The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 60

He staggered down the hallway to the crash rooms, and saw one of the doors was half-open. Sure enough, Raylene was in there. He slammed the door behind him, and her eyes flashed.

“You got some pent-up tension there, Jax?”

“You could say that.”

“How do you want to relieve it?” she said.

“Come over here,” he said roughly. “Down on your knees.”

She came eagerly, and he undid his belt buckle, unzipped his jeans. She reached for his c**k, looked a bit surprised when she saw his complete lack of arousal.

She tipped her head back. “You need some help?”

Jax closed his eyes. The thought of anyone but Sarah touching him made him feel physically sick. God, he missed her, everything about her, but he couldn’t be with her. And in this moment, that hard, bleak truth snapped his heart clean in half. He stood there, and knew that he was totally, completely, utterly, f*****g heartbroken.

“Raylene.” His voice was gentler than she’d ever heard it, and she gazed up at him in confusion. “I’m sorry, hon. I can’t do this, OK?” He reached down, helped her to her feet.

She stood there, bewildered. “You – what?”

Jax did his pants up again. “I – I’m in love, and even though I’m not with her, I just can’t do this with you. With anyone.”

“Are you serious?” Her blue eyes were incredulous.

“Yeah.”

“You f*****g dickhead,” she snapped. “Get me down on my knees, and then reject me? Really?”

“I’m sorry.”

“f**k off.” She wrenched the door open, and stormed out.

Jax shook his head at himself in the mirror, went back to the bar. The guys watched him closely as he approached. Aidan had set a shot on the bar, but Jax ignored it.

“Some coffee, Aidan. Please.”

“Coming right up, boss,” Aidan said, the relief evident in his voice.

“So,” Mac said. “If I say that we just saw Raylene fly on out of here like a bat out of hell, will you tell me to f**k off?”

“Nope.” Jax sat down heavily on a stool.

Mac studied the other man’s face. “Couldn’t go through with it?”

“Nope.”

Mac paused, then spoke quietly. “You miss Sarah?”

“Like hell, man. Like – like I don’t have air.”

“So what are you going to do?” King said.

Jax sighed. “Drink my coffee. Sober up. Go home. Call her tomorrow, and see how she’s doing.”

“And if she doesn’t want to get back with you?”

“I don’t know.” Jax sipped his coffee and grimaced. Aidan had made it strong tonight. Then again, he probably needed it. “I’ll be her friend, I guess, if she’ll have me. I can call her once in a while, check in. Make sure she and her family are all OK, and be there if she needs some help.”

“You’d be happy with just that?”

“No.” Jax shrugged. “But it’s better than what I’ve got right now. Which is nothing.”

Just then, Jax’s cell phone rang, and when he saw Sarah’s number flashing up, he almost fell off the bar stool in shock. Mac, King and Aidan watched in astonishment as Jax fumbled and bumbled, trying to answer without losing his cool.

“Sarah?” he almost shouted.

“Jax, Jax, Jax!”

He paused, completely confused. “Noah?”

“Help, Jax!”

Jax got up and stood very still, suddenly afraid without knowing why. “Where’s Sarah?”

There was silence at the other end. His heart stopped, and he sobered up immediately.

“Noah?”

“Hurt.”

Jax gripped the phone tighter. “Sarah’s hurt?”

At his words, the other men froze too, their eyes locked on him.

“Sarah’s hurt. Blood.” Another pause. “Dave.”

Jax turned to Aidan. “Call an ambulance to 571 Mariposa Street.”

Without a word, Aidan nodded and reached for the bar phone.

Now Jax found his feet under his shaking legs, and he shot out the door to his truck. He heard the guys behind him, but he didn’t turn to look at them.

“Noah, I’m coming right now. OK?”

“OK, Jax.”

“Where are you, man?”

“Closet. Sarah said hide.”

“Is Dave still there?”

“Yes. Screaming. Sarah’s hurt bad.”

Waves of real, cold fear began to wash over Jax, and he threw his keys to Mac as they raced across the parking lot. He’d barely slammed the passenger-side door shut when Mac gunned the engine and took off, King following on his motorcycle.

“Noah?” Jax was trying very hard to not frighten the other man worse than he already was. “I need you to stay in the closet. You don’t move. Stay on the phone with me.”

“OK, Jax. You coming?”

“I’m coming, man. You just hold on.”

Both of you.