Uncontrollable (46 page)

 I walk into our house a couple of hours later and
find Parker sitting in the kitchen still going over the paperwork.

“Find anything new?” I ask looking down at him.

 He shakes his head. “Every single word is a lie.”
He drops the papers in his hand onto the counter.

 I’m silent for a few second before I turn to walk
away. “I’m going to bed. You might as well stay.” I look down at my watch. It’s
been two hours since we found all this out. “It’s late.”

 “Slade?” I hear his bar stool move against the
floor as he stands up.

 I turn to face him. “What?”

He pinches the bridge of his nose before he speaks.
“I’m sorry that I was the one…” He pauses gesturing to the papers that lay all
over the countertop. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

 I stand there narrowing my eyes at him. “You’re
sorry that you found out something that I should have already known?” I ask
irritated.

 “Yes. I mean…”

 “No. She should have told me the very second it
happened,” I shout still furious.

 “What could you have done?” he inquires. “You’re
not a cop.”

 My eyes bug out. “Are you serious? Maybe I could
have saved her from being taken from me. What if this Jeremy guy is the second
guy she remembers? He could be the
J
that Dallas told us about.” His
eyes widen, and his mouth goes slack. “Yeah,” I emphasize, “maybe she wouldn’t
have been drugged a second time. I understand you don’t love anyone but yourself,”
I spit making him frown. “But I love her more than my life, and I’m trying to
protect her. I could have made sure the asshole really went to jail. Fuck, he
had pills on him. Did she even stop to think of how many other women he had
done this to? I fucking doubt it,” I snap. “She just wanted to take care of the
shit all on her own because that’s who she is. Samantha doesn’t need help from
anyone.” I say her name with venom, and it feels foreign on my tongue. She’s
always been Angel to me. I run my hands through my hair trying to calm down.

“I’m sorry.”

My head snaps over to the entrance of the kitchen
as she stands there with tears running down her face, her hands on her growing
belly. It reminds me of how I found out she was pregnant. By blood work done
after rushing her to the hospital after finding her drugged. It brings back
that anger full force. “Go back to bed,” I say dismissing her.

 “I just want…”

 “I don’t care what you want.” I turn back to face
her, and she flinches at my harsh words. “How does it feel when someone doesn’t
care what you want or how you feel?” I ask taking a step toward her. “All I
want is for you to tell me when something important happens,” I snap. “He
drugged you. Then he tried to drug your friend. Does that not mean anything to
you?”

 A sob comes out before she places a hand over her
mouth.

“Jeremy is not in jail. Hell, he’s probably that
other voice you hear when you have nightmares of what Jax did to you. Dallas
was right all along.” Her eyes go wide, and I curse myself. She didn’t know
that Dallas told us about a guy named J.

 “You said that there wasn’t anyone else,” she
cries. “You made me think I was crazy.”

 “Slade?” Parker calls from behind me.

 “No. She needs to know this,” I say staring down
at her. “He’s been free since the day you called the police on him. Do you know
how many others he has probably drugged since then?”

“I did it for you,” she screams fisting her hands
down at her sides as tears continue to slide down her face. “I kept it from you
because I know what you’re capable of. I don’t want you in jail or dead. He is
messed up with the wrong people, Slade,” she says softer. “I didn’t want you to
do something for me that you would one day regret,” she cries. “I was fine.
Missy was fine.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “How was I supposed to
know they were going to release him?”

 I look down at her, and her eyes look hopeful that
I might cave and take her in my arms and tell her it’s okay. That I understand
why she did what she did. But that would just be another lie in our marriage.

 I lean down and place my face in front of hers.
“Don’t try to cover up your mistake with more lies. You didn’t do it for me.
Quit playing me for an idiot.”

With that I walk around her and walk to the door
that leads to the basement. Once through it, I slam it and lock it behind me. I
make my way down to the old office that I turned into a bedroom.

Once I slam that door, I turn around and punch my
fist through it. “Fuuuccckk,”

 I scream. I place my hands above me on the door
frame and take in a few deep breaths. It was all right there. I could have
prevented what Jax did to her. I could have saved her from the bruises, the
scars, and the nightmares if she had just told me about Jeremy. I would have
investigated him, found his connection to Jax, and taken them both down. Now,
well, now I don’t know what the fuck to do besides be pissed off at her for not
telling me. And the shitty part is that she probably never would have told me.

