Read PAYBACK (A Bad Boy Romance) Online
Authors: Alexx Andria
PAYBACK (A Bad Boy Romance) (31 page)
I
drove
Frankie to his place after he was discharged from the hospital. It was hard to see him so battered.
Even though he was in the clear, the healing process left behind a brutal mess.
I winced. “Man, you look terrible.”
Frankie tried smiling but his cracked lip was still tender. “Yeah? I feel like a hundred bucks.”
I returned the smile. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was really scared.”
He shook his head. “What I went through, I deserved. What you went through…that shit was none of your fault.”
I chewed my bottom lip, fighting tears. I loved my brother to bits but in all our years he’d never taken responsibility for his actions like that.
In the past, he always made excuses, justifications for his actions or the consequences but not this time.
His quiet acceptance was something new, something humbling.
“I never should’ve gotten involved with Terano. The lure of easy money was too hard to resist. I should’ve known that getting involved with Terano would’ve been a devil’s bargain.”
He looked at me in earnest. “Sis, if I’d known that any of this would go down…fuck, I get sick to my stomach thinking about what could’ve happened.”
I released a shaky breath. The threat had been real. I still had nightmares. A part of me wanted to know how Darian and Rhiannon were doing since our rescue.
But another part of me didn’t want to relieve the experience by seeing them again.
I could only hope that they were okay or getting help for what they’d been through.
Of course, I could only pray for the girls that weren’t rescued. God only knew how many women Terano had shipped out of the country, smuggled like cattle under cover of night.
I stifled a shudder. A prayer was the only thing I could offer.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” I said.
Frankie nodded and we walked up the path to his apartment. I needed to talk to Frankie about Jameson but I didn’t know how to broach the subject.
As it turned out, fate took care of that for me.
“Ivy.”
I turned and saw Jameson standing there. My breath hitched in my chest. I was so happy but confused, too.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Frankie bowed up, immediately ready to go toe-to-toe with Jameson, which was ridiculous because Frankie was still broken but he tried anyway.
“Frankie, don’t,” I warned, putting a hand gently against his chest to hold him back.
“I need to talk to you,” Jameson said. “I went to the hospital to talk to Frankie first but they said he’d been discharged. Frankie’s address was in the system so I came here.”
“Well, congratulations Sherlock, you found us, now get the hell out of here. No one wants you around. Don’t you think you’ve caused enough damage to my family?”
“Frankie,” I said, shaking my head. “Let me talk to him.”
Frankie turned to me, his expression one of disbelief. “Ivy, this guy almost got you killed.”
“He’s also the one who saved me,” I reminded him quietly.
Frankie didn’t argue that point but it looked like he was choking on it. Finally, he growled, “Yeah, well, the case is over. He shouldn’t need either of us any more.”
“I need to talk to him,” I said to Frankie. “There’s things you don’t know…”
Dawning broke in Frankie’s expression and if he wanted to kick Jameson’s ass before, now he wanted to murder him.
“You fucking son-of-a-bitch!,” he shouted, charging past me to go full barrels at Jameson. “I’ll fucking knock your teeth down your throat!”
I barely had time to scream for Frankie to stop when Jameson had Frankie in a headlock, subduing him easily. To be fair, Frankie wasn’t at one hundred percent but even so, I knew Jameson could handle himself.
“Listen up, dickhead,” Jameson said, holding Frankie tight. “I came to tell you that I’m in love with your damn sister! I wanted to talk to you first, clear the air, figure things out because she loves you and I won’t make her choose, you motherfucker, but you were already gone from the hospital!”
I stared, my heartbeat accelerating as the full import of what Jameson was saying sunk in.
“What?” I gasped, my hand covering my mouth as I tried not to cry. He loved me? Then why did he fucking abandon me! “You have a fucked up way of showing up, Jameson Reed,” I shot back, choking on tears.
I was angry.
I was elated.
I was a mix of the two that was wholly confusing.
Still holding Frankie, Jameson met my gaze. I saw an ocean of bare, naked emotion rolling behind his dark eyes. I saw pain, vulnerability and a desperate hope that I wouldn’t reject him.
How could I?
I’d fallen for him hard.
