Payce's Passions (21 page)

I take a sip of my martini. Damien watches me, and I’m not sure if he’s waiting on me to tell him how it tastes or make a comment about Aaron and my manager.

“Mmmm…good, great job.” I hold my glass up to him.

“Aw fuck, you should have never told him that. He’ll be making them all week for me now. Just give me a beer and I’m good to go.” Damien backhands him in the arm, then sits in the chair on the other side of the fireplace.

“Dax here is the chef of the house, the man can make anything. Maybe one day you can both come for dinner.” Damien looks at Payce.

“We could probably work that out, right, Brax?” Payce directs it at me.

“Sounds great.”

“How’s that Harley coming along, Payce?” Dax asks him.

Payce snorts, I know he’s thinking about last night. I cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

“Told you he’d do it on the bike.” Damien grins at Dax, then looks at us.

Damn, this is embarrassing.

“Well, let’s cut to the chase. What’s going on with Aaron?” Damien turns to Payce.

“He’s hiding again, just waiting for him to come out and play. He and Ash had a few problems, and Aaron took off after knocking him around.”

“God. Is Ash okay?” Dax asks.

“Yes, he’s staying with one of my waiters until we can get our hands on him,” I answer Dax.

“There’s not a ‘we’ here, Braxton, I asked you to stay out of it.” Payce puts his hand on my knee.

We’re discussing that later, not cool.
I bite the inside of my lip, Damien caught on to it too. “He’ll show back up, he needs money and my manager, Ash happens to have plenty of it.”

“Is your manager going to press charges on him?” Dax asks me as Payce’s phone buzzes.

Payce reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He looks at it, showing me. I reach for my phone to check also.

“Answer it, Payce, maybe he tried to call me and it didn’t save it. It might be something important.” Payce pushes the button and brings it to his ear.

“What’s up, Sparky?” He smiles at me. “Wait, what? Slow your roll man, calm down so I can understand you.” Payce’s face tenses as he listens.

“What?” I whisper to Payce.

Payce holds up one finger. “How long?” Payce shakes his head as he stands. “No, you stay where you are, I mean it. Fuck!”

“What, what’s going on?” I need to know if something bad has happened.

“He hung up on me. We have to go, now! Aaron called Ash, and Ash is headed to the house. He took off from Serge’s place, angry he said. When Sparky was getting dressed, Ash slipped out. He’s been gone a few minutes and now Serge is going after Ash. He’s going to end up getting himself killed.” Payce grabs me by arm and we head for the front door.

“We’re coming,” Damien blurts out.

Dax grabs his arm. “Like hell you are. Stay out of it, you need this clean so Aaron doesn’t stand a chance of getting out of anything.”

“Dax is right, Damien.  Please let us handle this, if anyone can get him it’s us. I’ll call you later.”

We haul ass out to my truck and squeal out of the driveway.
 

Chapter Twenty Three

Payce

My heart pumps double time, hard and heavy, as adrenaline streaks through my veins. I’m there…full-on in my fucking zone. I never quite mastered the normal fight or flight mode. In this case, where Serge and Damien, my two good friends, are involved, I skip straight to crawl up your ass, like a squirrel, fight mode. Aaron better hope he…

“Payce!” Brax hollers my name, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What!”
Shit.
“I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to yell at you.” I reach over and put my hand on his leg as he drives.

“I know you didn’t. Payce, you need to breathe, baby, you have to calm down.” Brax puts his hand on mine, intertwining his fingers between mine. “You can’t go marching into a situation like this half loaded. You don’t have the right to take the law in your own hands, Payce.”

“I’m not doing that,” I fire back.

“Yes, you are, even if you don’t see it. You’re only supposed to hold Aaron until the police get there. Payce, you can’t risk getting in trouble because of him again. Everything that happened years ago is gone, it’s over and done with. Right now is what counts.” He tightens his grip.

“I’m worried about Sparks, he doesn’t stand a chance and you know this, Braxton.” I crack the window. “It’s hot in here.”

