Page 1 of Jake
Prologue
Jake
Lea’s tenth birthday
There she is.So pretty, as always. My sweet Lea shines so brightly every time she smiles.
Her brother hasn’t stopped snarling at me, but I just ignore him because Anderson is a douche. My dad told me that all the men in this family have small penises, so they’re insecure and they have a tight grip on these women. I don’t quite believe him, but it still irks me because they barely let me speak to my future wife.
Lea’s so smart and funny. I love the way she giggles when she plays freeze tag or when she’s running bases. We have a great time, but now Anderson’s acting extra protective of her today, and I’ve got my work cut out for me.
I brought her a present for her tenth birthday. She wanted a new unicorn stuffed animal. It’s one of those ones that flip inside out and change into a different color. I saw it and I knew it was perfect for her. I bought it for her using my allowance. One day she’ll be my wife, but for now, she’s my friend and I don’t care if her brothers don’t like it. It sucks that she’s got four of them, all older too.
Anderson and Cooper are seventeen, and Joshua and Jackson are fifteen. The only one that hounds me is Anderson. He’s the boss of them all and the self-appointed protector of the only two daughters, Lea and Michelle. Although they’re twins, I’ve never given Michelle a day’s notice. They may look alike, but there’s just something so different about my beloved Lea that sets her apart from her twin.
I’d rather be focusing my attention on Lea, but I hear a commotion and I have a feeling I know what it’s about. I look over, and my father’s at it again. Damn it, I wish he wouldn’t stare at Lea’s mom like that. It’s no wonder Mr. Black doesn’t want me to be around his daughter with a father like mine.
“Anderson,” I greet him when he approaches me, knowing he’s ready to start a fight.
“Richards. What did I tell you about my sister? She’s not your woman.” I know he’s itching for trouble.
“She will be one day.” I’m not afraid of him even though he’s a foot taller and a lot heavier than me.
“She’s not, and she won’t be with trash like you.” His arm stretches back before I can react, and he clocks me in the face. It’s not full force, but it’s meant to teach me a lesson. I fall on my ass, rubbing my jaw.
“I won’t always be this small, Anderson.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise.”
Seconds later, the most beautiful sound comes from the side and my heart flips. “Jake,” Lea calls out. Anderson could deck me all he wanted because her tender loving care was all I needed. With a final smirk at her brother, I give her all my attention.
Jake
The day my world turned upside down.
Four years later.
“This is your fucking fault,” I snarl at a smug Dean Black. The tall, beefed-up bastard with the perfect life just up and ruined mine without batting an eye.
“It’s for your own good.” I want to jump across the room and swing at him, but that would just have me on my ass. I’m a foot shorter, and he has me by almost a hundred pounds of pure muscle. In the past four years, I’ve grown a lot, but not enough to challenge a fully grown man like Lea’s father.
I scrunch my nose up at my biggest enemy at the moment. “The hell it is. It’s for your own good. You’re intentionally doing this to keep me away from Lea because you’re scared that I’ll take away your princess. You think I’m not good enough for her?”
“That’s up for debate. As far as I’m concerned, no one will be good enough for either of my daughters, but it’s for the best for everyone involved.” He runs his hand through his thick hair like this is actually bothering him. “Look, my daughter is too young to be in love with you, and you won’t do any good chasing her around with your dick. I assure you that you won’t get to live long if my teenage daughter ends up pregnant because you couldn’t behave.”
I start to deny it, but he puts his hand up. “Don’t fucking even start that fucking lie. You’re a walking hard-on when it comes to her. I was your age once, and I know damn well what you’re thinking, although I wasn’t thinking happily ever after. Both of you need to grow up and mature before you think of starting a family with my little girl. Prove your worth, and if you dare to come back and show your face when she’s an adult, then maybe you’ll be worthy of her time.”
“This is bullshit. I can’t believe I trusted you.” I told him things about my family, hoping he’d understand that I had good intentions for his little girl, but this is how he repays me for turning in my father.
“It’s the smartest thing you could have done,” Mr. Black says.
“I don’t see how losing my heart and soul could ever be a good thing.” My body ached inside to the point that it was hard to stand. A knock on my open doorframe sends our attention to the door.
“It’s time to go, Jake,” Aunt Lucille says, coming into my room. I nod, doing my best to hold back the pain and rage. I hadn’t expected Dean Black to be standing in my bedroom waiting to speak with me before I left, but he showed up at the last moment. She steps back away from the door, sensing the tension. She’s going to be taking me to my grandparents’ home in New York to live with them. I’m not interested in any of it.
“Take this. If your love is as genuine as you believe it is, this should hold you off. Remember, the hardest part of loving someone is wanting the best for them even when it’s not the best for you.” Fuck if he’d know anything about that. He’s married to the love of his life with a horde of babies and has a perfect existence. I’m being forced away from my future.