Page 70

Chapter Thirty-Six
Skylar
Jayden hadn’t exactly invited me to stay with him, but I hadn’t given him another option. He was the reason my brother wasn’t talking to me and had kicked me out of his house.
Well, it had been a bit of my fault too, but I still needed a place to crash.
While Lincoln took Harper to get checked out, Declan eventually dropped Jayden’s niece and me off at Jayden’s apartment.
I was familiar with the place and gave Lexa the briefest tour before showing her the guest room.
Which meant that I was crashing in Jayden’s room, whether he wanted me to or not.
I had a few things at his place already stashed away for our fake relationship arrangement. A handful of photos, some clothes, even a pillowcase on the bed, just in case his boss had shown up at the apartment to meet me unannounced.
Thankfully, that hadn’t happened, although I’d dreamt of it, had nightmares of a faceless man tearing down the door and interrogating me.
And that was before I was forced to go with Angelo DeLuca and help Ben kidnap the girls.
How could I ever live with myself for what I’d done?
Would Jaxson ever forgive me? What about Ariella and Izzie?
Lexa headed straight to bed. I couldn’t blame her. I was exhausted too.
I slipped into one of Jayden’s t-shirts that fell just above the knee.
It smelled unique of him, strong and musky with a hint of sawdust. I’d never seen him work a saw, but I hadn’t spent that much time with him.
I’d been angry with him, blamed him for what happened, but he went and risked his life to save Hazel and Ariella.
Maybe he wasn’t the bad guy, just the bad boy.
I climbed under the covers. Everything smelled of Jayden.
The scent was overwhelming. My eyes burned as I sobbed into the pillow.
I hated myself, what I’d done, what I’d become to save myself.
How would I make it up to my family, my friends?
It was impossible to sleep. I tossed and turned. Without my phone, I didn’t have the slightest idea when Jayden would come home or if he’d come home alive.
What if the auction took a turn for the worse?
The night dragged on, and daylight finally shined through the curtains. Just as I started to drift to sleep from exhaustion, the bedroom door opened, and I was startled awake.
“Jayden?” I mumbled and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
“It’s all over,” he said, his voice rough and thick.
“Hazel and Ariella, are they okay?” I asked, and sat up in bed. I pulled the surrounding covers, tight into my fists.
“Hazel I rescued from the auction. Jaxson and I had to go after Capo Sergio and retrieve Ariella. She’s on the way to the hospital, but I think she’s all right.” He stripped down, not seeming to care that I was in his bed.
His shoes were first left on the floor as he removed his shirt and tossed it into the nearby hamper. Jayden unzipped his pants and tossed those in the bin along with his boxers.
I tried not to stare.