JARED (Lane Brothers Book 4) (8 page)

“I hate Cleo, so much it burns my ass, but I would never kill another person, Jared. She’s just resting at the moment, and should wake up once the toxin is flushed out completely. Although I cannot promise she’ll be normal again, if she ever was.”

My head is spinning and I’m shocked and a little horrified, to tell the truth.

“What happened to my sweet, innocent Paulie?”

Her face goes hard and I see a side of my woman that I have never seen before.

“She took a vacation when those sick assholes threatened to kill her nephew and violate her sister.”

Case is laughing his ass off at my shock and Ma seems to have a permanent smile spread across her face as she rushes over to kiss Paulie and hug her to death.

“Evidence?” I push when Ma finally lets go and takes a seat beside Case.

Cupcake grins and bites her lip.

“Under my bed just beneath the floorboards closest to the wall. It’s got a few names and proof that the Patriots are planning an attack at one of the country’s biggest music festivals. We have time but we need to start moving if we want to stop them before those idiots start a race war.”

“I always wanted to see your bed, baby.”

Paulie wiggles closer and purrs against my lips, her own smile a thousand watts bright.

“You show me yours first, and I’ll show you mine.”

Any day, any time
, I think, kissing her deeply as Ma and Case stand and leave to give us privacy.

“You have a checkup later in the afternoon,” I say, pushing her back when the need to plunder becomes too strong.

I need her to have the all clear before I unleash on her little body, and by God I can keep myself in check for a few more hours if it kills me.

She groans and wiggles closer, resting her head against my chest as I hold her against me.

“I don’t think I can wait forever, Jared.”

“Not forever, baby, just till I have you checked out and my ring is on your finger,” I answer, relishing the anticipation of it all.

Lucky for me, my pop knows a judge who’s willing to do house calls, and I have a mother who’s now used to buying wedding dresses.

Today is the day, and I fully intend to own Paulie as much as she owns me already.

I could take her right now and not regret a minute of it, but I want her to know that I love her and respect her and want more from her than just sex.

I want her to know that forever is ours to grab hold of.

With that in mind, I pull my great-grandmother’s ring from my pocket, thanking Pop for it silently, and hold it out to Paulie with my heart in my throat.

“Paulette, Cupcake, the only woman I have ever loved enough to cry for, will you please, please make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

Her squeal is drowned out by Ma’s own shout and we’re both wrapped up in a hug as Case stands laughing in the doorway.

“Oh my god! I’m so excited!”

“Ma, my eardrums.”

Paulie just laughs and I groan when Ma drags her up and out of the door before I can even get a kiss in.

“That woman is one of a kind,” Case muses, coming over to shake my hand and congratulate me.

“Thank God or I’d fear for the free world.”

Paulette

I can’t believe I’m getting married. I remember last night and the declarations that were made, and I even recall this morning when my husband-to-be rubbed himself all over me as if trying to take on my scent.

I almost died when he stopped, and believe me, it was hard not to screech like a banshee when he answered his phone and left me hanging that way, but I’m so glad he stopped now. It’s always been a secret dream of mine to be married before I lose my virginity.

I’ve been trying wedding dresses on for a straight hour and modelling for the girls and little Al, a baby so adorable that I want to just squeeze him to death with love. Josh as usual is in the kitchen with the cook and his first love the cookie jar, so it’s just girls and Al today.

“Ohh, that is definitely the one,” Trace pipes up, getting teary eyed and all mushy when I walk out wearing an off-the-shoulder white sheath with a lace overlay and a long train at the back.

The dress is designer, I can smell that a mile away, not that I’d expect anything less from Mama, and it fits perfectly.

“Yeah?”

I turn to look into the full-length mirror and gasp at the vision staring back at me. I’ll need some makeup to cover up the few lingering bruises and my hair looks like a raccoon attacked me, but I actually look really nice, something I never thought possible.

“Definitely,” Ellie says firmly, giving me the thumbs-up as Clari starts bawling and grabs at a box of tissues.

My eyes round and Ma just waves me off.

“Don’t mind her. She just found out her shot failed and my son knocked her up. She’ll settle once her hormones level off.”

Clari throws Ma a glare and just cries harder.

“We didn’t want babies!”

“Oh pooh! Who doesn’t want babies? Honestly, Clara dear. Miah looked like cock of the walk this morning and I saw that smile you got when Ellie whipped out Al’s old baby clothes.”

My lips are twitching when Clari rises with a huff and practically falls on the snacks like a ravenous beast.

“It’s all his fault!”

Ellie starts laughing and I choke on my champagne when Tracy makes a crude hand gesture to mimic a hand job and grins her ass off.

