I strode forward and grabbed hold of the man’s shoulder, jerking him back. “Stay the hell away from her.”
The man’s eyes flared, and then he shoved at my chest. “Get your hands off me, you piece of shit.”
“I’m not going to stand here while you threaten someone I care about. You think it makes you a man to use your size to intimidate? It makes you scum.”
Hands wrapped around my arm, gently tugging me back. “I’m fine. Really. But I won’t be if you punch him—even though it would be fun to watch.”
I would’ve laughed if the rage still hadn’t had a hold on me—still licking through my veins, demanding payment from the asshole in front of me.
“Jax, walk away. He’ll hit you, and I won’t be able to stop him.”
Jax scoffed, glaring at me. “You think I’m scared of a piece-of-shit actor? He probably doesn’t even know how to throw a punch.”
“Come outside, and I’ll be happy to demonstrate.”
“Now, boys.” Gilly sauntered up and stepped between us, placing a palm on both of our chests. “I think violence is the last thing we need right now.” She turned, linking her arm through Jax’s. “Darling, you’re going to escort your most beloved aunt inside now.”
“Gilly—”
“No buts. Be the gentleman I know you can be.”
He sent one last glare in my and Laiken’s direction and then strode towards the sanctuary. I felt Laiken sigh with relief. I turned around, hands framing her face, eyes scanning her body. “Did he hurt you?”
Her eyes widened. “No. Nothing like that.”
“Who was that?”
Laiken swallowed, glancing to the spot where Gilly and Jax had disappeared. “Jase’s brother.”
My muscles locked. I’d only seen that kind of rage on one other person. The type of deep hatred that ate a person alive until you no longer recognized them.Mybrother. “Why is he talking to you that way?” I struggled to get each word out. To keep from grabbing Laiken and taking her far away from here.
“He’s angry. Has been since the accident. He can’t seem to let that anger go.”
Because if he let it go, he’d have to feel the grief. Some people would do anything to avoid that.
I brushed the hair away from Laiken’s face, relishing the feel of her skin against my fingertips. Letting the knowledge that she was here and safe soothe the worst of my raw edges. “Why isn’t he turning that anger on the person responsible?”
“He did. Jax spent so much time, energy, and money trying to keep Robert Aaron in prison. He wrote letters every month to the parole board. Testified at every hearing. He’s the main reason Robert didn’t get released before his time was up. When his sentence was coming to a close, Jax hired lawyer after lawyer to try to come up with other things they could charge Robert with. Jax won a civil suit. But it was for monetary damages, and Robert had already filed for bankruptcy from his own lawyer fees.”
Laiken’s shoulders slumped with a bone-deep fatigue that was written over every part of her. “It was never enough for Jax. He was mad at everyone who could’ve had a role in things turning out differently.”
“What is he mad at you for?”
Tears welled in Laiken’s eyes. “We heard Jax was throwing a party that night. Kay and Chip were out of town at one of Serena’s cheer competitions. He’d been getting into more and more trouble. The Grangers were all fighting more because of it. Jase didn’t want to deal with it. But I pushed. Said we could go and make sure things stayed under control.”
I pulled her into my arms, and Laiken didn’t fight it. Instead, she burrowed against my chest, grabbing hold of my jacket. “If I hadn’t have done that, we’d have been driving in the opposite direction. We never would’ve come across Robert Aaron.”
My lips ghosted over Laiken’s hair, the scent of something that was a mix of vanilla and spice filling my senses. “The only thing you’re guilty of is caring. You loved the Grangers. You cared about Jax. About Jase. About all of them. What happened isn’t your fault.”
“I know that. In my head, I do. But my heart doesn’t always believe me. We were all shattered by that one moment. And I can’t help but think about all the ways it might not have happened.”
“That’s natural. Human. But Jax doesn’t get to dump his shit on you on top of it.”
Laiken pressed her cheek against my chest. “I’m tired of it.”
“It stops. Now.”
One side of her mouth lifted. “I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t controller of the Universe. Jax spews garbage. It’s what he does.”