Jared (The Protectors #2)(25)

Those words stopped Jared cold. Rubbing his hand down his face Jared cursed. Glancing over at Tessa, he realized she along with everyone else was listening.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jared growled wanting to do more than punch the damn kid.

“Fuck you warrior.” Adam walked past him giving him a hard shoulder check. “I know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Jared grabbed him before he could leave. “First of all it’s none of your business what happens between me and your sister.” He gave the kid a shake. “You need to go outside and cool off before you say any more stupid shit that’s going to get your ass kicked.”

Adam jerked out of his grasp walking away. “You hurt her I will make sure you’re my first kill.”

Jared watched him pass Tessa who started to go after him, but Nicole stopped her. Turning his attention back to the others who were glaring at him. “That goes for us too.” Dillon informed him, everyone else nodding in agreement.

“And me.” Sid grinned, but his eyes weren’t teasing.

“Get your asses busy.” Jared walked in the middle of the mat pissed that everybody suddenly thought he was the bad guy. “Give me ten laps. Now!”

Sid cocked his eyebrow at him with his arms crossed before bursting out laughing. “You poor bastard.” Sid shook his head. “First Damon…now you. My God, this is classic.”

“Shut the f*ck up Sid.” Jared fell in behind the kids hoping running would cool his anger.

“So what do you think about this one?” Nicole flipped the picture of a wedding dress in the middle of them, trying to take the focus off what was going on out on the floor.

Tessa took her eyes off Jared long enough to glance down. “Oh Nicole, that’s gorgeous.”

Pam nodded in agreement. “How much is it?”

“Damon said price didn’t matter.” Nicole snorted glancing over her shoulder before whispering. “But I bet I can find the same dress on the discount rack.”

“Woman, spend that man’s money.” Pam flipped her hands up in the air. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

Tessa laughed. She had always liked Pam, but something was different about her and she had a bad feeling she knew what it was. She saw a bruise on her shoulder as they hugged earlier. Her nervousness reminded Tessa of herself.

“Are you going to get a veil?” Tessa threw her arm up in a fast motion close to Pam, who in turn snapped back covering her face.

No one said a word as Pam lowered her arm, eyes wide filled with fear and shame.

“Pam, are you okay?” Nicole reached for her, but Pam pulled away gathering her stuff.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She stood, not looking either woman in the eye. “I need to get going though. I…ah…just…pick out a dress you want me to wear and I’ll be fine with it. Just don’t make me look too dorky and please, not yellow.”

“Hey….” Nicole called out, but Pam had already rushed out the door. “Call me.”

“I’m sorry.” Tessa stood with Nicole.

“I am going to kill that son of a bitch.” Nicole paced toward the door, but Damon was at her side in a flash.

“What’s wrong?” Damon grabbed Nicole’s arm his eyes searching for threat.

Jared walked up with Duncan. “Where’s Pam?” Duncan looked around his eyes narrowing at how upset Nicole was.

“How did you know?” Nicole glanced at Tessa, the golden eyes now black with fury. “I’ve been around her for years and you just saw her again tonight. How did you know?”

“Know what dammit?” Duncan, who was usually in total control, growled.

“That bastard is beating her.” Nicole choked out. “How in the hell could we have missed that?”

Everyone was cursing, looking ready to kill something…or in this case someone. “What happened?” Jared calmed down enough to ask.

“We were just looking at pictures of dresses. Tessa raised her arm quickly near Pam’s face and Pam freaked out covering her head. She was so afraid. I have never seen that look on her face before.” Nicole looked at Damon. “How in the hell did I not know?”

Damon’s arms encircled Nicole holding her tight, staring at Jared and Duncan over her head.

“People who go through something like that get good at hiding it. And obviously the person doing the hitting gets good at making sure no one sees the damage they inflict.” Tessa replied, hating the fact she let Pam’s secret out in the open, but someone had to do it before it was too late. “There’s a lot of shame involved, and fear, so most of the time the person hides it from the ones that are closest to them.”

Duncan cursed again slamming his fist through the wall before bursting out the door.

Jared walked up to Tessa lifting her chin when she refused to look him in the eye. “Who hit you Tessa?”

“My father.” Tessa replied. Keeping secrets like that gave the abuser control and her father had no more control over her life, never would again. She wasn’t ashamed anymore, she was a survivor.

“He’s a dead man.” His finger rubbed across her cheek.

Adam chose that moment to walk inside and everything became clear to Jared. He knew exactly why Adam and Tessa were so protective of each other, it made perfect sense.