Crushing Beauty (Harbingers of Sorrow MC): Vegas Titans Series (8 page)

She could hear the ambulance coming closer. Her vision
kept wavering and the rain was still splashing on her face. She felt her body
being lifted and moved. The scenery above her began to change. She was now in
the ambulance. They were asking her a lot of questions, but she couldn’t stop
thinking about Jagger. Where did he go? Was he hurt too? Maybe he went for
help.

“There was no one else in the car, Miss, just you.”

“Maybe in the woods?”

“They’ve checked the area. No one else is out there.”

“He’s really gone… he’s really gone.” Her tears mixed
with the rainwater already slapped on her face.

She was in the hospital for three days, due to three
broken bones and a concussion. No one visited her. Her heart leapt whenever
anyone would walk by her door. She thought it was Jagger; she was hoping it was
Jagger. No one met her at the hospital when she was discharged. She was sixteen
and alone. The only person in her life that cared about her had disappeared.

She left the hospital with crutches and casts, but was
determined to make her way to their special place. She expected him to be
there, waiting for her. It would be the only justification for his absence. She
hopped her way through the trees, tripping a handful of times. The thought of
his embrace was the only thing that allowed her to pick herself up each time.

“Jagger!” She called. “I’m coming, please help me.” She
waited for his reply but was only greeted with disappointment when his voice
never returned her calls. She made excuses for his disappearance, refusing to
accept that he would ever leave her in this condition. Britton reached the
stone chimney and her heart dropped. He wasn’t there. He wasn’t waiting for
her. She slumped down, feeling the cold stone scrape across her back. Tears
blurred her eyes and she screamed. No one would be able to hear her. She kept
screaming, hoping the pain would leave her. It never did. She finally lost her
voice and wiped her eyes. There was something different. Daffodils were growing
around her. That was new. Had he been there? Had he planted them? She began to
feel hopeful, and vowed not to leave until he returned to her. She slept there
three nights. He never came. She finally gave up on him forever.

“Jagger…” she whispered.

“Britton? Are you okay?”

“Jagger…why?”

“Britton, wake up. Please wake up. I need you to wake up” Jagger
was holding her close, rocking back and forth.

“What happened?”

“Oh thank God.” He pulled her in tight, crushing the breath
from her. “You passed out. I didn’t know what to do.”

She hadn’t seen him so helpless in a long time. He was
always the strong one out of the two of them.

“I’m okay.”

“Don’t do that to me ever again, or so help me…”

“I don’t know what happened.”

“I don’t know, we walked outside, you froze, you looked at
me, and then you fell. Listen, we don’t have to go anywhere.”

She couldn’t let her weakness for the past get in the way of
her case. “No, I’m fine. I really am.”

“No, we’re staying in. I want to know for certain that
you’re okay.”

“Jagger, I’m okay. I promise. Please, take me there.”

He pulled her into his chest. He wanted to protect her.

“Let’s go. I promise I feel okay, and I want to get out of
the house.” She was lying. She wanted to stay in and feel the comfort of his
embrace for the rest of the night.

“Do you want to drive?”

“No.” She couldn't be weak right now.

“Okay.” He opened the passenger side door and let her in. He
moved to the driver’s seat and started the engine.

It was that sound. That sound that always brought her back
to him. Her body tensed and he couldn’t help but notice. The mood of the
evening was completely ruined. He had ruined it. He had waited so long for this
moment, and he couldn’t find a way to bring her out of her trance. Their small
talk was forced and stunted. Jagger pulled to the side of the road.

“What are you doing?”

“Look at me. “ He paused, finding the words. “There isn’t a
day that goes by when I don’t think about what I did to you. Not a single day. It
was the hardest decision I ever had to make, and I couldn’t even talk to you
about it. I shouldn’t have gotten in the car that night. I should never have
allowed you to get in the car with me. I was young and stupid, and if there is
one thing in my life I would take back, it would be that night.”

Britton fought back the tears. She didn’t want him to know
that she also thought about the crash every single day. She couldn’t let him
know that she has never trusted a single person since the instant she accepted
that he had left her.

She nodded her head. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Forgive me.”

She smiled back but couldn’t utter the words. He knew it was
a request that wouldn’t happen right away, and he accepted that. He placed his
hand on her knee and pulled back onto the road.

Britton looked outside her window as they drove. She hadn’t
been this far outside the city limits since before she had left for college. Where
was he taking her? Something seemed familiar, and yet not.

He turned the corner, and a beautiful mansion appeared. The
windows were two stories tall and four Roman columns held up the magnificent
facade. Britton could see straight through the windows into the foyer that held
a fairytale-like double staircase.

“Where are we?”

“This is my house.”

“Your house?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?” He smiled.

