Unveil Me (The Jaded Series Book 3) (12 page)

“I know, Mom. Becky said the doctors are doing everything they can for her. Unfortunately, it’s a waiting game. With her recent heart problems, they have to be more careful.”

“I’m just so scared for her,” Sandra says sadly.

It turns quiet after Sandra’s heartbreaking reply. I may not know who they are talking about, but I still feel for the unknown Ally. Obviously, she’s sick and not doing well. She’s important to Andrew, and therefore, she’s important to me. It saddens me to think that someone that means so much to Andrew and his mom is suffering.

I make my way out of the dining room and into the living room. Taking a seat on the couch, I grab the remote and switch on the TV. A football game is on. I watch the game without really paying attention to it as I wait for Andrew and his mom to reappear.

It bothers me that Andrew hasn’t confided in me about this Ally person. She’s undoubtedly a big part of his life. I care for Andrew, and I know he feels the same way. And because I care, I want to be a part of every aspect of his life. I want to be there for him while he goes through whatever he’s currently going though. I just hope eventually he trusts me enough and reveals whatever it is he’s trying so hard to keep from all his friends.

Andrew

“Yeah, baby, get ’em!” I yell at Jase, and watch him ram his car into Mia’s, who in turn hits Bailey’s, both of whom decided to attack me.

“I got your back,” he hollers back at me, puts his car in reverse, and proceeds to push both girls out of the way so I can get out of the corner I’m stuck in.

Once I’m free, I turn my car in their direction to help out my man. Pushing the gas pedal down as far as it will go, I creep along at a whopping eight miles per hour. Just before I make contact with Bailey’s car, I’m hit from the side by Chris. I’m thrown off course and smack into a wall.

“Hey, what is this? Gang up on Andrew day? What’d I do to y’all?” I ask Chris.

She just shrugs and says with a laugh, “Nope, just seemed like something I should do.”

I narrow my eyes at her as she slowly drives away. I back my car up and align it with hers. I’m on one end of the bumper car platform and she’s on the other. She’s paying me no mind, already forgotten that she just bumped me off course. I look over at Jase, and see he has help from Jaxon, both chasing Bailey and Mia.

Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, I jam my foot down on the gas pedal. Chris is just ahead, laughing as she chases after two kids on the ride with us. I dodge left and narrowly miss Mac. Then to the right to avoid hitting Trent, Mac’s son. I straighten my steering wheel and am only feet away from paying Chris back.

She glances up and sees me coming for her, but there’s nowhere she can go. She’s surrounded by unused bumper cars and the person who has blocked her against them. Her eyes go wide, which causes a huge toothy grin to pop up on my face.

Right before my car plows into hers, it starts to slow down. My car comes to a complete stop, just barely tapping hers.

“No!” I groan loudly, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of my hand. I’m pouting and I know it, but I was so damn close! “That’s not fair! I wanna go again!”

“Aww… suck it up, Buttercup,” Chris laughs, getting out of her car. “Maybe you’ll get me next time.”

I unfold my tall frame from the car and make my way over to the exit. Jase and the others are already there waiting on me.

“So, where to next?” Mia asks.

“Ferris Wheel!” Bailey yells.

We head in that direction and get in the short line.

“Wanna make out if we get stuck at the top?” I ask Jase quietly, but obviously not quietly enough.

“Ugh! Please! I really don’t need to see my brother making out with another man,” Chris says, slapping my arm.

“Then don’t watch,” Jase says to his sister, laughing.

“There are kids around. You can’t do that shit,” pipes in Jaxon, his eyes pointing in Trent’s direction, who is standing at the front of the line with Scott, his friend.

“We’ll be at the top. No one can see us.” I shrug.

“You’re a horny bastard, you know that, Andy?” Mia says. She has her arm wrapped around Mac’s waist with her hand in his pocket.

Her use of the nickname Ally calls me sends a sharp pain to my chest. Ally, Becky, and Brent should be out enjoying themselves as well, but with Ally being so sick and tiring so easily, it’s not possible. She needs as much rest as she can get.