“Really? I heard you and the way you go at the poor guy. You think maybe you aren’t a little to blame here, sister?”

Clari scowls before sighing and flopping down with a pout.

“It is his fault. He’s just so damned sexy, I can’t control myself.”

Ma laughs and I gird myself when she starts fanning her face with a book.

“Why I remember when my George and I—”

“La-la-la-la-la-la,” Ellie starts humming, covering Al’s ear with a grimace.

Mama gets a twinkle in her eye and zips her lips, looking plenty smug.

“Your men didn’t just fall out of air, ladies. They were made.”

I, for one, am completely grateful and give Mama a resounding high five for that stroke of pure genius while Clari turns green and bolts for the bathroom with a groan.

“Good job, Mama. I am totally grateful that you and George copulated successfully and gave me Jared.”

“Oh ew. But good job, Jude,” Ellie seconds, throwing in her own high five while the baby coos at Mama as if congratulating her, too.

Trace just shrugs and starts eating whatever Clari didn’t get to, her eyes twinkling back at us with glee.

“I am so glad I have you all and my Jace.”

“Me too,” I say, smiling at them with joy.

This is the family I never had and always wanted, and I love every minute of being with them. They’re kind and smart and cool and they’re real. Nothing like my own mother or father.

I honestly can’t wait to have all this, even the morning sickness, and I just hope I get it before things go south.

***

Jared

I know that tradition dictates that I not see Paulie before she walks down the aisle to me, but it’s been almost nine straight hours since I last saw her and I can’t wait another minute as I creep around the corner and sneak into my room.

She’s in here, getting ready for the wedding that’s taking place in just over thirty minutes. As I lift my eyes and get a good look at her, I feel my breath still in my lungs.

Holy hell, she is gorgeous, I wheeze silently, watching her apply a fresh coat of lip gloss and inspect her appearance with a critical eye.

“You’re perfect.”

She whips around and smiles as if my appearance here just made her whole day, and I feel ten feet tall when she smiles and launches herself at me.

“I didn’t think I’d see you till the ceremony thanks to Mama Dragon, and I wanted a chance to say yes to you before we start,” she breathes out roughly after I kiss her hard and deep.

My own breathing is just as ragged and I rest my forehead on hers as I struggle to catch my breath, because damn, the woman is beautiful as hell.

“I love you, Paulie. I wanted you to hear that again before you came to me.”

I can’t say why or where this urgency comes from, but I can’t take not having her near me at all times.

Her arms come around my neck and she just breathes with me as our eyes hold, looking so content, I feel myself grow hard beneath the fly of my slacks.

I love her happy look. It turns me on like nothing else can, and I love even more that she’s so free with her smiles now.

“I love you, too. Now come on and kiss me again before your mom comes back and makes you skedaddle.”

I obey and kiss her sweetly, relishing her enthusiasm and the innocent lack of experience of her kisses. She’s all mine, even down to this last little part of her, and I adore knowing that I will be her first in everything.

If I could go back in time and erase every sexual experience I ever had and be pure for her I would, without regret. Since I can’t, I just forget that any other woman ever existed and concentrate instead on the beauty in my arms.

Today is for love and forgetting all the troubles present in our lives. There’s still so much to do, and after Paulie’s confession this morning I find myself impatient to go get what she has under those floorboards.

Not today, though. Today we belong only to each other.

I’m still kissing her and trying to imprint her taste on my tongue when I hear Ma come in and clear her throat.

“Jared Esiah Lane, get your ass downstairs so I can fix Paulie’s lip gloss, boy. Pop is waiting downstairs and Jace is on the way to walk her down the aisle.”

I grin at her huffing and give my bride one last smooch before turning and heading out with a spring in my step. I’m getting married in a few minutes and I never thought I’d say this, not even to myself, but I feel so great about not being alone anymore that it actually hurts in a good way.

I’m still smiling when I meet Pop and we walk into the back yard where the judge is waiting patiently. Ma managed to transform this place into a fairy princess’s dream with Ellie and Trace’s help, while poor Clari blew chunks all afternoon and Miah looked to be turning greener by the minute.

Poor sap is so happy and scared at the same time, I almost feel sorry for him whenever Clari throws him a scowl and makes a beeline for the bathroom, yelling threats that make my own dick hurt for him.

I can’t wait to have this and more, I think as I meet my brothers at the makeshift altar and wait for the love of my life to come towards me. I feel no fear and absolutely want this more than I have ever wanted anything in my life.

Wyatt smiles when I start bouncing on my heels and places a hand on my shoulder to still me.

“She’ll be here any minute, bro, slow down.”

