A Warrior Wedding (The Protectors #7)(15)

“Screw him,” she whispered to herself, and then smiled, realizing the power of those words. “Screw him!” she said louder, with more force.

“What in the hell are you doing up there?” A familiar voice called from the ground. “And who the f*ck do you want to screw?”

Caroline jumped, her phone flying out of her hand. She scrambled to catch it, but it hit the roof and plunged toward the ground. Sliding on her butt as quick as she could, she was too late. It went over the edge and into the hand of a man who wasn’t the roofer.

She sighed in relief that her phone wasn’t smashed on the ground, but frowned at the man who saved it. “What are you doing here?”

“I asked you first.” His frown was fierce as he glared up at her. “You’re going to break your damn neck.”

“I have a roofer coming and wanted to see how bad it was before he got here,” she replied, wondering why she replied at all. “Not that it’s any of your business. How did you even know where I was?”

“Lana. Now stay there and don’t move,” Jax ordered, pointing at her with her phone.

“Kill sister...check, and don’t order me around.” Caroline stood, putting her hands on her hips. Realizing she could never win a staring contest with Jax Wheeler, she turned away to walk to the front side of the roof where the ladder was.

“Caroline.” The warning in his voice was clear, but she totally ignored him.

Not liking his tone of voice, she stomped her way up the roof without thinking. How dare he talk to her like that after ignoring her. “He can kiss my as...” She had been mumbling to herself before the roof gave way under her feet.

******

Jax shook his head as he watched her stomping on what he was sure was a rotten roof. She was saying something, but he wasn’t paying attention. The sound of cracking filled his ears. In two strides, he was jumping onto the roof and reached her just as the roof opened up beneath her. Her scream cut short when he grabbed her, cleared the house and landed in her front yard.

“Are you hurt?” He set her down, going instantly to his knees knowing one of her legs went through the roof.

“No.” Her answer was breathless.

“What the hell happened?” Blaze followed by Hunter came rushing up to them.

“She decided to stomp around on a rotten roof.” Jax knew his tone was harsh, but the thought of her falling through the roof scared the shit out of him.

“Not a very smart thing to do.” Hunter glanced at the roof then back to her. “The whole place looks like it needs to be burned to the ground.”

“Excuse me.” Caroline gave him her best teacher stare. “And who are you?”

He gave her a sexy smile. “The name’s Hunter Fos—”

His smile didn’t move her in the least. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, kid.” Then she looked at Blaze who was trying to wipe the grin off his face. “And you?”

“Blaze.” He cleared his throat.

She nodded to him. “Since he’s too rude to introduce us, I’m Caroline, and it’s nice to meet you...” She glanced at Hunter with a frown. “I think. And that’s my home you’re talking about burning down.”

All three men glanced behind her to the shack she just called home. Jax frowned. “Your what?”

“My home.” She smiled, looking at it as if seeing a palace instead of a falling-down, paint-peeling, termite-infested mess.

“I hope you can get your money back.” Hunter winced when he heard a loud noise of boards falling from inside the house.

“And that kind of talk won’t get you invited to dinner,” Caroline snapped at him when she brushed past them, head held high to see what the noise was.

All three men watched her walk away, three pairs of eyes on her ass. Hunter took off after her. “Looks like I need to correct the pretty lady on the kid remark.” His eyes remained fixed on the sway of her hips.

Jax grabbed him by the shirt tossing him back. “If you want to live, you’ll shut the f*ck up.”

Hunter growled at him, but backed off at the look Jax tossed his way.

“You got a death wish?” Blaze stopped Hunter from following Jax. “Back off before I send you packing.”

Jax heard every word spoken behind him, but ignored it as he followed Caroline into... He glanced at the sad little building and had a hard time calling it a house. He stopped just inside the door spotting Caroline staring up at the huge hole in her ceiling.

“Crap,” Caroline cursed, staring up at the hole with her hands on her hips.

“Don’t stand there,” Jax ordered, expecting more danger to head her way.

Caroline turned to give him an evil frown. “This is your fault.”

“My fault?” Jax glared back at her. “If this is the way you say thank you for saving you, you suck at it.”

That stumped her for a second as she bit her lip. He could actually see her mind working. “Well, I wouldn’t have needed saving if you wouldn’t have made me mad.”

“Ah, I see.” Jax shook his head and folded his arms. This woman drove him absolutely insane and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to taste those frowning lips again. “So because I showed concern for your safety, you got mad and stomped on a disintegrating roof.”