Page 45 of Storm and Tempest

Sandra raced ahead of Jax. He wanted to stop her so that he went first, but with guards all around, there likely wasn’t any danger.

Depending on Elliot’s condition.

The door beside her whipped open, and a man stood there, late twenties. Slender, wearing tan slacks and a white shirt that was untucked. He had two pens in his breast pocket and glasses on his nose. “Sandra!”

Jax realized he did recognize the guy. But instead of remembering when they’d conversed at the office, he didn’t think they’d actually spoken directly. Elliot Adams had been present at some meetings Jax had led. He was the forgettable kind, a guy who didn’t stick out—which made Jax wonder who else he hadn’t noticed because he was too preoccupied. He might not be able to know everyone, but were there others who had slipped through the cracks?

Elliot and Sandra Adams collided in a hug, a mess of words exchanged between them.

Jax glanced at Amara, who had a blank look on her face, then stepped aside with Ms. Romeo.

“You look a lot better than you did the last time I saw you,” the lawyer told him.

That had been when they’d rescued him from those mafia guys, injured and barely conscious.

He chuckled. “Not surprising.”

The brother and sister stepped into the room, arms around each other and talking low with their heads together. Jax wanted the information they were sharing back and forth, not entirely sure whatever Amara had to say to him would be the truth.

Ramon and Zeyla stepped into the hall at the far end. Ramon lifted his chin, and Jax returned it.

“I need answers.” Jax glanced between Ms. Romeo and Amara. “Now. I need to know what’s going on.”

Bruce hadn’t come inside with them. He’d dropped Jax off and then taken the car so he could go do…whatever it was he was going to do. Presumably follow the tracker to his former partner and then hopefully watch, or secure, Samuel Chistane.But if Bruce killed the guy, it really wouldn’t be so surprising. Jax wasn’t going to babysit the guy, but realized he needed to put a stipulation on things, so he sent Bruce a text.

Don’t kill him. We need information, remember?

It was as much a reminder to himself as it was to Kenna’s friend. After all, it was Zeyla who had stopped Jax from yelling at Amara earlier. She and Ramon had come in right after he yelled at her. Now the anger in his gut was roiling. But every time he looked at Elliot and Sandra off to the side in a room—reunited—it wasn’t anger he felt. It was jealousy. They had each other back.

What did he have?

He turned to Amara. “You know where she is.”

Kenna’s mother said, “That’s one of the few things I don’t know.”

Jax shook his head. “You work forDominatus, don’t you? That means you all do.” He waved a hand, incorporating Ms. Romeo and Zeyla. “Am I wrong?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Amara hissed. “You think this is so black-and-white. We’re either good or evil. As if the world is so simple.” She shook her head.

“So I’m the naïve one, and I guess you’re going to have to explain this all to me. Because it looks like you ran an FBI agent off the road and then kidnapped him in order to allow those retired guys to take Kenna from me.” He folded his arms. “So tell me why I shouldn’t call a team of agents here to tear this whole place apart. See what else you’re hiding.”

Ms. Romeo shifted. “Please don’t blow this safe house. She shouldn’t have brought you here, and we’ll clear out as soon as you’re gone. This place is burned with just you guys, but that doesn’t mean anyone needs to find out about it.”

Jax clenched down on his molars.

Amara slid a phone from her jacket pocket. The move, of course, put him on edge, just in case she was drawing a weapon from out of sight. Instead, she showed him the screen of her phone.

Jax grabbed the cell and looked closer.Kenna.“Where did you get this?”

Ramon moved to him and looked at the screen over his shoulder. “That looks like a hospital bed. She isn’t secured to it.”

Kenna was tucked in on the screen, under blankets. Fast asleep—or unconscious. No IVs, and no monitors attached to her taking readings of her vitals.

“Is she alive or—” The question caught in his throat.

“I’m making sure of it.” Amara took the phone.

Jax didn’t want to give it back. “Send me that image. And any more that you have.” He saw her expression pinch a little. “You have more?”