I do as he says because I have no choice, but for some reason I don’t want to wait here like a fool. I want to go get her and walk her here myself so that everyone knows she isn’t giving herself to me, because I already have her.

I’m still smiling like a loon and bouncing around when I see Jace come flying out of the house, tearing my way with a panicked look on his face.

My heart stops and I hear Pop yell an oath when Ma comes stumbling out of the house looking pale and lost.

“She split, Jared. She’s not here and I had Case search the house. She’s gone,” he wheezes breathlessly, his hands on his knees as my own threaten to buckle.

The first thought I have is that someone got in and there’s been foul play, but I know better. This place is a fortress and so secure that a breeze can’t get in without Pop’s say-so.

“Ma?” I ask, turning to look at her as her eyes go moist and she shakes her head.

“She left this for you after locking me in the closet, son. She was so sad when she did it, and I swear she must have cried harder than I was, but she kept saying she had to finish it and prove to you that she’s worthy again,” Ma bawls, holding out a sealed white envelope to me.

I snatch it up and rip into the thing without care, my anger so strong that when it dissolves instantly, I feel my knees give and dump me to the ground.

My Jared,

If you’re reading this you’re probably so pissed off right now that your eye is doing that weird ticking thing and you’re ripping at your hair. Stop it, because I love your hair and don’t want to marry a bald man.

I’m so sorry for this, and believe me, if I could change it all in a blink I really would. I want to marry you and have babies and a family with you so badly it breaks my heart to think that I’m throwing away my only chance at true love on this. But I have to do this, and not just for you, not just to prove to you that I am worthy, but for me, too, because I’ve felt so terrible for so long that I need to know I can do something good for once in my miserable life.

I know you think that Roman is a traitor. Hell, the first time I saw him walk in with Joe Fanzo I thought the same thing and it broke my heart. But he isn’t, I know deep down he isn’t, and I need to right a wrong I did your brother when they asked me to vouch for him and I couldn’t.

Cleo warned me not to, and I was scared that she’d finally snap and hurt my family, so I obeyed and left him hanging.

Ronny called me today. Despite what you all think of her, she isn’t in on this. Cleo’s been lining her pockets and setting her up from the start to throw suspicion off her. She knows more than is safe and she let me know that the Patriots are casting a big vote today.

This feels bad to me, and I know that if I don’t go my father will finally lose patience and let them at my sister and her family. And Roman, well, he could be in danger, too. I have to find him now, Jared, and that’s something I can’t let you in on because they’re watching you all so closely, we wouldn’t make it within a hundred yards of the Patriots without being shot on the spot.

I will get to him. I know exactly how to do it, and I swear, if there is a way to get him out alive I will find it.

That’s all I can say right now, because your ma’s been dogging me all day and I hear her coming.

Just know that I love you.

Always, always yours,

Cupcake

All I feel right now is terror and I lift my eyes to Miah with a grimace and the knowledge that I need to find my Cupcake before she walks herself into a situation that could get her killed.

“Get Ronny.”

I don’t say anything else as I rise to my feet and fold up the letter with calm hands and a resolve I feel to my bones. I hate that she’s done this, and by God when I get her back I’m chaining her to my side for the next fifty years if she behaves herself, but I understand it more than she probably thinks.

Miah nods and rushes off, followed closely by Bronx and a scowling Case. I do nothing but walk to the door and take the stairs two at a time, going for my phone and the tracking program I have on it.

“Jared—”

“Do not say it, Wyatt. She hasn’t betrayed me,” I snarl, turning all my anger on him when he walks through the door looking haggard at my loss.

“Not what I was going to say, douche. I was going to say that Ma put a tracker in that chain she gave Paulie this afternoon.”

I almost smile until I pull up the app and see the blinking light beeping in the exact spot I don’t want to see it. I rush into our bedroom and curse when my ring and the chain catch my eye where Paulie must have dropped them before running.

“She’s too smart, that girl,” Wyatt says, proud despite the inconvenience this is causing me.

“Yes, she is, and that might get her killed before I can find her,” I snarl, sitting down on the edge of the bed as dread hits my gut.

Think, Jared. Think. There must be something that can help here.

My mind is a blur as I jump to my feet and start pacing so hard, Wyatt winces and takes a step back lest I run him over in my agitation. I do this for the next twenty minutes before I hear a commotion and rush downstairs to see Ronny standing beside a grinning Bronx, her designer heels tapping in annoyance as the man keeps playing with her hair.

“I told you I don’t know a freaking thing! Quit that, you Neanderthal!” she hisses when Bronx leans down and sniffs at her, his eyes closing in ecstasy.