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“Rocco is Ethan’s uncle, the attorney,” Jax clarifies then shudders. “It’s fucking cold out here. Let’s get going before you’re sick again.”
“Are they staying at the apartment?” I ask. “We don’t have enough room.”
Unless Ricky is leaving, which wasn’t the plan. Nothing was supposed to change…until he suggested using me to get closer to Kyle. Then, everything went sideways.
Dante twirls a set of keys around his finger. “We got a place for all of us. It’s secure.”
Now, I’m all discombobulated.
Before I can figure out what the hell is going on, Ricky places a hand on the small of my back and leads me to the passenger side.
Rounding the SUV, he leans in, whispering, “Jackson’s phone is still at the arena. If he has another, it’s not the one he had yesterday.”
I stop, completely baffled. An icy breeze blows my hair across my face, and I lift my hand to tuck the strand behind my ear.
Ricky’s eyes snag on the ring. His lip curls, and he shakes his head. “Tell him spousal privilege doesn’t count in first-degree felony trials.”
45
RICKY
That washarsh and had nothing to do with the case, and Aurora knows it.
“Fuck you,” she mouths before she climbs in the backseat.
I’m lashing out at the wrong person. She’s not my problem.
My problem is her boyfriend—sorry, herfiancé.
My problem is her thigh touching mine in the backseat and my skin vibrating with awareness.
My problem is now, I must contend with Ethan’s family.
My problem is command breathing down my neck.
Since Jax is aware of the investigation, my team wants action, wants a plan in place before he runs to his father, which may have already happened.
I had a lot of time to reflect on my flight—six hours, to be exact. My gut tells me I pushed Jackson too far, drove him to negotiate with Kyle to prevent Aurora from being used as bait.
Jax sacrificed their relationship to keep her out of his father’s depraved world. Why would he turn around and put her in harm’s way? Even with two agents to safeguard her, he doesn’t trust us.
He may have also leveraged the investigation, threatening to talk or turn over evidence if Kyle didn’t leave Aurora and Ethan alone.
It’s reckless, but above all, this trio will protect each other.
They’ll do anything for one another. They’ve proven it repeatedly. Even Jackson’s fuck-up was an attempt to protect Ethan and Aurora.
I tried to tell my team they were inseparable. The harder we push, the tighter their bond will become.
And I’m on the outside. I shouldn’t care, but for some fucking reason, I do.
I’d go against my team to shield Jax from the legal consequences of running to his father, if I could. I’ll keep my mouth shut concerning Ethan’s family unless they’re a danger to Aurora. I wouldn’t hesitate to compromise my integrity for them.
Still, I’m on the fence. I’m at a loss. Jackson can’t get me into a party, and I doubt he’ll share evidence with me. I spooked them with my suggestion to use Aurora.
I can protect her. I’llalwaysprotect her, and that means protecting Jax as well.
Kyle isn’t going anywhere. Eventually, we’ll have another run-in, most likely during Jackson’s first game back.