CHAPTER THIRTY

I stand in the kitchen
looking down at the white tiled floor. I feel sick to my stomach, like I may
vomit at any second. I should have known I could never keep this from him. I
should have known he would go crazy when he found out.

 “Are you okay?” Parker asks pulling me from my
thoughts.

I nod my head not wanting to look at him. I go to
turn around and walk to our room when he stops me.

 “He just needs some time to calm down.”

I look up at him. “I’ve never seen him this mad,” I
admit with a shaky voice.

He lets out a long sigh. “Honestly, I haven’t
either.”

His confession makes my stomach drop.

 “Just…let him cool down,” he says as he gathers up
all the paperwork. “Will you be okay?” He looks from me to the door that leads
down to the basement. Where we just heard Slade put his fist through something
and then scream out his favorite word.

 “I’ll be fine.” I’m not afraid of Slade doing any
more than some yelling and making me feel like shit, but I know he wouldn’t lay
his hands on me.

 He nods his head satisfied with my answer. I don’t
think he’s concerned about it either. I think he just offered to be nice.

“I’ll figure out what’s going on,” he promises
before he walks out the front door.

 I lock it up and then turn to go to bed.

I wake up early the next
morning and notice that Slade has already left for work. His clothes from last
night are on the floor by the tall dresser, and the house is silent. I get out
of bed slowly and walk into the bathroom. I look awful. My eyes are puffy, and
my cheeks and nose are red. I pick up my phone and call Missy, reminding her I
won’t be up at the bakery until later today because of my checkup.

 I tell her what went down last night, and she
informs me that Tate has been blowing up her phone, but she has no intentions
of answering it. If I had any strength, I would have smiled at how strong she
is being.

 I feel like shit, my stomach is in knots, and my
throat is raw from crying.

I take a hot shower, hoping to calm myself down,
but it doesn’t help. The water just covers up the tears that fall from my eyes.

I fucked up.

I should have told him. Did it occur to me that he
would drug other girls? No. I thought he was going to jail. At that point all I
worried about was what Slade would do with that information.

I finish up in the shower and get out. Once I’m
done drying my hair, I feel it. I get an awful taste in my mouth, and I find
myself running to the toilet and falling to my knees.

 Morning sickness or nerves? I guess either could
be a factor.

I open my eyes and sit up as I hear someone yelling
my name in the house. “In here,” I try yelling back, but it comes out scratchy.

I look up to see Parker walking into the bathroom.
I groan at him seeing me like this. “Slade’s not here,” I say standing and
walking over to the sink to wash my hands and wash out my mouth.

 “I know,” he says with a frown. “How long have you
been sick?” he asks with concern which surprises me.

 “Just this morning. Morning sickness,” I sigh
throwing water on my face. I thought I was going to get by without that part of
pregnancy.

 Once I dry off my face I look at him through the
mirror. “What are you doing here?”

 “I just came to check on you,” he says as if I
should have already known that.

 Maybe Slade sent him. I run my finger along the
countertop and speak quietly. “Have you spoke with Slade today?”

“Yes. I told him I was going stop by the bakery and
see how you were doing today. But when I got up there, Missy said you weren’t
coming into later.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as if confused. “Do you
need me to have him bring you something home? For, you know, being sick?”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. I’m going in later
because I have a checkup.”

 “Oh,” he whispers as he looks down at my belly.
“Is Slade going with you?”

 “He told me last week he was. Now I don’t know.”

 He nods his head and releases a sigh. “I’ll let
you go so you’re not late.” With that he turns away and walks out of our
bathroom.

I take my ass back to bedroom and pull up Slade’s
name on my cell.

Me:
My appointment is at ten thirty. Are
you still wanting to go?

It’s a long shot to see if he will reply. If I know
him, he won’t show, but a girl can hope.

I leave the doctor
appointment in tears. The baby is fine, but of course Slade didn’t show. I
don’t know why I expected him to. I guess I figured he wouldn’t miss a chance
at seeing our baby, even though he’s mad at me.

I sit in the driver’s seat of the Chevy and look
down at the black and white picture of our baby as a sob escapes my lips.

I jump when I hear my phone notify me of a text
message. I hold my breath as I open it up, hoping that it’s Slade. I shake my
head when I see it’s from Vivian instead.

