Page 102 of Jake's Angel

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

JAKE

Walking into church,it’s officers only, and we all take our usual seats. Gabe wastes no time getting started.

“How’s Avery this morning?” Gabe asks, directing his attention to me.

“I just left her with Liz and the girls. She wasfine,” I say, and Hawk chuckles beside me. I glare at him, willing him to shut up, but no such luck.

“Well, she told him she’sfine, but only because she’s pissed at him,” Hawk goes on. Gabe glares at me from his spot at the head of the table, sitting down now, leaning back, arms folded across his chest.

“What did you do?” Gabe barks, leaning forward just enough to intimidate a lesser man.

“Well, you see, Pres, he doesn’t know. She was good earlier, then when they got to Liz’s house, Jake says she wouldn’t talk to him except to tell him she wasfine.” The whole room doles out a collective “ooh.”

“Freaked out. Insecure. Neurotic and emotional,” Ethan and Jameson both chant from the other side of me. Hawk laughs, pointing at them, nodding his head in agreement.

“See! That’s what I told him!” Hawk shouts. I glare at the prick, wishing he would shut the hell up.

“Haven’t you seenThe Italian Job?” Ethan asks. Everyone around the room nods collectively.

For fuck’s sake.

“I didn’t doanything.She had an emotional night, and I think she’s trying to process through it all.” I say, hoping they’ll back off the idea of me having fucked-up. Thinking she regrets having trusted me with her secrets twists my gut.

“What did she tell you? Did she say if it was the guy she was dancing with who upset her?” Gabe asks, his eyes narrowed in on me. My mind flashes back to the sight of her in my T-shirt, wrapped around me with her little lace panties taunting me in the mirror. Remembering Pres’s threat to anyone who touches her has me quickly shutting those thoughts down.

Nope. Not telling him shit.

“No. It wasn’t him, or even the party, that upset her. Not exactly.”

“What do you mean,exactly?”Pop leans forward and scowls.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with yourbossin Baron’s Edge?” I’m probably going to catch shit for questioning him later, but my girl is worried about Pop’s loyalties, and as hard as it is to think about, I need to consider the possibility he knew something about her situation.

“Russ is safe. He’s on a business trip away from home. He’s going to remain on his trip until further notice. We have two of our best men with him. Why are Russell’s whereabouts a concern to you?”

“She told me about the night of her supposed mugging and said something from last night triggered a flashback. She doesn’tlike to be touched by people she doesn’t know, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed.”

“I noticed she didn’t shy away from your touch.” Gabe smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “In fact, she snuggled into you. Twice she’s allowed you to hold her close, turning into you for comfort. She left with you last night and didn’t protest. She trusts you. Why?” He raises a questioning brow, but it’s not really a question. It’s a challenge. He doesn’t like the fact she won’t give him a chance. The way she moves away or stiffens every time he touches her.

“I haven’t given her any reasonnotto trust me. I haven’t lied to her. I didn’t abandon her when she needed me. I stepped up for her and took care of her because it’s what she needs.” The tension in the room has become ten times thicker. He doesn’t like me meeting his challenge, but mostly he’s pissed because he knows I’m right.

“What did she tell you?” Pop growls menacingly, changing the subject. He’s been trying for months to get her to talk about the night she was attacked.

He’ll have to get in line.

Gabe looks ready to explode any second. I don’t keep them waiting. “When our friend tried to pull Avery close to dance with him, something about his ring and him grabbing her caused a flashback.” Thinking about all the shit she told me last night has my body vibrating with rage. All the things the bastard did to her. All the memories she can never erase from her mind. I want this son of a bitch dead in a bad way.

“What did she tell you about what happened to her? What kind of flashback are we talking about?” Gabe’s rolling his neck and the cracking sound echoes through the room. There’s a mixture of anger and guilt in his eyes. Caleb scoots closer to the table, squeezing Gabe’s shoulder. It could be a show of support,or maybe he’s trying to keep himself a little grounded. After all, Avery is his granddaughter too.

“Well, it wasn’t a mugging. It was an attempted rape.” The room is vibrating with everyone’s rage.

“She said there were four of them. But only one I’m certain she saw.”

“Can she identify him?”

“She won’t.”