Page 37 of Furious
Jax thought for a moment and then shook his head again, his eyes locking with Tristan’s and confirming everything he’d felt. But Tristan saw need and trust in there too, and he vowed to honor that in any way he could.
“Can youbemoved?” Tristan asked, and Jax frowned.
“Like carrying me?” At Tristan’s nod, he exhaled. “Where?”
“What about Owen’s office? It has carpeting. I can get a couple of fresh tablecloths to put over it!” Kate took off before getting a response.
“Isn’t that upstairs?” Fear mixed with the pain on Jax’s face, making Tristan want to hug him, soothe him, and he inched even closer, noticing that Jax’s grip had released a bit and his breathing seemed less labored.
“Are you doubting my manly strength?” That got a hissed chuckle out of Jax. Good. Looking up at the group around him, he gestured toward his headset. “Can someone tell Marci what’s going on and see if Owen’s office is unlocked?
“I think he’s up there with Liam right now,” Emma said, grabbing the headset and turning on the mic.
“I hate this,” Jax ground out, and a sick sadness churned in Tristan’s gut as he realized that he hadn’t understood Jax’s chronic pain at all. He’d been coming from a place of ableism because his knee had gotten better.
But what if it hadn’t? And Tristan couldn’t hike anymore? Or do his job? And what if his knee let him do some things but not others? And his days were a dice roll of good, bad, or worse? The stress surrounding that would be tremendous.
“I’m sorry,” Tristan said softly, putting weight into those words, and they seemed to sink through.
“Owen wants to know if you need help getting Jax upstairs?” Emma asked from above them.
“No, I’m good, but I need someone to get the door to the back stairwell.”
“What about the elevator?” Angelo acted as a second buffer, standing between them and the onlookers.
“Last time I checked, the bride and groom were in the foyer next to it, saying goodbye to everyone.” Tristan didn’t care about disturbing the guests, but he also knew that Jax wanted to be seen by as few people as possible, and the way he scrunched up his face confirmed it.
“Take the stairs,” Jax rasped, and Tristan gave him a nod, reading himself. Leaning in, he put his lips near Jax’s ear.
“I know this will hurt, but don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
Letting go of Jax’s hand, Tristan scooped him up bridal style, and Jax let out another cry that spiked straight through Tristan’s heart. Adrenalinepumping, Tristan thanked his knee for allowing him to do this as Jax’s arms swung around his neck, holding on. He heard a murmured thanks, and that unique minty-clove scent teased his nostrils, hardening his resolve.
Taking off, Tristan was out of the kitchen in under a second, making a right toward the back stairwell.
“Okay, I’m almost to the stairs,” he announced, keeping Jax in the loop. Emma had done amazing work organizing everyone because Dylan, The Pointe’s jack-of-all-trades, was holding open the stairwell door. “Thanks, Dylan.”
“Feel better, Jax!” Dylan called after them as Tristan began to climb. While walking straight had been fine, as soon as Tristan hit the steps, Jax hissed.
“Sorry, it’ll be over soon.” Tristan flew up the first flight, taking the second one even more quickly. Jax didn’t reply, but his hand had curled in the collar of Tristan’s jacket, as if he were using it to anchor himself, and he pressed his forehead into Tristan’s shoulder. Keeping his arms rigid and core tight, Tristan tried not to jostle Jax at all, grateful to see the open door at the top of the stairs, held by Owen’s younger partner. “Thanks, Liam.”
Stepping into the hallway, Tristan hurried to Owen’s office. True to her word, Kate had laid several tablecloths over the carpet, cushioning it just the right amount, and Tristan knelt, gently placing Jax on top of them.
Jax grunted as he hit the floor, and it took a moment for him to release Tristan’s collar, which Tristan took as a request to stay close.
“Do you need anything? A pillow?” He glanced at the couch, but Owen had already removed one of the cushions, handing it to him when Jax nodded.
“Y-Yeah, under my knees.” After another few gasps and cries, Jax uncurled and settled on his back, his legs on top of the cushion, a hand over his eyes.
“Jax?” Finn rushed in, his eyes wide with fear, Ollie right behind him. “What’s going on?”
“Is it your back?” Ollie asked, both of them crouching down next to Jax, as Marci, Liam, and Dylan quietly slipped in.
“Yeah,” Jax nodded, his hand still covering his eyes. “This is fucking embarrassing, I am so sorry-”
“Angelo said nosorrysor he’s going to fire you,” Tristan interrupted.
“Embarrassing? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We are family here, okay?Allof us,” Ollie stated firmly, and the group around them nodded as Jax lowered his arm, his gaze still averted. “Can we get you anything? Ice? Heat? Meds? Do you have any on you?”
