Jagged Harts, page 3
“Thanks, man,” Sandy boy replies before he goes back to nuzzling Blondie at his side.
When I glance around the group, I notice that green eyes is still staring at me. Since I’ve never been one to back down from bullshit intimidation tactics I meet his stare with a cool one of my own. Cole touches my elbow and starts guiding me back towards the bar despite my resistance. The guy’s eyes laser in on where Cole’s hand is currently holding me and then flick back to my eyes for a moment before he raises a questioning eyebrow my way. I don’t even want to know what that look is about, so I turn and walk away.
“What the hell was that about?” I ask, irritated by our late-night visitors.
Cole looks down at me while he leads us behind the bar.
“That is Dax Hart and his inner circle.”
I cock one eyebrow up at him. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I forgot that you aren’t from around here. Dax is a big deal in Glenfield. He is a senior at Whitman and is the one to beat in the underground MMA scene. The guy is a beast, you never recognize his opponents when he is finished with them, and he rarely leaves with more than a bruise or a scrape. Their group always comes in after his fights on Fridays. He is Marcus’s nephew, so they get special treatment around here.” He shrugs saying this like it is common knowledge and just something to accept.
I perk up at the mention of MMA. I was a permanent fixture at the MMA gym near my house growing up and I have been itching to find a new place. I turn to catch a glimpse of their table before looking back to Cole.
“Quite the ladies’ man too,” Cole tacks on. “He usually has a different girl with him every time that I see him. Guess everyone wants a piece of the talent.”
I nod. That is usually a ring bunny’s MO. I have seen it too many times to count with the guys from my old gym. Needless to say, I have been in my share of fights with jealous women thinking that just because I hangout with the guys they are trying to fuck means that I want to fuck them too.
“So, does that mean there is an MMA gym around here? Is that where the fights are held?”
“Yeah, the MMA gym on second hosts under the table fights in the basement on Fridays. Fight night gets pretty wild. We should go sometime, that is if you are ready to ask me out?” He teases, the corner of his eyes crinkling with delight.
I throw back my head letting out a full belly laugh. “Oh my god. Seriously, get new material. This shit is just sad.”
He throws me a wink as he heads back to the kitchen to start the burgers. I start loading up my tray with their drinks when I look up to see Dax towering over me.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask dryly.
I don’t like the way that he is looking at me. It isn’t in a skeevy way like most men would be doing but it is intense. The way he is looking at me makes me feel bare and exposed and that is way worse than being eye fucked.
His eyes meet mine, but he says nothing, he just…stares. Doing my best not to squirm under his scrutiny, I lift my chin a little higher and make sure my resting bitch face is firmly intact. We stand there silently for a few more moments before he lifts a single eyebrow.
“What are you doing here?”
“Working. You?” I bite out.
I watch as his jaw ticks at my answer before he crosses his arms across his chest. “I didn’t realize my uncle hired anyone.”
“I didn’t realize that it would be any of your business,” I snark.
From the low growl rumbling through his chest and the menacing look on his face, I think I just poked the bear, metaphorically and maybe literally, but I couldn’t help it. Who the hell comes up to a perfect stranger and starts questioning them like this? Fucking asshole.
“What’s your name?” He practically barks when he looks down to the blank place of my uniform where a name tag should be. I have never been so grateful for a back order in my life.
“None of your damn business,” I scoff as I finish pouring the last pitcher of beer.
He is quiet for a few seconds and despite knowing better, I glance up to see why he has all the sudden gone quiet. I see a fire lit in those sharp green eyes and watch as his hands repeatedly clench into fists and unclench. He looks like he is hanging on by a thread and as intimidating as he does look, I can’t help but want to see what he would be like when he loses control. To see what happens when his darkness consumes him and what would remain in his wake. My bet is not much.
“If I would have known you were such a bitch, I wouldn’t have even bothered with saving your ass the other night,” he spits lowly.
Suddenly, my temper flares to life as my eyes widen. Lifting my hand up I jab a finger into his steel like chest as I come unglued.
“First of all, you didn’t save me, you got in my way. I was just about to lay that fucker out when you came along. Next time, why don’t you mind your own fucking business! Second of all,” I seethe as I jab another finger into him. “How dare you say something so fucking vile. So, you are saying that if you would have seen any other woman that more than likely couldn’t have defended herself, but you thought was a bitch, you would have sat back and watched as a man robbed her, killed her, or worse? You are disgusting.”
Something in his fiery eyes dims momentarily at my words. I am not sure what part of my rant got to him but whatever it was it obviously hit him where he didn’t expect. Good. Fucking piece of shit. I am about to open my mouth to keep handing this motherfucker his ass when Cole calls out to me through the kitchen window.
“Aubrey! Can you grab the cheese from the walk in for me?”
Dax continues to stare at me as I glare at him. I let out a short scoff and shake my head before turning on my heel to head to the kitchen. When I push through the doors, Cole is next to me instantly.
“Hey,” he says in a hushed tone. “Are you okay? Things looked tense out there.”