He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. He
moved around to the opposite side of the car and helped her out.

“This is what you wanted to show me?”

“Actually no, but it’s better to leave the car here and walk
the rest of the way.”

“Oh, okay.”

Britton was quiet but her interests were peaked. Would he
really keep the meeting place of his crime family so close to his actual home? That
wouldn’t make sense. He grabbed her hand and led her around the back of the
house. She looked out over a large patch of trees. Memories flooded her mind
and her knees became weak. Jagger anticipated this and steadied her.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Is this...?”

“Yes.”

“These are our trees.”

“They are.”

“And your house is here?”

“I bought the land.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

Britton wanted to cry. This was all happening too fast. Her
body wasn’t strong enough.

“You sure you want to do this?”

She nodded. She was too shocked to speak.

They traveled deeper and deeper into the trees. It was dark;
the only light was that of the stars peeking through the leaves. Jagger didn’t
need light. He knew the way. He had walked that path thousands of times. He
pulled her along, faster and deeper. The anticipation was biting at both of
them. Jagger feared her reaction, and Britton feared the reveal. What had she
gotten herself into? And why was it so exciting? She stopped him, suddenly
feeling confident again.

 “Jagger…” she stopped.

“What?”

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

He didn’t expect that. He had imagined this moment countless
times, and never did this conversation enter his mind.

“Will you trust me? I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m
asking you, just this one last time.”

She had to let him in. He obviously wasn’t showing her
anything that would incriminate himself tonight, so she needed to keep him
close. She did not want to continue further into the trees with him. Every bone
in her body felt weak, brittle. She wanted time to herself, to process
everything that had happened. But that was not her job as an agent. This was
her case. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

“Okay, I trust you.”

He had wanted to hear those words so badly, but didn’t know
if he truly believed her. Still, she had given him permission to continue on,
and that was what he was going to do. He took two steps and stopped.

“I just want to look at you for a minute. I need to know
that this is real.”

What did he mean by that? Did he not believe that she was
really there? Or was he suspecting again that she was working for someone who
was out to get him? She prayed to God that it wasn’t the latter. Her wrists
still stung and her throat was still scratchy. She didn’t want to endure
another night of his torture. David would surely take the case away from her
this time.

David. What would he think if he knew that she was out in
the middle of the woods with Jagger Stromm? He would most likely blow the
entire operation to pull her out of there. She wanted David to be proud of her.
She needed Jagger to believe that this wasn’t a lie.

“It’s real Jagger. I don’t know what else I can do to make
you believe that.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She was
slow, precise; she wanted him to feel the electricity between their lips. That
wasn’t something she needed to fake. There was obvious chemistry between them. Even
if she desperately wanted her revenge, she couldn’t fake the lust.

Jagger lifted her up into his arms and cradled her close to
his chest. He flashed a smile, revealing his dimples. She couldn’t help but
smile back. He stepped forward, eventually coming to a clearing.

“Close your eyes.”

She cautiously did as she was told. He walked a bit further
and carefully set her down.

“Can I open them?”

He took a deep breath. “Yes.”

Her eyes shot open and adjusted to the dim light. She saw
the chimney, but her mind took a second to piece her surroundings together. There
was a stone path, a garden of daffodils, a swing set, and a house. A beautiful
cabin stood in front of her. It was quaint, but exactly what she had always
pictured was attached to that stone chimney. Exactly.

“What is this?”

“Our home.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I built you our
home.”

Britton turned to face Jagger, trying to comprehend
everything that was happening. She searched his eyes, begging for answers. When
had he built it? How did he know she would ever come back to him? And finally,
why did he leave her in the first place?

Jagger was hoping for a smile, but her face was overcome
with shock. He wished he could read her mind, but her stare gave no indication
of how she was feeling, or what she was thinking.

“Would you like to see inside?”

She nodded, still not able to speak. Jagger was confused,
but didn’t ignore his desire to take her hand in his. He led her down the stone
path and up to the front door. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and
slowly unlocked the sturdy wooden entrance. The door pushed open to reveal an
open living area. There was a long cedar table to the right with an expansive
kitchen just beyond it. The island was marble and there were four bar stools. Straight
ahead was a lush, creamed colored couch with four bright red pillows.

Jagger turned to her, still trying to gauge her reaction. It
worried him that she hadn’t said a single word since he unveiled his creation. Still,
he was proud of his work and wanted to show her more. He wrapped his hand
around her waist, his fingertips gripping the front of her hips. She didn’t
shudder; a good sign. He gestured to a doorway in the far left corner, and
Britton was drawn forward.

