Chapter Twenty-four

RUE

I 'm not sure how long I watch Jaceson ink Gunner's skin, finding the entire process fascinating. It's a skill that not many can do well, and my fingers twitch with the need to try it.

Only, I can't risk fucking it up, so I keep my mouth shut.

The sound of raised voices catches my attention, and Gunner grunts then nudges my knee. "Why don't you go with the guys and find something to eat?"

I open my mouth to protest when Jaceson lifts his head and peers up at me from under his lashes. "It would help," he murmurs so quietly that the others won't overhear. "They are having trouble keeping James occupied. I don't think they can keep him contained for much longer. He'll listen to you."

I waffle with indecision, not wanting to leave them, but Gunner waves me away. "Go. Eat. This will take at least another hour or two. We'll still be here when you get back."

As if agreeing with him, my stomach growls, and I grimace. "Are you sure?"

Jaceson nods, casting a sharp glance toward the front of the store. "It will allow me to concentrate more, and I will worry less when you're with him."

My eyebrows lift in surprise, and I can't resist teasing him. "You think I won't join him in his mischief?"

Jaceson pauses, and both guys look at me with speculation. Gunner appears like he wants to join us, most likely to keep us out of trouble, while humor curves Jaceson's lips. "I think my brother would do anything to keep you safe. He would never risk you getting hurt. He'll be on his best behavior…well, for him anyway," he says ruefully, his light blue eyes sparkling playfully. "So even if you get into trouble, it will be mild compared to when he runs wild."

My chest warms at the trust he's placing in me. "I'll do my best."

Gunner grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips before lightly kissing the back of it. "I would stop and take you myself, but I want your design inked on me. I don't want to stop and risk not finishing it today."

Ridiculously pleased by his words and the show of affection, I smile and stand. "Do you want me to bring you guys something to eat?"

Jaceson has already turned back to his project, losing himself as he studiously etches lines into Gunner's skin. A sheepish smile lifts Gunner's face. "Once Jace is in the zone, he won't stop until he's done. We're good. We'll pick something up when we're finished. Thank you for asking though."

"Of course!" I hesitate a moment longer, not wanting to leave them, but Jameson must have spotted me.

"Pookie!" He waves me over, flapping both arms in the air like I can't see him from ten feet away. The only thing preventing him from jumping over the counter is the grip the guys have on him and Dustin's fearsome scowl. "Come rescue me! I need you!"

There is something in the tone of his voice that catches my attention, a thread of anxiety, and I decide to be a dork and wave back at him. "I'll break you from your jailors, then we can run off together and get lunch."

A smile lights up his face, the thrum of anxiety hovering around him easing. Hicks shoots me a warning glance, but Ellis snorts a laugh, looking relieved at being able to hand babysitting duties over to me.

As I cross the room, I note a spark of mischief dancing in Jameson's pale blue eyes, and I can't help but wonder what I'm getting myself into.

My smile brightens, and I pick up my pace.

I can't wait!

Jameson slips their hold, bounding over to me the instant I step past the counter. The next second, I'm over his shoulder, my breath leaving me with a grunt.

At least it saved me from an annoyingly girlish squeal this time.

I'm almost getting used to being manhandled.

Before I can gather my wits, we're charging toward the door. A peal of laughter escapes me as we dodge Hicks, his curses blistering the air behind us. Before we can hit the door, Ellis stands in the way. When we don't show any indication of slowing, his eyes widen, and he hastily steps back and opens it.

Jameson whoops with laughter, then we're dashing out the door and into the street. Some people swear at us when we bump into them, too busy reading their phones to pay attention to their surroundings, but more than a few people see us coming. They smile when they catch sight of us and leap out of the way with a chuckle.

A glance shows Ellis following at a quick pace, but the streets are congested and he's falling behind. I tap on Jameson's shoulder to get his attention, then nod behind us. "Slow down. We're losing them."

He only shoots me a bright smile, his happiness so genuine that my breath is knocked out of me for a different reason this time. "They have my phone tracked, and I'm sure they have yours bugged too. Even if we lose them, they'll catch up with us." He pauses, tipping his head to the side as if calculating the odds, then just shrugs. "Eventually."

I'm not sure I like the idea that they bugged my phone without telling me about it.

It's just a little too reminiscent of my controlling father and his need to keep me under his thumb. I expect Jameson to be upset by the intrusion, but he doesn't seem bothered in the least, like it wasn't done with the intention of spying but out of genuine concern.

It's such a foreign concept that I can't quite grasp it, and I decide to worry about it later. We end up going two more blocks before we lose our tail. He slows before finally setting my feet back on the ground, then he gently smooths the furrow between my eyes.

"Don't worry, pookie." He tugs me against his chest, snuggling me close. "They do it because they care."

It sounds like something he's been told a dozen times before.

"When would they have done something like that?" I'm completely baffled, touching my phone briefly where it's tucked into my skirt.

Jameson snorts, then pulls away and snags my hand. "They are sneaky fuckers. If you allowed them to touch your phone at any time, then they had time to download an app to track you."

I have to run to keep up with him as he drags me behind him, and I curse my short legs when I almost stumble. "Slow down, please. You seem to forget I'm short."

Jameson halts so suddenly that I slam into him with an oomph, but he only wraps his arms around me and grins. "Not short. Fun-sized."

My smile breaks free, and I snort at the idiot. Knowing I have to take control before he runs off again, I rub my stomach. "I really am hungry. Can we stop somewhere to eat?"

