Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

But we had. We did. I just didn’t know why they had this picture. Mom said someone sent it to her, but the only person who had that picture was Lawson and me. Jaxen sent it from my phone.

Lawson.

Had he done this? Sent this? I mean, he could have. He had my mom’s number. Did through his mom since our

mothers were friends.

I waited with bated breath as she drafted her text back, feeling like I was going to fall over the side of the boat.

“Where the fuck are they?”

A growl from behind as the yacht rocked and five guys the size of marines shoved their way onto the scene. The quickest had been Greer’s boyfriend Knight, who made a beeline straight for her.

Her mouth parted. “Knight?”

“Where, Greer? And you better hope I find them first because Royal—”

“Is pissed the fuck off.” Directly behind, Royal pushed his way onto the scene. Of course, December rushed right to him, her hands up.

“Babe—”

“Don’t ‘babe’ me. We said no strippers.”

She patted his chest. “Okay, I didn’t technically say that.”

“Not helping your case, Em.” He was forced to stop his charge when December grabbed at his hands. “Tell me where they are. I’ll be cool. Just tell me were the fuck they are.”

“Well, I’m not going to be.” LJ this time, stalking his way over to his girl. “Beauty queen, really? You tell me there’s no strippers. I believed you. No strippers. I’m telling these guys to relax and trust our girls, and here I am looking like an asshole.”

“I mean, it doesn’t take much, my man.” A tall guy holding a casual grin sauntered into the belly of the beast. I didn’t recognize him, but his playful eyes and relaxed expression reminded me almost of Jaxen’s as of late. I mean, aside from the fact this guy was probably a head taller, held far more curl in his brown hair, and sported a golden complexion that made him naturally tan where most people around here had to try for it. He leaned into LJ. “I mean, you did just rush a bachelorette party.”

“You don’t talk, Mallick,” LJ growled. He started to go after the guy until Billie tugged him back.

She frowned. “You guys are Hulking out over nothing. Anyway, the strippers are gone. No harm done.”

The twitch in LJ’s eye said different and he draped an arm across Billie’s shoulders like he was staking a claim. Meanwhile, both December and Greer were still trying to talk their guys down, and in the chaos, I spotted Jaxen. He watched on for a bit like I had before colliding gazes with me and after that?

Well, nothing else.

He came right toward me, a smile on his face in the sports jacket I’d helped pick out. He looked so handsome, his hair slicked back and his smile cool, and I almost forgot for a second. I forgot that my life was literally imploding. I forgot that our parents found out about us. I forgot that I cared.

Mom: The message came from your stepbrother.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jax

Something… happened. I knew when her expression changed.

I left my friends behind and their arguments that would be a nonissue in like an hour. These people loved each other, a harder love than most people would probably ever see. This talk of strippers and the like would be nothing in a matter of moments, which was why I found all this humorous.

But there was nothing funny about the way Cleo was looking at her phone now.

Something put her off, stiffened her up and had her covering her mouth. Something put unshed tears in her eyes.

I saw when our gazes collided.

Shock rippled through me at the sight of it, and I picked up my pace. I left everything else behind, needing to get to her.