JACK: Las Vegas Bad Boys (13 page)

M
y big show
isn’t until tomorrow, but this dinner party planned by our parents is apparently the real reason they’re all coming to Vegas this weekend.

It’s weirding us all out, for sure.

We’ve all gathered at the restaurant that has been reserved for us. As we wait to be seated, we stand around the foyer catching up.

Ace and Emmy don’t have extended family, but Claire’s mom and Landon’s parents are here, as well as McQueen’s parents. Surprisingly, JoJo’s dad is here as well, along with my parents. Sixteen of us in all.

We’ve all met, though briefly, in one way or another. A wedding, or JoJo’s fight. My parents have flown down before. But our parents have only met via the internet.

“So they all became friends on Facebook or some shit? Whose fault is this?” McQueen asks as he adjusts his tie. I never see this fucker in a suit, but this dinner is apparently evening attire. No ball caps allowed.

“I think it’s Landon’s fault. He’s the only fucker who actually goes on Facebook.”

“Why do you go on Facebook?” Ace asks him, glaring out of the corner of his eye. “You a fucking girl?”

“Fuck you,” Landon says, laughing. “I like posting pictures of Sophia for her grandparents to see, because I’m into that family shit. So step off. Ace’s woman is trying to get knocked up too, so start giving him a hard time, not me.”

We all look over at Emmy, who does seem to be glowing and is, suspiciously, holding a glass of sparkling water instead of rosé like the other women.

Before we can start ribbing Ace about it, the doors to the restaurant open and we file in. I take Tess’s arm and walk beside her.

“Everything okay?” I ask, leaning in.

“I don’t know. Something feels off.”

“With our friends, or do you feel unsafe?”

“Not our friends. Just, I’m having weird memories for some reason that I can’t shake.”

I pull my arm tighter around her, drawing her close. Damn the fuckers she called family, who screwed her up and fucked her over. I want to make them pay.

Throughout the meal I keep expecting there to be some big reveal, some a-ha moment that brought us all together, but nothing happens. The parents talk amicably, no one’s getting angry or drinking too much. It feels like a fucking family dinner.

Since when did we all become so boring?

The dinner starts off with a raucous debate on whether or not Jon Snow is alive or not on Game of Thrones. I try to catch Tess’s eye, but she’s looking down at her plate, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Poor girl, she’s totally not ready for this dinner. Too much at once.

When the discussion turns to spouses and how long couples have been married, Claire’s mom mentions her husband passing away. Then JoJo’s dad says he’s a widower, too, and suddenly the conversation takes a depressing turn. Besides being boring, we’re also heavy as hell.

During the dessert course, I lean over to Ace.

“Dude, we gotta turn this night up a notch. I’m fucking losing my mind talking to our parents about fucking Game of Thrones and life insurance.”

“Do you have anything in mind?”

“We could ditch the parents, take the ladies to
Hearts
?” I suggest. But one glance at Tess and I can tell something is off with her, too. Probably being around so many people who know about or saw the video is upsetting. I hate putting her in a situation that makes her uneasy.

Ace raises an eyebrow. “You want to watch your girl get a lap dance?”

“I wanna watch her get off.”

Ace snorts. “Then you should take her back to your fucking apartment.”

“True,” I say to him, then lean over to whisper in Tess’s ear. “You wanna head to my place?”

“When?” she asks, a small look of desperation crossing her face.

“Now.”

* * *

I
wake
the next morning in a tangle of sheets. Today is the big day; I have to make a decision about the contract, and then put on a show.

Couple that with the fact that, ever since dinner last night, Tess has been a train wreck, and I don’t see how I can keep my head on straight. What I really need to do is find her father myself and bash his fucking brain in.

She’s already sitting up in bed, biting her nails nervously.

“What is it?” I ask, pushing up beside her. “Did something happen?”

“No, I’m just kind of freaking out, babe,” she tells me.

“Tess, the condo is secure as fuck, there’s no way anyone can get in here and get to you. And we have a meeting today with the private investigator to find out where your dad is. Once we know that you’ll feel less scared.”

I don’t tell her that, when I find out where her father is, I am going to personally make sure no one ever fucks with my girl again.

By any means necessary.

“It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“I just keep having these weird flashbacks. I don’t know what’s triggered them, but the moment I sat down at that table at dinner, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone there knew me. Or, like, I knew them.”

“One of our friends? I don’t know what you mean.”

“I don’t either. I just felt like something was off.”

“Tell me about the flashbacks.”

“Well, remember how I told you that memory I had as a little girl?”

“When you were sick?”

“Yeah.” Tess nods, pulling the sheets around her more tightly. “Well, in these memories I’m the same age as I was then, and I keep seeing myself at a playground with these little boys. And they were pushing me in a swing. And then I remember a birthday party, where I was opening gifts and then a woman brought out a cake and I blew out the candles. That doesn’t make sense though.”

“Why not? Maybe you’re remembering good things about your childhood so that you can let go of the other horrible shit that went down.”

“That’s what doesn’t make sense, Jack.” She sighs, covering her mouth. “It isn’t
my
childhood. There were no kids at the compound. I was my mom’s only child. And the lady with the birthday cake? She wasn’t my mother.”

“Who was she? Your aunt? A friend of the family?” I don’t understand what she’s getting at.

“I don’t know, Jack. But I need to find out.”

