Page 32 of Alpha Jax

“Some macho guy bullshit,” I chuckle wryly. “He’s really leaning into the overprotective big bro thing.”

Kyla sighs, turning the faucet of her shower off and glancing over at me. “So you think he’d freak?”

“He’d probably murder him.”

She presses her lips together in a tight line, nodding. “Alright, then. Secret cowboy it is.”

I chuckle, turning my own shower off and stepping away from it, wringing the water out of my hair.

Both Kyla and I towel off, making our way to the long bench where we deposited our clothes and toiletries when we came in.

“Are you doing anything later?” Kyla asks as she wraps her towel around herself, tucking the end in to secure it at the front of her chest.

“Not sure,” I say, securing my own towel around my body. “What’s up?”

“Tony’s been acting weird lately,” she grumbles, scooping her things up from the bench into an arm. “I could use some girl time to get away and complain about it.” Kyla smirks.

The memory of what Tony pulled on me at the bar last weekend resurfaces, but I quickly push that thought away. I haven’t yet decided whether I’m going to tell Kyla about it and I’m still really conflicted. On one hand, Tony’s a scumbag and he doesn’t deserve someone as wonderful as Kyla, and maybe if she knew, she’d leave him. On the other hand, the messenger always winds up getting shot. So I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.

“Sure,” I breathe, combing my fingers through my long damp hair. “Come by my room anytime.”

“Ourroom,” Kyla corrects, pointing a finger at me as she starts to walk backwards. “I wasn’t kidding about moving in!”

I roll my eyes, giving her a little wave as she turns and leaves the locker room through the door to the recruits’ barracks. I resecure my towel around my body and reach down to gather my own things from the bench, tucking my clothes and toiletry bag under an arm and turning to head for the opposite door, to the squad dorms.

I’m about halfway to it when it swings open and a guy with bright red hair steps through.Drew.

I haven’t seen Drew in months- since he went off to summer training camp after graduation. He’s Clay’s best friend, and the two of them were practically inseparable in high school. Because of their friendship, I know Drew pretty well, too, because he was always hanging around when I was with Clay. The guy is kind of a jerk; I was never particularly fond of him back then, and I have no reason to pretend to like him now that Clay and I are done.

The door swings closed behind him as he enters the locker room, and when he lays eyes on me, his mouth spreads into a wide grin. He’d be cute if he wasn’t such an asshole- but knowing who he is, the grin on his face immediately makes my stomach churn.

“Quinn Jacobsen,” Drew chuckles, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. “I heard you’d moved in here at the complex.”

“Yup,” I reply, popping the ‘p’. I immediately start looking for an exit strategy.

He takes a few more steps into the locker room and I take a few more toward the door- but once I’m right in front of him, he blocks my way. I try stepping around him, but he moves with me like he’s not going to let me pass.

“What are you doing, Drew?” I sigh exasperatedly, throwing my free hand on my hip and frowning.

“What’s the matter?” Drew’s deviant grin only grows. “Don’t you wanna catch up?”

“Not exactly,” I scoff.

Drew blows out a breath, folding his arms across his chest. “Listen, Quinn, I know you and I aren’t exactly close, but Clay’s my best friend. And he wanted me to tell you how sorry he is for what went down between you two.”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” I snap, waving a hand.

“But you need to,” Drew continues. “He asked me to talk to you, see if you’d give him a call to talk things through, or at least un-block his number. He asked me to look out for you while you’re up here training at the complex, he still thinks of you as his girl…”

“That’s absurd!” I laugh, clutching my towel to my chest. “You’re both delusional if you think I’d get back together with that scumbag.”

I dart to the left in an attempt to get past Drew again, but he steps sideways to block my path. Then he reaches out to set his hands on my shoulders, staring into my eyes. “C’mon, Quinn, be reasonable. You guys were great together.”

“Get your hands off me,” I growl, shrugging them off. “And let me pass.”

“You heard her,” comes a deep, menacing voice from behind Drew. A voice that I recognize.

Jax prowls up behind him- and Drew’s not a small guy, but he suddenly looks puny next to Jax, whose presence seems to take up the entire locker room. Drew’s typically this cocky, self-assured asshole, but he suddenly looks like he’s going to shit himself. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so pissed off right now.

---