The door was open and she peered inside. It was gorgeous. The
bed was a canopy style, with ivory drapes falling from its highest point. She
walked forward, out of Jagger’s grasp, to the bedside table. It was distinctly
ornate, with spiraled columns leading to the base, but that wasn’t what had
caught her eye. It was a picture: a picture of the two of them from ten years
earlier. They were sitting atop the mantle of the stone chimney, and her head
was on his shoulder. Their faces were splashed with dirt, but they were
smiling. They were happy.

Britton couldn’t help but smile back at the photograph. She
thought back to those days, how innocent she could be when she was with only
him. He was her escape. How had so much changed in ten years? And then, had it?

She put the picture down, feeling her tears breach the
surface of her eyes. She spun around, threw her arms around his neck, and
kissed him. This was the reaction Jagger was hoping for. He happily returned
the kiss, sensing a passion inside of her that he hadn’t experienced in any of
her previous embraces. This was real. She still loved him.

Confidence raged through his body, forcing him to grab hold
of her, deepening their kiss. He wanted to be closer to her, but pulling her in
any tighter would surely crush her. His body ached for hers. They were meant to
be together, to be one. He wanted to tell her that he'd drawn up the plans as a
surprise ten years ago. This is where he was supposed to bring her the night of
the accident. He'd wanted to show her how it would all play out.

He stopped mid-thought. He couldn’t bring up the accident—not
now. Now she was happy. Now she loved him. Bringing up that night would force
her back into the trance she had been in only a short time ago. He didn’t want
her to feel that pain again. He would have to wait. He would wait until her
love for him was overflowing and too powerful to hide or deny. Until then, he
would continue to draw her in.

Jagger pulled away, locking eyes with Britton.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Have you eaten today?”

“Yes.” She lied. Her stomach was not the part of her feeling
hunger right now. Her head was spinning, and her body was craving nothing but
his touch.

“Okay.” He bent down and took her into his arms.

This is where she wanted to be, and right then, she was
finally able to admit that to herself. In that moment, she wasn’t an FBI special
agent, she wasn’t undercover, and she wasn’t trying to put this man away. She
was sixteen and in love, again. She had a love that everyone else envied. Just
for tonight, that was all she needed to know.

“Can you stay with me tonight?”

“Here?” She found the prospect oddly thrilling.

“Yes.”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “Yes, we can stay here.”

He took her face in his hands and softly put his lips to
hers. “Good, because I have your favorite.”

“My favorite what?”

“Ice cream. Cookies ‘n Cream.”

“What? When?”

“Before I came to see you tonight.” He smiled at her,
letting his dimples pierce his cheeks. “I’ll be right back.” He swung out of
the room, leaving her holding on to the bedpost.

How long had he been staring at that picture, dreaming of
the day when she would find her way back to him? Britton needed to sit down. None
of this was making any sense. Last night, she hated him; he'd tied her up and
treated her like she was some worthless fly caught in his web. Now, he was in
the kitchen scooping her favorite ice cream into a bowl. He was showing her
everything he had. Could he really be as bad as her case files suggested? How
many personalities did this man have? Could she find the answer to that
question without falling victim to his dark side again?

Jagger appeared in the doorway holding two bowls. He set
them down on the bedside table and enveloped her in his arms. He wanted to tell
her that this is what he had always dreamed of. He wanted to tell her that this
moment was infinitely better than any fantasy he had of her return. He wanted
to tell her everything, but he still had a strange feeling in the pit of his
stomach that wouldn’t stop searing his insides.

Why was this beautiful, talented, and smart woman with a
college degree working at a casino? It made absolutely no sense to him. Why
would she be back here, in the town that held nothing but terrible memories? He
wanted to share his life with her, but feared what she would do when she found
out exactly how he made his money. Even more so, he feared what she would do
when he told her that her brother now worked for him.

“Cookies ‘n Cream, huh?”

“Is it still your favorite?”

“Yes, of course. I can’t believe you remembered that.”

He shook his head and broke eye contact. “I haven’t
forgotten a single thing about you.”

Her heart warmed. She felt so vulnerable when he opened up
to her. She kissed him on the cheek, leaving an ice cream mark on his stubble.

“Seriously?”

She found herself giggling like a twelve year old. This was
fun; and she hadn’t had fun in so long. He stuck his mouth into his bowl and
produced ice cream soaked lips. He quickly leaned in to her, as she screamed
and jumped off the bed. She ran into the living room, around the couch, and to
the opposite side of the kitchen island. He chased her throughout the cabin,
finally grabbing hold of her near the entranceway. Jagger lifted her up against
his body and pushed her against the door.

“Lick it off.”

“Gross. No.” She shrieked.

“Lick the ice cream off my lips.”

Britton stuck out her tongue and made a face as she
approached his lips. He grabbed hold of her tongue with his teeth and drew her
in. Even with the ice cream all over his face, he could be sexy. She felt him
growing beneath her.

