Page 43 of Storm and Tempest (Brand of Justice #13)

Chapter Thirty-Two

“ I could stay right here forever.” Jax couldn’t stop touching her face. Probably he should draw back, let her go so she could have some space in case that’s what she needed, and let her set the pace.

Kenna reached over his shoulder and grasped the back of his T-shirt, holding him close in a way he figured she didn’t intend to let go—or let him get far.

It was almost like a hug, but where she needed to hold on.

Desperate to keep him near. Her eyes wide.

Dazed and a little in awe of the fact he was here.

“Forever?” Her gaze scanned his face. “Maybe not at the hospital. You know how I feel about those.”

Jax would’ve smiled then, but he couldn’t stop himself from leaning down and touching his forehead to hers. “Love you.”

She gave a slight chuckle. “Keep talking. This feels way too much like every dream I’ve had recently.” She shivered. “Like I’m going to wake up any moment back in that room.” Her breath hitched. “With that dead man. The doctor.”

Buzard. “You did kill him in Arizona. Maybe there are more. I don’t know if they’re clones, or just really close copies of the genetic profile. I don’t really care.”

“Me, either,” Kenna said. “Is he dead?”

“I suggested MSI get information from him. When I can check in with Bear, I’ll find out what they decided.” Jax blew out a breath, shaking his head.

There was so much to fill her in on, but at the same time, he didn’t want to talk. He’d much rather curl up beside her, hold her, and just rest in the fact he had her back.

“Distract me.” She squeezed his hand. “I don’t want to think about him.”

“Wait until you hear about the woman who looked like you, running around causing trouble. She’s dead. Maybe I shouldn’t thank God for that, but I want to.” Jax’s skin itched, but being here with her made it so much easier to fight the effect of withdrawal.

The doctor had given him something, part of the detox protocol he’d established.

Someone who worked at the platform had been stealing whatever the drug was and selling it on the side in Alaska, causing enough of a problem that the doctor had not only identified the issue but found a way to treat it.

Thank You.

Again.

I’m not going to stop saying that. Not ever.

He leaned back far enough that she would be able to see his face. “You won’t be waking up in that room ever again.”

“I want you to tell me everything, but I also just want to shut my eyes.” She smiled, the relief on her face a visceral thing that sank into him.

“You don’t have to be scared about waking up back there. Nothing is going to happen to you.” He smiled back. “I want to promise that nothing will ever happen to you again, but that’s not within my power to make.”

“Make it anyway.”

He traced his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “Nothing will ever happen to you again. I’m going to make sure of it.”

Kenna drew his face down to hers, her hands on the sides of his head.

She pressed a kiss to his lips, and he stayed there, enjoying that simple connection when it had been so long.

When things had so much weight to them, what with the pregnancy and the worldwide scale of their enemy, and it had all been horrible on an epic scale.

All he had needed for months was this small thing that so many people took for granted.

He slid his mouth to the side and stayed with their cheeks touching. Breathed. Thank You.

“The doctor said the baby is doing fine. Better than fine.”

Jax couldn’t help thinking it might be because Buzard had done something to their baby, some genetic experiment. But he still thanked God for a healthy child. “That’s good.”

Her hands squeezed, like a reflex. “I know.”

He opened his eyes.

“Surprise.”

Jax started to smile.

“It’s a girl.”

He let those words resonate in his ears even though he’d already known. “We’re having a girl.”

“Yes, we are.”

There was so much for them to work through, thoughts would creep in during the weeks to come.

Emotions would surface out of nowhere. Probably both of them needed to see a professional, so they could work through this separately and together.

Whether that was Elizabeth or not, it needed to be someone.

Just as long as they could ensure it wasn’t an agent of their enemy—something they were going to have to consider with everything that happened until this was over.

Someone behind them cleared their throat.

“No,” Jax said. “Go away.”

Kenna started to laugh, her dark eyes flashing with humor. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve laughed in…”

He figured he knew the answer to that. “The first of many to come. Hopefully a lifetime of it.”

Even if they had the fight of their lives on their hands. If they wanted to make sure their baby grew up safe, protected in a world where there was no Dominatus , there was yet more work ahead of them.