“Ash is there and I have a feeling he’s not very happy with Aaron at all. He knows how to hold his own, trust me.” I know he’s only trying to reassure me, but it’s pointless at this stage.

“Yes, I saw that the other night when he bled all over your office floor. He held up well against Aaron.”
Dammit, I’m just being hateful now. I have to stop riding his ass like this. Brax hasn’t done anything.
 

“Don’t fuck us up, Payce.” Brax turns to look at me. I want more than anything to promise him that isn’t going to happen, but I won’t take that chance, not when I’m unsure how things will play out.

“Everything is fine, Brax.”

“Payce…” He gulps before carrying on. “We’ve got too much to look forward to together, don’t risk this…please don’t risk us again! Not this time.”

“Turn here.” I point to the road.

“Do you hear me, Payce?” He makes the turn and we’re in the neighborhood.

“I’m listening to every word you’re saying, Brax.”

“Are you hearing me though?” He turns, staring at me like he’s trying to will it into me.

I reach across to him and raise my hand to his face, tenderly stroking his cheek.
We’re almost there another minute or two.
I move over closer to him. My adrenaline still pumping hard and my heart’s about to explode. Time seems distorted, it feels like we should already be there, but from where we are on the road proves that’s impossible.

“Everything is okay, Braxton, stop worrying.” I lean in to kiss him on the cheek, but my eyes never leaves the road.

“Don’t con a conner, isn’t that what you used to say?” He tightens his grip on my hand again, he’s about to break my bones.

“I’m not. We’re almost here. After the stop sign, it’s the first house on the right. Just kill the headlights and pull up.”

Brax does, taking it a step further by passing the house to the next driveway, and then parks. “Payce look at me, we need to call the police now.”

“Shit. Yes we do, so you call them and give them the address.”

“Nice try, but it’s not happening, Payce. I know you too well. Always remember that.” Brax pulls my face back toward him. “I know you better than you know yourself, Payce.”

“I never forgot it, Brax.” I smile and kiss him on the cheek. “Fine I’ll wait while you call, then we’ll go in.” I slide back across to my side of the truck.

Brax takes his phone out, dials 9-1-1, and waits for someone to answer. I keep my eye on the house. Inside Ash’s place, they’re arguing loud and it’s getting worse. I can’t tell who’s saying what though, it’s muffled. I turn to look out the window, watching the front door. I’ll be damned if Aaron gets away again.

I turn back to Brax. He’s explaining the situation to the emergency operator.

He really is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Things have to be different this time, I have to make them different for him. Just in case…

I lean across the seat, hearing the operator on the phone say that ‘officers are in route and to stay on the line.’ Brax answers them. I take his chin, guiding his face to me, and press my lips to his. He responds and I swirl a perfect ringlet around the inside of his lips, pulling his pucker between mine.

I sweep my fingers through his hair and that’s when I hear it. Ash’s front door just opened. Cupping his cheeks in my hands, I look him straight in the eyes, so there’s never a doubt.

“I love you, Braxton. I always have and I’ll never stop.” I release his handsome face and in one swift movement, I’m back across my seat and out the door.

Ash and Sparky have their backs to the street and Aaron is forcing them out. Shit, he’s holding a gun on them.
The man’s gone fucking insane over the years, he really has.
How can I get to them, without Aaron seeing me? There’s no possible way. Aaron is yelling at Ash, aiming right at him.

“Ash, I’m not playing with you, pretty boy. You
are
coming with me and your friend isn’t… That’s the end of story,” Aaron hollers to Ash.

“I said fine. I told you I would, but you have to let Serge go back inside.” Ash looks at Sparky.

“I’m not leaving, Ash, no way.” Sparky takes a step in front of Ash.
God, has everyone lost their minds tonight?

“Serge, what are you doing? The man’s got a gun.” Ash pulls on him, but he won’t budge from his spot.

Aaron glares at Ash. “The man, really, Ash? Forgotten my name? ” He turns to Sparks. “Now, aren’t you fucking sweet, all jump skippy and stand by your man.” He grins at Sparks then bends to the side to see Ash behind him.

