Jared (22 page)

Adam headed back up to the last basket toward the top. Climbing to the rail next to
the basket
he stopped cold. Sitting in the basket was his Angel with some asshole.

“Angelina.” Adam nodded
, his eyes never leaving hers
, not trusting himself to look over at the guy sitting next to her.

“Can you get us down?” Her voice shook
as did her hand when she raised it to brush her blowing
hair from
pale face.

“It’s about fucking time.” The guy sitting next to his Angel whined. “We’ve been stuck up here for a damn hour.”

Adam’s gaze pulled away from her to the
guy
sitting to
o
close to wh
o
he considered was his girl. “Watch your mouth.” Adam growled.

The guy snorted looking over at Angelina. “You know this freak?”

“Don’t call him that.” She frowned
at her date in disgust.

“Honey
,
you slum with vampires there won’t be a real man that will come near you.” His eyes roamed up and down her body. “Hope I didn’t waste good money on a vampire whore.”

Adam grabbed the front of his shirt. “Guess you didn’t hear me when I said to watch your mouth.” Looking down at the ground he spotted Sid.

“Get you
r
fucking hands off me!” The guy struggled without success.

Adam ignored his
weak attempts at removing his hands.
“Hey Sid!”
He yelled down from the top of the Ferris
W
heel. “Catch!” With that he hauled the asshole out of the basket and tossed him over the side where he wouldn’t hit any rails.

The guy screamed all the way down. Sid looked up pissed off holding the sobbing guy. “What the hell was that?”

“He was talking
trash
to a lady up here.” Adam called down. Sid dropped the guy in disgust, probably a little harder than necessary, before walking away. Adam chuckled when the
jerk
rolled over throwing up in the dirt. “Lightweight.”

“That was mean.” Angelina looked over the side of the basket, but when she turned back to Adam a smile teased her lips.

“Yea
h
, it was.” Adam grinned
,
then nodded his head to where her date lay. “So you turned me down to go out with that?”

“I don’t want to get hurt Adam.” Angelina frowned.

“And you don’t think that piece of crap can’t hurt you.” He snorted climbing into the basket to sit next to her.

“No I don’t.” Angelina scooted over to make room for his large frame. “I don’t have feelings for him.”

Adam’s eyes widened slightly. “You have feelings for me?”

Angelina glanced at his wrist and gasped. Reaching over she ran her finger along her blue hairband, her eyes shooting to his. “I’ve had feelings for you since I was a little girl Adam Pride. You either didn’t see it or ignored it, but everyone else knew.”

“I’m sorry.” Adam r
ea
lly hadn’t known. He
had been too
busy trying to be the football stud through middle school and high school. Girls
had always
flocked to him
, he
never had to chase. Looking at Angelina now he knew she wasn’t like the other girls he had
been with and that made her special. “I won’t hurt you…Angel.”

Angelina looked out over the fairgrounds. “I want to believe you Adam.”

“Hey Adam
,
come on!” Steve yelled up. “They’re ready to head out of here.”

Ignoring the shouts from below Adam reached over clasping her chin pulling her face to his. “Give me a chance Angel.”

Her eyes searched his face as if trying to find the truth. Again her eyes went to her hairband. “I wondered what happened to that.” She looked back into his mismatched eyes. “Why did you keep it?”

“Because it’s a part of you.” His response was spoken with firm truth. “And I’m not giving it back.” His full lips turned up in a grin.

He leaned closer
,
his eyes moving from hers to her lips, his hand gently pulling her mouth closer to his.
When her mouth met his
,
he wanted to roar to the world that she was his.

“What in the hell are you doing…oh damn
,
sorry.” Steve poised on the rail beside the basket.

Adam slowly pulled away from the kiss. “You’re going to be sorry if you don’t get out of here Steve.”

Steve leaned around to see Angelina who was blushing to the roots of her blonde hair. “Sorry about that. I’m Steve by the way.” He reached his hand out and smiled when she took his hand.

“I’m Angelina.” She grinned when Adam groaned in frustration. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You guys better come down or you’re going to have a
n
army of warriors up here to see what is going on.” He gave her a wink. “You’re the only one left up here.”

“Steve, get the hell out of here.” Adam frowned at his new friend. “We’re coming down right now.”

“Okay…okay.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Hurry up.”

Once he was gone Adam looked at Angelina. “Sorry about that.”

“He seemed nice.” Angelina stood when Adam helped her up.

“I thought so to
o
until now.” He growled
making her chuckle
. “Obviously he has bad timing.”

The wind blew making the basket sway. Angelina grabbed onto Adam wrapping her arms around his waist. “
Sorry.”

Adam pulled her close loving the feel of her against him as he took a deep breath of her scent. “We’re going to jump okay. Put
your
arms around my neck.” She did as told. He scooped her up cradling her close.

Angelina readied herself for the jump, but when he just stood there she looked up at him. He
was staring down at her
with a
n
intense look on his face. “What’s wrong
?
”

“Nothing.” His voice husky. “I’m just savoring the moment.” He leaned down kissing her softly one last time before he leaped off the Ferris
W
heel holding the girl who held his heart.

