PRESLEY
I was quite full from the restaurant so when Jax brought up the idea of a bar, and I agreed instantly. It'd been a while since I had been to a bar—not to meet a source—but to actually have fun.
I stopped going after the recent messages and learned it was better for me to stay in and be safe than meet a potential kidnapper.
Jax placed a hand on my lower back as he led me into the bar. It wasn't like any usual bar I'd ever seen but expensive-looking with the decor and I recognized there was a few elite members of New York here.
A man approached Jax, speaking lowly into his ear while his gaze coasted over my figure.
The feeling of wanting to disappear and crawl away from here consumed me. There were men that were shy about looking at times, only out of curiosity and then there were men like him, they looked without reservation. They didn't care about the fact that you were a complete stranger.
I tightened my grip on Jax's hand letting him know I didn't want to be here in this man's presence anymore but he didn't quite understand the message.
If anything, he gestured to me introducing us.
"Baby girl, meet Sam. He's a friend." Jax smiled, those pearly whites of his shining under the club lights.
"Hello." I muttered softly, reaching out for a quick handshake. I didn't want to be rude, and I knew if he was a friend of Jax, then maybe I was wrong about this feeling.
The man—Sam—took a firm hold of my fingers, caressing my soft skin before he reluctantly let go of me. "Nice to meet you." His low voice responded, deep eyes lingering on my face like he'd never seen a woman before in his life.
I faked a little smile, shifting my gaze to focus on something else—something that wasn't him.
After a quick conversation, Jax finally led us in the direction of a private room. He placed a kiss on our intertwined fingers as we walked through the area labeled VIP and escorted by the bouncers.
A little chuckle escaped out of my lips at the thrill of it all; How did he manage to accommodate this? Jax was a journalist but he didn't get paid enough to waltz in and out of a place like this.
Albeit I didn't complain. If he wanted to spoil me tonight, I could get into the groove and enjoy it. For once I'd wanted to shut my journalist brain off and just have fun. Even if my body didn't have the same burning reaction it did around him than other men, it didn't mean we couldn't have fun tonight.
Nothing was ever permanent with men. They never craved anything other than a fling or a one-night-stand. Growing up, I was always a daddy's girl. My father loved my mother and she did too—or so I thought.
The woman didn't even wait a couple of months till my father's body was buried in the grave before she brought my stepfather into the house.
My stepfather wasn't the only thing she brought, she was also pregnant. After she had the baby, my stepfather left her and she threw all of her guilt and sorrow into me. She stopped functioning—or rather being a mother.
I took care of Lotus, I bathed her, fed her, took her to the school. She grew up calling me mama until my mother finally stepped back into her role.
And then she wanted to try... keyword try to repair our relationship but it was too late. How could our relationship be repaired if it was never built in the first place?
"Baby girl." Jax murmured in a gentle voice pulling me out of my thoughts. His strong hand cupped my cheek, forcing me to look into his eyes. "You okay? You went away for a while?"
I nodded slowly while his fingers tightened around my cheek. "I'm fine. Just thinking about everything."
"Don't think. Just have fun, Ok?" See. Fun. That was the only thing they cared about.
I nodded once more before he gifted me with a flashing smile from those perfect lips and dropped his fingers from my chin. He'd ordered several rounds of drinks, displayed on the polished marble table and reached over for a glass of wine.
I accepted his offer, eyeing the glass suspiciously because I wasn't a fan of drinking shit if I wasn't there to witness it or I wasn't the one who made it. It was a common occurrence and the main cause of rape at clubs and bars.
I trusted Jax as far as I could throw him. Not very much. Even though we had a fun night so far, I was still a bit suspicious and nervous around him but I downed the drink because I didn't come out alone without telling anyone.
I already notified Finley of my plans tonight and told Beast if I didn't call him tonight before going to bed, he had permission to track my phone. Hell, Jax could try anything he wanted.
"So." The man smiled at me as I downed the contents of another glass. I relaxed against the expensive seats, my head resting on his shoulder as he placed a hand on my thigh. Jesus, that was fast. How strong was that drink? "How do you know the guy—Silma?"
Silvio.
A little giggle escaped my throat at the mispronounced name and I shook my head. "Silvio." Jax made a low sound of acknowledgement. "He's my next door neighbor now and a friend of a friend."
A friend of a friend who was confusing as hell and sexy to look at.
"You're not planning on being with him or anything, are you? I need to know, baby girl. I don't want to put my eggs in one basket and then two months passes and you realize you have feelings for this man."
I laughed again but this time, it was deeper and genuine. I could feel the alcohol begin to settle in, and my head was suddenly clearer than I'd ever been. "I don't have feelings for him."
Raising my head from his shoulder, I made it a note to look deeply into those dark brown eyes, showing him I was being goddamn honest. "He hates me and I don't like him that well. We're just friends through our friends. We don't talk much."
"Good because I want you all to myself." Jax smiled softly, moving closer and pressed a kiss on my lips. At first it was just once, very gentle but then I could tell he wanted more.