“What a stand-up kind of guy you have, Ash.”

Yeah, Aaron has definitely lost it.

“I should have went for you instead.” Aaron gives Serge a wink.

“You couldn’t handle me,” Serge says.

Dear lord above, what the hell is he doing? I’ve got to stop this before Aaron kills the guy.

“Oh, he’s cocky too, Ash, I like that in a man.” Aaron laughs, then about two seconds later, turns serious again. He aims the gun right at Sparky’s forehead. “Still feeling froggy now?”

“Man, what are you doing now, Aaron?” I stomp out where he can see me. It’s the only choice left to keep Serge from getting himself shot.

Aaron squints, taking a couple steps away from them. “Long time no see, Payce. How’s Damien?” He grins, it’s pure wickedness.

“Doing great, just left there. What are you trying to do here, Aaron?” Maybe I can amp him up enough to change moods, because I’m not sure how to handle him just being crazy.

“To survive. Just like we used to.” He shrugs his shoulders, the gun’s off of Sparky now.

“Never did it like this though, Aaron.” Brax is approaching behind me.
Fuck no.

“Ole Braxton, should’ve known you weren’t far behind. Still haven’t crawled out of Payce’s ass yet, huh?” Aaron glances from them to us, and wipes his brow
.

Now he’s angry, that beats the hell out of bat shit crazy.

“Jealous?” Brax just tosses that one out there like a fucking Frisbee.

Hello…gun situation.

“Stop, please,” I whisper to Brax.
Please don’t let him open his mouth again.

While Aaron and Braxton hurl insults, I scope out the situation. Sparky is backing up Ash, they just took a tiny step, but his eyes never leave Aaron. Good he’s focused.

“Always did get what you wanted, didn’t you, Braxton?” Aaron’s brows furrow in the middle.

“Usually yes, even Payce.” Brax steps beside me, sliding his arm across my back.

“Some things never change. You’re still an arrogant mother fucker, and his little bitch.” Aaron pivots around, the gun’s pointing at us. “He never saw through you, huh?”

It’s got to be a full moon, everyone is on ego overload.
“Aaron, you know I can’t just stand here and let you talk shit like that. He’s never been my bitch, but if for some reason you thought he was, why would you even care?”

Sparky looks directly at me, he’s fiddling his fingers like he has a twitch. Is he trying to signal me?
He takes another step back with Ash. He’s only a couple steps from Aaron, but still way too far from the driveway to make a run for it.

“You looking for someone else to send to prison, Aaron?”

“You don’t know anything about that day.” His grip on the gun just got tighter.

“He knows everything, Aaron, I told him.”  I look over to Sparky, he shakes his head up and down.

“Figures, you were always partial to Brax.” His eyes soften a bit, it reminds me of how he looked as kid, trying to sell us a bullshit story.

“It was more than partial, but you don’t know anything about that, do you?” Brax yells to him.

“Bullshit, Brax. You’re just trying to distract me.”

“Why does this even matter now?” I ask, because that is the past and Aaron is here flipping his wig over Ash.
How did I become the fucking focal point?

“At the end of it all, before you went away to jail, little Aaron wanted you for himself. Didn’t you, Aaron, you probably had it planned out? It’s all becoming crystal clear now.”

“Shut the fuck up, Brax.” He’s upset. His breathing gets heavier and eyes dart back and forth from Sparks and Ash.
It’s about to get nasty.

“Payce, he saw us together. Might be how the cops found you so fast.”

Aaron swings the gun back to Ash and Sparky. “Don’t move again.”

“Did you rat on me, Aaron?” I shake my head. “We were supposed to be unbreakable then. Fuck, I was taking your case for you. I never flipped on you and I think if you did, makes you a bullshit coward, Aaron.”

He points the gun back at us. “He’s lying, Payce.”

At that exact moment, Sparky looks from Brax and I, back to Aaron and makes his move. His hands come up in some sort of Karate Kid chop motion and he crouches down, turns and jumps into the air spinning. He lands a round house kick straight to Aaron’s temple with the heel of his foot.