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“Well, since I just found out, I haven’t formulated a new plan yet.”
“What about family?”
“My parents are in Florida, but I don’t want them involved. My dad doesn’t have the best health, and the stress would probably sink him.”
“And you don’t think it’s stressful when he’s worrying about you from halfway across the country?”
“Trust me, I’ve considered that, but if I left, Baz would follow. I won’t put my family in danger because of one stupid decision.”
“Just your son.”
My head snapped in his direction. I shoved off the couch, ready to snap when he grabbed my hand and pulled me back down.
“That’s not how I meant it. I was just saying that your son is caughtin the middle of all this. Your parents are safe for now, but he will always be in danger, even if you decide to leave. There’s only so far you can run from a man like Baz.”
“If that’s true, I’m sunk.” I pressed my fingers to the throbbing at my temples. The stress of the last few days was catching up, and now I didn’t even have the comfort of my own home. I couldn’t see a way out, and that was the biggest problem at the moment.
Jack’s hand gently wrapped around my arm, pulling me back into the couch. With only a few inches between us, it was hard to ignore the heat building between us. I expected him to let go of my hand, but instead, he brushed his thumb over my hand in a soothing gesture. I sank back into the cushions and took a deep breath, relaxing for the first time in days.
18
JACK
She looked way too fuckingperfect on my ratty couch. She didn’t belong here. She was too good for a place like this, wrapped up in something she never signed up for.
And now I knew why.
None of it made sense before. I assumed that she’d had a relationship with Rico that soured, but it turned out it was a twist of fate she was never expecting. This whole fucking time, I looked at her and wondered what the fuck she saw in Rico. Now that I knew the whole story, I couldn’t let this go on. I’d find the money and get her the hell out of here.
Her eyes slid shut, her head falling to my shoulder as she drifted off to sleep. I didn’t have the heart to move her, not when she looked so peaceful. Sitting beside her, it was easy to imagine what my life would be like if I let all of this go and just tried to be a different man.
But even if I did that, she would never be safe. I needed leverage against Baz, some way to take him out and bring his operation to its knees. Any attempt to kill Baz would be difficult at best. He always had men surrounding him, and taking out Rico would only anger Baz. I would either have to take them out at the same time or make sure that it would never lead back to me.
As the hours passed, the sounds of the firefighters grew distant. Slowly, everyone left until all that remained was the silence of the night. But I was wired, unable to sleep when all I could think about was the woman in my arms and the kid in the other room. The internal struggle over whether or not I could be the man they needed was driving me insane.
“You were at the prison.” Her voice was low and scratchy, barely discernible above my own thoughts.
“Yeah.”
“I remember you from the ambulance. You called out for a woman named Hannah.”
My eyes drifted shut as memories overwhelmed me. I didn’t want to think about her right now.
“Who was she?”
“My sister,” I answered quietly.
“Is she…”
I nodded, but she couldn’t see it. “She died a long time ago.”
“How?”
I never spoke to anyone about this. It was too painful, knowing I wasn’t there for her, that I could have saved her.
She sat up, turning to face me. I hadn’t even realized how I’d laid back against the corner of the couch and pulled her with me. Now, I missed the feel of her body against mine, the way her hair tickled my chest as she snuggled against me. I’d never been so attracted to a woman the way I was to her. It was a strange feeling that I didn’t want to admit.
“Jack, what happened?”