He couldn’t walk away and hide, knowing they were out there. His family would always be on their radar. Agents would never stop coming after them, and their children.

“Guys.”

Jax reluctantly looked over his shoulder, the movement making him antsy. He shivered, rolling his shoulders, and let go of Kenna. But he stayed close so he could be near her, taking her hand when she touched his. Reluctant to let go of each other now that they were back together.

Ramon stood at the curtain. “We have a problem.” He handed over a cell phone. “It’s your father.”

Jax took the phone and saw it was on speaker. “Dad?”

“You found her?” His father’s tone rang with a tone Jax couldn’t decipher. Wasn’t he happy? Maybe this problem they had was overshadowing the relief.

Kenna squeezed his hand.

“Yeah, Dad,” Jax said. “I found her.”

“I’m sorry to do this. So sorry. Something happened.” He quit talking. “I’m so glad you got her back, but things have happened here. I don’t know how to fix it.”

“What is it?” After his dad didn’t reply for a few seconds, Jax said, “Dad?”

“Sorry. I’m in a closet, hiding.”

“At the MSI office?” Jax glanced at Ramon, who shrugged.

His dad said, “Yes.”

Ramon spoke quietly, “I couldn’t get Zeyla or Maizie to answer. I remembered the number to one of our burner phones. He’s the one who picked up.”

Kenna’s hand tightened in his when Ramon mentioned Zeyla and Maizie. He had so much to tell her about what happened since she was taken.

Ramon stared at Kenna. “It’s good to see you.”

She smiled at her friend, a sheen of tears in her eyes. “You, too.” She sniffed. “Pregnancy is making me emotional.”

Jax leaned over and kissed her forehead. He was about to ask his dad what was going on when the old man came back on.

“Okay, I think they’re gone,” his dad whispered. “I don’t know how to explain it. I got a weird vibe, and things went all tense here. The security guard just finished a sweep, so I should be able to leave this closet now. Preston told me to stay put.”

“Dad, where is Maizie?” Jax asked, aware of the tension in both Ramon and Kenna at the idea that the young woman might be in danger.

Meanwhile, his skin hummed, and he was sweating more than he should be, his heart beating hard in his chest so he could feel it thump against his insides.

I’m fine. Like saying that to yourself ever actually worked.

“That’s part of it,” his dad said. “I don’t know what happened, but things got worse.

The first day after you left, Maizie started freaking out because she couldn’t get a signal from your watch, and Zeyla was right there with her.

After the next day, when the team deployed to come after you, there were just a couple of MSI guys who stayed behind—guess they didn’t make the cut.

Then yesterday, Preston and Jonas were in a meeting in the conference room, talking to someone on the screen.

That’s when things went electric and everyone was acting weird. ”

Jax nodded. “ Dominatus mapped my face and got on a call with the director of the FBI to tell them that I switched sides.” He had to stop and roll his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” Kenna asked.

“I’m good.”

She squeezed his hand. “Look at me.” He turned his head to her, and she frowned. “What’s going on?”

There hadn’t been time to tell her. “It’s a long story. The doctor gave me something to help.” He wasn’t sure there was time now. “Dad, what do you think changed? Was it that Dominatus made it sound like I turned? Or was it something else?”

“That definitely tripped something, the team here thinking you switched sides. I stuck with the ladies, just to make sure they were okay. One of the MSI guys was asking too many questions about how they knew each other and a bunch of personal details that might sound like small talk but was way too much like prying. Zeyla got upset with him. Maizie was working and didn’t need to be disturbed.

When I asked him to leave the room, he got mouthy with me until I threatened to inform Preston he was bothering us.

Then Maizie told us that Kenna had been found, and he ran out of the room anyway. That’s when things went sideways.”

Jax frowned. Ramon looked about as happy as he was.

His dad continued, “I stepped out of the room to ensure he was going to tell Preston and Jonas that you knew where to find Kenna. It had been hours since the others left, but no one slept much, and Zeyla never left Maizie’s side.

Mr. Jonas came out of his office and had Preston and I wait in there.

He spoke with his people, and by the time we realized he wasn’t coming in, it had been an hour. I don’t know what happened.”