Jameson immediately turns serious, lifting his head as he searches the streets for a suitable restaurant. After gaining his bearings, he slips his hand into mine once more, then he leads me down a different street at a more sedate pace. With my free hand, I tug out my phone. "Where are we going? We can ask Hicks and Ellis to join us."

A put-upon sigh leaves Jameson, but he nods dutifully. "There is a deli ahead. I was thinking we could grab a picnic basket and eat in the park." He stops walking suddenly, his gaze locking on mine as he searches my face. "Would you like that? Have you ever had a picnic before?"

Pleasure warms my chest that he would ask. I'm not sure how he knows I've missed out on so much of my childhood, but my insides melt that he wants to create new memories for me. "I would love to go on my first picnic with you."

I lean up on my toes, then kiss the underside of his jaw. I'm not sure it's appropriate to go about kissing them on the lips whenever I feel like it, but I wanted to show him that I appreciate his thoughtfulness.

Jameson touches the spot, the shards of white in his pale blue eyes making them appear brighter, and he gazes down at me reverently. "I would do anything for you."

I place my hand on his chest, both giddy at his confession and terrified. No one should have that much power over another person. It's dangerous, especially with someone like Jameson, who loves the people around him a little too hard.

My smile is light—a struggle when it feels like my heart is two sizes too large in my chest. "How about you ask before you do anything? Us women are mysterious creatures, and our emotions are so volatile sometimes that our anger is fierce once you rile us up."

He winces at a memory, his eyes turning solemn as he places a hand over mine. "Promise."

I release a relieved breath, my shoulders relaxing, and I smile up at him. "Good. I promise when I get mad, I'll do my best to think through the situation calmly before reacting, okay?"

It's not like Jameson is a child—far from it—but it's also obvious that someone hurt him so badly that he's still carrying the scars from it. Even though the guys do their best, I suspect that not even they are aware of how much he struggles behind his mask.

He's so desperate for connections with others that he throws himself into life, searching for it in all the wrong places. Though his heart might be the biggest of them, it's been bruised and battered, and he's desperately looking to others to fill the hole inside him.

I don't want to see his beautiful, innocent heart shattered.

Jameson searches my eyes, and something in him relaxes. He threads our fingers together, brings our hands to his lips, then kisses the back of my hand solemnly. "I… Thank you."

He slips his arm around me, and we begin walking down the street at an almost casual pace. I'm almost suspicious at the change…until he starts speaking.

"My mother never wanted children. I suspect that if Dad hadn't found out that she was pregnant, she would have aborted us." He tightens his grip on me, as if afraid that I might run, but I only rest my head against his chest.

"My mother loved the single life. She worked hard and played harder. Dad gave her whatever she wanted. It was a surprise to everyone when she agreed to marry him. After a year, I think the newness started wearing off. She began working longer hours, staying out late with her friends, and going to parties.

"My father forgave her because he was madly, obsessively in love with her. They had an open marriage—on her side only. He absolved her for any indiscretions as long as she came home to him. When he found a pregnancy test in the trash, he thought she would finally settle down." He grimaces, pulling me out of the path of a group of teenagers, then he waits while they pass before continuing.

"In her own way, my mother did love my father. She agreed to try and make their marriage work. Unfortunately, as the pregnancy progressed, so did my mother's unhappiness. It got worse when she found out that she was having twins. Her pregnancy became high risk when she refused to slow down her lifestyle." His voice is bitter, his throat bobbing as he swallows.

"My father found her bleeding and rushed her to the hospital. He didn't even care about us. He just wanted them to save her." His caustic laugh sends people around us scattering, but he doesn't notice as he continues his sad story, too lost in his head. "They were able to save us with an emergency C-section. Ironically, though it saved her life, she was furious at the doctors for cutting her open and ruin her body to save us.

"Things only got worse. My father was desperate to do anything to keep his wife. He tried to use us to keep her home." His acrid snort is so caustic that my chest hurts for him. "He was so obsessed with our mother that he barely paid us any attention. Despite all his efforts, she lasted until we were four years old before she just packed up and left. We ruined her marriage, her life, and her body. She wanted nothing to do with us. When she left, dear old dad basically forgot that we existed."

Unable to hold on to my anger a second longer, I jerk him to a stop, then yank his head down so he can't look away. I want him to see the sincerity in my eyes and know that I'm telling the truth. "Your mother is a bitch who didn't deserve you. You are lucky she's no longer in your life. You're free of her hatred, and that's a good thing."

He blinks in surprise, shadows moving in his eyes. He swallows hard as he searches my face, staring at me like I'm a lifeline he desperately needs to save him from drowning in his own misery. "You and your brother are both amazing people, and it's her loss that she didn't stick around. The best thing that ever happened to me is moving in next door and meeting you and the others."

"Truly?" His voice is so soft, so hesitant, that I reach out and smack him on the back of the head.

"Ouch!" He straightens and peers down at me warily as he absently rubs the abused spot. "What was that for?"

"For doubting me." I glare up at him, my hands on my hips. "You are lucky to be free of your parents. Forget your past. It's time you put it behind you. You're blessed to have found your own family. Don't let your parents ruin your future. If you do, then you're a bigger fool than you pretend to be."

It's like a light switched on inside him, the bitterness and hatred shedding away, and he slowly prowls toward me. I don't realize I'm retreating until my back hits a wall. Jameson doesn't stop until he's pressed against me. He places a hand near my head, leaning forward and gently cupping my face. When he tilts my head back, he effectively traps me in place so I can't escape.

The joke is on him, because that's the last thing I want.

I'll just have to find some way to prove it to them.