Guilt enters my system at the thought of Ally never going to the fair again. Of never getting the chance to be a kid again. I shouldn’t be here like this. Why should I be out having a good time when a little girl is stuck at home, sick and barely surviving?

I wipe the thoughts away and plaster a fake smile on my face, keeping up the act with my usual comeback.

“Damn straight I am,” I tell her, unashamedly. “Have you seen my man?” I face Jase and give him a quick kiss on the lips. There’s no way I could ever get enough of him. He’s intoxicating and I’m completely addicted. “Besides, I’m not the person currently feeling my man’s ass.” I hold my hand up, warding off her retort. “And, you call me Andy again, and I’ll dump you over in that dunking booth over there.”

“Bring it, big man.”

“I will. Just as soon as I finish feeling Jase up on the Ferris Wheel,” I tell Mia, and chuckle when Chris makes gagging sounds as we make our way to our seat.

After a few heated kisses and some mind-blowing groping, we get off the ride and decide to grab something to eat and drink. As we pass by the dunking booth, I look over at Mia and see her watching me. I smile at her.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” she says, pointing a finger at me.

Ignoring her warning, I grab her, put my shoulder in her belly, and throw her over my shoulder. She immediately starts pounding on my back with her tiny fists, which doesn’t faze me at all. I hear everyone behind us laughing.

“Put me down, you jackass,” she says with a slap to my ass.

I stop and ask, “Are you going to call me Andy again?”

“Probably.”

“Wrong answer.” I start walking again toward the pool of water.

“Mac!” she yells, squirming and wiggling on my shoulder. I slap her behind to get her to stop.

“Sorry, Pix, you’re on your own with this one. You know he doesn’t like to be called Andy.” You can hear the amusement in his voice.

“Traitor!” she yells back.

I’m almost to the abandoned dunking pool when I feel a sharp sting on my ass. The little minx just bit me!

“Ow!” I quickly put Mia on her feet and rub my butt. “Did you just bite my butt?”

Looking smug, she folds her arms across her chest and juts out a hip. “Yes.”

“My ass is off-limits. I know it’s tempting and all, but only Jase can bite it.”

“You put it in my face, it gets bit,” she says with a smirk.

I take a step toward her, ready to get her back for her little stunt, when Jaxon walks up to us and puts his hand between our chests. “Children, children, that’s enough now.”

I feel Jase walk up behind me and I turn to face him. “She bit my ass, Jase. Kiss it and make it better later?”

Giving me a sexy smile, which shows off his dimple, he winks and says, “You know I will.”

With just that look, my dick starts to harden.
Fuck!
I can’t wait to get him home. I let my eyes tell him what I’m thinking. His own flare back at me. If we were anywhere else, I’d haul his ass somewhere and fuck his brains out.

“Alright, enough with the mind-fucking,” Chris says, shuddering for effect. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

We all make our way over to one of the concession stands, order expensive and unhealthy food, and sit under one of the pavilions.

“How’s Joe doing?” Mac asks Jase, after taking a bite of his greasy burger.

“He’s doing better. The damn fool said he would be back to work middle of next week. I told him I’ve got things covered, but he’s being stubborn,” Jase replies.

Unfortunately, Joe’s granddaughter had to rush him to the hospital last week because his left arm started going numb and he kept getting dizzy. He refused to go at first, insisting he was fine, until Heather threatened to call an ambulance and have him hauled off that way. Turned out he’d had a minor stroke. Luckily, it did no lasting damage.

The stubborn old man is refusing to take it easy. It’s no surprise, really. He’s old enough that he should have retired two decades ago. We all figure he’ll probably die in that shop.

“Hey, Dad, can Scott and I get on the Zipper?” Trent asks Mac, carrying his trash over to the trash bin.

Mac looks over to the ride Trent is asking about and back to his kid. “Yeah, but when you get off, come straight back here, okay?”

Trent and Scott take off running toward the ride that’ll flip this way and that. My stomach does a little flip as I watch it sling the carts around upside down. I used to be able to handle those things, but not so much anymore.

