Protecting Jessyka (SEAL of Protection) (Volume 6) (16 page)

Jess made her way over to the other girls at the round table in the corner. It was the same table they always sat at when they went out.

“Hey guys!”

“Look who finally decided to join us!” Summer laughed as she hugged Jess.

“Yeah well . . . you know how it goes . . .”

Everyone laughed, because they did know.

The night was filled with a lot of laughter. Summer and Alabama agreed not to challenge each other to any weird shot competitions, as the last time they did, three of them ended up being kidnapped from the bar.

For the most part, the women didn’t overindulge. Maybe they were getting old, but they’d all agreed it was nice to just have a drink or two and girl talk, instead of getting completely hammered.

At one point in the night, talk turned to babies.

“Last week I realized I’d missed my period. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but when I did, I was freaking out. I refused to take a pregnancy test until Matthew finally forced me to,” Caroline told them ripping up a napkin sitting on the table.

“Are you telling us you’re pregnant?” Fiona gasped.

“No. Jesus, no. I wouldn’t be here drinking if I was!” Caroline told them. “But it scared the hell out of me. Matthew was the calm one.”

“How did he react to you not being pregnant?” Summer asked.

“He was fine, perfect actually. He told me that he wanted whatever I wanted.”

“Do you want kids?” Alabama asked.

“I don’t know. And that makes me feel horrible,” Caroline admitted in a low voice. “I mean, in all the romance books I’ve read and in most television shows, when a couple falls in love, the culmination of that love is
always
a baby. It’s like their love isn’t validated until she gets pregnant. Then they live happily ever after. But I’m enjoying my time with Matthew. My parents were older when they had me, and I’m just not convinced it’s what I want.” She paused a moment, then looked up at her friends. “Does that make me a horrible person? I feel so selfish.”

Summer got up and walked around the table until she was standing next to Caroline’s stool. “No, you aren’t a horrible person. And you know what, who cares if it’s selfish? I mean seriously, who says women have to have kids when they get married? Where is it written that a couple’s love isn’t ‘solid’ unless they have a rug-rat or two running around? You guys need to do what feels right to the both of you.”

Caroline leaned her head against Summer’s shoulder. “Thanks, Summer, you always make me feel better. What about you guys?”

No one said anything for a moment. Then Cheyenne shared her thoughts. “I know I’m relatively new to your group, but I agree with you Caroline. I love Faulkner so much. I want him all to myself. All the time. I can’t imagine having to give up one second of my time with him right now. I love how we are together and I can’t imagine giving that up. But, I think I do want kids—someday. I know how protective and loving he is with me, and I’d love to see him with his child.”

“I agree, the press and social media today make it seem like we are complete selfish bitches and not a normal member of society if we don’t want kids. What right does anyone have to tell us that we should be popping out babies as soon as we get with a guy? Aren’t there enough unwanted kids out in the world already? I should know, I was one of them.” Alabama finished huffily.

“To no kids!” Fiona raised her glass. “At least until
we’re
ready, and not when everyone else says we should be ready!”

“To no kids!” Everyone shouted and took a big swallow of their drinks. Summer walked back around to her seat at the table.

“Hey, who wants to try an experiment?” Jess asked everyone after a moment.

“Hell yeah, what kind of experiment?” Cheyenne asked eagerly.

“Everyone has their phones right?” When everyone nodded, Jess continued. “Let’s send a text to our guys and see how long it takes them to get back to us. Whoever’s guy is the last to respond has to buy the next round.”

Everyone laughed. “Perfect!” Caroline exclaimed. “But we all have to say the same thing, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Good idea, let’s see . . . how about something short and sweet . . . and we can’t ask a question so they
have
to respond,” Jessyka declared.

“How about something like, ‘It’s so hot in here, I just took my panties off?’”

Everyone erupted into laughter. “Oh my God! That’s perfect, Cheyenne. I’m not even going to ask how you thought of that one!” Summer exclaimed. “And we have to show each other what our guys say in response too!”

