Chapter 55: Chapter 4

JACE

The shrill sound of my alarm clock pierces the silence, jolting me awake. I’m not a fan of mornings, to say the least. I toss the covers aside and stumble toward the bathroom, hoping a quick shower will help shake off the sleep. I brush my teeth, rinse off in the shower, and step out to dry off and get dressed.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror—brown hair with a slight wave, light green eyes. I’m built like the rest of the men in my family, with a set of abs I’m proud of. I pull on some loose, ripped blue jeans, a tight black shirt, and my boots. I grab my leather jacket, spritz on some cologne, and head out of my bedroom.

The house is a flurry of activity as I make my way downstairs. Everyone’s rushing around, getting ready for work. I snag a muffin and head toward the front door. Tank comes in, tapping his watch. I chuckle and follow him out to the SUV.

We drive to the high school, and as we pull up, the noise dies down. I step out and head toward my locker, located smack in the middle of the school. A group of girls is already there, waiting. It’s too early for this.

I have to weave my way through the crowd of girls to get to my locker. I drop off my books and ignore the chatter around me. These girls aren’t interested in me, they’re interested in my name. Who wouldn’t want to be a Maxwell? We own half the town and have an empire that would make anyone green with envy. I’ve even had a girl claim she was my girlfriend. I had to put an end to that rumor quickly.

As I round the corner to my first class, I spot a girl I’ve never seen before. She must be new. Her shoes are worn, her jeans stained, and her hoodie faded. Her face is hidden by the hood, but I can see her long, tangled blonde curls. I approach her, and it’s clear she’s nervous.

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk to you. What’s your name?”

“Cami. Now leave. We have nothing to talk about.”

“We can talk somewhere else if you’d prefer, Cami.”

“What if I don’t want to talk at all?”

“I can’t force you to talk, and I wouldn’t want to.”

“Why are you being nice to me? People only act nice when they want something.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Fine. I’ll talk to you, but then leave me alone.”

“Okay, follow me.”

I walk away, and she gets up to follow me. We round a corner where no one can see us. I turn to face her just as she runs into me. Her hood falls back as I catch her, revealing her face. She’s beautiful, but her face is marred with bruises and a split lip. I can’t help but stare.

“Who did this to you, Cami?”

“My parents. They’re alcoholics. I turn eighteen in a week and I’ll be out of there. Don’t pretend to care. No one else does.”

“I do care, Cami. You’re beautiful. If you don’t want me involved, that’s fine. But if you want out, I can help. Give me your phone, I’ll put my number in it. Text me, and I’ll get you out.”

She looks at me, trying to figure out my angle. She hands me her phone, and I enter my number.

“Your name is Angel?”

“No, Cami. My name is Jace Maxwell. If you want out, text me. I’ll be there in minutes.”

“Why me?”

“Because, Cami, you’re my goddess.”

“Goddess? And what, you’re my knight in shining armor?”

I pull her close, my arm around her waist, my hand at the back of her neck. I lean in, whispering in her ear.

“Cami, I’ll be exactly that. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine.”

I recline, my gaze locked with hers. Her eyes well up with tears that soon cascade down her cheeks. I gently brush them away, pressing a kiss to her damp cheek. Suddenly, I understand what my father meant. I don’t want to release her. I yearn to keep her safe in my arms, shielded from any harm.

“Cami, let me take you away from all this. Let me treat you like the queen you are. I come from a dangerous family, and I’m dangerous too, but you have nothing to fear from me. Just say the word.”

I struggle to let her go, my body trembling as I step back. I fight the urge to return to her, instead forcing myself to walk away. I steal one last glance at her as I enter the classroom and take my seat.

She walks in and settles into an empty seat. I can’t help but watch her throughout the class, and I can tell she feels my gaze. She keeps glancing my way, and I see a group of girls whispering. I know the rumors will reach Tamara. I hope they do. Maybe then she’ll leave me alone. But if she dares to approach my goddess, there will be trouble.

The school day flies by, and I find Frankie and Tank waiting for me. I approach them, a wide grin on my face, and they know.

“You found her!”

“Yes, Tank, I did! Her name is Cami.”

“Where is she?”

I scan the crowd of students, but Cami is nowhere to be found. I leave my bag with Frankie and Tank and start searching the school. I turn a corner and find her sitting on a bench, idly dragging her foot in the dirt. I approach her slowly, careful not to startle her.

“What do you want now?”

“My family wants to meet you. Why are you sitting here?”

“I wait here as long as I can before going home.”

“Are you hungry? We could get something to eat.”

She looks up at me, a small smile on her face. I extend my hand, and she takes it. We walk together toward Frankie and Tank. Cami clings to my hand, hiding behind me. They look at her and understand why she’s the one for me. They nod and get in the car while I hold the door open for Cami. Once she’s in, I slide in next to her, pulling her onto my lap.

She looks at me, confusion in her eyes, and I whisper to her,

“You are my queen. You will always be treated as such.”

She nods, laying her head against my shoulder and snuggling into me.

“Frankie, let’s get her some food.”

Frankie and Tank exchange smiles, and soon we’re at a local restaurant. We settle into our seats and peruse the menu. I wrap my arm around Cami, telling her to order whatever she wants. She smiles, nods, and points to her choice. She hasn’t looked at Frankie or Tank yet, but she keeps looking at me.

“Cami, it’s okay, baby. You can talk to Frankie and Tank. Frankie is my uncle, and they both work for my family. They’re my dad’s best friends.”

She nods and looks at them. I see them both inhale sharply. She hears it too and buries her face in my chest, sobbing. I glare at Frankie and Tank, and they mouth “who?” to me. I mouth back “her parents,” and they quickly become angry. But our food arrives just in time, and Cami starts eating rapidly. I take her hand.

“Cami, it’s okay. Take your time.”

She takes a deep breath and resumes eating at a slower pace. After we finish our meal, I pay the bill and we drive her home. I get out of the car before her, remove my jacket, and stop her. I strap on holsters, checking that my guns are loaded and ready. I put my jacket back on and see Cami staring at me, wide-eyed.

“Cami, I told you. I come from a dangerous family, and I’m dangerous. But you’re my goddess, my queen, and I’ll protect you with my life.”

She nods as I take her hand and walk her to her front door. As she enters, her father jumps up, yelling and lunging at her. I draw my gun, pointing it at his head.

“Take one more fucking step, and I’ll blow your fucking head off!”

Her mother starts panicking, and her father backs off, hands raised. I keep my eyes on them as I speak to Cami.

“Cami, baby, I’m going to leave now. Remember what I said. If you need me, text me. I don’t want to leave you here, but I will for now. The ball’s in your court.”

She nods and heads to her room, locking the door behind her. I have a feeling I won’t even make it back to the car. As I leave, I hurry to the car and tell Frankie and Tank to gear up. I start to tell them what happened when my phone rings. I check it, and sure enough, it hasn’t even been five minutes.