Page 63 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Jasmine rolls her eyes at me but is smiling. “You’re checking out his ass, aren’t you? Don’t be shy, Tess, we all do it. That’s one of my favorite things in the morning, watching Quill leave the house dressed in his denim jeans. It’s just so damn hot.”

I smirk, then try to look innocent. “I wasn’t.”

“Don’t lie to me, babe,” she says, getting up off her chair and plonking herself down next to me. “I saw that look.”

“What look?” I ask, feeling my cheeks heat.

“The look, you know what I’m talking about, girl. Don’t try to deny it.”

“Okay, okay,” I say. “Geez, give up already.”

“Oh I will. I’m just happy.”

I frown. “Why? Because I looked at Blaze’s ass?”

Jasmine reaches over and squeezes my arm. “No, silly, because I can see that you still love him. And he loves you—like, crazy-level love.”

I look down at my lap and fidget with the hem of my top.

“Hey, look at me.” I hesitantly look up at Jasmine and paste a fake smile on my face. “You two will work it out. If anyone knows that for sure, it’s me.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, babe, when I nearly died, when Quill’s old man ordered for me to get kidnapped, I thought I’d never come back from that, but what was worse was when I nearly lost Rose. I thought my life was never going to be the same,” she explains, tears now in her eyes. “But Quill was my knight in shining armor. As much as I wanted to blame him for all the shit that happened to me, I couldn’t, because he was my rock. And as much as being in this club life was to blame for nearly losing Rose, I wouldn’t want it any other way. You know why?”

I shrug. “Why?”

“Because I have Quill, and because he is everything, and no matter what, he will always protect me, because that’s the kind of man he is. He’s loyal, and strong, and God I love him.”

I smile warmly, it’s so beautiful that even after a few years and having a couple of kids, Jasmine still lights up whenever she mentions Quill’s name. That is something special.

“You’re a very lucky girl, Jazz.”

“You are too, don’t you know that?” she says, resting her hand on my shoulder. “Look, I know, okay. I know you feel like you’re to blame because you lied about your past, but God, Tess, who doesn’t? We all have skeletons in the closet, and you did what you thought was right. You wanted to protect yourself and the boys, because you knew if Viper knew where you were, he would find you, and, well, who knows? Things might have got uglier.”

“Uglier? Are you kidding me, Jasmine?” I cry. “How could things have gone worse?” I get up from the couch and pace the floor. “Don’t you get it? If it wasn’t for me, Blaze wouldn’t have had to come to the warehouse that night. And maybe if Viper wasn’t looking for me, then those girls wouldn’t have been kidnapped. And God, that poor girl, Nicky. Did you know that all the men were getting her to do all kinds of sexual things to them. My God, she’s only fifteen.”

I fall to my knees and let it all out, let the tears I’ve been holding in since that night fall. I cry so hard I almost can’t breathe, until Jasmine places her hands on my shoulders and kneels in front of me, hugging me to her. “Oh God, Tess, you can’t blame yourself, this is none of your fault. Those girls being taken was not because of you. Viper was a sick person. He was planning to kidnap those girls even if you weren’t there. Tess, you must know this.”

I pull away and look at her, wanting so badly to believe what she’s saying. “But maybe if Viper wasn’t coming to New York to find me, then he wouldn’t have kidnapped those girls….”

“Tess, don’t you dare doubt that you’re not to blame. You’re a good person, and you have to remember that you were also attacked and sexually assaulted. Please don’t tell me you blame yourself for that, too?”

I don’t answer her because in a way, I do blame myself. Why did I go back? Why did I marry him in the first place? Why wasn’t I strong enough to say no to my father and leave back then? Why? Why? Why?

“I think we need that vodka earlier rather than later.” I laugh, then cover my mouth with my hand.

Jasmine moves my hand aside. “Don’t stop yourself from laughing, let it out, girl.”

I smile and look at my watch; it’s just after eleven. “Well, it’s a little early, but if we add orange juice to the vodka, it could be classified as breakfast.”

Jasmine says, “There’s my girl.”

I make my way back to the kitchen, then come back out with the vodka, along with a bottle of freshly squeezed juice.

Mixing us both a glass, Jasmine says, “Hey, let’s go out tonight, just a girls’ night.”

I glance at her, fear filling me all of a sudden. I take a big gulp of my drink, wincing at the bite of vodka. Jasmine has a heavy hand. “I…. I’m not ready for that, Jasmine. Thanks for the thought.”

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