Slade (The Protectors #6)(49)
“I have Jill with me.” He frowned. “I helped her with her driving and parking today. She takes her test Monday for her license. I promised her she could drive back to the compound.”
“Oh, well, that’s okay.” Caroline looked away a little embarrassed, but did grin. “You really are holding up to your end of the bargain. Even going above and beyond just being nice.”
“Yeah, well, who knows how long it will last.” Jax rolled his shoulders, looking uncomfortable. “It’s totally against my nature.”
“So how do you think Jill did with her dance?” Caroline took pity on him and changed the subject of how nice he was being, since it obviously made him uncomfortable.
“Don’t know.” Jax stood, towering over Caroline. “Didn’t watch her.”
“But why not?” Her eyes widened. “She did really well.”
“Watching Jill use a stripper pole would be like watching my…” Jax caught what he was about to say and cursed.
“Your sister. I knew that’s why you were treating her like you have been.” Caroline finished for him, putting her hand on his arm when she saw the hurt those words caused him. “Jax…”
Jax jerked his arm away without even looking down at her. “Jill, let’s go,” he yelled out, heading toward the door.
“Jax.” Caroline followed him outside. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said—”
“You’re damn right, you shouldn’t have.” Jax turned so fast he startled Caroline, making her stumble back. “I told you not to mention her to me again!” His control snapped, making him bellow at her.
They stood staring at each other for a second until Jax growled, turned and walked off. Caroline watched him walk away. “I know,” she whispered to no one, at least no one anyone else could see. “Dammit, I’m going.”
Caroline marched across the parking lot. “You have got to deal with this.” Caroline stopped right behind Jax. “It’s eating you alive and you have to deal with it. Talk to your sister.”
His head fell back as if trying to control himself; it didn’t work. “She is f*cking DEAD!” He turned on her. “What the f*ck do you not understand about that? You and your so-called gift is a bunch of bullshit. You are a fake! She is dead!”
“I am not a fake, you stubborn son of a bitch,” Caroline yelled back. “Just because you are too closed-minded to listen to me and your sister, who yes, is dead, but right here talking to me and now looking like a nervous mess because you are acting like a lunatic, doesn’t make it not true.”
“Get the f*ck out of my face now, before I do something I’ll regret!” His fists closed tightly as he stared down at her.
Caroline’s eyes shot to his hands, and then back to his face. “What are you going to do, hit me?” Caroline snorted. “You are the one who is a liar and a fake. Feeling all sorry for me was a lie.”
“No, but now I understand why he might have—”
She not only smacked him once across the face, but twice, without saying a single word. She turned, storming off, a knife twisting in her gut. He sure as hell was not who she thought he was. She sure sucked when it came to reading living people, not that he was actually living, but he wasn’t a damn ghost either. Caroline made it to her car before the tears started to fall.
******
Shaking, Jax stood staring at the ground, trying to regain control. Looking up, Jill walked right up to him.
“I know you didn’t mean what you just said to her.” Jill frowned, glancing back at Caroline, who ran, jumping into her car.
“Yeah, I did.” Jax also glanced in that direction, his voice not sounding very convincing.
“Then why do you look crushed?” Jill tossed him the keys. “I’ll find my own way home, but I think you better go after her. That was a pretty dick move, even for you.”
Caroline peeled out of the parking lot, spraying gravel everywhere. “Dammit!” Jax cursed as he quickly sat in the driver’s seat before slamming it into reverse.
She was a few cars in front of him, but he was catching up. “Fuck!” He cringed when she flew through a red light, a car barely missing her. Racing up beside her after maneuvering around cars, he blared the horn. She actually looked, before flipping him off. Rolling down his window, she rolled hers up. “Pull over, now!” Her response was to flip him off again and sped up.
“Piece-of-shit Nissan,” Jax cursed, slamming his hands on the steering wheel as if that would make it go faster. This would not be an issue if he was in his GT. Jax had the pedal to the floor, yet he was losing her. Seeing the light turn yellow, he glanced to see if she was preparing to stop. She did hit the brake a few times, slowing down enough that he was able to catch back up to her. Slamming the pedal, he maneuvered slightly in front of her, wedging her toward the curb. He was shocked when she actually went up on the median and kept going. “Are you f*cking kidding me?”
Okay, she wanted to play. Jax jerked onto the median, stopped the car and jumped out. With a step, he was off and running, catching up to her faster than any car could. Running up beside the passenger’s door, he tried to open it, but she locked it, looking at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Open the door!” he yelled, but she shook her head and told him to go to hell. “If you don’t open this f*cking door, right now, I’m going to tear if off.”