My eyes flick over to the kitchen line where I see Cole already has the cheese set out. He was just giving me an excuse to get away from Dax. Without thinking too much into it, I lean in and give Cole a quick hug, thankful that it doesn’t send me into a near tailspin like last time.
“Thanks. I’m fine. He is just an ass. Do you need any help? I just want them to get out of here so that I can go home.”
Cole’s smiles understandably before he shrugs. “Nah, I’m good. If you could just take the drinks out to them. This stuff is almost done.”
I give him a mock salute causing us both to chuckle as I walk back through to the front. When I step up to the counter, the small smile that I was wearing drops when I see that Dax is now behind the bar mixing the girls drinks. I roll my eyes but don’t protest. His uncle owns the place, I am sure it isn’t the first time that he has jumped behind the bar.
When he is finished, he places the drinks onto another tray and takes it while I take the one with the beer and glasses on it. Staring at him with a blank face, I begin to follow behind him towards the table. If he wants to make my job easier, so be it, you won’t see me throwing a fit.
We reach the booth quickly, and he sets his tray down on the table as he resumes his spot next to the redhead. As he settles back, she curls a possessive hand around his bicep and practically crawls into his lap while shooting me a scathing look. I roll my eyes to the back of my head.
Marking our territory, are we?
Dax looks down at the desperate girl before looping his arm around her tiny waist and hauling her fully into his lap as he looks back up at me. His eyes immediately come to my face, almost like he is searching for a reaction. Please. The guy is hot, I’ll admit, but his shit personality brings him way down in my book. I barely contain my snort before I set all of their drinks down onto the table. I can feel his eyes on me, watching me carefully as I pick up the trays, but I don’t spare him a second glance as I head back to my closing tasks.
Cole brings their food out to them and thankfully they eat pretty quickly. Soon they all start to stand and make their way out of the restaurant. Fucking finally. As I am walking around the front counter to grab their dishes, I am stopped by a hand gripping my elbow. Dax looks down at me seriously, an impassive look that seems to be perfectly practiced on his face before he leans in just a fraction of an inch away from my ear.
“That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day, Aubrey,” he whispers.
The way his voice draws out my name sends goosebumps across my skin and causes my heart to race. I quickly shove away all of those disgusting feelings and focus on his thinly veiled threat. Narrowing my eyes, I rip my arm out of his hold as I roll my shoulders back and take a step forward until our chests brush. I have to crane my neck up just to look him in the eye which admittedly takes away some from my intimidating stance.
“So will yours,” I promise as I flex out my knuckles that are just itching to connect with this dicks face.
His jaw ticks as his eyes flare to life once more before he steps back and storms away, slamming the door so hard as he goes that I half expect the glass to shatter.
Someone has a temper.
Shaking my head, I continue moving over to their now abandoned table. I did not travel over two thousand miles to let some asshole think that he can intimidate me just because everyone else says he is top dog. If he thinks I will take his bullshit laying down, he has another thing coming. Dax Hart may be the self-proclaimed badass in the octagon, but I am the motherfucking queen and if he gets in my way of my fresh start, I will fucking end him.
CHAPTER
FOUR
AUBREY
I am walking home the next day after a long ass shift. I have been getting consistently steady hours which I am grateful for, but I am on my fucking face. I’m not sure if it is the fact that I have been spending all my time when I am not working studying that is wiping me out or maybe it is having to put on a bullshit customer service smile for entitled asswipes. Either way I need to sleep for like two weeks.
When I walk past Greek row I see several houses thumping with loud music and drunk shouts. I used to party quite a bit in high school, anything to get an escape even if it was just for the night, but the appeal quickly wore off. I hook a left and make my way to my dorm when I hear a muffled shout.
“Stop!” A girl’s voice rings out through the night before the sound of scuffling feet comes from my right.
Pausing in place, I turn my head towards the noise to see a girl being pinned against the back of one of the houses by a large guy. There is no one else around the back of the house except for them. It is practically pitch black back there, so it takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to what I am seeing.
When they finally do, I see the guy grab the girl by the throat before he smashes his lips against hers. Her body locks up instantly as her hands frantically try to shove him off, but he doesn’t stop. Instead, he takes his free hand and snakes it up her mini skirt before a ripping noise sounds as he tosses a torn scrap of lace to the floor.
As quietly as I can, I slowly make my way towards them. A choked whimper comes from the girl as the guy pulls back and his hand under his skirt begins moving.
“Stop playing hard to get, baby girl. Look at what you wore just for me? How do you not expect me to bend you over when you are looking this sexy? Just sit back and let me make you feel good,” he purrs, though it is probably the least attractive sounding purr that I have ever heard.
“No! Get away from me! Don’t touch me!” The girl snaps out as she begins struggling against him again.
Unfortunately, she is severely outmatched and looks to not have a freaking clue how to defend herself against the guy. Disgust rolls through me as he keeps her pinned against the house with his large body before his hands reach down and bunch her skirt up around her waist. Fuck no.
Closing the remaining few feet between us I shout out venomously to the guy.
“Hey!”
His head whips over to me, fear filling his eyes before irritation replaces it. He sneers at me before turning back to the poor girl.
