Beyond Layers: Layer Series Book Four (Layers Series 4) (25 page)

Nick nods.

Jaxson frowns. “What the hell, babe?”

Nicks shakes his head. “She has every right to be upset with me.”

“Upset isn’t quite the word I would use.”

“Babe,” Jaxson scolds.

Nick holds up his hand. “I’m not here to fight, Lex. I’m here to talk with my best friend.”

“Fine.” Alexia says.

“Can we talk, in private?” Nick asks him.

Jaxson frowns. “Sure. I’ll meet you in my office.”

Nick nods and takes his leave.

“What’s going on, Alexia?” Lizbet asks.

“Nothing good, Gram. I’ll explain later.”

“Okay, dear.”

“I don’t like this, babe.”

She whispers something in Jaxson’s ear. He nods and looks over at me. “Logan, my wife needs her sister for a couple of hours. Would you mind hanging with me?”

“Lex and I are going to go see Jules,” Sam whispers in my ear.

I nod.

“I know this is weird and awkward, but you’ll understand soon.”

I nod and kiss her on the cheek. I excuse myself and follow Jaxson to his office. When we arrive, Jaxson shuts the door behind us.

“Logan Romano, this is my best friend, Nick Cain.”

We shake hands.

“You met my wife.”

“Yes, at Joe’s.”

He nods.

“Sit anywhere, Logan,” Jaxson says, waving a hand.

I nod and sit in a leather chair that flanks a low-burning fireplace.

Jaxson joins me, sitting to my left in a matching chair.

We watch as Nick makes his way to the bar.

Jaxson looks at his watch but remains silent.

I look around the room. It’s masculine, comfortable, and no less than spectacular. Every man’s dream home office.

Nick pours a drink and joins us, sitting across from us on a leather sofa.

Jaxson sits back in his oversized leather chair, stretching out his long legs, and folding his arms behind his head. I get the feeling he’s trying not to look or seem intimidating or imposing, which isn’t possible. The man takes over a room, commanding your attention.

“So,” Jaxson says. “What the fuck is going on?”

Nick raises a brow toward me.

Jaxson clears his throat. “Logan’s family now. He’s signed on the dotted nondisclosure line. Speak freely, Nick.”

Family?

Nick grins my way. “Poor motherfucker.”

Jaxson chuckles. “Yeah, the man is fucked.”

I give them a weak smile. “Maybe I should go.”

“If you want,” Jax says.

“No, Logan, stay. You’ll find out anyway,” Nick says.

Jaxson presses his palms together, steepling his fingers under his bearded chin. “What did you do?”

Nick frowns and downs half of his drink. “I’ve lost her,” he whispers.

“Jules?” Jaxson asks.

He nods. “I’ve done something… unforgivable and then she… Well, she’s Jules.”

“Just tell us. And please, no sports metaphors.”

Nick nods. “You know I’ve been working with Kimber. Consulting for her company.”

Jaxson nods and looks at me. “Kimber and Nick were engaged in college.”

I nod.
This can’t be good.

Nick looks down at his drink. “You remember what she was into?”

Jaxson remains silent for a minute, pressing his fingers together. “I hope this isn’t going where I think it is.”

Nick looks up at him. I don’t know the guy but I do know when I see guilt.

“Shit,” Jaxson says. “I told you she was bad news. I told you to stay away from her. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Nick stands and walks over to the bar. “I should have listened to you. I… I guess I just never got over her.”

Jaxson looks calm but I can see the vein in his neck pulsing. “What did you do?”

Nick fills his glass and stands in front of the fireplace. It’s obvious he knows his friend is angry and he’s putting distance between them.

“Shit,” Nick says. “Kimber and I were spending too much time together. Early breakfast meeting, late dinners, you know the drill.”

“I haven’t known the
drill
for almost ten years,” Jaxson says, with a bite.

Nicks runs a hand over his scruff. He looks as if he hasn’t slept for weeks. “I didn’t, or maybe I just didn’t want to see her game. I invited her home for dinner.”

“Go on,” Jaxson tells him, the vein in his neck looking to explode.

