Page 36 of Thrown Off Balance

“Nah, we’re not friends at all! You actually drive me crazy,” Jax calls from his position a dozen feet away.

I watch Jude carefully as Jax’s words sink in. He looks shocked for a split second before anger fills his features.

“You did this! Jax loved me until you had to go and complain to everyone about me. I don’t know what you want from me, Sloan.”

“Never loved you,” Jax singsongs, but I ignore him. It’s time to get this over and done with.

“Well, let me tell you what I want from you… I want you to get in your car and leave. I don’t want you to contact me at all. I don’t want to see you at work or anywhere else. I’m done with you and our relationship.”

I turn to walk away from him, but he grabs my arm in a firm grip, his nails digging into my flesh.

“Ow! Jude, let go of me!” I try to pull my arm out of his grasp, but he’s holding onto me too hard.

“You’re not breaking up with me! We belong together and I'm not letting you go,” he hisses. “And you’re going to fix things with Jax.”

“Let go of her,” Cody growls, taking a step closer to me. I hold a hand up and stop him. I meet his gaze, letting him know I'm ok. I don’t want him to step in… not yet.

“No, we don’t belong together. I want a man who actually realizes I exist no matter who’s around. I want one who knows what I'm thinking without me telling him. Someone I can be myself around and know he’ll protect me.”

“That type of man doesn’t exist.” He tightens his hold on me, making me whimper in pain.

Before I can do anything to get Jude’s hands off of me, he’s pulled off of me and is lying flat on his back, staring up at the sky.

Within seconds, Jude’s body is surrounded by Peck, Jax, Wyatt, Wes, and Blake. Soon every man from Mulberry Lane is peering down at him with scowls on their faces… all except Cody.

Cody gently gathers me into his arms and holds me close. He rubs one hand up and down my back, keeping his other hand cradling the back of my head.

“Are you ok?” He whispers softly.

I nod my head as I wrap my arms around him, hugging him to me. I know he’ll protect me. I know he’ll make sure Jude doesn’t touch me again.

“I'm going to make something very clear to you,” Jax says in a growl that has shivers running down my spine. I’ve never heard him speak like this. He’s always happy and carefree. “If you ever lay a hand on her again, I’ll make sure you have to breathe through a tube, do you understand me?”

“She turned you against me,” Jude mutters under his breath.

“Nah, dude, you turned me against you. You’re a stage ten clinger and I want nothing to do with it.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“It’s time for you to go,” Wes growls. “If you ever come near Mulberry Lane again, you’ll regret it.”

He pulls Jude up by his collar and shoves him towards the street. Every man follows Wes as he escorts Jude towards the road. I'm sure they’re going to shove him inside his car and wait until he leaves. Once he’s gone, I'm hoping they’ll close the gates to make sure he can’t get back in. Anything to keep him away from me.

Chapter 19

Cody

“C’mon, let’s go inside.” I sweep Sloan into my arms and carry her into Mom and Dad's house. I lower myself onto the couch and position her on my lap.

I don’t try to talk or tell her everything will be ok. I'm giving her time to process what just happened and to figure out her next move.

A few minutes later, the living room is flooded with the Robinson clan. Even Uncle Mason and Aunt Kelsey are here, though the kids must still be outside playing with the rest of the teens.

Uncle Mason presses some buttons on the remote before several camera feeds fill the screen. He clicks through until he gets to the one of the front gate. Jude’s car is stopped right outside of it. I don’t understand what he’s doing. Why isn’t he just leaving?

“Man, he just doesn’t understand anything, huh?” Jax grumbles as he plops down on the couch next to us.

“Has he ever been to your house?” Uncle Mason glances in Jax and Cody’s direction.