“Fuck off. This isn’t a free show!”
“No means no, motherfucker!”
Before he can respond, I am winding back and hitting him across the face with everything that I have. He crumbles to the ground like a fucking pussy as I continue raining punches down on him. He is rolling from side to side, cradling his broken and bleeding face as I lift my leg up and stomp down onto his rapist dick. Normally, I don’t land cheap shots like that if I don’t have to but what better way to stop a man from raping women then mutilation, right?
He squeals like a pig at the pain before he continues blubbering and groaning. I am honestly so fucking sick of hearing this piece of shit, so I rear back and hit him right on the magic spot that knocks people out in an instant if done right. When I know that he won’t be waking up for a bit, I turn my head up to see a shaking half naked girl, staring down at me with fear filled eyes.
Slowly, I stand up and walk towards her, keeping my hands where she can see them and stopping a few feet away so that I don’t invade her space.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly.
“H-how did you do that?” She asks as her eyes flick down to her unconscious attacker.
I smirk softly. “It wasn’t much. That guy is a little bitch compared to guys that I have taken on. Did he hurt you? Physically?”
She rubs her throat gently before she shakes her head. I nod. That’s good.
“If you want to file a report on him, I’ll write a witness statement. Anonymously of course. I’m not looking to catch a misdemeanor for beating the piss out of him. Motherfuckers like him don’t deserve to be out in society though. In my opinion, they should all be put down like dogs but that’s just me.”
She looks unsure as her eyes flick around while she starts righting her clothes, picking up what is left of her shredded underwear with as much dignity as she can have before she stuffs them into her clutch. I watch her patiently until her shaking has slightly lessened.
“Do you live on campus?” I ask.
The girl nods as I take step closer to her.
“Well, if you don’t need the hospital and you don’t want to do a report at least tonight, how about I walk you home?”
Breathing out what seems like a sigh of relief she nods.
“Thank you,” she whispers softly.
I give her an understanding smile as I usher her past the guy that is starting to rouse. Her eyes harden as she looks down at him before she pulls her leg back and kicks him right in the dick. Fuck yeah. I think I like this girl.
Reaching into my purse, I get an idea. I uncap my permanent marker before crouching down and writing across the guy’s swollen forehead ‘rapist’ in bold letters. Hopefully others will take it upon themselves to rough him up once they undoubtedly piece together what he tried to do, and no doubt has probably done in the past.
The girl looks down at my artwork with a satisfied glint in her eyes before we silently walk to her dorm. She is just in the building next to mine, so we get there soon. I walk her all the way up to her door before she turns to me. In the lit hall I am able to see her better. She is gorgeous with lush light brown hair and matching brown eyes. Her killer body and obviously expensive clothes make her look more like a supermodel ready for the runway than a college girl.
I can tell that she wants to say something but isn’t sure what. My eyes flick down to her rapidly bruising neck and I grimace before I gesture to it.
“You may want to take a picture of that for evidence, just in case you ever do decide to fill out a report. Keep the panties too.”
She nods numbly as her eyes begin to water. I slowly reach forward and squeeze her shoulder. I fucking hate physical contact with others on a normal day but I feel like she needs some type of reassurance. She practically sinks into my touch as I give her a sympathetic nod before I turn on my heel and head to my room. Fuck. Did I mention that it has been a long fucking day?
On Monday, I make my way through the cafeteria on campus, grabbing the closest edible thing that I can before I head over to an empty table and crack open my English lit book. Getting in any extra study time I can manage is crucial. I am here on a scholarship, and I am not gonna screw up my one shot for something stupid like not making enough time in my schedule to study.
After a few minutes, a random tray plops down next to me, shaking me out of my study fog. I glance up at the owner to see a familiar petite brunette with big brown eyes and a kind smile.
“Hi. After you left the other night I realized that I never got your name.”
I nod. “Aubrey.”
She smiles softly as she nods. “I’m Mckayla but most people call me Kayla.”
“Good to meet you,” I say as I take a bite of my food.
We quietly eat our food for a few moments before she speaks.
“Thank you, for everything. I can’t remember thanking you the other night and I need to. I owe you a lot.”
I wave her off before crossing my arms across my chest.
“Forget about it. You don’t owe me shit. Any decent person would have done the same thing.”
“Not just anyone could have taken down one of the starting linebackers of the school’s football team like that though,” she points out.
Linebacker? Makes sense. The dude was a fucking ogre. I shrug as I turn my head back to my book. A few more minutes go by before she says something again.
“Are you going to the clay banks this Saturday? The upperclassman are hosting a back-to-school thing. It should be really fun.”
I give her a blank stare for a few seconds as I blink at her.
“Do I look like the type of girl that goes to the clay banks and throws back some wine coolers with a bunch of co-eds?” I deadpan.
I know I sound like a bitch, but I don’t understand what she is still doing sitting next to me? I get that she wanted to say thanks which is cool and all, but it isn’t like she has to stick around any longer. If she needs me to fill out a report I am sure she will hit me up. If not, we are pretty much done here.
