Page 30

He shuffled to the doors with her hanging onto him and pulled open the sliding door again. Above their heads, Jackson could just touch the bottom of the outer door with his fingertips and see a crack of light underneath it. If the outer door were open, he might be able to lift Jenna up enough so that she could wiggle out. But the magnet locks wouldn’t open unless the elevator was stopped at the floor itself. They were well and truly stuck.
“Rachel? The elevator got stuck. I think up in the kitchen I’ve got the number for the elevator guy in a drawer. Can you go call him?”
“You’re stuck?!” Rachel’s voice was more of a screech. Jenna’s fingers curled into his back. Her fingernails were going to leave marks, even through his shirt. Jackson heard Rachel’s feet pounding on the stairs next to the elevator shaft. Then her voice came through more clearly. She must have stopped on the second floor. “Jenns, are you okay?”
“We’re fine,” Jackson said. “Just give him a call and let him know that we’re between floors and the thing won’t reset.”
“I’m on it. Hang in there, Jenns.” Again he heard footsteps on the stairs as Rachel ran up to the top level.
Jackson put one hand on Jenna’s shoulders and tipped her chin up with the other. She still clung to his waist to the point it was painful.
“Hey, Monroe. You’re going to be okay. We’ll be out of here soon. Rachel will get the elevator guy. He lives close and can get us out of here no problem. But I need you to retract your talons. I think that you’re about to do some permanent damage on my back.”
Jenna’s eyes went wide. She loosened her grip on his back, but didn’t let go of him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t even realize I was doing that. You called me Monroe.”
“I did?” Jackson hadn’t even realized. “I guess I did. Is that okay?”
Jenna smiled. It wasn’t quite at full strength, but she had definitely calmed down. “Does this mean we’re regressing? We’ve gone from first-name to last-name basis.” She made a face. “I don’t think I can call you Wells.”
“My friends call me Jax.”
He wanted to pull the words back in as soon as he said them. They held too much pressure. Jenna didn’t want to be friends. The only reason they were currently inches apart was because they were stuck in the elevator and she was scared. He had no doubt that she would bolt as soon as they got the thing moving again.
Jenna opened her mouth to answer. Before a sound escaped her lips, the elevator light went out and they were plunged into darkness.