Beautifully Broken: If You Leave Part 8

Brand grins at me. "Some things never change. Jacey's still got you wrapped around her little finger."

I shake my head. "Whatever. She was sitting on your lap. Seriously, though. You know I feel bad for her. She always thinks our dad is going to change-that he'll miraculously take an interest in her and then when he doesn't, she's devastated. She's never gonna learn."

"So you're always gonna be there to take his place," Brand adds. "And do the s.h.i.+t he doesn't. I know you, dude. And I respect the h.e.l.l out of that. I do. I'm sure Jacey does too, even if she doesn't show it."

"My sister's tougher than she looks," I answer thoughtfully, watching as she stops to talk to some guy who just walked in the restaurant. "She tries not to get all gushy and s.h.i.+t, but I know she appreciates you too."

Brand follows my gaze to Jacey, freezing on the guy who is standing with her. Something about the guy seems off. He's wearing dirty work clothes and he's muscled and stout. Clearly he does some sort of manual labor. He's also clearly p.i.s.sed.

"Who's that?" Brand asks with sharp interest. I shake my head.

"No clue."

I can't hear what they're saying, but they seem to be in a heated discussion and the guy's face turns red. Jacey shakes her head, rolls her eyes and turns to walk away.

And then the guy grabs her arm.

The second he touches her, anger flashes through me, red and hot. Like lightning, Brand and I both shove back from the table, lunging to our feet. I reach my sister in a few strides, with Brand right beside me.

"If you want to keep your hand, I suggest you let go of my sister," I say calmly. There's no need to raise my voice. I know how intimidating I am. And standing together, Brand and I are like a wall. We tower over this little punk.

He looks up at us and I can see fear in his eyes, even if he doesn't want to show it. He takes his time, but he makes a show of slowly and exaggeratedly releasing Jacey's arm, then holding his empty hand in the air.

"That's better," Brand tells him. "I would suggest you not do that again."

"f.u.c.k off," the guy spits angrily. "This isn't your business."

"Jared, just leave," Jacey interjects. "Seriously. You need to go."

Jared smiles. "This is a public place. I need some dinner. And I want you to serve me."

"No f.u.c.king way," Jacey tells him. "Get out. Now. I'm sick of your s.h.i.+t."

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?" I demand. "Who is this guy and why is he bothering you?"

But before she can answer, Madison emerges from the back hall. When she spots Jared, her eyes widen and she looks startled, then she masks it. She calmly approaches us.

"What's going on?" she asks Jacey quietly.

"Jared won't leave," Jacey answers.

"I'm just getting ready to help him out," I tell Madison. The guy smiles.

"Try it," he dares me. "Just try it."

He turns to me, his slitted eyes challenging me, even though I can see the fear in them. He's c.o.c.kier than he is smart and, if I'm not mistaken, a little drunk too. I scoff at him.

"You're not worth my time. Just leave before you embarra.s.s yourself. Or before I embarra.s.s you."

Jared stares up at me.

"I know who you are," he scowls. "Jacey told me all about her big war-hero brother. Well, dumba.s.s, you aren't overseas now. And you're not a hero here. So back the f.u.c.k off."

I ignore the anger that flashes through me quick and hot. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pax stand up from his table. Mila puts her hand on his arm, as if to urge him to stay put. I smile. She must realize what I already know. I've got this. I don't need a.s.sistance.

"I don't need to be a hero to handle a little p.u.s.s.y like you," I answer him, maintaining my calm. "Get the f.u.c.k out of here."

Jared doesn't move. So I move him.

Grabbing his elbow, I drag him toward the door. He struggles against me, but even though he's strong, he's much smaller than I am.

"I'm going to call the police," Madison tells him as she tags along at my heels. "Just go, Jared."

"You're both wh.o.r.es," he spits at her, struggling in my grip to turn and look at her. "I haven't done anything to you. You need to mind your own f.u.c.king business."

"Jacey is my business," Madison answers coolly, stepping around us to open the door for me. "Stop hara.s.sing her. We're calling the police this time."

This time? I glare over my shoulder at Jacey, who has the good grace to look sheepish. This is the first I've heard of someone hara.s.sing her.

Spinning, I slam the punk against the doorjamb. Behind me I hear Madison suck in her breath, but I ignore it. This a.s.shole's back makes a satisfying thunk against the wood and I dig my fingers into his collarbone.

"Call my sister a wh.o.r.e again, and you won't have any teeth left," I warn him. "Got it?" He squirms and I release him, shoving him hard toward the parking lot. "Get the f.u.c.k out of here."