********

Jared had Sid meet them at Tessa’s with Adam and her grandfather. He wanted to make sure it was safe before he brought her there. She was going to throw a fit when she found out she wouldn’
t be staying at her home, but staying at the compound
. He carried her into the house placing her gently at the kitchen table.

“
Gramps
!” Tessa cried out seeing her grandfather sitting at the
table like he had never left.
His worried eyes stared at her as he started to get agitated. She reached over grabbing his hand
before glancing up at Jared. “Thank you.”

He gave her a nod before bending down in front of her. “Adam!” He called out.

“Yeah?” Adam walked into the kitchen holding hands with a beautiful girl. When he s
aw
his sister his eyes widened. “What happened to you?”

“Had a fight with the woods and lost.” She snorted
,
looking at Angelina Harris with a grin. “Hey Angelina. How you doing?”

“Good.” She grinned
,
her cheeks flushed.

“
Get me some water in
a
large bow
l, some Peroxide and anything
else
you got for cuts.” Jared ordered Adam as he examined Tessa’s battered feet.

Tessa watched Adam head upstairs with Angelina following close behind. She smiled. Angelina was a nice girl. Glancing at
Gramps
she saw he wore a half grin. “What are you smiling at
Gramps
?”

“He’s happy Adam finally got that girl to go out with him.” Jared replied standing
with a large frown
. “You really did a number on your feet Red.”

Tessa’s head tilted as she looked up at Jared. “How do you know why he’s smiling?”

Jared leaned against the counter not answering her. Then looked at her grandfather. “She threw her shoes at one of the
half-breed
s.” Jared shook his head, then laughed. “Yeah, I totally agree sir.”

Her hand flew to her mouth in shock
. “You can communicate with him?” Then she frowned. It was too good to be true. “Don’t play with me about this Jared.”

His eyes narrowed in anger. “You really don’t think much of me do you Tessa?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just….” Tessa looked at her grandfather who was frowning at her.

“I’m not cruel.” Jared shook his head at her before answering his phone walking out of the room.

Watching him go Tessa then looked at her grandfather who wore a disappointed look on his weathered face.
Suddenly everything
was too much and she felt awful for
what
she just said to Jared who had done nothing but help them.

Standing slowly
,
she walked to her grandfather giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. “It’s so good to see you sitting where you belong.” She whispered before limping out of the room.

“Where you going?” Adam and Angelina met her on the stairs.

“I have to get something.” Tessa passed them trying not to winch at the pain. “I’ll be right back.”

Making it to her room Tessa looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Scratches and dried blood streaked her face. She was a mess. Grabbing a shirt out
of
her drawer she took off Jared’s shirt which smell
ed
so much like him and slipped the other one on. Taking the few steps to her bed was excruciating.
Reaching
under her mattress
Tessa pulled out the small vial she had stolen the night they had
escaped
their nightmare. Holding it up she stared at the
dark
amber liquid that had changed their lives.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jared’s voice echoed in her room.

Fumbling the vial Tessa caught it before it hit the ground
.
C
lutching it to her chest before turning around quickly, so quickly it sent pain radiating from her feet up her legs making her nauseous
, she moaned
. Now face to face with him after saying what she did Tessa looked away. She was ashamed of herself.

“Here.” She stuck her arm straight out holding the vial tightly in her hands. “
I shouldn’t have kept it from you. I’m sorry.” When he didn’t take it, just stood with his arms crossed Tessa wiggled her hand, but his gorgeous golden eyes stayed on hers.

Without looking away he reached back and closed the door.

Ah, okay. Tessa felt like an idiot holding her arm out so she dropped it to her side. “Don’t you want it?”

“What I wanted was for you to stay in that chair
so I could take care of you.
” Jared’s deep voice finally filled the room.

Oh how good that sounded. Someone to take care of her, but wasn’t that what he had been doing all along and she kept throwing it back in his face.
“I just wanted to make sure I gave this to you.” She held it out again, but he still didn’t take it.

“It’s not really about the vial Tessa.” Jared walked up standing in front of her
,
still ignoring the vial in her outstretched hand. “
I want your trust.
”

Tessa swallowed visibly. Trust was something she didn’t do well. “It’s not you Jared.” Tessa wanted to reassure him, but didn’t know how. “Every male I have ever known
,
other than my grandfather and brother
,
has thrown my trust back in my face.”

“I’m not other men.” Jared cocked his eyebrow. “And didn’t your best friend also misuse your trust. You
r
best friend was a woman right. Oat isn’t gay is he?”

A grin slipped across her face. How could he take a serious
situation
like this and make her smile. No one had ever been able to do that. “No he’s not gay.” She laughed lightly.
Looking into his eyes Tessa wanted to confide in him so badly the words just burst from her mouth.
“My father beat me.” There, she said it. Otis wasn’t really the problem when it came to trust. It was her father.

Jared’s eyes turned black before he could even blink. “I would never lay a hand on you.” His voice was as harsh as his expression.

She shook her head. “I know that.” Her sigh filled the room as she plopped on the bed. “It isn’t even that he beat me.
I mean, it was, but that wasn’t the worst part.” Seeing his expression Tessa looked away.