Until July (Until Her 1)

“That’s rude.” I frown.

“No, it’s the truth. I have never seen him mixed up over a woman. Even his ex-wife didn’t affect him like you do,” he says, and the breath I was going to take pauses in my lungs. I had no idea Wes was ever married. He never told me.

“Shit,” Tuck says, sitting on the bed at my side. “Sorry, I thought you knew.”

I turn my head to look at him and swallow around the lump that has painfully formed in my throat before speaking. “It’s fine; we haven’t known each other long,” I admit with what I hope looks like a smile.

“He’s going to kill me.” He shakes his head.

“I won’t even mention it,” I assure him, leaning my head back against the wall and closing my eyes.

*

“Jesus,” I hear and open my eyes then frown in confusion as I look at Wes, but I feel warmth under my cheek and the steady rise and fall of the chest I’m lying on with my arms wrapped over a hard stomach. I look from a pissed off Wes to Tuck, whose eyes are open, looking down at me.

I scoot back quickly and look at Wes again while trying to get my bearings straight. “I fell asleep,” I say to him and myself.

“I see that, babe,” he growls then looks at Tuck. “I need to talk with you.”

“Brother, do not even fucking go there,” Tuck says, and Wes’ jaw grinds.

“What happened?” I ask.

“Nothing,” Wes clips, not taking his eyes off his friend.

“You don’t know, or you’re not going to tell me?” I ask.

“It doesn’t concern you,” he says, causing my temper to flare.

“If it concerns you, it concerns me,” I retort, crossing my arms over my chest when his eyes come to mine.

“Don’t start your shit.”

“What did you just say?” I ask, getting off the bed.

“I said don’t start your shit, not right now.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I hiss then look at Tuck. “I told you to let me leave, but no, you just had to listen to this jerk.” I see the corners of his lips twitch, but I ignore it and walk past Wes towards the door.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

I look over my shoulder to sweep my eyes over him then mutter, “Home, to bed.”

“You’re not leaving without me.”

I snort in disbelief and head out the door, only to be pulled back. “Let me go,” I hiss.

“Never,” he replies close to my ear then growls, “If I ever see you touching another man, even unconsciously, I will kill him, friend or not.”

“I was asleep,” I whisper in disbelief.

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“Listen to yourself!” I shake my head.

“You have turned me into this.”

“Don’t blame me for you’re insanity.”

“I’d like to attest that my friend was never like this before you,” Tuck says, and I look at him and glare. “Just saying.” He holds up his hands in front of him.

“Unless you’re going to tell me what happened while you were gone, let me go,” I growl, and his arms tighten around me.

“You really think I would let my woman get involved in what went down tonight?” he asks, making it sound like I’m the crazy one.

“Did I ask you to take me along on a drive-by? No. I asked what happened, if you found anything out, if you know who shot up the building.”

“I told you—you’re not getting involved.”

I’m just about ready to flip out, when I’m cut off.

“He’s right. You’re not getting involved. There is no reason for you to know what happened tonight,” Jax says, standing in the open doorway of the room.

“You guys are so ridiculous.” I shift out of Wes’ hold and turn on him. “I was here when this place was shot up. I’m not asking you to go into detail about what went down; I just want to know I can go to bed tonight without worrying.”

“You’re safe,” Wes tells me, and his voice gentles as his hand comes up so his fingers can run across my cheek.

“I don’t like being shot at, and I hate that this is happening because of me,” I say, pressing my cheek into his hand.

His jaw goes hard and his eyes leave me to look at the door. “This has nothing to do with what’s been happening.”

“It doesn’t?” I ask, searching his face, then look at Jax when I notice Wes is still regarding him like he wants to kill him.

“I asked Wes to help me out with something,” Jax cuts in. “The people his boys were watching must have caught wind of the situation and made it clear they knew we were watching them.”

I look from Jax to Wes then back again. I want to strangle my cousin for getting Wes involved in whatever it is he’s doing, but I know Wes well enough to understand the only way he would ever be involved in anything is if it was something he believed in. So what can I really say about that?

“Is it safe for me to go home?” I ask, as his jaw goes hard again and he glances at Tuck and then me.

“Can I trust you to take her home and wait for me to get there?” Wes asks Tuck.

“You know you don’t even have to ask that shit,” Tuck returns.

“Apparently, I do,” Wes replies, and I throw my arms up.

“I was asleep!” I repeat again, which only makes his jaw tic harder.

“I found this outside,” Jax says, breaking the moment by handing me my phone, which shows I have a few missed calls from Kayan.

“Thanks,” I mutter then look at Wes. “Please, be careful.”

“Just be good,” he says, and his lips touch mine briefly before his hand goes to the middle of my back. Once we’re outside, I look around and notice there are a few bullet holes in the building and one in my trunk, which I’ll have to find a sticker or something to cover it with before someone in my family sees it and wonders why the hell there’s a bullet hole in my car.

“We’ll get it fixed,” Wes says when he notices I have stopped to look at the hole.

I exhale a harsh breath then listen as he gives Tuck directions to my house before buckling me into the passenger seat with a kiss to my forehead.

“See why I’m worried about him?” Tuck says as we pull away from the building with Wes looking at us like he is going to run after us. I ignore his statement and put my phone to my ear.