Vivian:
Dinner at our place tonight. 6pm

I throw my phone over into the passenger seat as I
feel a lump form in my throat. How long can he ignore me? Would it make it
better if I had answers to give him? Maybe. But where would I find what I need
to know?

 Jax! Jax could give me information. If Slade was
right and the other person I remember was Jeremy, then maybe Jax will tell me
what I need to know. He’s already in jail—what else does he have to lose?

Making up my mind, I start up the truck and back
out of the doctor’s parking lot en route to where I know Jax is being held.

I make my way into the police station and find a
lady sitting behind a desk. “I would like to see Jackson Reynolds, please?”

She looks up at me with her angry dark brown eyes
and frown on her face. “Are you family?” Her deep and scratchy voice leads me
to believe that she’s a smoker.

 Am I family? Will they let me see him if I’m not?

 “Yes, ma’am, I am,” I try to say with a smile.
Make
her believe it.

 She tilts her head at me, and her frown deepens.
“What is your relation?”

 Uh…I knot my hands together as an idea hits me.
“I’m his wife.” I lift my left hand to show off my pink princess cut wedding
ring.

Her eyebrows shoot up as if she’s generally
surprised. She then nods and points to a door to my left. “Go down the long
hall and turn right. An officer will be there waiting to give you a visitor’s
pass and escort you to the visitation room.”

I swallow nervously but nod my head with as much as
enthusiasm as I can. Maybe this will work. It has to, right?

I pat my name tag on to my chest and take in a deep
breath as I walk into the visitation room. There are six chairs sitting in
front of a wall of glass that runs from the ceiling down to the desk top for
each cubicle.

“Third chair,” the man in uniform informs me.

 I make my way over to it and sit down in the stiff
blue plastic chair. I look down and continue to fiddle with my wedding ring.
Slade is going to kill me when he finds out what I did.

Someone taps on the glass in front of me, and I
yelp as I jump back. There sitting in front of me is Jax in an orange jumpsuit
with a smirk on his face. He still looks awful but at least he seems to have
color back in his face.

He reaches over and picks up the telephone and
places it to his ear. I slowly do the same.

 “That’s no way to greet your husband,” he smirks.
“You should be jumping with joy to see me, not scared.”

I swallow and square my shoulders. “I need you to
give me some answers, Jax.”

His lips turn up in the corners. “What would Slade
say if he knew you were here?” He rubs his jaw with his free hand. “But then
again he’s already mad at you.” My heart stops at him knowing Slade and I are
fighting. “It is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.” His
smile grows. “And you love to beg don’t you? You were always holding out on
me.”

“I…uh…” I try to clear my throat. “How do you know
all of this?”

He leans back in his chair and gets a serious look
on his face. “So naïve, Samantha.” He shakes his head. “Don’t you know there’s
always someone watching? Someone listening?”

“What do you mean? How can that be possible?”

He ignores my question. “I’ll give you a piece of
advice. Maybe you will believe it, since your stupid husband wouldn’t.” He
rolls his eyes. “Someone wants your husband to suffer.”

 “Why?” I ask as tears well up in my eyes.

 He shrugs carelessly. “Just tell him he needs to
watch out for what’s his. If he doesn’t open his eyes and see it, then it’s his
loss.”

“What are you talking about?”
What am I missing?

He sighs as if getting bored. “Think about it. Your
house got broken into. Nothing was stolen. Same thing with your truck. Why
would someone do that?”

He goes to hang the phone up, but I continue to
speak. “Jax, wait….”

He hangs up his phone and stands up as an officer
ushers him out of the room.

 I stand from my chair and fly out of the room. I
come to a stop at the end of the hall when I see the restrooms. Running in, I
find a stall and huddle over the toilet for the second time today.

Me.
Please call me. I need to talk to
you. It’s important.

I type out a message as I make my way back to the
truck. He may hang up on me—he may divorce me—but he needs to know what Jax
said. Slade’s been right all along. Those events were not accidental. Someone
wants to hurt him.

I try to ignore the sound of
my phone vibrating on my office desk as I type on my computer.

“How long are you going to ignore her?” Parker asks
looking down at my phone, of course he can see that it’s Angel sending me a
text.

 I flip my phone over face down and sit stiffly in
my chair. “Until I can talk to her without yelling,” I say annoyed.