Page 34 of Hooked on Marshall (Hooked #9)

We’re just finishing clean up from dinner when my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket and see that it’s Brian. I show Lana the screen before I answer.

“Hey, man. What’s up?”

“Are you sitting down?” he asks.

“Jesus, is it that bad?”

“Bad enough.”

“Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker so Lana can hear, too.”

He agrees and I take her hand to lead her into the living room while Brian starts talking.

“It turns out that the woman in that picture was Jonas’ longtime girlfriend from high school,” he starts. “During their freshman year of college, she was killed in a car accident.”

“Oh, my God,” Lana breathes.

“That’s not the worst part,” he says. “Her name is Jana.”

We both suck in a sharp breath at that. Then Lana lets out a small sob.

“That explains it,” she says.

“Explains what?” Brian and I ask together.

“More than once when Jonas and I first met, he called me Jana,” she explains. “He laughed about knowing a girl in high school named Jana who looked a lot like me, so I never thought anything was wrong with it.”

“Lana, I don’t want to pry, but did he ever call you Jana when you were…being intimate?”

“Yes,” she chokes out. “Just once. The last time.”

“Shit,” I curse. “Do you think he’s fixated on her now because of that? I mean, he’s divorcing his wife, for Christ’s sake.”

“That could be it, but we won’t know for sure until we talk to him.”

“Do you know where he’s staying?” I ask.

“There are only two hotels in town, I don’t think it will be hard to find him,” Brian chuckles.

Another call comes in on my phone and I frown when I see that it’s Jace. I tell Brian to stay on the line so I can take it. Because something tells me this isn’t going to be good, either.

“Jace?”

“That Jonas asshat is back,” he growls. “Some busybody he met tonight spilled the beans about you and Lana being together. He’s demanding to see you.”

“I’ll be right there,” I growl.

“See you in a bit.”

I end that call and get back to Brian.

“Jonas is at the pub,” I tell him. “Someone told him that Lana and I are together and he’s in there demanding to see me.”

“I’ll meet you there,” he says. “Lana, stay locked up there and don’t answer the door for anyone , do you understand?”

“Yes,” she chokes out.

He ends the call, and I rise. Lana rises with me and grips my hand to the point of pain.

“Marshall, please,” she cries. “Can’t you let Brian handle this?”

I take her face in my hands and kiss her. When I pull back, I try to ease her fears.

“Right now, his focus is on me, so I’m going to give him what he wants,” I say calmly although my blood is boiling. “And with Brian right there, maybe we can get to the bottom of this and get him out of your life once and for all.”

“But-”

I stop her protest with a deep, hard kiss. She gasps when I pull back. But she’s still afraid.

“I promise I’ll be fine,” I tell her. “Now, do as Brian says and stay locked up in here. I’ll text you when I get back, so you know it’s me, okay?”

“Okay,” she chokes.

“I love you,” I say with an honest smile.

“I love you, too,” she says quietly.

I kiss her again, delighted to have finally heard the words.

Then I rush out and wait to hear her turn the locks.

Since I’m only five minutes from the pub, I’m sure I’ll beat Brian there.

And that’s just fine. Because honestly, I’m hoping this asshat wants to go hands on with me.

Then Brian can arrest him and put him in jail for the night.

Maybe then Jonas will realize he doesn’t have a chance with Lana ever again.

I pull up at the back entrance and park. When I let myself in, I expect to hear a bit of commotion. But when I walk into the bar, Jonas is nowhere to be seen. And Jace’s phone is at his ear, but he hangs up when he sees me.

“He just bolted,” he grumbles. “I told him you were on your way up here and that settled him a bit. But then he just left without a word.”

“Shit,” I breathe. “I need to call Brian.”

Before I can do that, he walks in. His brow furrowed, no doubt because he doesn’t see Jonas.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

“He left about a minute before Marshall got here,” Jace explains.

“That’s odd,” he says.

“I’ll say,” I nod. “I was hoping he’d do something to me so you could arrest him.”

Brian chuckles and shakes his head.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for the same,” he grins. “But only because I know how well you wrestled in high school.”

I laugh with him until his radio goes off. A ten code is given and then an address.

“That’s my address,” I snap.

“Why do you need a property check at that address?” Brian asks the person on his radio.

When the response comes back, my blood runs cold for the second time today.

“We just received a 911 hang up from that location and no one is answering when we call back.”

Brian and I are in motion at the same time.

By the time I’m in my Jeep, I hear him turn on his sirens.

In five seconds, I’m right behind him. When he turns onto my street, he turns off his lights and sirens.

I’m parked and out of my vehicle just seconds after him.

As we approach my front door, we can see that it’s been damaged.

But when I hear Lana scream, I pray that we’ve arrived in time.

And the next minute it takes to get to her feels like the longest of my life.