Page 60 of His Good Girl

We hit the floor as the countdown begins. Ten, nine, eight. My throat feels thick and tears are stinging my eyes. I’ve never been this happy, felt this content, and it’s all because of this amazing man in front of me. Three, two, one. The crowd erupts with shouts of “Happy New Year” ringing out through the space. The music starts back up and everyone begins swaying to the beat.

“Happy New Year, Finn, I love you.”

“Love you too, Lex.” He kisses me senseless, pulling back only once I'm gasping for air. Holy fuck, this man knows how to work his mouth. My smile is huge and I know I'm staring at him like a crazy person, but I don’t care.

Pulling him close and bringing my lips to his ears I say, “You’re my favorite, babe.” All the noise, colors, and people fade away—I only have eyes for him.

An hour and a few drinks later, I decide it's a great idea for me to join the karaoke queue. As I take the stage, my ankles wobble slightly in these damn shoes, and the copious amounts of alcohol aren’t helping. I rip my shoes off, tossing them to the side. Ugh, so much better.

Grabbing the microphone with the courage only a seriously drunk person can have, I proceed to belt out lyrics about rubbing me the right way while dancing and gyrating on the stage, and I have a blast. The crowd is so much fun and hypes me up, but there's only one person in the sea of faces that I care about, and he’s watching me with rapt attention, smiling big and with so much love shining in his crystal-blue eyes.

The song ends and I blow Finn a kiss before retrieving my shoes. He’s winding through the crowd and holds my elbow, helping me balance as I step back into my heels. “I’m gonna get us another round, meet me at the booth?” His breath is warm on my ear as he bends down so I can hear him, and the way his hands glide over my ass has desire spiraling through me.

Biting my lip, I nod, the wheels already spinning in my head. He turns and makes his way back to the bar. I stand and watch him walk away. Damn, those pants are working for him tonight.

Suddenly, I remember the tiny remote-controlled bullet vibrator in my purse. Smiling, I make for the booth, ready to put it in and hand over control to Finn. Wetness coats my panties as my imagination runs wild. I’m so lost in thought that I don’t notice the figure in the shadows until they’re grabbing my arm in a vice grip, wrenching me around.

“Happy New Year, baby.” My breath leaves me and I sober instantly as I lock eyes with Jax. His stare is hard, eyes bloodshot, and a cruel smile is stretched across his face, giving him a manic look.

“What are you even doing here?” I stall, trying to subtly look for an escape route.

“Chloe texted me saying she saw you come in tonight. Her little bartending gig finally paid off for me. She knew I had some unfinished business to settle with you.”

Whipping my head around, I search for Finn, but Jax grabs my shoulders roughly, shaking me hard enough that I bite my tongue. “Eyes on me, you fucking slut.”

That does it. Wrenching my body to the side as I stomp on his foot, I get out of his grasp, but sway precariously on my damn heels. “Jax, I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish here, but you need to walk away right now.”

“No, Lexie, you’re not running the show tonight. Do you know what that little stunt of yours cost me?” My face must show my confusion because he steps closer, forcing me to step back. “The night you texted asking me to fuck that slutty pussy?”

Anger rips through me. “Oh, for fucks sake, Jax, sorry I gave you blue balls, but stop being dramatic. You have two hands; you could’ve taken care of that little problem.”

“When I went to your place and some ass without a shirt answered, I thought you were fucking him, so I beat his face! That fucker called the cops and hit me with assault charges.”

I roll my eyes and step around him. “Sounds like you got what you deserved. Now, for the last time, stay away from me. If you ever approach me again, I'll get a restraining order.” His face turns almost purple and spit forms in the corners of his mouth. He looks unhinged. Done with this conversation, I turn around and look for Finn, ready to head to the hotel.

“Don’t you turn your back on me, Lexie.”

Without bothering to look at him, I lift one finger in the air and walk away.

“You fucking bitch!” His scream registers about a second before pain radiates through my scalp as my hair is yanked with enough force that I stumble backward. Before I can react, something slams into my head, glass and liquid covering me as I'm thrown to the ground.

Jax is on top of me before I can pull in a breath. His fist connects with my cheek, causing pain to explode through my face. I don’t have time to block the next hit, but I throw my arms up, covering my face. The air rushes from me when a fist slams into my gut, making me drop my arms. Jax wraps his hands around my throat, tightly squeezing.

People have noticed the commotion now and hands are ripping at his shirt. Everything hurts, but their assistance gives me a second wind and I reach up, clawing at his hands around my throat. I jerk my body, trying to unseat him. He’s screaming furiously, spit flying from his mouth. Using his grip on my throat, he lifts my head and slams it against the floor with a sickening thud. Warmth and wetness spread across my head as the room grows fuzzy.

A loud roar suddenly permeates the fog I'm in. Straining to find the source, I try to turn my head, but everything goes black. Sighing as the pain finally stops, I close my eyes and embrace the darkness.

54

FINN

The wait at the bar feels like forever. I keep looking at the booth trying to spot Alexis, but it’s shadowed and I can’t tell if she's in it or not. I chuckle, remembering her on stage belting out the lyrics to her song, totally off key, but somehow still working it. You know, up until now, I thought there wasn’t a single thing my girl couldn’t do. Turns out, she can’t carry a tune, but somehow it makes me love her even more.

The bartender finally hands me our drinks as I turn toward the booth, and I spot her. She's still near the stage, half concealed by shadows. She turns away from someone looking pissed and throws her middle finger in the air as she walks away.

A heavily tattooed guy comes out of the shadows after her. The world slows as I watch in shock as he grabs her by her hair, pulling her backward. She yelps, reaching for her hair, but he brings a bottle crashing down onto her head.

Alexis crumples.