“Let’s get dressed and meet with the PI. Then we can sort this out, okay?”

“Doesn’t it sound weird to you? That I’m having all these memories now?”

“Baby, you’ve had a really intense month. Maybe going back to your apartment will help center you.”

“Center me? What are you, a yogi?” She cracks a smile.

“Finally, a smile out of you,” I say, pulling her to me for a kiss. “I wasn’t trying to spout off some new-age bullshit—but, damn, you haven’t been to your apartment in weeks. Maybe if you go back there you’ll feel better.”

“I know one way I could feel better right now,” she says, reaching her hand under the sheets, stroking my morning wood.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask.

“Mhmm,” she purrs, sliding under the sheets. Her mouth is on my hard cock—and, damn, this is the right way to wake up.

Her hand wraps around the base of my cock, pumping nice and slow, and her mouth takes me deep. I feel my tip hit the back of her throat.

It feels so good … and her little ass is right beside me, so I run my hands over her soft skin. Reaching lower for her pussy, I dip a finger into her folds, loving the way she sucks harder as I start finger-fucking her nice and good.

I smack her ass, my hands squeezing those perfect cheeks, then lift her leg over me, so she’s straddling me backwards. And then I go to town on her pussy.

My tongue licks her slit up and down, faster and faster, to match the rhythm of how she takes my cock. Her pussy drips with pleasure as I add three fingers to her pretty little opening.

She’s moaning now, and I need her to ride me, to really get me off.

“Fuck me, baby,” I tell her.

She lifts herself ever so slightly, and then begins to sit on my cock, my hands running over her back, grabbing her by the waist as she swivels above me in reverse cowgirl.

“You like that,” I ask her.

“Oh, fuck me, it feels so good, baby,” she groans, her pussy pouring out on my thighs, her narrow waist the perfect size to hold onto.

“I’m going to come.” I remember at the last second that we didn’t use a condom, but it’s too late to stop. My come shoots inside her.

“Oh, God, Jack, it feels so good, you fill me up so good,” she pants as an orgasm washes over her. “Oh, fuck me,” she screams as she comes again.

When she climbs off of me, I tell her we didn’t use a condom.

As she catches her breath, she looks in my eyes, hers still dripping with desire. “That’s all right. I needed to feel you in me, Jack. You centered me.”

I pull her to me, her beautiful face nestled against my chest. I poured out my seed in her, I told her I love her, and now I’m going to make sure no one can ever hurt her again.

Even if it means losing everything else.

* * *

Before the meeting with the private investigator, I get the security detail and my private bodyguard to take me to my studio apartment. The plan is to take the things I really want to keep, and a moving company will put the rest in a storage unit until I decide what I want to do.

But there’s no way I can stay living here. I’d never feel safe.

The plan had been to get my shit and run ... but I can’t do that right now. I’ve given Jack everything I have—my heart, my soul, everything but the words
I love you.

There’s no way I could leave him now, even if I wanted to. I told him my deepest secret, the secret that could imprison me, because I trust him with my life.

Two of the security guards enter my apartment first, scouting it out, and thankfully the premises are clear.

I tell my bodyguard to wait outside the partially closed door, knowing I need a moment alone, and I fall into my bed.

The last time I slept here was with Jack. It feels like a year ago. I was just trying to keep up appearances, trying to keep my life together.

And now it all seems to have unraveled. In a way I never expected.

Jack Harris loves me.

This was the boy I was obsessed with, who I thought was sexy and funny and adorable in that
I got this city wrapped around my finger
way. And he has chosen me. To fight for me and love me.

And, damn, I miss him, even though we’ve only been apart for half an hour.

My phone rings.

It’s the girls, in a group text. I smile, noticing that JoJo is included now. I’m reminded once again how lucky I am to have these friends. How did I imagine leaving them and running away to start over on my own?

Emmy: Can we come over? We miss you. Are you at Jack’s?

Me: I’m at my studio. Just packing.

Claire: We’re bringing lunch.

I give them a thumbs-up emoji and drop my phone back on my bed. I need to start working, because I know once they arrive any momentum will be derailed.

I grab a few laundry baskets and start throwing in clothes, some shoes. Hoarding is not in my vocabulary, and I keep things pretty tidy, so I don’t have a ton to take.

Looking through my stacks of books, I realize I’m going to have some serious library fines, and I tuck those books in a tote. The rest of my favorite books go in a basket along with my handful of journals and favorite pens.

I’m just sorting through my makeup when the door opens. Claire, Emmy, and JoJo come in, carrying bags of to-go food, and McQueen’s mom Teri comes in behind them.

“Oh, wow, it’s the whole gang.” I jump off my bed, and make room on my countertop for the bags.

“Yeah, well,” JoJo says, “I’ve been dragging Teri all over town with me to find stuff to make Ryan’s place less....”

“Male?” Claire offers.

“Yes. It is the epitome of
bachelor pad
,” JoJo says. “But, since I’ve moved in, I need to spice it up. With at least curtains.”

“And we found an absolute steal on some at Target,” Teri says, unloading a bag of sandwiches and salads. “That place has everything.”

JoJo is so lucky to have Teri since her own mother died. A sharp pain runs through my chest thinking about my own mother ... my own plight. But I don’t want it to be about me today. Especially since none of my friends know half of the drama.