In the most unlikely of pairings…I’d fallen for the least lovable person I’d ever met.
And found my soulmate.
“Let Frankie go,” I told Jameson, my eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t have my two favorite men trying to kill each other.”
Jameson released my brother. Frankie rose to his feet, his face ashen from aggravating his wounds.
Breathing hard, Frankie looked between us, his gaze darting as if trying to make heads or tails of what he was seeing and hearing.
“Are you kidding me, sis? A
cop
? And not just any cop…but
this
guy?”
I lifted my shoulders helplessly but nodded.
Frankie eyed Jameson. “You’re not good enough for her.”
“You’re right,” Jameson shocked us both by agreeing but he followed with a humble, “but I aim to spend my life changing that.”
And that’s when I lost it. I couldn’t hold back anymore.
Tears flowed down my cheeks and I ran into Jameson’s arms, feeling as if I’d finally come home. The solid strength wrapped around me was like a cocoon of security and I melted against him.
“I love you, Jameson,” I cried, burying my face against his chest, inhaling the spicy scent that was all him. I clung to him like a spider monkey, so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn’t manage coherent thought except to ask, “Why’d you leave?”
“I needed to get my head on straight,” Jameson admitted. “But my place is by your side. I promise you, it’ll never happen again.”
I believed him. But I still had to bust his chops a little.
“It better not,” I said with a watery hiccup. “Or my brother will kick your ass.”
The low rumble of Jameson’s laughter filled my soul with joy. I pulled away but linked my fingers through his, turning to Frankie.
His expression was wary…but his grimace said he was less than happy about this new development.
“If you hurt her…”
“I never will.”
“But if you do…”
“I fully expect you to have something to say about it.”
“Damn straight.”
I smiled through my tears, hopeful. “So does this mean…you’ll be friends?”
Both Jameson and Frankie made identical faces, which was a resounding
hell no
, but I knew they’d stop trying to kill each other, which was a start.
I released Jameson to hug Frankie gently. “I love you big brother,” I said. “Thank you for watching out for me all those years.”
“You really love him?” Frankie asked, wanting to be sure. “He’s not making you say that or something?”
I shook my head. “I really do.”
Frankie conceded with a heavy exhale. “Well, fuck. I guess that’s all that matters. Your happiness means everything to me.”
“Thank you.” I rose on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll pick my car up later.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Frankie said, waving me off and walking away with a limp like an old man.
I returned to Jameson and said with a smile. “Let’s go home.”
Jameson didn’t hesitate and scooped me up in his arms to carry me to his car. “I’ve gone three days without being inside you…feels like a lifetime,” he admitted, his voice low and rough and entirely sensual.
A shiver danced beneath my skin. “What are you going to do about it?” I dared him with a coy smile.
His returning smile was devilish…and sexy as hell. “Oh baby girl, you know exactly what I’m going to do about it. And when I’m done with you…”
The sensual threat hovered between us and I knew what was in store.
And I couldn’t wait.
* * *
T
hank you for reading
, Against The Wall! If you loved it, please feel free to write a nice review!
A
re
you looking for more by USA Today bestselling author Alexx Andria? Check out the following titles!
*BUCHANAN ROMANCE
*
Bought By The Billionaire Brothers
*The Billionaire’s Sweet Surprise
Still Into You
(Miles and Dani’s story) (Formerly Falling from
Grace
Club Chrome series:
Kings of Asphalt
(MC romance)
All Dogs Bite
(MC romance)
Up In Flames
(MC romance)
*The Awakening series
(Parts 1-6)
*One Naughty Girl series
(Parts 1-5)
Looking for something really HOT and NAUGHTY? If you dare…here are some value-packed bundles for your reading pleasure!
Dark Control
*formerly Unwilling
Or, if you’re looking for something paranormal…try Alexx’s new pen name, Kinsey McClane!
Blood Moon Rising
, The Omnibus
Or if you’re looking for something a little off-the-beaten path with plenty of sass and a little bit twisted? Check out the episodic serial by Angel James!
Property of Heartbreak Ranch
, PT 1
A
lexx Andria writes
romantic suspense and contemporary romance with the hottest heroes and their feisty ladies, working toward their Happily-Ever-After.