“Has anyone heard or seen from Nick lately?” Bailey asks everyone. “I invited him to come along with us last week. He said he’d let me know, but I haven’t seen him since then.”

“He was in the bar a few nights ago. Drunk off his ass,” Mia says.

“He seems to be doing that more and more lately,” Chris says sadly from beside Jase. Jase reaches over and puts his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer. It’s plain to see the hurt in Chris’s eyes at Nick’s continued downward spiral.

“I’m worried about him.” Bailey says what we’re all thinking.

We all thought Nick would eventually snap out of his mourning after a while. We get that he’s hurt over losing Anna, particularly the way Anna died. Hell, we all felt the loss, especially Jaxon, Bailey, and Mia. But he seems to be getting worse. Nothing we do seems to be working.

Jaxon pulls Bailey to his side and kisses her forehead. “We’ll give him a bit longer. If he continues the way he is, we’ll figure out what to do.”

Bailey nods, tears glistening in her eyes.

My body tenses when I hear Chris ask Jase, “Have you heard any more from that guy Damien?”

Everyone looks to Jase for his answer, me included. They all know of the situation and understand why he did what he did. They also understand why he ran and the potential danger.

“No, which worries me. Damien isn’t the type to keep quiet. I can’t help but think he’s up to something.”

My hands ball into fists at the thought of something happening to Jase. If that fucker thinks he can come into my town and take away or hurt something that belongs to me, he better fucking come prepared. Chris and everyone at this table are included in that category. No one fucks with my family or friends. I have every intention of stopping the bastard, damn the consequences.

“Still no leads on where he is?” Jaxon asks Mac.

“No, he’s disappeared. When they pulled Emilio in for questioning, he claims he has no idea where he is either.”

“If he’s in cahoots with Damien, he’s lying. He’d be running the show and would in no way let Damien just go off grid. Emilio’s top notch and doesn’t let anyone run over him.”

“So, either Emilio’s lying about Damien’s whereabouts or Damien’s lying about Emilio wanting revenge as well,” Chris finishes for Jase.

“Maybe I should call Emilio myself and ask him,” Jase suggests. “I have no idea what I’m dealing with here.”

“What
we’re
dealing with,” I tell Jase, reminding him he’s not alone in this.

Our gazes lock for a minute. I don’t hide the anger I know is blazing in mine. The anger at the situation and the rage I feel at the thought of Jase contacting Emilio. I know it’s probably the smart thing to do. We need to know if this Emilio is after Jase and Chris as well, but I still hate the thought of him associating with those pieces of shit.

“Let me talk to the guys down in Georgia, see if they’ve got anything else on Damien or Emilio, before you do that,” Mac says, gathering his and Mia’s trash. “Either Emilio is keeping a low profile for the time being, or he’s not in on this mess. I’ll let you know in the next day or two.”

Jase gives him a nod and turns his attention to Chris.

“How are you holding up at Jaxon and Bailey’s?”

When it came to light that Damien, and possibly Emilio, was after Chris, we all decided it was best if she stayed with Jaxon. His place is the most secure.

“It’s great. I get to spend time with my best friend and I get to see and play with little Amari any time I want. But I still miss having my own space.”

Jase’s voice lowers when he replies to Chris, “I’m sorry this is happening. I wish I hadn’t come here, putting you in danger. Or at least I wish I had come sooner, before all this started.”

Jase’s words piss me off. Not only because of the reason he wishes he didn’t come to Jaded Hollow, but because he regrets it. This is where Jase needs to be. Around friends who care about him and are willing to help. There’s no better place than here. I’m about to tell him so when Chris’s words stop me.

“Don’t you dare say that, Jase,” Chris says heatedly. “I’ve missed you and am so glad you came here. I hate what’s happened to you, what you’ve been through, but here is where you should be. Here is where you have friends who will help. You won’t be alone.” Chris looks over at me when she says this, and I understand her unspoken message. She shifts her eyes back to Jase before continuing. “As far as my safety, I know you won’t let anything happen to me. I’ve also got these guys who’ll help protect me.” She gestures to Mac, Jaxon, and me.