“Really?” Amy tickled Carter's ribs. “Have you three ever... you know?”
“What?” Carter asked, his eyes heavy with lust for this girl.
Amy stepped forward, wiggling her finger at the rest of us, beckoning us nearer. “Ya know.... fucked?”
Mila laughed, her mouth agape in horror. “Oh, my god, Amy!”
“Well, the boys do everything together, right? A girl was just curious.”
“Jax and I haven't even..”
I cut her off, but it was too late. Amy and Carter both knew where the sentence was headed.
“No? You mean, you two haven't had sex?” Carter looked at Amy, and there was a small pause before both of them descended into a fit of howling laughter. Mila didn't care, she had her morals, and she was tougher than she looked, I, however, was pissed that she'd just outed me in front of my friend.
“Fuck you, man,” I spat at Carter. Drunk on Amy, drunk on whiskey and beer and tequila, and so, being frustrated as fuck, I decided to call Amy's bluff.
“I'm game if you all are,” I said, deadpan.
Three sets of eyes looked at me.
Mila was horrified. “Jax, what the hell?”
“I said I'm game if you all are. It's only sex, for Christ sake.”
Mila pulled away from me. “Only sex?”
“Buddy, come on. Amy was only kidding. Don't get into an argument with your woman. Something’s pissed you off today, and you're going to end up taking it out on her.”
“I'm not kidding.” Amy piped up, grinning.
And she wasn't. I called her bluff, and she'd been fucking serious.
Before I knew it, Amy and I were leading the way, and a night happened that would forever change our history.
Chapter Twenty
Jax.
It was the morning after the storm. The auction over with, I'd asked to see Amy, and Marnie had caught Ella and me.
What a cluster fuck.
My eyes flickered open, the bright early morning sun causing my head to pound, the throbbing going from one temple round to the other. Groaning, I turned on my side to check my phone. Three missed calls from my Pops early this morning and a message from Mindy.
Something had happened.
Sitting upright, I swung my legs out of bed, stood, and dialed my Pops. He answered within three rings.
“Son!” He exclaimed. “I haven't got much time,” the old man was breathless, as though he'd been running.
“What the fuck are you up to?” I asked, upon hearing the noise in the background.
“I think we've got something. On Vladimir. The fucking cell.”
My blood halted in my veins, my ears pricking up like a dog. "Go on..."
“You know our man in Roswell?”
“Yeah.”
“The old boy has been in retirement for nearly twelve years. Anyway, he started as an errand boy for Vlad, it's a long story, but he left. He upped and fucking left, and then my father found him lurking about one day. He had information but never told him where or how he'd gotten it.” My Pops paused to take a breath. “There's mines, son. Hundreds of miles of abandoned mines that run under next to Vlad's home.”
“That's too fucking close..”
“No, wait, it gets good.” The phone made a rustling sound as I waited with bated fucking breath for him to deliver the news, Archibald Murdoch, and his flair for the goddamn dramatics. “He got hold of some maps, you know, from years ago. They detail the entire run of the mines, and guess where they start?”
“The Warehouse,” I said, stopping dead in my tracks, cigarette dangling from my lips, the flame from my light flickering to and fro.
“Bingo.”
“Fuck,” I breathed. “This is huge, pops.”
“Jax, this could be the way we bring Vlad to his knees.”
I frowned. “Pops, are you talkin'... war? War with the Chro's?”
I heard the nod. “Look, son, I can't hang about, I'm having a meeting later to get plans underway.” He sighed. “We can't let him continue his sick crusade, after the auction - this has got to stop. I want my son back where he belongs.”
“Dad, I'm not comfortable with you doing this without me.” I finally lit up my cigarette, chucking the lighter on to the bed.
My dad chuckled. “I'm not, my boy, we'll need your help too. We need intel. Dates, times, we need to know his routine.”
I nodded and took a second to compose my thoughts. What the fuck was happening? Could this be it? Could I destroy this man and his operation? Could I save Ella and her daughter?
“Dad, I have to help Ella. Her daughter, she could be down there if that's where they send the unwanted kids. I know you don't understand, but I made a promise to her.”
And then said something that shocked me. It had been years since the old man had done that. “Ahh, my boy, I may understand more than you realize.”
“What?”
“Your grandfather hated me, did you know that? Of course he did, I was a boy from the wrong side of the tracks in the wrong part of town. Your mother and I had to meet in secret, and we risked her being sent back to her aunts' in Missouri. A strict Catholic family with Catholic views.” A voice in the background spoke in quiet tones, and my dad replied before coming back to me. “I know what it's like to love someone you shouldn't, son, and I won't be the one to stand in your way. Especially not when you've got Vladimir looming over you.”
“Jesus, dad,” I smiled.
“What I'm trying to say is: you have my blessing. I want my boy happy, and if doing what I should have done years ago makes that happen, then it's what I have to do.” There was a burst of noise down the line, the sound of an engine turning over, men's voices hollering. “I do have to go now, Jax, just keep your head down. Survive. Survive, my son, until this is all over with.”
“Yes, sir,” and then we hung up.
I stared open-mouthed at my phone for Christ knows how long, and then it pinged, reminding me that Mindy, too, had messaged.
Baby, I miss you. Carter misses you. Hurry home soon, even if it is with another woman on your arm.
It was a little after eight, and I was showered and dressed when there was a soft knock at the door.
I hadn't seen her since last night, after touching her, being close to her, after her friend marched her away like a naughty school girl. And so I hurried to open the door.
But what I saw made my heart fucking ache. Gone was the spark my bird had, and in its place was a nightdress that was gray instead of white, an enormous bruise covered the side of her bare face, heavy dark bags hung under her eyes, and what hurt more than anything was the fact she was staring at the floor.
Gone was my bird, and back was the meek mouse.
She was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
“Mr. Murdoch, if you'd like to come with me, please, my husband has requested your presence.”
“Ella,” I lowered my voice, peeking my head out of the door to look for any unwanted escorts she may have had. “Bird, what happened?”
Her bottom lip wobbled, and she took a deep breath. “If you'd like to follow me, please.” And with that, she turned on her naked feet and limped down the hallway.