She narrowed her gaze at him. "You're taking realpleasure from this, aren't you?"
Giving her a wide grin, he nodded.
“Fine,” she said with a huff. “Leave me to myoh-so-manychoices, and I will meet back up with you."
Alessia couldn’t help but smile at the sound of hisretreating laughter. She was going to get him back.
Selecting a few cans of food and one of the two toys theyhad to offer, she meandered farther down the long aisle. Passing by the basickitchen supplies, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies, Alessia stopped at theend where the snacks were kept. Stepping around to the end of the aisle,Alessia noticed a display of homemade jellies and preserves. Reading thehandwritten labels, she paused, feeling the familiar sensation she was beingwatched. Turning, she inwardly groaned when she caught the overly curious eyeof the cashier in the front.
Nodding with a smile, Alessia immediately refocused herattention at the mason jars. Please don’t come over here. Please don’t comeover here, she repeated in her head. The last thing Alessia wanted to do wasfend off inquisitive questions.
Turning a bottle of marmalade around to read theingredients, Alessia’s hand froze when she heard the deep growl of a motorcycleoutside. Her stomach tightened as she whipped around to face the front windows.Outside, a thin man with greasy brown hair stepped off his bike with his backtowards the windows.
One of the cans of cat food fell from her hand as she frozein trembling terror.
“Miss, are you okay?” The lady at the cash register calledout to her.
Stiffly, Alessia turned and ran back down the aisle to theback of the store. He was here, he had found her! Desperately, she lookedaround for an exit. Seeing a cut in for a hallway in the back corner, Alessiadropped the items in her hand onto a nearby shelf. Panic made her legs shake asshe ran for the hallway, ignoring an old man giving her a quizzical stare asshe passed.
“Alessia!” She heard the deep shout of her name and shenearly screamed
Nearly tripping over a pile of boxes, Alessia fell againstthe push handle of the large metal exit door. It wouldn't budge! Wildly, sheshoved at the handle, hearing a click repeatedly with each attempt but notopening. Looking around frantically, she found the pin lock with shaky hands.Pulling the pin out of place, she was shoving the door open when the grip onher elbow hauled her back.
Alessia was about to let out a scream when she recognizedthe face in front of her—Jax.
Confused, Jax steadied her by the shoulders. “Alessia, calmdown and tell me what’s going on.”
Still standing in the cramped back hallway, Alessia tried tocontrol her erratic breathing. Nervously, she tried glancing past Jax to thefront. Was Gary inside the store now? Did he see her through the store’swindows? She couldn’t see anything though, Jax’s tall form and broad shouldersblocked anything past him.
“We have to get out of here!” She whispered frantically,clutching at the material of his jacket. “I can’t let him see me. He will killme…”
She was hyperventilating now. Her hands were cold and clammywith terror.
“Sshh, baby calm down,” gently, she felt him push her backbehind a stack of boxes by the exit door, blocking her from the view of thestore and cornering her against him. “Just tell me what you saw.”
His tone was so deep and calm, it infuriated her, she wantedto leave. She wanted him to run with her back to the cabin, but she knew as shelooked up at the controlled power in his eyes, running would not be an optionfor Jax.
Taking a deep breath, Alessia's hands wrinkled the fabric ofhis coat tighter in her hands. "I think Gary found me. I saw hismotorcycle, and then I saw… I thought I saw," she was rushing over herwords as she explained. "I saw him walk across the street... Please, Jax,can't we just leave and go home?"
Frowning deeper, Jax stared over her shoulder for a secondin thought. “Is Gary taller than me?”
Confused, she shook her head. “No.”
“Is he thin and wiry with light brown hair?” He pressed.
Frustrated, she wanted to jump up and down. “Yes! Butplease, Jax, we don’t have…”
Sliding his hands from her shoulders and down her arms, hebegan rubbing them up and down as he shook his head. "Alessia, baby, Ijust described Steve. He lives three streets over and drives an oldHarley." Pulling her close until her chest touched his, Jax stroked herarm. "The guy runs an off-the-books mechanic shop out of his garage. He isprobably just going to the bar across the street."
Self-doubt mingled with the memory of the man’s back as hestepped off his bike. He was wearing a plain black jacket and jeans. Everyjacket Gary owned was leather and was emblazoned with his gang’s logo.
Shaking her head, Alessia tried to back away from him. Sheknew what she saw, and she didn't have time to try and convince him. Turning,she bumped directly into the wall beside her as she tried to reach for the exitdoor again. "No, I won't take that chance, I'm not going to let him findme," her voice cracked in fear.
Jax’s hands tightened on her arms and pulled her back. Angryand terrified, she glared at him as his hands smooth up her arms and over hershoulders to cup her face, gently locking her in place.
“Would I let anything happen to you?” His commanding voicewas only a hair’s breadth above a growl.
Unable to shake her head in his hold she whispered. “No.”