“How sturdy is that bed?” She teased him.

“I don’t know, but I’d like to find out.”

He peeled her off of the wall and carried her back into the
bedroom. He laid her down on the blue speckled duvet and covered her with his
shadow. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. How did
he get so lucky? He closed his eyes for a moment and felt a slap across his
face. Britton broke out in bellowed laughter as she'd just smeared her dessert
all over him.

“You didn’t just do that.”

“Oh, I did.”

“Whoops.” He tossed her shirt up and poured his melted ice
cream over her belly.

She screamed. “That’s fucking freezing!”

“Really?”

She lifted herself up and tackled him to the floor. They
were a mess, but they didn’t care. They couldn’t stop laughing. Jagger and
Britton surrendered to each other and fell to their backs, looking up at the
ceiling. Jagger took her hand in his.

“Thank you for building me this home.”

Jagger didn’t say anything; he just smiled and squeezed her
hand tighter. He didn’t want this moment to end. Neither did she.

Britton’s phone rang suddenly and brought them both out of
their daydreams. She reached up, grabbing it off of the bedside table, and eyed
the caller ID. It was David. She snuck a look at Jagger and took a deep breath.

“Hi David… I was just laying in bed, watching TV.”

Jagger stood up, resenting her lie.

“Yeah, I’m fine… yes… I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jagger grabbed the phone out of her hand, wanting to crush
it in his fist. In a hushed voice she yelled to him, “Jagger, no!”

He resigned himself and handed the phone back to her. “Sorry,
the phone fell out of my hand.” She made a face, indicating her disapproval. “Yeah,
sounds great. Have a good night.”

“What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“You lied to him about where you were.”

“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to tell him I was cheating
on him over the phone.”

“I don't want you to see him tomorrow.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, I did, but as I remember it, I’m in charge of my own
actions. You don't own me.”

It was hard to stand up to him; deep down, she enjoyed when
he told her what to do. Still, she'd been the only one taking care of herself
for the past ten years, and that wasn’t about to change simply because he
demanded it.

Jagger shook his head and retreated to the living room. She
wasn’t about to chase him. He needed to understand that he was wrong. Britton
rose to her feet and pushed her tangled hair behind her ears. Ice cream was
caked to the ends. She needed to shower; it would give her a chance to cool
off, anyway.

The bathroom was connected to the master bedroom. A
sparkling freestanding tub sat in the corner. She quickly undressed and turned
on the water. The showerhead shot to life and steam filled the room. She
stepped in, feeling the warmth race throughout her entire body. Over the splash
of the water, she heard the door open.

“Jagger?”

Nothing. Maybe she was hearing things. She found herself
wishing he were there with her; that he wasn’t angry. Maybe he had a point. Had
David been a true boyfriend, it wouldn’t have been right for her to be with
both of them at the same time. She could understand his jealousy. If he were
dating someone else, she would want to hurt the other woman. The difference was,
that while Britton might feel the fleeting urge to cause pain, she never would.
She couldn’t say the same about Jagger.

She screamed, just barely catching herself from falling. The
curtain was thrown open and Jagger’s naked body stood before her. He was
fuming. She could see it in his eyes. His muscles were tense and flexed. He
took a step in, grabbing her arms and drawing her close. He brought his face to
hers and narrowed his eyes.

“You will see David tomorrow, and I am coming with you.”

“But…”

“No, this is not a request. Listen to me.”

“Okay.”

“At that point, you'll break it off with him.”

“Jagger, I can’t do that with you right there.”

His voice was not wavering. “Britton.” He tugged her body
even closer to his. “I am not letting you go anywhere without me. From now on,
you are mine, and I am yours. You need to end your relationship with David.”

Had he been anyone else, she would have punched him in the
face. How dare he speak to her that way? But it was Jagger, the one man who
could make that threat and force her to bend to his every wish. She searched
for words. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to bring Jagger to David.

Jagger couldn’t understand why it was taking her so long to
answer. What did she have to think about? There wasn’t anything he couldn’t
give to her, and no one would love her as much as he did. What were her
reservations? He couldn’t handle the suspense. He pushed her bare body up
against the tiled wall and squeezed her arms in his grasp.

She yelped in pain. “Jagger, please…” She explored his eyes,
hoping for a release. “I’ll break it off with David. I promise. You’re the only
one I want to be with.” The words were forced and pleading, but it was all he
needed to hear. His mouth crushed hers and his grip subdued. She was hesitant
at first, more aware of the pain stinging her upper arms. His hand splayed
across her lower back and he pressed himself into her. Pain was replaced with
ecstasy, and in an instant, she succumbed to his will. She would do anything
for him. She wanted to do anything for him. He had won her over again.