He spits on the ground, then starts to walk away. "Good thing you had your buddies to help you," he calls back to me. "Next time you won't be so lucky."

He gets into his car and I glance over my shoulder. Both Brand and Madison's brother-in-law are standing behind me, as if I need backup for this pathetic piece of s.h.i.+t. I shake my head.

"Oh, trust me. I won't need help. And there better not be a next time."

The guy flips me off and spins out, squealing his tires as he tears out of the parking lot. I turn around to find Madison facing me, her hands on her hips.

"Was that really necessary?" she asks. "I was going to call the cops. Violence really wasn't appropriate. I have customers here."

I stare at her in shock. "I thought you'd be happy that I removed him from your dining room."

"You thought wrong. I had the situation under control."

I'm astounded now. "Oh, really? And how exactly were you controlling it? By threatening to call the police? a.s.sholes like that don't listen to reason, Madison. You have to speak in the language that they understand."

"Well, I'm sure you're fluent in a.s.shole-speak." Madison stares at me icily for a moment longer, then spins around and stalks off.

I don't give myself enough time to ponder the fact that the kitten has claws before I whirl around, pinning Jacey with my glare.

"What the f.u.c.k was this?"

Jacey shrugs. Over her shoulder I see Madison walking her brother-in-law back to his table, then turning her head to talk with her sister. But instead of thinking about what they might be saying, I return my focus to my current problem.

Jacey.

"He's an ex-boyfriend who can't take no for an answer," she answers. "He's just an a.s.shole who takes rejection very personally. Not that big of a deal."

"He sort of is," Madison says from behind me. I glance at her, surprised that she came back after her little show of theatrics. She looks at me, her pretty face drawn. "His behavior could be a big deal, I mean. He practically attacked my little sister last year. And he's been bothering Jacey for a while. At least a month. I keep telling her to call the police but she won't. I figured I should tell you that. Maybe you can get her to see reason."

She ruined her dramatic exit to come back and tell me something to help Jacey? Interesting.

"Madison, G.o.d." Jacey snaps. "I don't need the police involved in this. It's embarra.s.sing. Jared is an a.s.shole and he's annoying, but he's not really going to do anything. Most of the time he just texts me... sends me pictures of his naked junk and s.h.i.+t."

Madison stares at her. "Jacey, he's already doing something. Not only is he still hara.s.sing you, but he's here in my place of business creating a scene." She lowers her voice now and dips her head closer to Jacey, as if what she's getting ready to say is for Jacey's ears only. But I can still hear it.

"Jace, my dad had that kind of temper. It doesn't get better. Those kind of guys are bullies who will intimidate you until you push back, until you make him see that he can't treat you like that. That you won't let him treat you like that. You have to step up and do something."

I'm still now as I watch her. She doesn't know it, but she just showed me something about herself, something that makes her vulnerable. Someone.

But I can't think about that right now. Right now I have to deal with my sister.

"We're going to talk," I tell Jacey, taking her by the elbow and guiding her back to the table. "What exactly happened when you broke up with that guy?"

Jacey shakes her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I told him that it wasn't working and he didn't like it. He texts me nonstop, drives by the cottage, calls and hangs up... it's frustrating, but he'll get over it."

Brand stares at her. "Little hotheads like him sometimes don't just 'get over' something. He's clearly got a problem. I'm going to need his name and address."

I glance at my friend. After serving in the Rangers with him, I know exactly what he's capable of.

"Stand down, soldier," I mutter to him. "This is civilian life. We aren't going to pay the a.s.shole a visit. Not yet, anyway." I turn to my sister. "I'm not leaving you here alone. When is Gran coming back from Florida?"

Our grandparents have owned a cottage here in Angel Bay since before I was born. We stayed here with them every summer when we were kids, but then our grandfather died and our gran hasn't been the same. Jacey still spends summers here to keep Gran company, but for at least the past year, Gran has been in Florida most of the time anyway.

Jacey cringes. "You won't believe this but I don't know when she'll be back. I think she met someone in her retirement village." She watches my face and nods. "I know. I don't like to think about it either. But you know, Grandpa's been gone for years now. I suppose she's lonely."

"Oh, G.o.d," Brand mutters, swigging his beer. "Geriatric s.e.x. I'm out. Where's the bathroom?"

Jacey points him in the right direction and then she drops into his vacant seat. I stare at her, waiting for her to give me an explanation. After a couple of minutes of silence, I just flat out ask.

