, and then we headed inside together. I switched on lights and made my way to the kitchen. Blade joined me a couple of minutes later; he’d inspected the house first which was something he always did.
I eyed him. “No boogiemen?”
He ignored me. “You gonna tell me what the fuck happened tonight?”
I indicated that we should sit, and when we were both settled, I said, “It’s not just tonight.”
He reached his arm up and rubbed the back of his neck as he studied me. Then he brought his arm down, rested it on the table, and leant forward. “Madison, you call me at midnight, distressed and crying. You don’t tell me what’s wrong, except to ramble on about J being an asshole. Then you beg me to come and pick you up. I get there and see that Scott was already on the scene but you’ve chosen to go home with me over him. That tells me that something fucked up has happened. And I want to know what it is, because I sure as fuck want to have a word with whoever upset you.”
“It’s J,” I began, but started crying so didn’t continue.
“What did he do?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
I wiped my eyes and got my tears under control. Lifting my face to his, I said, “He was supposed to drop me off and pick me up, but he changed the plans at the last minute and got Scott to drop me off. He didn’t even tell me; Scott just turned up. Then he didn’t come to get me, and Scott said he’d take me home. When I rang J to see where he was, Griff answered the phone and told me that J had passed out drunk at the clubhouse.”
Blade’s body tensed and he balled his hand into a fist. “I thought you two were good; thought you were talking marriage.”
I nodded. “So did I, but J’s slowly pulled away from me since he got back. We seem to have hit crisis point this week, and now he’s avoiding me.”
“You’ve got no idea why?”
“No, he keeps telling me it’s club problems but I don’t think there are any real club problems. I think it’s something to do with Dad.”
Blade frowned momentarily. “You mentioned that you’re going to have it out with him. Possibly not a good idea when he’s drunk or hungover.”
He was right, but I was so upset, angry and desperate for answers that I didn’t
“Your house or mine?” he asked, eyes focused on mine in that intense Blade gaze I’d come to know well.
I sighed. “Mine.”
He raised his brows.
“He won’t be there, and I’m tired and want my bed,” I said.
“Your call, babe,” he replied, and then put the car in drive and focused his gaze on the road as he sped off.
We were both silent for the drive, and I appreciated him even more for that. It was one thing I’d learnt about him over the past few months; he was a perceptive man, and could read moods and needs very well.
I sat staring at the rain that had started falling. The darkness, the traffic lights and the rain all blurred together as I thought about the events of the night. I shivered from the air conditioning in the car, and Blade must have noticed because he reached out and shut it off. Normally, I would have thanked him for that, but tonight I just didn’t have it in me.
Twenty minutes later we arrived at my house. No lights were on; J definitely wasn’t home. I didn’t move to unbuckle my belt, and Blade turned to me. “You sure you don’t want me to take you to my place?”
I undid my belt. “No, I’m going to wait here until he comes home and then we’re going to have it out.”
He nodded and got out of the car. I waited because I knew that he liked to open my door. A moment later he came around to my side, and then we headed inside together. I switched on lights and made my way to the kitchen. Blade joined me a couple of minutes later; he’d inspected the house first which was something he always did.
I eyed him. “No boogiemen?”
He ignored me. “You gonna tell me what the fuck happened tonight?”
I indicated that we should sit, and when we were both settled, I said, “It’s not just tonight.”
He reached his arm up and rubbed the back of his neck as he studied me. Then he brought his arm down, rested it on the table, and leant forward. “Madison, you call me at midnight, distressed and crying. You don’t tell me what’s wrong, except to ramble on about J being an asshole. Then you beg me to come and pick you up. I get there and see that Scott was already on the scene but you’ve chosen to go home with me over him. That tells me that something fucked up has happened. And I want to know what it is, because I sure as fuck want to have a word with whoever upset you.”
“It’s J,” I began, but started crying so didn’t continue.
“What did he do?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
I wiped my eyes and got my tears under control. Lifting my face to his, I said, “He was supposed to drop me off and pick me up, but he changed the plans at the last minute and got Scott to drop me off. He didn’t even tell me; Scott just turned up. Then he didn’t come to get me, and Scott said he’d take me home. When I rang J to see where he was, Griff answered the phone and told me that J had passed out drunk at the clubhouse.”
Blade’s body tensed and he balled his hand into a fist. “I thought you two were good; thought you were talking marriage.”
I nodded. “So did I, but J’s slowly pulled away from me since he got back. We seem to have hit crisis point this week, and now he’s avoiding me.”
“You’ve got no idea why?”
“No, he keeps telling me it’s club problems but I don’t think there are any real club problems. I think it’s something to do with Dad.”
Blade frowned momentarily. “You mentioned that you’re going to have it out with him. Possibly not a good idea when he’s drunk or hungover.”
He was right, but I was so upset, angry and desperate for answers that I didn’t
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