Chapter 51

ISABELLA

After telling Jax about my day and hearing his advice, I feel a little better, even though everyone else had already told me the same thing.

After changing into a more comfortable outfit, I join Jax in the kitchen with take-away restaurant flyers. He's wearing just a pair of gray jogging bottoms and oh my god he's sexy.

He turns in my direction when he notices me. "So Chinese, pizza, Japanese..."

"You know we could make dinner for a change." I cut him off.

"If you can find something to cook, be my guest." He responds by gesturing in the direction of the fridge.

I quickly check around the fridge and the pantry. Then I take out everything I need to make rice, vegetables and chicken.

"I didn't know we had so much stuff." Jax says as he stands next to me.

"I did some shopping yesterday." I reply as I wash the vegetables before chopping them.

"You didn't have to shop for us." He says as he approaches me without taking his eyes off everything I've taken out.

"Of course I did since it was only eggs and frozen pizza."

"Come on tell me what I can do to help. I can try to help you at least" He tells me before clapping his hands.

ASHER

As soon as we land, I feel instant relief. I can't wait to go to bed with my beloved mate. I check my e-mail while a driver takes me to home. Unsurprisingly, I find out that I've received a salty e-mail from Alpha Landon. Being too greedy, this jerk didn't get anything and it serves him right. I can't believe I even considered giving him everything he asked for. If it wasn't for Jax... I feel like such a dick for letting my personal ambition overwhelm me and those two bastards took advantage of it. Crossing town at 2 a.m. on a weeknight is different and quiet. But as we pass our apartment building, a figure is slouched on the sidewalk with a bottle in his hand. I can't understand why Tom hasn't sent him away - after all, we live in a high-class building.

The penthouse is silent, and for a long time now I've had the feeling of being at home, not just in an apartment or a place where we live. When I open the fridge to get a bottle of water, I notice that there are some leftovers. Another thing that makes this a home. As I make my way down the corridor, to find out which room Isabella sleeps in, I hear the front door open. I knew Knox had a business dinner, but I didn't think he'd be home this late. But to my surprise it's Jax who enters the penthouse.

He's wearing simple gray jogging bottoms and a black T-shirt. I look at him, frowning, silently asking what he's doing there.

"Dominic showed up tonight... don't worry Isabella doesn't know. Tom told me discreetly." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just came down because he told me he was still sitting on the sidewalk with his bottle. He wanted to call the cops but I told him I'd talk to him."

"What does he want?" I ask him, crossing my arms. He's lucky he ran into Jax because if it were me I'd have kicked him out in the first place and called the cops myself.

"He wants to see Isabella...to apologize. Apparently he's realized how much he's hurt her."

"Bullshit. There's no way he's going to see her."

"We can't make the decision for her."

This is too much for me. I'm careful not to yell too loud. "I'm exhausted so I'm only going to say this once. There's no way her ex-husband is going to cross her path, okay? If I have to lock him in a cellar for eternity to avoid him I'll have no qualms about doing it."

"He's hurt her and maybe this could bring some real closure to their relationship." He tells me calmly. "In any case I confirm that I think it's her decision to make and certainly not ours." He pauses briefly. "I'm like you of course I'd rather he never saw her again but we can't decide for her. We'd become like him."

"I'm going to bed." I tell him to close the conversation. I open the door to Jax's room but he interrupts me.

"She's in your room. She knew you were coming home tonight." he tells me and I'm glad she thought of it.

I enter with as little noise as possible and quickly undress, for once without paying attention to the clothes I leave on the floor. I snuggle up to her and she's completely naked, so it's hard not to wake her up.

She lets out a little moan. "You're back." She whispers.

"I am. Go to sleep, I didn't want to wake you." I tell her before kissing the top of her head.

She snuggles even more against me and her breathing slows quickly after and I know she's fallen back asleep.

I can't understand how Jax could accept her seeing her ex-husband, after everything he's done to her. He literally broke her and we're only now putting the pieces back together. I don't want her to go back to square one because of him. One thing's for sure, I know Knox would agree with me.