Chapter 12
JAX
As Isabella makes amends with her ex-husband, I stare at him, and as she speaks, I see his face break down. He's humiliated and hurt by her words, and I'm proud of her for standing her ground. After what he's put her through, he deserves a thousand times what's happening. When she turns her back on him and pulls my hand away, I can see his jaw tighten and his fists clench. At Isabella for her tirade, or at me for being in his place?
"I'm sorry. This is certainly not how I wanted our evening to go." She says to me after walking for a few minutes.
"Are you all right? That was intense." I tell her with a frown.
"You must think I'm hysterical. I've fucking ruined everything..." She responds by lowering her head. She tries to remove her hand from mine but I hold it back.
"No, you didn't. Don't worry about it. I think you were very brave to face him like that. He had no right to attack you first. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."
"Thank you." She replies with a shy smile. "I guess I needed to get that out." Her hand squeezes mine a little. "It made me realize that I was ready to move on." She adds with a little smile.
"And?" Knox asks me annoyed.
"And nothing. I walked her to her front door, kissed her and went upstairs." And it was the best kiss of my life, I want to add, but I'd rather keep it to myself. It's enough to have to share her with my brothers, I want to keep something of hers all to myself even though I know it wouldn't last.
The way she stood up to her ex made me realize just how much stronger she is than she thinks and, above all, that she deserves to be treated like a queen.
"I didn't want to ruin everything. She revealed more of herself than she would have liked. All because that asshole..." I growl, letting my wolf briefly take over. "Anyway. She seemed vulnerable to me and I didn't want to be too insistent."
"You know she probably would have let you, right?" He adds frustrated. He runs his hands through his loose hair, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're my brother."
"I... honestly you should have seen her." I shake my head, remembering the scene. "Fuck, I felt like a dick for manipulating her. She deserves the truth."
"And what truth are we talking about?" Ash interrupts as we enter the room. He's already fully dressed in black pants and a white shirt rolled up at the elbows. He rests his hands on the kitchen counter, opposite me. "Would you like to tell her how we investigated her? How we bought this Penthouse to live closer to her? How you took up running to meet her? How Knox knocked on her door knowing full well who she was? How I paid to attend that fucking charity gala? How did I pay for her fucking friend to be held up in his fucking art gallery? How did I pay to sit next to her? For the DJ to play slow music just as we'd step onto the dance floor?" The more he talks, the tighter his jaw clenches. His eyes are now golden and his claws are protruding from his mouth. "I suggest you start by explaining how you knew her favorite flowers and restaurant." At my silence he slams his hands against the counter, cracking it. "Fuck you, Jax! Fuck you and your fucking conscience!" He shakes his head, closing his eyes, and when he opens them again, his eyes are their normal colors.
"Why do you always have to react like that? Thanks for reminding me of all those things we lied to her about. As for me, from now on I'm only telling her the truth." I reply, pushing myself off the counter and heading for my room.
ASHER
"Well, you're a great communicator." Knox says, getting up from his stool. It's mid-morning and he's still in his boxer shorts and nothing else. "And by the way, I'll let you handle the counter repairs." He walks off in the direction of the corridor. " We can never have nice things here." He mumbles.
The three of us agreed on how to get closer to her and it takes Jax discovering a morality to screw it up. We can't risk him telling her the whole truth now and especially not on a whim. I need to call someone to change the kitchen counter, stop Jax from opening his mouth and get rid of her fucking ex-husband. I'll start by going out for a run. At this stage, it's no longer a desire but a necessity.
When I get to the cabin, I undress completely. I take a few steps outside before letting my wolf out. Damn, that feels good. The air on my long hair and the smell of the forest have always helped me relax, but even more so since we've moved to the city and plunged into work. Visits to nature are becoming more and more infrequent, and my wolf goes out less and less, but I've always needed it to channel my energy. My wolf and I are one and the same, but still more mature and composed than I am. It's hard to explain. We're the same, yet different. I start running non-stop, zigzagging between the trees. The more I run, the clearer my head becomes. Isabella's ex-husband isn't a serious threat at the moment, but if he becomes one we'll have to consider getting rid of him for good. But for the moment he's not a priority. After more than an hour, I've come to the conclusion that Jax was right, this masquerade can't go on any longer. Isabella spent her marriage betrayed and lied to, and I don't want her to go through that with us. Fucking Jax's self-satisfied grin is going to be hard to bear.