Page 2 of Challenging Jayce

She was the one who wanted the high life. The one who cared about money and how the world viewed every decision she made. Jasmine was sure he would amount to nothing, so that was exactly how he made sure people saw him. No one knew the kind of money he had sitting in the bank because he never flashed it.

He drove a vehicle that was ten years past its due date. The old pickup belonged in a junkyard, but until it actually died, he would continue to love it.

The rent for his apartment was minimal, thanks to the million things that were wrong with the building. It was one step away from being condemned, but considering it was only a place to rest his head at night, it worked just fine. His apartment was by far the cleanest, which wasn't saying much; he lived amongst druggies and criminals who didn't care about the building’s mold problems.

Jayce unlocked the door of his apartment and stepped inside. He didn't have a clue why he chose to come home. He hated this place. He never spent time here and yet he didn't want to be at work. It was too early to go to the bar or to his usual hangout places. Basically, he was screwed.

He dropped his chin to his chest with a long exaggerated sigh. Running away wouldn't do any good and he would always wonder if Jasmine was screwing with him again.

"Fuck it," he said out loud to no one. He needed to at least know if there was even a hint of truth to Jasmine's dying declaration.

He sent out a quick message to Luke asking for the address, then mentally made a list of what he needed to pack depending on how far away they lived.

Luke got back to him immediately and Jayce grew even more agitated when he read the address.

This whole time Jasmine was barely an hour away.

It looked like he didn't need to pack much at all. The trip could be made in a day, and then when he found out Michael wasn't his, he could come back to his shitty apartment and continue to hate his life, like he’d done every other day for the past fifteen years.

CHAPTER2

"Can you please stop pacing?"It wasn't so much of a request as it was a demand. For the last hour she’d had the displeasure of watching her brother burn a hole in his living room floor. Ever since he got a text from some guy named Luke.

"You don't get it, sis. Jayce is on his way here and he's going to lose his ever-loving mind."

"As he should. Jasmine screwed him over. But he's not the only one who should be hurt by what she said in that note."

Kennedy never liked her sister-in-law. Shaun married her because he thought he was the father of her baby, something they were now learning wasn't true. She could never understand how her brother managed to stay married to the stuck-up bitch all these years, and now that she knew what really happened, she wished she could bring Jasmine back just to kill her for the torment she was putting Shaun through. Jasmine was nothing more than a selfish twat.

"It's pointless to be angry at a dead woman."

Maybe so, but no one ever said she was rational.

"What time is Jayce supposed to show up?" She needed to change the subject before she said something she couldn't take back.

"Any minute now." Shaun had moved from the living room to the foyer where he was checking the long windows beside the front door every few seconds. The stress of waiting was going to give him ulcers.

"Does Michael know what's going on?"

Shaun scoffed. "No, and he won't until after I speak with Jayce. I'm not taking any chances with how he's going to react to the news."

"Are you referring to Jayce or Michael?"

"Jayce. When he found out about Jasmine and me, he lost his shit. He loved her fiercely and having a family with her was all he ever wanted. In his eyes, I took that all away from him."

Her hatred for Jasmine grew tenfold. The C-U-next-Tuesday ruined one too many lives with her lies.

"But it turns out you didn't."

"I doubt he's going to see it that way."

Shaun had his back to the front door when the doorbell finally rang, and she moved to open it before he could get there. He might be her older brother, but she was protective as hell of him, and if this Jayce fellow thought he was going to give her brother shit because of Jasmine, he had another thing coming.

She flung the door open and had to make a conscious effort not to let her jaw smack off the floor. Kennedy wasn't naive enough to think her brother wasn't handsome. She had heard it enough growing up. Her friends always had crushes on him, but he was nothing compared to the man standing on the front porch glaring at her.

The man was ruggedly sexy in a way that should be a sin. Work boots that showed he knew how to get dirty. Worn jeans that weren't just a fashion trend but were likely that old. A flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a ball cap that was pulled low enough to cover his dark eyes. At least she thought they were dark but couldn't entirely be sure. He also wore a scowl that looked to be permanently etched on his face.

"You must be Jayce." Not the nicest greeting she had ever given someone but it felt right considering how nervous Shaun was.

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