“Jules came home late. She’d told me she was having dinner with a client, I’d forgotten. Kimber and I were laughing, talking about the shit we did in college. Jules tried to join in, but well… we didn’t even know she’d left us, gone into the house to take a shower. I was such a fool for letting Kimber get to me. She’d had the whole thing planned out. I see that now. She talked me into one of her… adventures. She wanted Jules to join us, I agreed.”

Jaxson remains silent, but the tension in the room and between the two of them is thick enough to slice.

“I know Jules didn’t want to do it, but Kimber made her feel… I don’t know, it was as if she was challenging her, I guess.”

I don’t know for sure what he’s talking about. But I have a pretty vivid imagination and come up with several scenarios, none of them good.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Jaxson growls.

“You don’t think I know this? I fucked Kimber while my wife sat in a chair and watched. She was supposed to join us, but she just watched. At some point, she’d gotten up and left. I didn’t even know.”

Jaxson gets up and walks to the bar. He picks up a bottle of Grey Goose and fills two tumblers. He walks back and hands one to me. “I think you’re going to need it.”

I nod my agreement, taking it.

Nick looks away from us and continues his sordid tale. “I don’t blame her for what happened next. I deserved it.”

Jaxson sits back down. “What happened?”

“She went to a bar, got pissed, pick up a guy and they… fucked. She’s pregnant,” he says.

Jaxson chokes on his drink. “She’s what?”

Nick turns and looks at us. Tears threaten to spill. “She said the guy used a condom; it must have torn or punctured.”

Jaxson downs his vodka. “Fucking hell.”

I look at Nick.

“I had a vasectomy a couple of years ago,” he tells me.

I down my drink. “Fucking hell!”

Jaxson gets up, walks to the bar, and picks up the bottle of Gray Goose. He walks back, putting it on the coffee table in front of us. “Sit,” he tells Nick, nodding toward the sofa.

Nick sits and Jaxson pours a round of drinks. “She left you?”

Nick nods. “I asked her to leave.”

Jaxson shakes his head.

“I thought she would be here. I need to talk to her. I was angry, said some unforgivable things to her.”

“You know you’re not getting anywhere near her until she’s ready.”

“I have to see her, Jax. I need to explain.”

“I love you, Nick, you’re my best friend, but Jules is one of my wife’s best friends. And if Lex tells me you’re not going near her, you’re not.”

Nick frowns.

“I’m not going to cross her. I don’t want this shit upsetting her more than it already has. She’s going into the hospital for a cesarean in two weeks. You know how much she worries about everyone. How she tries to solve everyone’s problems.”

Nick holds up a hand. “I’m not going to cause any trouble. I want to see Jules, talk to her, but… I’ll settle for knowing she’s okay.”

Jaxson raises a brow.

“As okay as she can be,” Nick adds.

“I’ll make sure Jules gets your message. That’s the best I can do.”

“I need time to think about all this shit. I can’t go back to Miami and I don’t want to stay in the city. Do you think I could stay at your lake house?”

“I’ll need to discuss it with Lex. I’m sure she won’t have a problem with it. However, we haven’t been there in months and it will need airing out. I’ll have Mary call the caretakers and have it readied for you.”

“I don’t want to put you out, Jax. I know you’re worried about Lex, and the babies.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Nick stands and Jaxson follows. They man-hug. “Thanks, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Don’t worry about Jules. She’ll be safe and well cared for.”

I stand and Nick shakes my hand. “Sorry about this. Wish I’d met you under different circumstances.”

I nod. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”

Nick exits and Jaxson sits on the sofa across from me. He runs his hands through his hair. “Sorry about that, Logan.”

“It’s okay.”

He shakes his head. “Stupid man. When he called and told me he was working with Kimber, I told him to be careful. She was nothing but trouble in college; and apparently, she still is.” He sighs. “I don’t get it, Logan.”

“Get what?”

“This sharing thing. I’d never let anyone touch Lex, man or woman.”

I nod. “When guys look at Sam, and they all do, I want to throttle them.”

He chuckles. “I hear ya.”

“I’ve never been possessive or this protective. It’s… scary.”

He refills my drink. “It’s called love, Logan. And let me tell you, when you’ve fallen for a Grant, your life, your universe, will never be the same. From the very moment I met Lex, I knew she’d change my life forever.” He shakes his head. “I had no idea how much. It took us years to get our shit together, but now… I can barely breathe without her and my boys.” He pauses, taking a sip of Gray Goose. “Girls,” he says and sighs. “Three baby girls. I am never letting them out of my sight.”

