Jared (The Protectors #2)(18)
Damon finished reading the text a huge smile spreading across his face. Looking down at Tessa he slapped her on the shoulder. “Damn, you’re good.”
Catching herself on her car she grinned rubbing her shoulder. She felt like a damn punching bag tonight. “Yeah, well I’ll send ya my bill.” Tessa smiled, glad she could help. She had really liked Nicole and this beastly vampire was growing on her.
“You’re not bad.” Damon nodded as he opened her car door for her.
“Yeah, well that’s debatable.” Tessa snickered. “Make sure my brother gets home and without one of those hoe’s.”
Damon waited until she pulled out of the parking lot before texting Nicole back with a satisfied male grin. Jared also stood just out of sight watching the red tail lights disappear into the night.
Finishing his text Damon stood still. “I can read you brother.” Damon said in Jared’s direction.
“Is that right?” Jared walked in sight.
Damon nodded. “She is pretty special.”
Jared nodded as Damon passed, his eyes still riveted to the spot where Tessa’s car disappeared. A grin tipped his lips. “She is that.”
“She is also hiding something.” Damon tossed over his shoulder. “Find out what it is.”
“It will be my pleasure.” Jared stood still, yet his body wanted to follow her.
********
Tessa walked in the house, throwing her stuff on the kitchen table on her way upstairs. She was too tired to eat. The stress and excitement of the day did her in. Making a quick stop at the bathroom, she headed into her room, shut the door and undressed before falling into bed. With a sigh she glanced over at the picture she kept of her mom on her night stand.
She remembered the night her mother was killed like it was yesterday. Picking up the picture she brought it close running a finger across her mother’s face that had been captured during happier times, before her husband lost his job and turned to the bottle instead of going out looking for more work. He had not only given up on his life, but theirs as well.
Almost two years ago her mother had been called to pick up her husband who had too much to drink at the local bar, the bar that Tessa worked at now. The bartender at the time had managed to talk her father into giving up his keys. But when her mother got there he was outside waiting and decided he was fine to drive home. They were to pick his car up the next day. The next day never came for her mother. Their car had careened off the road hitting a tree killing her mother instantly. Her father walked away without a scratch.
Nothing changed after that except Tessa took the place of her mother having to work two jobs to keep up on the bills and pay for her father’s drinking habit. She also became his punching bag as he turned violent after losing his wife. Tessa had wished it had been her father instead of her mother that had been killed that night. But when the police came to her door it was with news that her mother had been killed and her father was being evaluated at the local hospital. She had been told that her mother was driving and lost control of the car. It wasn’t until later during one of her father’s drunken rages that he threw in her face that he had been driving the car that night and if she ever said anything she would get a beating that she would never forget.
Tessa wiped a tear that slid slowly down her cheek. Before her father lost his job things had been so different. He had still been somewhat distant, but never mean or violent toward any of them. She hated him. It was sad, but true. She hated him with a passion that burned so deep in her chest it hurt. The day he walked out to never return had been a blessing in her life as well as Adam’s. Even with the complications of almost losing Adam to a foster home, their life had taken a turn for the better.
Kissing the tip of her finger she touched the image of her mother before placing the picture back on her nightstand. Wiping her eyes she turned off her light. She didn’t have time to cry. Her brother needed her more now than ever and she had to figure out what to do for him. Deep down she hoped that the warriors were serious in helping them, but if not she would do what needed to be done and the answer may be laying underneath her between her mattress and springs.
Tessa woke after a fitful hour or two of sleep. Sitting straight up in bed she rubbed her face suddenly anxious to talk to Adam to find out more about what had happened last night after she left. Grabbing her stuff to shower she ran out the door right smack into a massive bare chest. Tessa screamed. “Oh my God! You scared the crap out of me.” She stubbed her toe on his foot. “Ouch, dammit.” She hopped up and down holding her toe.
Jared stared down at her a large smile playing across his lips. “Sorry about that. I thought everybody was asleep.”
“What are you doing here?” She wanted to add shirtless, but didn’t. She made her eyes stay on his. She already got an eyeful of hard chest, ripped abs and man oh man, did she like what she saw. Her fingers itched to reach up just to see if it was as hard as it looked. What the hell was that all about?
“The only way the Council will let these boys go is with one of the warriors to babysit.” Jared’s eyes kept traveling up and down her body.
Tessa wanted to pull her Cleveland football jersey down to her knees, but didn’t dare. It came to mid-thigh, but the way he was looking at her she felt naked. “Oh, so are they all here?”
“Yeah” Jared waited to see if she was going to throw a fit about him staying here. “They all wanted to come back here. They didn’t want to stay anywhere else.”