Page 5 of Jake
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I roar.
“No. Who the fuck is she?” I’m so tired of these pricks. They’re useless because they are of no help to me so they need to leave me alone because I’m this close to ending them.
“I thought you loved Lea so fucking much?” he barks out.
I stop in my tracks and take a deep breath. Then I whip around and give Anderson what he’s deserved for the past ten years. He falls on his ass, and I stare him down. “You don’t even fucking understand and never will. Your sister is every fucking thing to me. I’ve been waiting to do that. Don’t ever doubt my adoration for her ever again.”
I pointed to his phone. “Rachael’s nothing but a dumb bitch who is about to feel my full wrath and wish she wasn’t a fucking whore looking to score on every rich guy she meets. I never betrayed your sister. Excuse me. I have to find her before it’s too fucking late to make this right.” I turn on the app and locate her fast. I leave what would have been the reunion party, but the one gift I have for her stays in my pocket and will only leave when it’s time to slide it onto her slender finger.
I speed onto the highway, flying at record miles per hour to get to Iowa City. I’m guessing she’s going to go toward her mother’s family in Montana. She has a lot of family there, but her family has always been with me, and I’m making our home in New York.
We have a home that belongs just to us, and we’re going to have a dozen little babies to fill all the massive rooms. It takes all night for me to reach the shitbox of a motel that she’s at, but when I do, I find some fucking creep standing outside the door trying to get in the room.
“Can I fucking help you?” I get in his face.
This piece of shit puts on his big boy pants, but he’s messing with a man who has lost his sanity. “Yeah, you’re in my way, rich boy. I’ve got a date with a nice piece of lost ass.”
“The only piece you’ll be getting is a piece of you here and there,” I snarl, pulling out my forty-five and putting it to his fucking head. “Get the fuck out of here before I blow your brains out.”
He steps away from the muzzle etched into his skin and then stumbles backward down the stairs.
I pound on the door. “Lea, open this fucking door right now.”
“Who’s there?” she stammers. I forget that she hasn’t heard my voice in six years. It’s deepened, gotten hoarse as my longing has grown.
“It’s Jake. Lea, open the fucking door before I break it down. You better be alone in that room, or I’m going to bury every fuck in there.”
“Jake?”
“I’m going to give you to the count of three.”
I hear the faint click of the cheap lock, and I nudge the door as she turns the knob. I slam the door shut behind me and flick the lock shut. My eyes scan the room for another man before I dare to look at the woman I’ve missed with all my heart and soul. Seeing she’s alone, I finally let my gaze rest on her. God, she’s more beautiful than I remember, and more spectacular than any picture can do justice.
“Lea,” I breathe out, cupping her face. God, it’s been so long. Not a day has gone by where she wasn’t in my thoughts. Although not where or how I envisioned our reunion, this moment has finally come.
She shoves my hand away and steps back, hurt registering across her soft, pink cheeks. “What are you doing here, Jacob?”
In all the years that we’ve known each other, she’s only called me that when she was mad at me. “Coming to bring you home?”
“Bring me home?” Her brows scrunch together. “How did you know I left?”
I close the distance, hating to be more than an inch away from her for even a second. We’ve spent way too much time apart, and I swear to never let that happen again. “I’m not talking about Chicago, and we’re going to talk about that bullshit too, but home with me where you fucking belong. Where you’ve always belonged.”
“Jake.” My name comes out in a whisper, breathy, letting me know I might not have to tie her up and drag her back home.
She closes her eyes as my hand comes up to caress her cheek. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ve done my best to get back to you.”
Her eyes whip open and her expression changes, hardens. She steps back with anger. “Oh, yeah? It really looks like it. Does Rachael get your best too?”
I want to shake her and tell her she’s crazy, but I knew the second those photos were taken what image they presented. Exhaling, I let it out. “Rachael’s about to get sued into the next millennium. I don’t have anything to do with that woman. You have been the only one for me from the day we met and will be until the end of my days, Lea. I swear that I’ve never touched anyone else.”
She crosses her arms, unfortunately drawing attention to her ample chest. A chest I haven’t been able to touch and have craved all these years. “I’m supposed to believe you.”
“Yes,” I answer, swallowing hard, sounding guilty.
“Well, I don’t.” Fuck. Her heart’s fucking cracked and that bitch caused it. I didn’t help either.
“We’re going to have to fix that because as far as I’m concerned, there is no me without you, Lea, so we’re leaving and going home.”