Livid doesnoteven cover it. Heat explodes in my chest. My hand fists at my side to keep from reaching through the window and dragging him out by his scrawny neck. A fucking reporter. Trailing us like prey. Putting Ava at risk for a goddamn byline.
"You’ve got to be fucking kidding me," I snarl. I lean down closer. My shadow falls over him. "You followed a protected witness through backroads in a blizzard. Do you have any idea how stupid that is? How dangerous?"
He shrinks back in his seat. "I’m just doing my job. The public has a right to know."
"The public has a right to stay alive," I snap. My voice stays low but deadly. "You tip off the wrong people with this little stunt and that woman in my car dies. You understand me? Turn around. Go back the way you came. If I see you again I’ll make sure your press pass gets revoked and you end up in a cell for interfering with federal protection."
The reporter nods quickly. Sweat beads on his forehead despite the cold. "Yes. Understood. Sorry. I’ll … uh, go."
I step back but keep my eyes locked on him as he shifts into reverse. The sedan backs up slowly then turns around. Its taillights fade into the snowy darkness. I stand there a moment longer. Snowflakes melt on my shoulders. The wind howls through the trees. My heart still pounds with fury and leftover adrenaline.
I walk back to the SUV and climb in. The warmth inside hits me immediately. Ava stirs and blinks up at me sleepily. "Jax? Everything okay?"
I reach over and pull her closer. My hand slides into her hair as I kiss her forehead. "Just some idiot who got lost. Nothing toworry about, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. You’re good. I’m not going anywhere.”
She nuzzles into my side with a soft sigh. Trusting. Perfect. The feel of her against me chases some of the rage away but not all of it. A reporter. Out here. It’s too close. Too risky. I start the SUV again and pull back onto the road. My eyes scan the mirrors constantly now. No more headlights. But the unease lingers.
I drive deeper into the night toward the next safe house. Ava sleeps peacefully beside me. Her hand rests on my thigh like it belongs there. I cover it with mine. This woman has cracked every wall I built. She makes me want forever even when the job says temporary. I won’t let some scrawny reporter or cartel remnants take her from me.
Unless…
17
Ava
My stomach lets out the most embarrassing growl just as the mountain road starts winding tighter around us. I press both hands over it like that’ll somehow muffle the sound, but it only makes things worse. Dinner time has definitely arrived, and my body isn’t shy about reminding me that running for your life burns a ridiculous number of calories.
“Um, Jax?” I say, trying to keep my voice light and not at all like I’m about to faint from hunger. “Any chance we could pull over somewhere soon? I’m starving. Like, I-might-start-nibbling-on-the-seat-belt starving.”
He glances over at me, those intense eyes softening just a fraction at the corners. “Yeah. There’s a spot a few miles up. We’ll stop.”
His voice is dark and velvet-rough, the kind that always makes something deep inside me tighten. I nod quickly and settle back against the leather seat, trying not to notice how good he smells.
Jax has gone extra quiet for the past few miles. Not the grumpy kind of quiet exactly, but the thinking-hard-about-something kind. His jaw keeps flexing, and every so often his fingers tighten on the steering wheel like he’s working through a problem only he can see. I want to ask what’s on his mind, but I don’t. Instead I just watch the way the fading sunlight catches the sharp line of his profile and try not to imagine tracing it with my fingertip.
Bad Ava. Focus on not getting murdered, not on how ridiculously hot your US Marshal protector is.
A big wooden sign appears around the next bend, carved to look like a snarling boar wearing a tiny chef’s hat. Alpha Pig BBQ. The parking lot is packed with trucks and a few motorcycles, and the smell of smoked meat hits us the second Jax cuts the engine. My mouth waters so hard I almost whimper.
“This place looks amazing,” I breathe, already unbuckling.
Jax comes around and opens my door before I can do it myself. His hand settles on my lower back as he guides me toward the entrance, warm and steady and way too possessive but I like it.
Inside, the restaurant is pure mountain magic. Exposed log walls, strings of twinkling lights that look like fireflies, and long picnic-style tables made from thick slabs of reclaimed barn wood. A massive stone fireplace crackles in the center of the room, and the air is thick with the scent of hickory smoke, tangy sauce, and fresh cornbread. Mounted on one wall is the most ridiculous taxidermy boar I’ve ever seen. It’s wearing sunglasses and holding a tiny American flag in its trotter. A hand-painted sign underneath reads: “Oink If You’re Hungry.”
A cheerful waitress with a name tag that says “Peggy” and two long braids bounces over. “Y’all grab a seat anywhere. Menus areon the table. Tonight’s special is the Full Trough Platter. Trust me, you’ll need a nap after.”
We slide into a booth near the window. Jax takes the side that lets him watch both the door and the parking lot. Of course he does. I pick up the menu and my eyes go wide.
“Oh my goodness. Listen to this.” I clear my throat dramatically and read in my best librarian story-time voice. “The Alpha Pig Platter: half rack of honey-chipotle ribs, sliced brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, and a quarter chicken. Comes with two sides and a mountain of cornbread. Or go big with the Trough For Two: everything above plus mac and cheese, collard greens with bacon, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, and skillet cornbread with honey butter. Warning: may cause spontaneous marriage proposals.”
Jax’s mouth twitches. Almost a smile. “Get the trough. You’re gonna need your strength.”
Heat rushes into my cheeks. I fan myself with the menu. “Are you trying to make me blush or are you just naturally lethal at this?”
“Both,” he says, voice thick and rough around the edges. His eyes lock on mine across the table and for a second the noisy restaurant fades away. There’s something hot and animalistic in the way he looks at me, like he’s already decided I’m his to protect and maybe something more. My stomach does a happy little flip that’s got nothing to do with hunger.
Peggy comes back and we order the Trough For Two to share, plus sweet tea for me and black coffee for him. While we wait, I trace the wood grain on the table with my finger. “This place isso cute. I bet they have a whole story behind that boar out front. I should write it down for the library’s local lore section.”