I closed the distance between us, his lips covering mine in a long warm kiss that felt like kissing sandpaper. It did nothing for me or rather my body. I forced myself to close my eyes and get into the groove of kissing him but everything was just wrong.
His lips didn't fit mine, they were rather too full, and when they consumed mine in a hungry and passionate kiss, I could only return his with a light kiss. Trying to pull away but he wouldn't allow it.
Unable to move further and dreading the remainder of the time I had to press my lips against his. Jeez, this really wouldn't work out.
"Jax." I spoke out in between kisses, his hand traveling to my waist and he moved me to straddle him on the couch. Both of my legs on either side of him.
Before I could say something—anything, his large hands moved towards my ass and started fondling. A little shocked, I gasped. Making an effort to move away "Jax. Hey, I need to use the bathroom."
His voice was breathless and strained when he spoke. "Right now? We're kind of in the middle of something, baby girl. Relax."
I grunted, making a low voice of disapproval in my voice. I didn't need to use the damn bathroom, I just needed to think and ask myself if this was truly want I wanted to do. Did I really want to do this with this man or call it an early night?
Early night.
"Jax, stop." A little moan escaped my lips when his hands stopped fondling my ass, and fingers moved underneath my tee. God knows I wasn't enjoying it and I hated the body's reaction whenever it was touched.
It didn't matter if I wasn't feeling him, I was still affected. And Jackson took that as a encouragement to keep going.
I attempted to push him away, communicating how I needed to use the bathroom and I wanted to stop but he wouldn't budge. He reached into my pants, and in a quick move made a attempt to unbutton my zipper.
Something about the thought flashed a thought in my mind and I raised a hand into the air to land a sharp slap on the side of his face.
Dark flashed across his face, and his brown eyes heated with fire. "I said stop." I gritted out through clenched teeth. He let out a scoff, looking away for a second. I sighed to myself before zipping the buttons of my pants and made a move to balance myself and get the hell away from him.
Before I could do so, he seemed to have gotten a burst of confidence, placing a hand on both sides of my hips and flipped me over, beneath him. He was now looming over me, thunderous storms fizzled in his dark eyes and held me captive.
My brows furrowed as I shifted my wrist out of his grip but he wouldn't budge. "Jackson. Let me go right now."
A low chuckle left his throat. A finger traveled to my cheek and made its way down stopping just inches away from my breasts "Or what? You were enjoying it, baby girl. Relax. Let me get my fill."
"I want out. Let me out." I could feel myself beginning to panic, and I knew why. My ex-boyfriend was a cheater but he'd hit me a couple of times and if I closed my eyes just right and imagined it was Enzo above me, shoving and tugging on my body, it was like I was right there again. In the eye of the storm.
Uneasiness washed over me as I squeezed my eyes closed, cowering and unable to say anything. I knew how to defend myself, I was able to easily get away from him with a few punches but I couldn't.
He'd triggered a part of me I'd fought so hard to lock away ever since I broke up with Enzo. The scared little girl who couldn't protect herself. I went into a state of panic, taking little breaths through my parted lips, and shaking slightly.
I was waiting for my brain to kick into action, the part of my brain that controlled my common sense to fill with a rush of thrill and fight back. But I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop seeing Enzo.
I didn't even know when it happened but a singe tear drop escaped from my eyes and dropped past my cheek and down my chin.
"Let go. Let go. Let go." I started saying—almost repeating. Thrashing and kicking at the man. "Get your hands off of me!" I screamed, falling on my back as I shifted restlessly against his big body.
The pained sound of my voice resonated in the room, my eyes were tightly closed and the only thing I focused on was being free.
Being taken away far away from his body and being safe. I didn't know when how minutes had passed or how he was pushed away from my body but I caught a glimpse of vivid green eyes.
At first I'd thought I was dreaming or maybe I was focusing on something distant, something to hold onto but then I felt the warm touch of his gloved hand on my cheek.
My breathing began to slow down but I didn't speak. I was perplexed on what he was doing here and rather how he found me. In the moment I didn't care.
My hands were fisted around his black suit and I slid closer to his body with a tentative hand to wrap around his neck.
He didn't move, he allowed me to do so. Almost tense as I pressed my face into his chest and breathed a deep sigh. He was so warm and soft and comforting.
Whenever he was around me, I could feel his presence sneaking up like a shadow in the dark, completely encompassing every part of me.
An intense feeling of ache rushing to my heart, unendurable at times. "Presley." A gloved hand brushed down my back, fingertips sliding gently over my neck.
I knew from my own nightmares that I always needed to be held and loved for a while before I could be okay again.
Although I hadn't wished for a man like him to help, I didn't mind right now.
"You okay?" He breathed deeply, the movement of his chest moving beneath my fingers.
I didn't say anything, just responded with a shake of my head. I could feel his gaze coasting over my body almost like he was making sure I was unhurt before he wrapped both arms tightly around my waist and hefted me against his body.
I buried my face into his chest breathing a deep sigh and clutched the fabric of his suit tightly. Almost like he was my salvation.
I made the mistake of glancing over at Jax who was groaning lowly while sprawled on the ground.