“Dad.” He needed his father to quit beating around the bush and just say it.

“The men who stayed behind, and Mr. Jonas, Maizie and Zeyla—they’re gone. The lab is a mess, a computer screen was smashed, and there’s blood smeared on the wall.”

“Where’s Preston?”

“He ran to the security office to look at the cameras.”

“I want to know what he finds.” Jax paused. “Can you go there?”

“Of course, Son. I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening. I feel like we were all duped.”

A nurse appeared at the curtain. “Guys, I’m gonna need my phone back.”

Ramon said, “I can go to the store and grab one I can load up with minutes.”

Jax nodded to him. “Dad, we’ll call you back from a different number, okay? Try to figure out where they went and what happened.”

“Are you coming here?” his father asked. “If Mr. Jonas works for Dominatus , and he took them…”

“I know,” Jax said. “We’ll figure it out.”

Ramon ended the call and handed the phone to the nurse. “Thank you so much for letting us use your phone.” He followed her through the curtain, asking about a nearby store where he’d be able to buy a phone.

Jax shifted on the bed, turning to face Kenna again.

“You’re worried about her?”

He nodded. “I can’t believe Earl Jonas might be working against us. He’s been part of this fight for years. Even Preston trusted him.” His thoughts stuttered. “I can’t believe he might’ve taken them.”

Jax explained about the MSI team having taken over the platform—assuming they’d followed his plan to try and convince Dominatus that it was still in their hands—and a bunch of other random details that dropped into his mind in an odd order. Hopefully, she pieced it together.

Kenna said, “If Jonas heard about the plan to fake it to Dominatus , then maybe he’s going to them with the information that his men are in control of the facility. That it’s fallen into our hands.”

“I hope they all lose their minds.” His heart started to beat harder in his chest. “I’m not leaving Maizie and Zeyla there when he’s probably only taken them as a concession for how royally this has been screwed up.”

“We need a way to get there. Where are they?” She frowned. “Where are we?”

“We’re in Anchorage. They’re in Seattle. It’s too far for a helicopter.”

“Charter flight? We could find a private company to take us. It’ll be faster than trying to get flights today.”

Jax nodded. “Neither of us is fit to travel, let alone go on a mission, and Ramon has a bullet hole in his shoulder.”

“Has that ever stopped us before?”

He knew the answer to that, but the situation had changed. “I’m not putting you in harm’s way.”

“I don’t want to be anywhere near danger right now. But I am coming with you.”

“You’re assuming I’m going?” He had just said that neither of them was fit to travel.

She eyed him. “Are you?”

“Of course. It’s Maizie.” Jax figured he could maybe get her to stay in the car with Preston and his father. Between the two of them, they could protect her if someone tried to take her again.

The idea someone might do that made him want to flip out. Stick with her every second, constantly standing in front of her. Permanently attach himself to her side. Be that stick-like-glue husband who would be overprotective and completely annoying, because deep down he was terrified.

He touched her cheeks. “Am I going to feel this way forever? Like at any moment I could lose you all over again, and this whole nightmare will happen a second time.”

“They’re still out there, and they will be unless we destroy them.” Kenna held on tight to his hands. “However you’re feeling, I’m right there with you. I’m as scared as you are. But saving Maizie is a job that was given to us, and we have to do it.”

“Zeyla gets that as well.”

Kenna said, “I want to meet her.”

He’d forgotten that she’d never actually spoken with her sister. Cousin. Whatever they were to each other, it would probably grow to be more like sisters. “She’s terrified that they’ll capture her again, but she’s tougher than she thinks and a lot like you—one of the strongest people I know.”

“And everyone else? Ramon, Bruce, and Amara? Stairns and Elizabeth?”

He gave a rundown of Stairns, Elizabeth, and her dog, Cabot, all of them in California, protecting Jax’s family.

Ramon, and how he’d stuck with Jax the whole time Kenna was missing, even when Jax didn’t want help.

Bruce’s presence with them, pitching in, and how Amara used all the skills and clout she had to get them access to the facility.

“You never stopped looking, did you?”

Jax shook his head.

“I love you.”

“That’s why I didn’t stop.”

Kenna squeezed his hand. “We need to go get Maizie back.”