Chapter 109 Chapter 109 The Big Brother
Oh my freaking God—I was so wrong about Jax.
He’s been going off on me for the last forty-five minutes, nonstop, scolding me about that video like he’s on some full-blown big brother rant. I turn my head toward the window, trying to tune him out. Outside, the world rolls by in endless stretches of vineyards—lush, green, and impossibly beautiful. Scattered between them are elegant homes, tucked into the hills like they belong in a painting.
“Do you understand?” he continues, not even slowing down. “I am twenty years older than you. I’m just a random man. You should never be sending videos like that of yourself to anyone. What kind of friends are these that make you do such things?” He finally pauses, dragging in a breath like it’s the first one he’s taken in half an hour. “And Federov is ten years older than you. Why are you entertaining him? He’s a damn pervert.”
“Gee, thanks for the third degree,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
Jax suddenly grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks until I’m forced to look at him.
“Please tell me he’s not feeding you that ‘you’re mature for your age’ bullshit,” he says, his voice sharper now. “Because news flash, doll—you’re not.”
I smirk at him. “Do men still actually say that to girls?”
I know I do dumb shit. I’m young—that’s kind of the point. It’s how I learn. But why is he acting like the voice of reason? He should be fighting it. Pretending not to want me. Losing control over it. We should be pulled over on the side of the road right now, fucking in the backseat.
“What are you doing with Ivan and Dimitri?” he asks finally.
There it is.
I knew someone would ask eventually. We haven’t exactly been subtle.
“I’ve seen them both coming out of your room,” he continues. “Jesus, are the three of you into some sick, weird threesome?”
My head snaps toward him. I can feel the heat rushing to my face, my eyes widening. I open my mouth—then close it again. Words fail me.
“I thought so,” he says, flashing that wicked grin, dimples cutting deep. He leans back in his seat, watching me like he’s waiting for me to break.
“It’s just sex,” I say, lifting my chin, refusing to let him intimidate me.
I’ve been through too much—come too close to death too many times—to shrink under his judgment. Especially when he was the one grabbing my ass last night, whispering about fucking me in the dirt, saying filthy things that still echo in my head. Things that made me so hot for him, no matter how old he is.
“Fuck me…” Jax exhales, his tone shifting as we cross into the city. “You love them.”
He glances at me again, slower this time.
“You love them both.”
The car rolls to a stop, and he parks. His eyes don’t leave me.
I turn to face him fully.
“I do,” I say quietly. “I love them both. I asked Dimitri to marry me before I knew he couldn’t… okay? Are you happy now?”
Something flickers across his face—something softer. Curiosity. Maybe even understanding.
He doesn’t say anything. Just opens the door and steps out.
I sit there for a moment, the silence pressing in on me, heavy with everything I just admitted.
Then my door swings open.
“Let’s go, doll,” he says, like nothing just happened. He offers me his hand. “I actually do need something. We’re not here just for the conversation.”
I take it.
Before I can even step forward, he grabs my jacket and helps me into it—more like forces me into it.
“You don’t need to be walking around with your nipples pointing like that,” he mutters.
I smirk to myself. At least he’s not immune.
We walk into an open market, alive with color and movement. Fresh produce is stacked in neat displays, the air rich with the scent of herbs and fruit. Nonas stand behind tables, rolling and cutting fresh pasta, packaging it with practiced hands. People move through the space with canvas bags, voices overlapping in different languages and accents.
Jax leads me to a pavilion draped in lavender. The scent is soft and calming. He starts speaking to the woman there in Italian, his tone smooth, effortless.
She smiles at him—of course she does. Twirling a strand of her dark hair around her finger, tucking it behind her ear. She’s beautiful. Dark eyes, sun-kissed skin, a yellow sundress that fits her perfectly.
She hands him a bundle of lavender.
Then she looks at me—eyes narrowing just slightly.
Jax pays her, and before I can overthink it, I lace my fingers through his.
He glances down at our hands, then back at me.
“Cockblock much?” he murmurs, grinning.
But he doesn’t let go.
We wander through the market like that, still holding hands. He picks out spices, vanilla beans, things I don’t recognize but pretend I do.
Eventually, we stop at a small bistro for lunch. He orders for both of us, making me try seafood. I wrinkle my nose and turn my head away like a child.
He laughs.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” I finally ask, working up the nerve.
“I do.”
I blink. “But in Spain… I saw you with someone.”
“We’re in an open relationship,” he says casually. “Have been for over a decade. We have two kids.”
That… was not what I expected.
He studies me for a moment. “Have you told Ivan?”
“Told him what?”
“That you want to be exclusive,” he says, watching me closely. “I know—we all know—how much he loves you. And how many times he’s asked you to marry him. He talks about you so much it’s exhausting.”
I sigh, looking down at my plate. “I don’t think he wants that. He wants me—but he won’t let go of the others and…”
“You don’t want to share,” Jax finishes, not looking up.
“No. Not when I really like someone.” I pause. “I mean, I’ve shared before—with friends. I’ve had threesomes… one foursome. I’ve been the side piece… a mistress…” I shut my eyes, cringing. “Fuck. I didn’t even know Ivan’s last name the first time we slept together.”
Jax laughs softly, shaking his head.
“You and Ivan might be too alike to ever work,” he says, finally meeting my eyes again. His hand reaches across the table, covering mine. “Just tell him what you want. And if he can’t give you that… walk away.”
His thumb brushes lightly over my skin.
“You’re a sweet girl. Don’t settle for someone who wants to share you just so he can fuck around on you.”