Page 49 of Jase

“Start from the beginning. Tell me what happened.”

He knelt, lifting my foot to rest on his knee as he removed the gauze. I tried to ignore his hold on my foot as I let my mind go back to hours ago.

“I had a nightmare. My injuries were starting to hurt so I got up to take a pill and drink some water. I thought you were sleeping. Then I heard your voice. You were talking to the man in my apartment.”

“He showed up when I was about to leave. What happened next?”

My hands drew into a fist at his overprotective tone. “You fought and I dropped the glass. I couldn’t see what happened. I could only hear. When someone left, I panicked. I went to get my new phone to try to call you but—”

“You stepped on it.”

“Yes. And I don’t have your number. We never put it in.” My head moved to the side, so he’d look at me and not my foot. “Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were dead. I couldn’t reach you. I couldn’t leave. What if I would have called the police?”

Jase’s eyes searched mine.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“The killing?”

“Leaving you unprepared. Let’s get your phone.”

He stood, and I jumped up, grabbing his arm to make him face me again.

“Screw the phone. You’re joking. Tell me you’re not serious.”

“These men need to be stopped.”

“And you’re going to be the one to do it?”

“Someone has to.”

My head wouldn’t stop shaking as I backed towards the hall.

“Where are you going?”

I didn’t answer. I turned, stomping to the room, trying to ignore the pain. When I flipped on the light, I grabbed my purse, putting it at the bottom of the bed. My clothes were in the hamper in the bathroom, and I went in, pushing it open to pull them out.

“Kody, what are you doing?”

“I’m leaving. It’s one thing to hunt these men and turn them over. That’s justice. It’s another to kill them because you can’t help yourself.”

“I can help myself. I choose not to. Come back to the living room. We’ll talk.”

“There’s nothing else to talk about. I won’t be responsible for your death.”

“What do you plan to do?”

I shrugged, tossing my dress on the bed so I could put it on once he left the room. “I don’t know. I’ll figure out something. Tiffany has family in Florida. Maybe I’ll go there.”

“They’ll find you. Come back to the living room.”

“I said no.”

“Kody.”

The order had my eyebrows raising. I was as shy and timid as they came…until I wasn’t. Then I was a force to be reckoned with.

“You Kody me again.” I stepped closer, glaring up at him. “This conversation is simple. Will you kill again? If yes, okay, bye; I’m gone. No? Okay, let’s catch some bad guys and turn them over. Which will it be, Jase? Yes or no?”