"Why didn't you tell me about that guy?" I ask her, serious now. "You should have."

She drops her eyes and stares at the empty beer bottle that Brand left behind.

"Because I can handle it on my own," she tells me with a sigh. "I don't need to have my big brother swoop in and save me."

I sigh too. "I know you don't," I reply. "But maybe your big brother wants to swoop in and save you. It's sort of what I do."

She laughs at that. "Oh, great. So you retire from the army and I'm going to have to let you save me all the time so that you get your hero fix?"

"Something like that," I answer absently. In my head I'm thinking about my schedule. "I think I can stay here for a while," I tell her. "Brand and I have to pitch our new body armor to the Pentagon in a couple of months, but until then I'm free."

"Unless I find another investor in the meantime," Brand interjects as he grabs another chair and comes back to the table. "But even then, you can get to the meeting just as easily from here as you could from your condo."

I nod and Jacey stares at us.

"I don't understand your new business," she admits. "You're selling body armor to the government, right? Why don't they make their own body armor?"

"They do," Brand explains. "But it's not good enough because the good stuff has always been too expensive. Gabe and I want to design better armor that the government can buy for every soldier. If we can do it, and if we can get the army to buy it, then no one will ever have to go through what we went through."

Jacey grumbles, "And I have no idea what you went through because you won't tell me."

Brand and I both are silent and Jacey sighs. "I know, I know. You'll talk to me about it when you're ready."

"It's not you, Jacey. It's just not something we like to talk about to anyone," Brand offers. "Think about the most horrible thing you could possibly think of. The bloodiest, scariest thing... your worst nightmare. Then picture it happening to you... picture it becoming your reality, a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Trust me, you wouldn't want to talk about it either."

Jacey looks stricken and she puts a hand on my arm as she stares at us both.

"Fine. I get it. But seriously, if either one of you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. And I have two ears to listen with."

I pat her hand. "Thanks, Jace. But back to the matter at hand. I'm going to stay with you for a while. No arguments."

Jacey groans, but finally nods. "Fine. I guess it would be nice to have you around anyway. I miss you. And you know, Gran's been after you to come and bug-bomb her bas.e.m.e.nt for spiders ever since you got home. This will give you an opportunity."

She grins and it's my turn to groan. "c.r.a.p. I forgot. I don't know much about bug-bombing, but between Brand and me, we'll figure it out."

Brand yelps. "How the h.e.l.l did I figure into this? The only thing I know about spiders is that I stay away from them."

"I'll pay you in beer," I offer.

"Done," he quickly agrees.

I turn back to Jacey. "Now, about this Jared guy. What's he like? I want to get a handle on him."

Jacey thinks on that. "Well, he isn't the most stable person. I should've listened to Maddy. She tried to tell me what he did with Mila. But when I asked him about it, he said he'd been drunk and wasn't himself and I believed him. The problem is, he's drunk all the time and so he gets ugly. But if you're at the house, I bet he'll leave me alone. No one in their right mind, drunk or not, would mess with you. Your bicep is as big as my thigh."

I picture Mila, the sister who introduced herself to me earlier. The sweet, charming sister who clearly wouldn't hurt a fly. If that a.s.shole would f.u.c.k with a chick like that, he wouldn't hesitate to f.u.c.k with my feisty sister.

"You have to take unbalanced little f.u.c.ks like him seriously, Jace. And somehow, I doubt your little boy toy is intimidating enough to help much. But I'll be here now and hopefully Jared will just stay away and the problem will be taken care of."

"OK," Jacey sighs. "But don't rag on Peter. He's in a band. He doesn't need to be intimidating. He's a creative."

I roll my eyes and she grins.

"I'd better get my side work done so that Maddy doesn't freak out. She pretty much stays until the last person is ready to go. When will you be at the cottage?"

"I'll drive home and pack a bag and then be back tonight. It might be late, but I'll be here."

" 'K." She drops a kiss on my forehead as she walks past. "You're the best big brother I have. Thank you for my birthday watch. It's gorgeous." She stares at her wrist, at the glittering gold watch I brought her.

"I'm the only big brother you have," I answer. "And you're welcome."

She starts to walk away, then stops, glancing back at me. "Hey, Ethan Eldridge is asking Maddy out. You'd better get over there and take care of that."

My head snaps up, only for me to find Madison talking to the candy-a.s.s she was with earlier. I can't hear what they're saying, but Jacey can.