Page 123 of From Hell

I sweep my eyes to connect with his as he sits beside me. “I want to talk to him. The Ripper.”

He raises a brow. “Are you ready for that?”

“He saved me, right?”

He nods. “We both did.”

“So he doesn’t want to kill me anymore.”

“No.” Jaxon tilts his head as though listening to someone. “Actually, the opposite. He won’t let anyone hurt you since you belong to me…to us.”

A cold, dark thrill skates down my spine. I’m unsure how I feel about belonging to anyone, let alone a man who once tried to kill me, but it doesn’t frighten me. As long as it’s Jaxon, I feel safe.

I can stop Jack from switching to the front now, though I can’t always make him come out,Jaxon explained after the cinema. He’s started therapy to stabilize his system, the switches between alters, him and Jack as he calls himself, and eventually integrate. It’s a long process toward healing. I still don’t understand it all, but Jaxon thinks it’s helping control his triggers.

Which means he thinks we could work.

“I guess if he tries anything, I can always stab you,” I joke.

Jaxon chuckles. “Still got your claws out, little fox.”

A message buzzes on my phone. It’s from the girls in our group chat.

Sage:

If he hurts you again, I’ll castrate him.

Nola:

I’ll hold him down.

Laine:

Should I be worried about you two?

Sage:

Seriously though, where is he taking you?

Nola:

Don’t worry, I had Quinn slip a tracker in her phone.

Laine:

That had better be another joke.

Sage:

Um.

Nola:

…

“Glad to see I’m not the only one keeping tabs on you,” Jaxon drawls in my ear.

Quickly, I shove my phone away. “Does the therapy you’re having include maintaining healthy boundaries?”