“Okay, but since Hunter and Faulkner are at the bar, Fiona, you and Cheyenne will need to go to the restroom, so they’ll really think you did it.”

“Good idea, Jess. Come on Cheyenne, let’s go!”

The other girls watched as Cheyenne and Fiona tripped across the room toward the bathroom. Neither was surprised when Faulkner casually got up and stood in the hallway that led to the bathroom. The last time Cheyenne went to the restroom in a bar, she disappeared. Faulkner wasn’t going to take a chance on that ever happening again.

The girls left the restroom and laughed hysterically after seeing Faulkner standing there watching them.

They came back to the table and continued to giggle uncontrollably.

“Okay, everyone get your phones out, but try to hide them from the guys at the bar,” Caroline ordered. “Type in the message and don’t hit send until we’re all ready.”

When everyone was done typing, Caroline counted down. “Three, two, one,
send
. Okay, now everyone put your phone in the middle of the table. We’ll see whose vibrates first.”

Everyone giggled as they waited. Then Cheyenne’s phone suddenly wiggled on the table.

“Why am I not surprised?” Caroline said laughing and rolling her eyes.

Cheyenne picked up her phone and everyone watched as she blushed furiously.

“What did he say?” Alabama asked, leaning toward her.

Cheyenne turned so her body was blocking her actions from her man sitting at the bar and showed Faulkner’s return text.
Did I give you permission to remove them? Hope you’re comfortable sitting on that stool because I’m taking you over my knee when we get home.

“Jeez, Cheyenne, you lucky bitch!” Caroline said, completely serious.

Cheyenne giggled and put her phone back into her pocket. “I know you guys know how Faulkner is with me, but I swear I’ve never been happier.”

Caroline put her hand on Cheyenne’s and said seriously, “Just because he’s a bit more dominant in bed with you than our guys are with us doesn’t make it wrong. If you guys are happy with what you are, who the hell cares what everyone else thinks.”

Everyone around the table nodded their agreement. Suddenly two more phones started vibrating.

Jess leaned over and picked her phone up, read Kason’s words, and smiled. “He said, ‘Are you ready for me to pick you up yet?’” Jess typed out a short negative return text and put her phone away. “What did Cookie say Fiona?”

Fiona laughed and showed everyone the phone.
What game are you girls playing?

The all laughed and turned and waved at the two men at the bar. Hunter had seen them laughing and he and Faulkner had obviously shared that they received the same text.

“Three more to go!” Jess said with glee. She couldn’t remember when she’d had a better time. It’d been a long time since she’d hung out with girlfriends.

The next phone vibrated and Caroline snatched it up. She threw her head back and laughed and showed them all Matthew’s response.
Fuck I love girl’s night out!

They all leaned forward and stared at the two phones left on the table. Alabama and Summer both looked ready to jump out of their skin. Finally Alabama’s phone vibrated, then Summer’s did too, five seconds too late for her to have won.

“Damn! Mozart’s gonna pay when we get home!” Summer said laughing.

Abe’s return text had said,
Bet we don’t make it home before I can make you explode
and Mozart’s said,
You’re going to pay for that . . . in the best way possible.

Everyone agreed that while Summer might have lost the bet, they were all going to be winners that night.

Chapter Fourteen

Benny waited impatiently for Jessyka to text or call him to come and pick her up. The words she’d said right before she’d entered
Aces
for the night, echoed around in his brain. Jess loved him. He’d known it already, there was no way she could respond to him the way she had if she didn’t love him.

He wanted to show her how much he loved her in return, before giving her the words back. It figured she’d say them when he couldn’t do anything about it.

But Benny had the night all planned. He’d been serious when he’d told her what he had in store for them tonight. Benny had spoken at length with Dude about his lifestyle. And while Benny knew he’d never be a hardcore dominant as Dude was, he found there were aspects of it that he found interesting and wouldn’t mind trying out.

