Page 67 of Burn It Down
I loved Gigi more than anything. More than I thought I could. My world would not be the same without her. The night I almost fucked us up for good, I realized that. The second time she walked out on me, I knew I couldn’t stand losing her.
I wanted Gigi more than I wanted to fight fires, more than I wanted to be at Cage’s back. I didn’t care what I did or where we lived or if she had doubts. If I did too.
I would love her enough that the doubts didn’t matter. That if she had them, they would seem foolish when faced with how completely I loved her.
Loving her was all I had to give her.
I didn’t have a lot of time. Racing through the busy, snow covered streets of Chicago, I was running out of it fast. My head was spinning with what I planned to do. What I told everyone I was not going to do.
The college loomed on the horizon, and I grew angrier with each block. Another note had showed up, but no one else knew about it. I found it perched against Gigi’s door after work.
After a terrible day at work, we were supposed to meet at the cottage. Cage was proposing, and we all were meant to be there. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.
Except, perhaps, what I was about to do. I wouldn’t miss it because this would be short and sweet. Just a few words with the fuck who thought he could ruin the one good thing I finally had going for me.
I had rushed home before heading to the cottage. Gigi was already there with her sisters, and I knew they were waiting on Cage and Charli. When I got there, the note threw off my entire plan of meeting them there. I wouldn’t miss it, but I had something to take care of first. I wouldn’t let this fuck threaten my woman, my entire fucking world, again.
“I am owed more.”The note had her name on the front, but it was left where I could find it.
I was done dicking around, waiting for Diggs to find information. I had all I needed to know. Jordan Dexter had a thing for younger girls who trusted him. My woman didn’t want him and made that clear so he went off the rails.
Calls, texts, following us was enough. Coming to our place, where Gigi might be, was the last straw for me. Slamming my blazer into park, I stormed up the steps and down the hall towards his class.
I timed it right because I had just reached his door and the bell rang. The classed filed out and I glared at Bree when she passed me. Jordan had his back to me when I stepped inside the class. The door locking behind me made him turn.
“Can I help you?” The fucker pretended not to know me; he knew who the fuck I was, but he was about to find out just what I was like.
“Gigi Cooper is off fucking limits for you, Professor. Stay the fuck away. I see your shadow, smell your expensive fucking cologne polluting her air, or find another note, the next visit won’t be so friendly, Prof. Keep your fucking distance. I don’t share well with others. Gigi is fucking mine. You get me?” For a moment, he looked confused before he smirked.
“How very caveman of you, Finn. I don’t know what you mean; I have not spoken to Gigi since that day in the coffee shop.” Then his eyes bounced in their sockets so I figured he was lying.
“Yeah, hundreds of calls and stalkerish voicemails tell me you wanted to change that. It’s not an option. You don’t talk to her. You don’t follow her. You don’t fucking look at her from across the fucking street. You see my woman, you walk the other fucking way. If you need to stroke that limp dick, think about anything other than my woman, you get me? Off. Fucking. Limits.” Jordan backed away with every step my heavy boots carried me towards him.
“I just wanted another chance. You know you are all wrong for her. I’m not. We both know that.” I laughed and crossed my arms at my chest, towering over him.
“Not even going to say that’s wrong, Prof. Doesn’t matter. Gigi is mine because she wants to be mine. Gigi gets what she wants, if I have anything to say about it. Gigi wants me so that’s what she gets. Even if that changes, you won’t be who she wants, Prof. Get right with that,” I bulked up my frame as I closed in on him, ready to make it very clear what was going to happen.
“I don’t care about your old money. About the connections your last name might have. I would walk through fucking fire for that woman. Would gladly wear the scars that fire could leave me with. Because they would be for her. You come near my woman again, I will fucking end you. Your pretty fucking face won’t be so pretty after I am done, you get me?” Jordan shrank back against the wide dais and nodded.
Then I realized he was trembling. Entire body from shoulders to knees. I almost laughed. Instead, I backed away because I thought I’d said enough. Thought he might realize I wasn’t fucking around.
I would go to jail for breaking his pretty fucking face if it kept him away from her. Kept him from scaring her the way he had. I wouldn’t stand for her spirit to be dimmed by a rich, spoiled fuck like Jordan Dexter.
Nothing more needed to be said. Jordan was still nodding. Wasn’t sure if that was part of his trembling fear or not. I stalked from the room and rushed to the blazer.
I had to get across town in the next ten minutes before Cage brought Charli home from the library. With adrenaline pumping through me, I made it in six minutes. Just in time too, because I stepped inside to find the place packed with the Cooper and Dixon families.
“Hey, Sweet Girl.” I was a bit out of breath and still spiked with energy.
Gigi tipped her head back, and fuck, I knew it was worth it. My mouth found hers, right there in front of a dozen people. Gigi laced one hand in my hair, the other cupping my jaw.
When I broke away, we were both out of breath, and Regan let out a low whistle. I winked at her over Gigi’s head. Clutching Gigi to me, I pressed words she couldn’t hear into her neck.Mine. I love you. Always.
Ten minutes later, we were all blown away as Cage bent on his knee and gave a syrupy sweet speech. Charli deserved it. Deserved the sappy moments and the tears in his eyes and the sweet proposal.
Cage did too. Charli’s“yes”brought such life into his eyes; it made emotion burst at my chest. To see them love each other that way was beautiful.
I hoped I looked at Gigi that way when I asked. Hoped I got a chance to ask soon. I wouldn’t take the wind out of their sails, though.
