Page 31 of The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

Feeling my jaw clench, I yanked open the door and slid inside.

“There,” Jason smirked, “that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

I shot him a pointed look but he only chuckled.

Silence settled over us as Jason backed out of the Bennet’s large driveway and took the road out of town.

“I take it Felicity told you where I live?”

“There isn’t much she doesn’t tell me,” he said dryly.

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

“How was Ash when you finally left him?”

“Passed out hugging a pillow.”

“He say anything to you?”

“Just a lot of jumbled nonsense. What do you think happened?” I glanced at him sideways, wondering if Jason had his own theories, and whether or not he’d share them with me.

“He’s been acting weird for a while. At first, I thought it was just about Felicity. He likes... liked her.” Jason cleared his throat. “For a second I thought she was actually going to come between us.”

I shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat, jealousy edging into my thoughts.

“But now I’m thinking it has nothing to do with her.” His hard gaze burned into the side of my face. “He likes you, ya know?”

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

“You’re not feeling it?”

“I... it’s complicated.”

“Because of your ex?”

“Let me guess, Felicity told you—”

“Actually, she didn’t. But I’m no fool, Mya. I know you’re running from something.”

It wasn’t like I tried to hide who I was and where I came from, but it unnerved me that Jason saw through me so easily.

“Look, whatever’s going on with Ash, something tells me he’s not going to come to me or Cam with it. But maybe he’ll open up to you.”

“You want me to use his feelings for me against him?”

“That’s not...” he let out a heavy sigh. “I’m worried about him. I’ve never seen him so out of control. It’s Asher, he’s like sunshine on a rainy fucking day or something. But tonight was different. He was...”

“Dark,” I whispered.

“Yeah. I don’t know what the fuck is going on with him but whatever it is, he needs someone there for him.”

“He has people. He has you and Cameron and Felicity and the rest of the team.”

Jason grumbled, “Does he know that though?”

“I just don’t want him to get the wrong idea.” My hands curled into fists, pressing against my thigh.

“I’m not asking you to marry the guy. Just be a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen. Things haven’t been the same between us since everything went down and I know he feels pushed out because Cam’s with Hailee and I’m with Felicity.”