Luke tried fighting back but his punches kept going wide as he didn't know where to hit or who to go at first. Even as Colby and Lincon appeared out of nowhere to pull her men off of Luke, he couldn’t land a decent punch. All he could do was fall to the floor to his knees, blood coming out his nose and mouth.
Jesse was just about to go to Devon and Jax, who were still fighting against the hold their friends had on them, to help calm them down but then Sasha appeared before her. Demanding to know if she was alright but Jesse couldn't answer because she was distracted by another familiar figure entering the fray.
Lou gave a wild yell that would have made any warrior woman proud. Even though she looked utterly feminine in her floor-length black dress as she fell into Luke. Punching and kicking him until all he could do was cower on the floor with his arms held protectively over his head. It took a few seconds for everyone to realize what was happening but as soon as they did, they all started trying to pull Lou away from Luke. Jesse tried not to laugh as the three of them finally managed to lift her off of him but still she fought their hold. Jesse lost the fight not to laugh when Lou clipped Devon in the knee with her heels. She then paused long enough in her rant to apologize, but then carried right on where she had left off.
"Dammit, Lou! Enough!" Sasha shouted, bringing the noise level down to a deafening silence and she huffed irritably.
Then, almost as if she couldn't do otherwise, Lou wiggled out of Devon’s now slack grip and ran over to Luke, whom two unfamiliar men were trying to help rise. She gave him one last kick, which had him falling to the floor again with a loud groan.
"That's for hurting Jesse!" She told him with a sniff, and Sasha just rolled her eyes while Jesse laughed again.
At the sound of her laugh, Devon and Jax both turned towards her and she abruptly stopped laughing at the look blazing in their eyes. Her heart rate picked up and her breath became lodged in her throat, making it hard to breathe as they walked towards her in smooth, predatory glides. Worry etched deep into their faces as they scanned her body, looking for any injuries that Luke might have given her.
"Are you okay?" Jax asked, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Did he hurt you?" Devon demanded as he pulled her from his brother and pressed her head against his chest. Dropping kisses on her face as Jax ran his hands over her body, making sure she wasn't bleeding or anything.
"Did he say anything to you?"
They fired questions at her one after another, but Jesse stopped hearing them as she closed her eyes and relaxed between them. Loving the feeling of being so close to the two of them, of having their scent wrap themselves around her and chasing away any traces of her earlier anger, fear, and horror.
"Jesse?" Devon said quietly, his voice full of concern, and she opened her eyes to find his and Jax's face close to hers.
God, she loved them so much.
"I should have kicked his ass some more!" Jax snarled angrily as he turned towards Luke, who was being looked over by some older lady, but Jesse grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No, let's just get out of the bathroom, please?" She asked softly and her men shared a worried look before each one took an arm to lead her past the crowd that had gathered in the doorway. Jesse gave her worried friends a smile as she swept by but instead of removing the concerned frowns on their faces, it only made it deepen.
Jesse shrugged, unable to do anything about that now, and allowed Devon and Jax to take her into the ballroom. Making a beeline for the large doors leading toward the veranda and Jesse couldn't help but gasp. The last few minutes were forgotten as soon as she saw the hundreds of white lilies, which were her favorite flowers, decorating the balcony. Tiny lights flickered between them, giving it a bit of a more mystical feeling.
Arms wrapped around her waist, and Jesse sighed as she leaned against the hard body behind her, threading their fingers through hers over her stomach. Her eyes slowly opened as fingers lightly traced the side of her face.
"Are you alright?" Jax asked in a whisper, worry eating at the pit of his stomach.
He couldn't believe that prick actually had the audacity to actually approach Jesse. Especially with him and Devon being right there, in the same building. His heart had nearly stopped when Sasha had come running to them, looking frantic. She had hurriedly told them that Jesse had seen Luke in the ballroom and that she was waiting for them in the women's bathroom.
He and Devon had started running before she had finished speaking, barely even aware of the fact that the others were close on their heels.
They couldn't allow Luke to get to Jesse, they both knew that.
There was something about the man that felt unstable and they knew that he would hurt Jesse, both mentally and physically, if he was pushed.
The connection he shared with his twin had amplified the rage that had filled Jax. When they broke the door open and saw Luke gripping Jesse's arm so tightly that he had instinctively known that it was going to leave a bruise. It had something snapping in him and his twin.
"I'm fine." She told him with a soft smile that had something melting in him and he gave her a smile in return. He stepped close to her and wrapped his arms around her and his brother, breathing in her sweet scent that had that knot in his stomach unraveling.
Even though the night had been ruined, Jax and Devon were both glad that Jesse was alright and couldn't stop themselves from slowly caressing her body. Whispering words of praise for her being so brave and how proud they were. Saying thank you over and over again for reaching out to them when she needed them the most.
Tears prickled at the back of Jesse's eyes as she allowed herself to just bask in their words, their voices. To relax into their sure hands that soothed away every ache and pain that she had ever felt in her life.
She allowed herself to feel love for the first time in too long.
"I love you." She whispered softly, unable to keep the words from them anymore, and opened her eyes when the men froze against her. She gave them a watery smile at the sight of their blue eyes looking down at her in disbelief and stepped a bit away so that she could cup the side of their stunned faces. "I love you, both of you, so much." She told them more firmly, a little louder.
"What?" Devon said, not sure if he was hearing correctly even as hope and happiness bloomed warmly in his chest. Making him breathe harder and his heart feels like it was about to burst from his chest.
Jesse laughed and lifted up to her toes to kiss them lightly on the lips.