when he dragged you out of Tuna’s the other night? You do know that was all about me. He and I, well we will never be close.”
“That’s too bad. Will thought an awful lot of him.”
“So what’s Irons to you now, your protector?”
“Well Jax does whatever Jax wants to do, so I guess if that’s his chosen role there isn’t much I can do about it.”
“So, if I wanna take you out again, I have to go through him?”
“I didn’t say that. Nor did I know that this was ‘taking me out’.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
He sat back and stared at me then smiled, “You’re a very beautiful girl, Francesca. I will absolutely want to take you out. If I have to make nice with Irons, then that’s what I will do.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I laughed, because I knew damn well Jax would have a problem with it. Not because of what took place between him and me but because of Will. I could forgive, I just wasn’t sure Jaxson Irons was built the same.
When we left the restaurant Ace tried to kiss me, I turned so he caught my cheek, “A lady, huh?”
“Of course.” I smiled and waved as I walked away.
* * *
I pulled up in front of my apartment and grabbed my bags. I wanted to do some more work before meeting the people chosen to be on the committee to help set restrictions on the use of energy drinks for pilots and soldiers. Aside from school, this is what was most important to me. I couldn’t change what happened but I could hopefully stop it from happening again.
I was walking up the stairs when I heard my name. I turned around and saw Jax walking towards me.
He stopped abruptly, about two feet in front of me. He looked angry, and I would not be intimidated by Jax. I stood taller and rolled my eyes.
“Can I help you?”
“No, but you can answer four questions for me.”
I turned and started walking up the stairs, “Make it quick, I have work to do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what, Jax?” I unlocked the door and walked in.
“How Will died. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sat my bag down and turned around and looked into his eyes.
“I thought you knew. I thought—”
“I didn’t. Family did and the Navy did, but I didn’t,” he poked himself in the chest. “I didn’t fucking know!”
His hands were trembling and he fisted them.
“Have a seat, Jax. I’ll get you a drink.”
“Question two.” His bark caused me to stop and turn around.
“Alright let’s hear it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you would be doing an internship where I work?”
“It didn’t come up, Jax.” I walked in and grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge.
“I think you should rethink it.” I walked in and sat down and handed him a water. “I don’t want it.”
“Okay, well explain to me why I should rethink it.”
“I work there. That’s where I train, that’s where I—”
“So what, Jax? So I should hide in my own little corner of the world so you can what? Avoid me, shun Ace for—”
“Question three!”
“No! Do you hear yourself, Jaxson Irons? It’s all about you, isn’t it? Every question is about what you want. Well, you know what, that’s not how the world works. I’m sorry you didn’t know what was found in the investigation of Will’s crash, Jax, but did you even ask anyone? And I’m sorry you don’t want me to work where you do, but that’s where Will worked too, you know.” I stood up and walked towards the door. I couldn’t even look at him. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“The fuck it is,” he growled as he walked over and slammed the door shut. “Stay the fuck away from Ace. He’s a piece of shit and if you knew—”
“I do know. He told me at lunch today. He was grieving too, Jax. He lost someone too.”
“Question four.”
“No, I don’t—”
“Did you break up with—”
“That is none of your business.”
“I told you what I would do.”
He was inches from me, and moving
“That’s too bad. Will thought an awful lot of him.”
“So what’s Irons to you now, your protector?”
“Well Jax does whatever Jax wants to do, so I guess if that’s his chosen role there isn’t much I can do about it.”
“So, if I wanna take you out again, I have to go through him?”
“I didn’t say that. Nor did I know that this was ‘taking me out’.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
He sat back and stared at me then smiled, “You’re a very beautiful girl, Francesca. I will absolutely want to take you out. If I have to make nice with Irons, then that’s what I will do.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I laughed, because I knew damn well Jax would have a problem with it. Not because of what took place between him and me but because of Will. I could forgive, I just wasn’t sure Jaxson Irons was built the same.
When we left the restaurant Ace tried to kiss me, I turned so he caught my cheek, “A lady, huh?”
“Of course.” I smiled and waved as I walked away.
* * *
I pulled up in front of my apartment and grabbed my bags. I wanted to do some more work before meeting the people chosen to be on the committee to help set restrictions on the use of energy drinks for pilots and soldiers. Aside from school, this is what was most important to me. I couldn’t change what happened but I could hopefully stop it from happening again.
I was walking up the stairs when I heard my name. I turned around and saw Jax walking towards me.
He stopped abruptly, about two feet in front of me. He looked angry, and I would not be intimidated by Jax. I stood taller and rolled my eyes.
“Can I help you?”
“No, but you can answer four questions for me.”
I turned and started walking up the stairs, “Make it quick, I have work to do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what, Jax?” I unlocked the door and walked in.
“How Will died. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sat my bag down and turned around and looked into his eyes.
“I thought you knew. I thought—”
“I didn’t. Family did and the Navy did, but I didn’t,” he poked himself in the chest. “I didn’t fucking know!”
His hands were trembling and he fisted them.
“Have a seat, Jax. I’ll get you a drink.”
“Question two.” His bark caused me to stop and turn around.
“Alright let’s hear it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you would be doing an internship where I work?”
“It didn’t come up, Jax.” I walked in and grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge.
“I think you should rethink it.” I walked in and sat down and handed him a water. “I don’t want it.”
“Okay, well explain to me why I should rethink it.”
“I work there. That’s where I train, that’s where I—”
“So what, Jax? So I should hide in my own little corner of the world so you can what? Avoid me, shun Ace for—”
“Question three!”
“No! Do you hear yourself, Jaxson Irons? It’s all about you, isn’t it? Every question is about what you want. Well, you know what, that’s not how the world works. I’m sorry you didn’t know what was found in the investigation of Will’s crash, Jax, but did you even ask anyone? And I’m sorry you don’t want me to work where you do, but that’s where Will worked too, you know.” I stood up and walked towards the door. I couldn’t even look at him. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“The fuck it is,” he growled as he walked over and slammed the door shut. “Stay the fuck away from Ace. He’s a piece of shit and if you knew—”
“I do know. He told me at lunch today. He was grieving too, Jax. He lost someone too.”
“Question four.”
“No, I don’t—”
“Did you break up with—”
“That is none of your business.”
“I told you what I would do.”
He was inches from me, and moving
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