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I sob at the sound of my little sister’s voice over the phone and she starts talking at a million miles per hour.

“Livvy, I was so worried, Mom said you were leaving forever, but I knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but none of your calls went through. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” I say, taking a breath. “I’m okay, sis. Where’re you at? Are you with Mom?”

“Yeah, she was there when I was done with school and told me you trashed the apartment and left with some guy. I obviously didn’t believe her, but she told me I had to go with her or else she’d call the police.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, but her fridge never has any food and she hasn’t been taking me to school.”

“Oh my god,” I growl, the blood in my veins starting to boil, like usual when I think about my mom. “You haven’t been able to go to school for two weeks?”

“I’ve still been going, Allison and her older brother have been picking me up.”

“Okay,” I sigh in relief. “Okay, that’s good. Remind me to get together a thank you basket for their family.”

“Livvy?” She says, her voice dipping in volume. “I don’t like the guy she’s been hanging around. He’s been giving me weird looks.”

The fire in my veins instantly freezes as shivers of dread make their way through my entire body. Summer is fourteen. I got those same looks when I was fourteen by the men our mom would bring around the trailer and I know how they end. I’m not letting that happen to my little sister.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Get your stuff together and hold tight, okay?”

“Okay, I love you Livvy.”

“Love you too, sis.”

As she hangs up, my hand falls to my side.

“Is your sister okay?” Jax asks softly from the chair beside my bed.

I jump a little at the sound of his voice. I was so overwhelmed with finally being able to talk to my sister that I forgot he was there.

“Yeah, she’s okay,” I say, in part to convince myself by saying it out loud. “I have to go pick her up. Like, right now.”

“Whoa there, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

I just glare up at him. “I don’t think you get what I’m saying,” I say, my voice low. “I have to go.”

“You’ve gotta get discharged from the hospital and I don’t think they’ve cleared you to leave. Plus, the police want your statement.”

The thought of staying here, stuck in this bed, stuck in this hospital room while Summer is stuck with my mother and whatever douchebag alpha she has around with her makes me so crazy I could start pulling my hair out.

“They can discharge me now,” I grit out through clenched teeth. “I’ll sign whatever I have to sign, I just have to get my sister.”

Jax sees the determination on my face and seems to understand that there’s no way I’m going to stay here.

“Is your sister in danger?” He asks softly.

“She could be! Why the fuck do you think I wanna go get her!”

He just looks at me, staring intently at me with those deep grey eyes. Then he nods his head. “I’ll go get a nurse. The police can interview you later after we go get your sister.”

“Uh, excuse me, there’s no we here!” I call out as he walks out of my hospital room.

I’m fairly certain he’s actively choosing to ignore me, but I’m not going to do anything to cause any trouble that’ll keep me from my sister.

CHAPTER 4