Page 54 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part 2

“Excuse me?” Coach asks, perplexed at the level of authority Jensen used. That’s the weight Jensen’s money holds. He likely pays his salary and while that isn’t why Jensen is barking out orders, I have to admire how the older man listens, regardless. Jensen doesn’t throw around his money like that. He just wants to keep Aaron in line because they attacked me. I snicker when Coach presses on Aaron’s chest as he tries to sit up.

“It’s best you stay right here, son.”

“Fuck that,” Aaron slurs and swats at Coach’s hand. He misses completely. Yeah, he’s probably feeling the effects of both hits. I hold in a chuckle, feeling somewhat delirious. Sirens wail in the distance, but I don’t let relief settle in just yet. Layla stiffens and tries to make a dash around Jensen, but that guy is a brick wall, so she makes it absolutely nowhere.

CHAPTER24

I don’t knowhow I got so lucky, but I don’t have a concussion. I thought for sure I had one, but nope. Instead, I ended up with a couple stitches in my head and strict rules for bed rest for the next couple of days. My ankle is sore but fine and wrapped. A minor sprain.

No hockey game, what a coincidence.

The evening consisted of police interviews, but the Dean of the University quickly solved any of their problems with the luck of security cameras that caught the entire thing. How the hell did Layla and Aaron not know there were cameras? I have hope that this was a last ditch effort to scare me a little. I’m guessing Layla saw me and acted.

Chandler met me at the hospital because my parents were in a meeting and I told them I was fine, that Chandler could help me. When we left, on the other hand, he ripped me a new one in the truck on the way home.

“Can we not do this right now? My head is killing me, and I really just want to sleep.”

“I told your parents that you’re staying with Foxy for the weekend, so I’m taking you there. I’m assuming you don’t want to stay home with your mom. She’s going to be incredibly overbearing.” My eyes go wide and I slowly shift my head to the left. It isn’t really a full turn because that hurts—something about strained muscles—but more of moving my entire body to look at him.

“Please do not take me to Foxy’s house.” She texted me as soon as Chandler told her what happened and she was pissed at the whole situation and unfortunately is mad at Jensen for not showing, who apparently texted me and said he was going to be late, that I needed to wait at my class for him.

The text never went through. Go figure.

We chalked it up to just plain shit luck and my impatience. I could have waited a little longer or even tried calling him to see where he was, but I went anyway. This was all my fault, not any of theirs. I would blame the text not going through on Layla, but that would give her too much credit.

Simply a near fatal coincidence.

“She’s your girl, no?” He glances at me, then flicks his eyes back to the road in quick succession.

“She is, but she is not a caretaker, nor someone I want to spend the entire weekend with in my condition. She wears me out on a normal basis.”

“Okay.” He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, not liking my change of plans. His lips are a thin slash across his face. This man is so pissed at me. Not only did I call him needing a trip home from the hospital, but he forced me to tell him everything that has happened so far. He didn’t talk, just listened, until we got to the truck. But even then, he only spoke about upping my security and placing one of his guys with me. Chandler skillfully avoided all of my questions surrounding Jonas, and my head hurt too much to care. Inhaling a breath as if for patience, he says, “Where would you like me to take you?”

“Do you remember me telling you about Riggs?”

“Your new boyfriend?”

“Yes. I want to go to his place.” Chandler grits his teeth, not at all interested in dropping me off at a guy’s house. He’ll have to get over that because I’m not the little girl he’s known for years anymore.

“The one who wasn’t there to walk you to the rink?” he says.

“It was not his fault. It was mine. He had to work, and we had the shift covered. Don’t start this with me, Chandler. Riggs is not Jonas. I promise.”

His head whips to face me, his eyes narrowing at my attitude. I smile, but quickly squash that idea. Now is not the time.

“Where does he live?” Yikes. This won’t go down well. Chandler won’t care where Riggs lives or that his apartment isn’t nice, it’s just that the area isn’t safe and he’ll worry about me.

“The Northside,” I answer, wincing.

The smoke billowing from his nose is nearly visible.

“Outlaw,what the actual fuck were you thinking?” Riggs hollers across the parking lot as he comes shooting from the base of the stairs. I wish I could say that he’s happy to see me, which he is, but he looks mad as shit. My fault.

It took everything in my power to keep him from coming to the hospital. I didn’t want him to leave work early, even though there was nothing more I wanted than to have him there with me, but I had Chandler and he was a bit extra while we were in the hospital. He’s protective, so I try not to get on his bad side, but he can be annoying and I didn’t need another overprotective male telling me what to do.

“I like this guy,” Chandler says and I shoot him a wry look, crossing my arms over my chest as Riggs jogs to me. As soon as he is close enough, he extends his long arms and pulls me in. Candied grapes ring familiar, and I soak the scent in, not realizing how much I need it.

I was so reckless this afternoon. They easily could have killed me and the thing that scares me the most is I’m trained. I know how to handle things, but all that went out the window. Kai is going to be so disappointed and will probably have me back in the gym for refresher courses, so we can work through what went wrong.

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