Jess had never complained when he’d held her down or ordered her around in their bed. He knew she liked it. Benny figured he’d take it just a step further and see if she also enjoyed being physically restrained. If so, Benny knew they had a lot of fun nights experimenting ahead of them. He didn’t need to be in control in the bedroom, like Dude did, and he knew Jess liked to take the reins sometimes, which he had no problem with. But, it was fun to mix it up now and then and try new things.

When Jess had texted him the naughty note about her panties, it had taken all he had not to get in the car right then and pick her ass up and drag her home. He wanted to give her the night out she’d been looking forward to, but it was killing him.

Finally around eleven, Benny’s phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway, figuring it had to be Jess.

“Hello?”

“Is this Kason Sawyer?”

“Yeah, who the hell is this?” Benny’s voice was curt and impatient. He didn’t like getting calls from people he didn’t know, but who obviously knew him.

“I work at the bar where Jess and the girls are at. Your SEAL buddy told me to call and tell you trouble’s brewing and that you need to get down here. Go to the alley in the back and enter that way. He’ll make sure the door is open.”

“What kind of trouble?” Benny asked, but the person on the other end of the line had hung up. “Fuck,” Benny couldn’t hold back the expletive.

This is the last time they go to that fucking place by themselves.

Benny thought about calling either Cookie or Dude to verify what whoever was on the phone said, but didn’t want to take the time. He knew he was being a dumbass, but all he could think of was Jess. Everything he’d ever been taught in his SEAL training said to wait, not make rash decisions, to get all the intel possible before entering into an unknown situation, and perhaps most importantly, relying on his teammates to help him . . . but he couldn’t wait. Not when it was his Jess that could be in trouble.

He grabbed his keys and shoved his phone in his pocket and raced out the door. He jogged to his car and started it up. Not bothering with his seat belt, Benny threw the car into drive and pealed out of the parking lot toward the bar.

As he pulled into the parking lot, the bar looked quiet, maybe too quiet. Benny had no idea what was going on, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He parked his car at the far end of the lot, out of direct line of sight of the door and silently made his way to the alley behind the bar. He pulled his K-bar knife out of its sheath and held it loosely in his hand. He had no idea what trouble he was walking into, but he wanted to be prepared for anything.

Benny saw the back door to the bar and made his way forward. He reached for the handle of the door and pulled, surprised to find it locked. The hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up and he suddenly knew he’d fucked up . . . huge. Hell, it was as if he hadn’t spent ten years of his life learning the basics about dangerous ops. Benny wanted to kick his own ass. He had to get a hold of Wolf and the others immediately. He turned around to head back around to the front to find out what the fuck was going on and to call his teammate, but didn’t make it two steps before everything went black.

* * *

“Holy shit, Jess, please stop! My stomach hurts so bad!” Fiona begged as they all doubled over with laughter again.

“I can’t help it if I see some crazy shit here at the bar,” Jessyka defended herself. She’d been telling the girls stories about some of the weird things people did when they were drunk. “There was even this one time when a group of women came in and tried to do a shot from the opposite side of the glass!” That made the girls all double over with laughter again.

“Hey, we were amazing at that!” Summer bragged, knowing exactly what Jessyka was talking about.

“Yeah, you were. You’ll have to teach us all how to do it!” Jess agreed and smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket, Jess eagerly pulled it out, excited to see what Kason would have to say to her. She’d been ready to go for at least an hour, but didn’t want to be the first one to bail.

I’ve got your boyfriend. Don’t say anything to the others or I’ll kill him. Come outside through the back door.

Jess frowned as she re-read the text. It said it was from Kason’s phone. Was he playing a joke on her?

Kp yr pnts on Kason, Ill be hme sn

She clicked the screen off and lifted her head ready to share Kason’s impatience with her friends. Over the last few hours Jess had learned they didn’t keep anything from each other, and she loved the openness and non-judgmental attitudes of her new friends.

Her phone vibrated again and Jess smiled and looked down to see Kason’s response. She gasped instead. There was no note, only a picture of Kason on the backseat of a car. He was obviously unconscious and there was blood smeared on the side of his face. Trying to figure out if what she was seeing was for real, another text came though.