Rogue (Legend Book 2)

Chapter One

I couldn't believe my eyes. Anger bubbled in my veins. I could feel the heat invading my cheeks as I spat at Jake. "How could you!?"

His face was turned into the snarl, with blood gushing from cuts all over his face. He stalked into the small cramped room throwing his hand wraps onto the bed on the far wall. 

"I had no choice." His voice was hard and quiet. He kept his bare back to me, which was also covered in bruises and separated skin. 

"I have enough money from the races, Jake. You didn't have to fight," My voice came out more sad then I wanted. 

He spun on his heels so quick, some of the fresh blood from his body splattered the walls. "I seem to be the only one wanting to get us home!" He raged, stomping towards me. "Do you think I want to be involved in dirty fights? There is nothing more I want then to be free of the shit that Ronan tossed me into, but I want to go home!" 

I stood up straight, facing him with my arms crossed. My thoughts clouded my head as we stood in a face off for what felt like hours. My gaze kept looking him up and down and all over, taking in his more filled out form. He still had his defined muscles from when we first met, they were just more developed. Larger. He was less lanky than he was three years ago. He's grown, matured. We both have. The funny laid back guy I first met was now alert and protective. Way sexier. 

I just shook my head at him and bumped my shoulder with his arm as I walked to the bathroom, slamming the frail door behind me. The water from the tap was lukewarm and had no effect of cooling me down on my hot cheeks. I lifted my short hair from the back of my neck and replaced it with the water, providing some kind of heat relief. My reflection caught me off guard for a minute. The short hair I now wore was a huge change from my long brown hair I had always kept. On top of that the blonde balayage that cut through my natural brown was striking against my darker tanned skin. I had more freckles due to the many sunny days Tokyo seems to have compared to Canada. I had filled out myself. I also wasn't a lanky limbed little girl anymore. My arms had more muscle and I had a bigger butt and a smaller waist (thank the universe). More curvy and proportioned.

I gave one last toss of my hair, streaking it with water and left the bathroom. I saw Jake at the kitchen sink dabbing away at the gashes on his knuckles. My touch made his skin jump slightly as I lightly traced his back muscles. 

"I'm sorry," I said quietly as I pressed my lips to the spot I had just traced with my fingers.

He spun to face me and I was picked up effortlessly and placed on the edge of the counter. I wrapped my legs around him tightly, holding him close. His face was mostly clean of the blood, but the cuts were still red and angry looking. Especially the larger deep one over top of his eyebrow. I reached up to touch around it gently but he grabbed my hand in his and it felt like he was holding on for dear life. I glanced at our enclosed hands and smiled looking back at him just in time for his lips to crash down onto mine. We wrapped our arms around each other and time stopped just for us to be in this moment together.

I sucked in a breath as the sink disappeared from underneath me. He carried me over to the bed with our lips still moving against one another. I landed on my back and bounced against the squeaky mattress, giggling as I moved further back onto the bed. Jake followed me, his muscles flexing and retracting as he crawled over top of me, falling onto his elbows and returning his lips to mine. We spent the rest of the night entwined in each others limbs, completely contempt in that exact moment...

                                                              *************

The bed squeaked when my weight shifted from the middle to the edge and I winced, hoping I wouldn't wake Jake up. The sun had been in the sky for almost half the day but I had no reason to really get out of bed. Jake and I both have 'night jobs' if you want to call it that. He's supposed to be working in a garage that fixes cars for illegal street racers right now. But I guess old habits die hard.