Managed (VIP #2)(34)

“What?” The question lashes out like a whip. And Brenna visibly flinches.

Slowly she lowers her cup from her face and takes a step back. “Ah, yeah, you know what? That’s just speculation.”

“Based on what, exactly?” I grind out.

Brenna looks around as if trying to find an avenue of escape. Not bloody likely.

I take a step into her space. “Talk, you.”

“This morning Jax said he’d hooked up with Sophie, and she confirmed it,” Brenna blurts out. “Though really, she sounded extremely sarcastic when she called the sex ‘moving,’ so it might have been a joke…”

Her words drift off, as the ringing in my ears grows stronger. My heart knocks against my ribs so hard, I feel the reverberations in my throat. Jax? She’s with Jax? She f*cking slept in my bed while she f*cking f*cked f*cking Jax?

I turn on my heel, not knowing where the bloody hell I’m going, when my gaze lands on the man in question, who is about to get on his bus.

“John,” I bark out loud enough for my voice to echo over the lot.

Hearing me use his real name makes him pause and look over his shoulder. “What?”

Whatever he sees on my face gets him strolling over to me. I grit my teeth.

“What’s this about you and Sophie?”

The git gives me a stupid grin. “Oh, yeah, just a bit of fun.” He glances at Brenna, who is slowly shaking her head. “Right, Bren?”

I don’t let her respond. “Did you not give Killian a lecture about sleeping with employees when Libby came on board?”

He rubs his chin, and I have the urge to punch it.

Jax snaps his fingers. “Right. He clearly listened well.”

Fuckwit.

“Good advice which would apply to you as well, would it not?”

Jax nods, still grinning that smug little shitter grin. “It would.”

I take a calming breath, which bursts out of my lungs when Jax smiles wide and says, “But don’t worry, there wasn’t much sleeping involved.”

My breathing goes haywire.

“Careful,” Brenna whispers in my ear. “Your knickers are getting all twisted.”

I wrench my head in her direction, and she pales.

“Ack, joke gone bad, joke gone bad,” Brenna wails, flapping her hands. “Run away. Run away.”

Jax watches her go, a smile on his lips. “What’s with her?... Hey, man.” He holds his hands up. “Easy with the crazy eyes. It’s just Sophie.”

Wrong thing to say.

“What’s just me?” Sophie asks, appearing at my side.

I round on her. “You.”

“Me.” She points to her chest then to Jax. “Jax. We all speak good now.”

Jax chuckles, but when I glare at him, he suddenly becomes invested in scurrying off toward Killian and Libby.

Sophie frowns. “What’s that all about?”

“Are you f*cking Jax?”

Her eyes go wide and shocked. Guilty? I can’t tell. It annoys me further.

A flush rushes over her cheeks. “Are you serious with this?”

Yes. No. I don’t f*cking know.

“Answer the question, Sophie.”

She glances around before grabbing me by the arm. I let her lead me away because I want an answer. She stops in the narrow gap between my coach and the band’s.

“Look, you,” she hisses, poking my shoulder. “I don’t have to tell you a f*cking thing about my personal life.”

“You cease to have one if you start f*cking the band members.”

“Members?” she squeaks. “So, what? I’m f*cking my way through them now? Is that it?”

The thought is so repellant, bile fills my stomach. My fists clench. “Jax. Let’s concentrate on Jax now. Did you sleep with him?”

“I cannot believe you’re asking me this,” she snaps. “That you’re actually snorting like some sort of enraged bull and expecting me to answer.”

“I did not snort. I merely asked a question. Which I want an answer to. Now.”

The flush rushes down to the tops of her breasts. “Fuck you, Scottie. I don’t know who you think you are, but let me tell you, I’m not some empty-headed bimbo you can bark at. I am done with this conversation.”

She turns to go, her expression utterly closed off for the first time since I’ve met her. But I saw the hurt I caused, and the humiliation, before she shut down. The bottom drops out of my gut.

“Sophie.” I grab hold of her and spin her around.

Her shoulders meet the side of the bus before I cage her in. She struggles, even as I press close. My cheek touches hers, and she stills. For a long, painful moment we both just breathe, heavy and agitated.

“You’re right. I have no say,” I whisper into her hair. My lids lower, and I draw in another lungful of her sweet scent. “And I don’t think you’re a bimbo. I only wanted to… That is…” I choke on a curse. “Not with one of the boys, all right? Not them. Please.”

A breath shudders out of her, and I feel it along my neck. My back tenses, my skin prickling. It’s all I can do to remain still, not rock into her softness. I know she’s wondering why I’m demanding this. I won’t be able to tell her she’ll rip my guts out if she does, that I won’t be able to focus for shite if she’s with one of the guys. If she’s been with Jax…