Page 30 of Believe In Us

“I didn’t betray you the way you think Jade,” he whispers, reaching out to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “I didn’t know Roman’s relation to you until after,” he pauses, clearly nervous and I realize he’s about to say something that will further bury him deeper into the hole he’s dug for himself.

“Until after what Sebastian?” I ask stepping into him, my eyebrows meeting angrily in the middle of my forehead.

He takes a step back once again, running his fingers through his hair before meeting my penetrating gaze with one of his own. “He shot and killed your father.” I still at his admission suspecting that was what he was going to say but hearing them out loud hits differently.

“How long?” I ask, and he understands exactly what I’m asking.

“A few days before the cabin.” My blood rushes to my extremities as I hear the words come out of his mouth. I didn’t expect to feel this way having already discovered what my brother did, but I can't help the bile rising in my throat. I turn around noticing the open door of the ensuite restroom he must have been hiding in when I first walked in, and rush over toward it, locking the door when I'm inside, barely making it in time before I hurl over the toilet seat, puking whatever liquids I managed to keep in thismorning into the bowl. In my peripheral vision I saw him rush after me as I ran off, but I was able to slam the door in his face before he caught up.

“Jade open the fucking door?” he shouts, banging his fist against the locked door, my heart beating loudly meeting every thump. “Fuck Jade, are you okay? Just open the goddamn door.”

He’s quiet for a moment as I finish vomiting nothing but phlegm and spit into the toilet, which is made of some kind of expensive as fuck marble of course, when suddenly the door is pushed open. I don’t bother turning around, knowing well enough it’s him standing behind me watching what a fucking mess I’ve become.

“Must have been the chili I had before coming here and the insignificant detail of my father’s murder,” I joke, quickly standing and pushing him away as he reaches for me and walks over to the equally expensive looking sink bowl rinsing my mouth and spitting into it.

“Jade,” he whispers, his voice gravel and showing a hint of worry.

“Fuck off Bass, you don’t get to all of a sudden care what I’m feeling when you sure as fuck didn’t care before.”

“Jade, that's not what...”

“Like hell it isn’t,” I shout, glaring furiously at him not giving a rat's ass that I probably look like shit. “You knew my brother, who had been MIA for years, was back and killed my father. And you chose to keep that little detail to yourself for months, months Sebastian.” I manage to push through him rushing out of his bedroom, down the hall and staircase before his arm reaches and grabs me, turning me around harshly, my chest slamming against his.

“Don’t fucking run from me Jade,” his voice is thick and coated in fury, but his gaze seems oddly apologetic. But it’s too late to say sorry. There’s a reason I have trust issues and I don’t take betrayals lightly. I’ll have to forgive Scarlett someday, I mean she’s myfucking sister and the only family I have left but Bass, I cringe inwardly as the memory of what I’ve recently discovered. Bass is the father of my little monster, and if that doesn’t tie us together with ironclad shackles then I'm not sure what does.

I’m too far gone in my own mind that I don’t realize his lips are slowly inching closer to mine until it's too late. His lips come down on mine is a rush of fervency, consuming me whole and taking with them my worries, my pain, and my fury. His tongue pushes me open frantically as if he can’t hold back any longer, as if like me, he’s been dying to do so since the moment he saw me. My hand involuntarily comes up to his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart beneath it, his mouth continuing its sensual assault on me inviting itself into every inch of my mouth. I can’t allow this need to be near him, overpower my will to keep away. For my sanity, for my health, for my survival, I need to push him off and run as far away from here as possible.

So I do just that. With my hand already on his chest I push him back, our lips disconnect and mine immediately miss his sensual caress. “I can’t do this Bass, I can’t just forgive and forget, I’m not hardwired that way.”

“Fuck that Jade, you can’t hold this against me, it wasn’t my place to speak about what I saw, what I knew...”

“Right because you and Ace can’t think for yourselves, you follow orders, obey commands and all that bullshit,” I turn to walk away, not wanting to hear anymore bullshit excuses or justifications from him. Why can’t men just accept when they’re wrong? Am I being a bit harsh? Fuck maybe, but it’s not like I’ve been set up with the best male role models. How am I supposed to trust him when disappointment is all I know.

“That’s not fucking fair Jade, but that’s exactly what I’m trying to make you see. Wesley’s gone, we're done following orders, I’m done lying to you, hiding things from you,” he advances, reaching out to pull me closer but I continue to back away until we’re almost to the door heading back into the party.

“You’re wrong Bass, you’re father...” I stop myself before confessing the confrontation I had earlier with Silver Sr. there’s no need to cause problems where there obviously already are. This time I won't be the one to stir the pot.

“What about him?” he asks bitterly, clearly catching on to my blunder. I sense there's something deeply wrong with that relationship.

“Nothing. I have to go.” Before he can respond, I turn and push through the back door, crashing into a hard body almost falling to the ground at the harsh impact. But before my ass is planted on the floor, strong arms come around my waist catching me and hauling me forward. The clean and crisp classic masculine scent overwhelms me as my face tucks into my hero’s chest. I look up and find golden blond hair, the bluest eyes, gorgeously tanned skin, and a gleaming white smile watching me carefully.

“Liam,” I mutter in a hushed whisper. His smile widens as he helps me to my feet. Small lines form around his eyes and I swear to god his eyes twinkle as the light above us reflects off of them.

“Hey there gorgeous,” he says, not removing his arm currently wrapped around my waist. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

Before I can respond, I hear Bass step behind me grunting loudly as Liam’s eyes move from me to him and I turn back to face him. His eyes are dark and radiating intense fury I’ve never seen before as he looks from me to Liam’s arm around me. Liam must also see it because he slowly drops his arm and steps back. I roll my eyes at Sebastian’s less than subtle gesture.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing Walker?” Bass shouts, causing the few people standing nearby to turn and gawk at us. Great as if nearly falling on my ass wasn’t bad enough now this?

“Relax mate, I was just helping Jade, if it wasn’t for me she’d have fallen on her ass,” Liam says, taking another step back as Bass steps into him.

“Well lucky prince charming was nearby to save the damsel,”Bass snickers, his early semblance of remorse now replaced with his usual unapologetic demeanor. So the arrogant asshole is back in business.

“Fuck you Bass,” I say, coming to stand between him and a terrified Liam who stares into the crowd..

“Everything okay Jade,” Liam asks, a worried expression taking over the unease as he places a hand on my shoulder.

“Everything’s fine,” Bass utters, rather clipped.

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