Page 35

AURORA

My brain is lagging. Everything is moving too fast, yet slowly at the same time.

Jax won’t look at me, and nobody’s talking. Ricky gasps for air, clutching his throat, while Ethan holds me to his chest.

“What happened?” I cry, shattering the silence.

Jackson spits blood in Ricky’s direction. “Yeah, Ricky , what happened?”

Ethan moves forward, an arm out, ready to intervene if necessary. I try to break free, but he grips me tighter.

“Hold on. Jax, are you good? I need to know if you’re calm. Do you need medical attention?”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Ricky snarls. “I barely touched him. I?—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Ethan cuts him off, tone low and menacing. “Your explanation can wait.”

I’m so confused. I know Jax isn’t fond of Ricky, but I’ve been careful not to trigger his jealousy. Although conflicted, I’ve kept my distance from my bodyguard, hoping Jax would come to realize he wasn’t a threat.

But now Ethan?

What the hell happened while I slept?

“I’m good.” Jax glances at me then averts his gaze. “I’m calm.”

I peer up at Ethan. “Can I go, please? He won’t hurt me.”

He loosens his hold, and I dash across the kitchen, him right behind me.

Shivering, I wrap my arms around Jax. “What?—”

His face contorts as he hisses in pain, and his torso tenses.

My eyes burn with tears. “Where are you hurt?” I gently take his swollen, deformed fist in my hands. “You need an X-ray.”

“Already on it.” Ethan rakes his fingers through his hair and lifts his phone to his ear.

Ricky grabs a hand towel from the counter and presses it to his bleeding lip. “It’s broken. I can tell from here. Get some ice on it and a bandage. I have medical supplies in my bag.”

It’s unbelievable he can talk after the way Jax pummeled him. Still, he doesn’t threaten to call the police. He moves to the freezer and scoops ice into a baggie. Whatever went down between them doesn’t appear to be one-sided.

He hands Jax the ice. “Wrap it in your T-shirt.”

I step back, allowing Jax to yank his shirt over his head, and I gasp when I see his inflamed and bruised ribs. I whip around to confront my bodyguard. “What the hell? Why?”

“That wasn’t me!” he bellows, his voice raw, his face reddening further. “I went easy on him, for fuck’s sake.”

That may be true, but an unmistakable flicker of guilt passes over his eyes.

Jax sets the ice to his knuckles and grimaces. “I hit the corner of the table when I lunged for him.”

Exasperated, I throw my arms up. “Why? What is wrong with you two?”

Again, nothing but dead air.

Then, Ethan says to Jax, “Doc is on his way. Get cleaned up. I’ll handle this.”

My frustration mounts. “Handle what? Someone start talking!”

Jackson’s pained eyes finally meet mine. “Come on. We’ll talk in my bathroom.” He nods toward the hallway.

I follow him, and, perched on the edge of the spa tub, he buries his face in his hands, his pinky not curling the same as the rest.

I hug myself. “Please, just tell me what happened.”

His gaze lifts, heavy-lidded and full of regret, and a defeated sigh escapes him. “Ricky is not who you think he is. He’s not your bodyguard. He’s an undercover cop watching me.”

The sound of static fills my ears. My mind jumps to the worst plausible scenario: Jax arrested. The floor gives way, and I stumble. He catches me and pulls me between his legs. My knees hit the floor, and I fall into him.

This has to be a mistake. Maybe I’m misunderstanding. “What?” The breathless word is barely audible.

“He’s an undercover cop.” He brushes my hair from my forehead. “He’s not your friend. He’s not with Charlie.”

A sudden, sharp pain pierces my heart. “No.” I shake my head. “He wouldn’t… It can’t be.”

Jax holds my face in his trembling hands and stares deep into my eyes. “He lied to get close to you, baby.”

Tears stream down my cheeks. “Why? He… The police are after you?”

“I’m not sure, maybe.” He shrugs. “Ricky let Kyle into the penthouse. Didn’t even question it. They could be associated with him or after information on him.”

I clutch my tightening chest. “I don’t understand,” I whisper, my throat constricting. “What information?”

His thumbs glide over my cheekbones, wiping the tears away. “I’d hoped to keep it from you, remember? This is not…” His voice breaks. “This is difficult for me.”

I grip his wrists. “Please, tell me.”

Closing his eyes, he drops his forehead to mine.

“Kyle has been involved in some messed-up shit for as long as I can remember.” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“He’s a part of this depraved society that hosts lavish sex parties for politicians and other assholes, with girls…

and guys,” he adds with a shuddering exhale.

“They lure them in with drugs and celebrities. Some are sicker than others. For some, it’s a lifestyle carried on outside the party. ”

I try to wrap my brain around it, but I can’t, so I ask the obvious. “You’ve been there?”

He nods, and my world falls apart all over again. Of course he has. Although na?ve, I’ve been to one of these parties. Emily brought me to prove a point. He was there, and he explained his reaction from that night. He said Kyle’s men were dangerous.

But to be involved…in something worse than the pictures I’ve seen?

Fear clenches my heart and crushes the air from my lungs. “Why?” I sob.

“I didn’t have a choice. I was too young to understand. When I could, I fought. When I was forced to, I got fucking wasted. It’s not like I wanted to. I never took part…” He trails off, unspoken words hanging in the air.

Realization hits yet again, a previous argument echoing in my mind.

Stop saying that… You wouldn’t if you knew what I’ve been through… Sex is warped inside my head…except with you.