He attempted to push up on one elbow, the quick glimpse of the bruise mark on his right eye which covered his vision. A little gasp left my mouth when I glanced up into Silvio's eyes.
Silvio had the same cold, unrelenting stare as Octavius when his gaze coasted over Jax but there was something darker behind it. More sinister.
Or perhaps it was the angry scar carved into his face, tattoos crawling out from underneath his black suit or those olive green eyes.
I kept my face buried into his shirt as he walked out of the club and talked in a low voice to the first person he'd ran into. I didn't hear much because he conversed in Italian or rather I didn't understand much.
I heard a chirp, the sound of the car doors unlocking and felt myself being lowered in the passaged seat a couple of seconds later. Still feeling the urge to be comforted, I held onto a fistful of his shirt when he threatened to walk away.
A gloved hand reached out slowly—almost nervously—and held my chin in his grip. In a gruff voice, he said, "I'll be back."
When I didn't respond, he took my hand and dropped it gently. A fingertip caressed my cheek while another held my knuckle. "Stay in the car, Presley. Yes?" He muttered into my knuckles, making every nerve ending in my body buzz.
Numbly I nodded back and watched as he shut the car door and locked it.
I watched him walking towards the club entrance and could sense it in the rigidness of his body and the nightmares clinging onto his body with each move of those luxurious black oxfords.
Jesus, I wasn't Jax but I feared for his safety.
I took the time he'd left to calm myself down, and ground myself back to reality. Inhaling a deep breath I focused on the things I had control over and thinking about everything in my life which brought me peace. Elvis, Finley, Netflix, my bed.
It took a few minutes for the panic to slowly ease out of my body, and replaced by the bittersweet feeling of bewilderment. I had questions which need immediate answers. How the fuck did he find me?
I was grateful but his presence only made me confused than I'd ever been.
I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind when I'd spotted a glimpse of black hair and the dark, and dangerous expression on his face.
He was quietly seething—the green in his eyes appeared more vivid and bright as he came closer and slipped into the car.
He was eerily silent, drawing in a deep breath; The movement of his chest, and the quiet tapping of his fingers against the steering wheel.
He didn't look at me—he refused. His green eyes were tightly closed, his gloved fist clenched, and I'd prayed he didn't do anything incriminating to Jax.
"Silvio." I called out in a timid, soft voice. It was the first time I had called him by his first name and under these circumstances as well. Almost ironic.
Immediately, his gaze snapped to mine; Olive-green eyes shone, the hazel color around the corners emphasizing those amazing green irises. The look in his eyes left me breathless, he looked like he was struggling to control himself.
Those intensely green eyes took me in entirely, examining me for signs of injuries and I quickly shook my head. It wasn't enough.
It was almost like he was keeping himself locked in here, beside me, for the thought that might happen if he were to go back to the club.
His breath came in harsh, and short. With a shaky inhalation, I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder.
He breathed a heaving breath, panic stricken but the look in his eyes still terrified me, and I'd terribly feared for Jax safety.
My pulse leaped in my throat when he didn't push me away but only leaned into my touch.
I didn't even have to think about it before standing from my seat and gracefully moved over to his seat. Climbing over him. Straddling him slowly with both legs on either side of him.
He lifted his head, looking at me in the faint light.
His eyes were shrewd and assessing, and they bored into me. Almost watching my next move. He didn't move, he didn't push me off like I thought he would have.
My heartbeat quickened as I contemplated my next move. My lips parted to accommodate faster breaths when I reached out, curled my hand around his wrist and moved his palm to rest on my chest.
I placed a hand on his heaving chest, nodding slowly. "I'm fine. Look at me." I murmured softly.
I knew from my past whenever I was deluded, I needed comfort—I need to feel to believe. His body was scorching hot even through the layers of fabric, my nipples instantly hardening when he inhaled a sharp breath.
I tried not to concentrate on the feel of his body against me, and how my body reacted.
"I'm fine, Silvio." I whispered, bending my head slightly and pressed my forehead against his until his breath slowly began to calm down.
He was still breathing a bit heavily and his gaze shifted to the window where Jax was being wheeled out on a gurney.
Something fizzled in his eyes and for a second, I knew he actually considered going out to kill Jax.
I knew he was capable of such act, and it didn't scare me. Only left questions.
"Silvio." I called out in a soft voice drawing his attention back to me. "I'm fine. Look at me. I'm not hurt."
His gaze was heavy-lidded with a look I'd seen a couple of times but he didn't hide it this time. It was freed and sparked with heated pleasure.
The gloved hand I'd placed on my chest moved slightly and for the first time since he'd helped me, I felt him draw in a long, deep sigh.
His arms came around me, another gloved hand running up and down the curve of my spine. He clutched me tightly to him.
I stretched my body against him, positioning my body to his. Burying my face into his throat and rocking slowly against him. He smelled sinfully good.
I didn't know what it was but I knew it wasn't cologne. Body wash, maybe. Or shampoo. Whatever it was, it was mouth-watering.
It only made me want to stay in his arms and never leave.
I was in hot trouble with this man, wasn't I?