I smile. “I can’t even imagine. I have three sisters and my dad… well, let’s just say many boys wet their pants or went home crying, never to be seen again.”

He laughs. “I like you, Logan. I hope you know how lucky and privileged you are to have Sam’s heart.”

“I’m constantly pinching myself.”

“She’s been through a lot, Logan. We all have.”

I nod.

“Lex is more than a sister to Sam. She all but raised her, they had an… unconventional childhood, and Lex is very protective of her. So be careful, Logan. I won’t let anyone hurt my wife, my family, ever again.”

Was that a threat?

There’s a soft knock on the door. It opens and Sam pops her head in. “It’s it safe to come in?”

Jaxson stands. “Come on in.”

She steps in. “I didn’t want to run into Nick.”

“How’s Jules doing?” Jaxson asks her.

“She’s a mess. The whole thing is crazy.”

He nods. “I told Nick to give her space. Which reminds me, I need to talk to Mary. Nick’s staying at the lake house and she’ll need to have it opened and prepared.” He picks up his tumblers and the bottle of vodka, placing them on the bar. “I’ll see you two later,” he says and walks out the door.

Sam takes the tumbler out of my hand and sets it on the coffee table. “Pretty crazy stuff.”

“I don’t know Nick from Nack, but I could see that the guy was hurting.”

“They both have a lot to think about,” she says, holding out her hand.

“Where are you going?”

“We are going for a drive.”

“We are?” I ask, standing.

We walk through the house, out a side entry, and toward one of three car garages.

“How many cars do you all have?”

“According to Lex, Jax has twelve too many and I have four too many.”

Sam walks up to a lock box and inters a code, then a thumbprint. The Grants are serious about security.

“When you were at the cottage, on the Outer Banks, did you have security?”

She nods. “Always. You just don’t see them.”

“I see.”

She frowns. “It’s the way it is, Logan.”

I shrug.

She opens the lockbox and removes a garage opener and a set of keys. She shuts it, punching in another code. “Okay, Mr. Romano. Before I open the garage I have to tell you something.”

“I’m not going to like it, am I?”

“You’re going to love it. I just need to explain.”

“Okay,” I tell her, but don’t mean it.

“Since we’re going to be in Whistler on your birthday, I wanted to give you part of your present now.”

“Sam. What have you done?”

She smiles like an idiot. “It’s all your fault.”

“What’s all my fault?”

“Every time I asked you what you wanted for your birthday, you said nothing. So I asked Allie and Matt.” She frowns. “They told me to buy you a jet. Krissy told me to buy you a castle.”

I chuckle.

“I told them, maybe next year.”

I shake my head.

“Getting zero, or I should say, too much help from them, I called your parents.”

“You talked to Ray and Carol?”

She smiles. “Yes, I had a lovely chat with both of them, but your mother was as helpful as a grain of sand.” She pinches her fingers together. “But your dad,” she says, and smiles, “he gave me plenty of possibilities.”

“What kind of possibilities?”

“The kind you’d put in a garage.”

“You bought me a car?”

She lifts a brow. “Not just any car, my dear boy.
The car
.” She presses the opener; one of six doors glides open.

We step in. We walk past four Porsches and then…

“No fuck-me way.”
I think I just had a cargasm.

She grins and steps beside it, showing it to me in car-show-girl fashion. “You like?”

I run my hand over the hood of a baby-blue 1966 Corvette Stingray Convertible. The car I’ve wanted since… forever.

“Your dad said you had an uncle who owned one and you and Luke had dreams of buying it from him and fixing it up.”

“He told you about Luke?”

“Of course not. He only mentioned his name. Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not. Did they… say anything else?”

She raises a brow. “Like what?”

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

“Aren’t you happy?”

I walk over and pull her into my arms. “Angel, I’m over the moon.”

She holds the keys out. “How much did you drink?”

“Not a lot, but…”

“I want to show you something. How about I drive there and you can drive back?”

“That works for me.” I cup her chin, kissing her breathless.

“Wow, there will definitely be more cars in your future, Romano.”

“I can’t believe you did this. It’s too much, but… it’s perfect.”

“There’s more. But you’ll have to wait.”

“There you two are.”