Page 116 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“No,” Elle said, her tone now pleading. “Please, Royce. Please let Chloe stay with me tonight. It might be my last night at home with my daughter for a long time. I can’t bear it if you take her now.”

“You can lock me up, I don’t care,” Jax said. “But let Chloe be with her mom.”

Ezra looked shell-shocked. Probably because the man he’d looked up to was about to be arrested. “What in tarnation is happening? Has the world gone mad?”

Royce let out a shaky breath. “I hope I don’t regret this, Elle.”

“You won’t.” She put her arms around her daughter.

Chloe leaned against her mom, looking dejected. I wasn’t sure she completely grasped the situation. She kept casting longing glances toward Jax and sighing.

“Okay, I’m trusting you to not stab me in the back,” Royce said.

I wasn’t a fan of his choice of words.

Needless to say, movie night was canceled. Everyone dispersed to their cabins and rooms. Jameson volunteered to keep an eye on Jax for the night. Royce allowed it, even though I worried it was a bad idea. The two men were friendly and I worried Jax would convince Jameson to let him go. But Royce trusted Jameson, and it was his decision. Royce and I stayed behind with Mona and Leo. Ezra went to bed, apparently crushed that Jax wasn’t the man he’d thought he was.

Leo broke out the whiskey, and the four of us sat down in the living room by the fire. We sat in silence for a long while, sipping our drinks and watching the orange flames greedily devour the wood.

Eventually, Royce said, “Jax didn’t tell your secret, Leo.”

Leo nodded. “No. He didn’t.”

“What was it you argued with Jax about in the barn that day?” I asked.

Leo grimaced. “I found the drugs in the barn. I took them, hoping to use them as leverage to make Jax stop using the farm for his illegal activities. In the end I caved. I couldn’t risk him doing or saying anything to hurt Mona. So I let him have them back.”

Mona sighed and took Leo’s hand in hers. He looked surprised, but she shrugged. “After a night like this, I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. If I want to hold your hand, I’m gonna hold your hand.”

A gentle smile touched Leo’s lips. “If you don’t mind, I don’t mind. Never have. Never will.”

She laughed. “He’s always like that. Says what he feels when he feels it.” Her smile faded. “I wish I’d been more like that when I was younger.”

Royce didn’t seem hugely surprised by the warmth between the two of them. He just sipped his whiskey, holding my hand.

“I’m gonna tell you two something I’ve never told a living soul,” Mona said. “Maybe it’s the whiskey, or maybe I’m just sick and tired of hiding things. I love Leo, and I always have.” Her cheeks were pink as she finished speaking.

“See, now was that so hard?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, actually, it was.” Mona grimaced. “Not because it isn’t true, but because I’ve hidden it for so long, it’s scary to say it out loud.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand why you married Ezra.”

Mona sighed. “I didn’t have much choice. This farm was my rightful inheritance, and the only way my father would let me have it was if I married Ezra.”

“I see.”

Leo said, “It’s no secret I’ve always loved Mona. If Ezra doesn’t see it, it’s because he doesn’t want to see it.”

“I agree,” Royce said.

Mona bit her bottom lip. “I… I’ve always loved Leo from the very beginning.” Her voice was hushed. “But my father didn’t approve.”

Royce said softly, “But that’s not the secret Jax threatened to tell, right?”

“No.” Mona winced.

“You don’t have to tell us,” Royce said. “But you can if you want.”