Page 18 of True Abandon

Rolling my head, I hold out my arms to try to get the blood flowing in my veins again.I let out a big yawn and then curl my legs into me and sit sideways, burying my head into the crook of my elbow. Restless and uncomfortable, there’s no way I’ll be able to go back to sleep. I turn to the other side, and when I open my eyes, Jax is watching me.

“You’re back,” I say, abruptly sitting up in the chair.

He nods. “It appears I am.”

I roll my eyes and adjust the chair to an upright position.

“Surprised you stayed,” he says. He’s sitting straighter than he was before they rolled him off to his test. He’s also back to being shirtless. The large dragon on his chest blazing off his injured skin.

I try not to stare at his muscular torso. “Where’s your hospital gown?”

“I prefer to be naked.”

Ignoring his comment, I curl my arms around my knees. The clock on the wall shows it’s almost dawn. “I’m out of here as soon as the storm dies down.”

“A lot of damage outside?”

“Last I checked, the beaches on the Jersey shore eroded, and people who didn’t evacuate are being rescued. Houses were coming off foundations. I was monitoring the storm when you went for your test.”

“Looks like the storm isn’t the only thing you’ve been looking into.”

I tilt my head to the side, unsure of what he’s talking about. Jax raises his brows and motions his head toward my lap. Like an idiot, I fell asleep while snooping through his phone.

“I was checking to see if anyone was looking for you.”

“I doubt it.”

I toss it onto the white sheet.

He grabs it with his free hand. “Thanks for charging it.”

I offer a half smile, knowing I only charged it so I could snoop. Kindness was not the end game.

He flips through his phone for a few minutes. With each swipe of his thumb, his brow creases deeper, and his teeth skim his lower lip. His chest deflates with a large exhale, and he lowers the phone to the bed and looks up at me. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“You and me both.” I make a sarcastic, wide-eyed expression.

“Ella asked you,” he sighs in disbelief. “Of all people, she asked you to come see me.”

“Looks like there wasn’t anyone else in a city of nine million people who cared if you were alive or dead.”

His brow quirks in interest. “And you do?”

“I plead the fifth.”

Jax winces at my words. I’m usually not this mean, but there’s something about him that brings out my inner bitch.

“Don’t feel too honored. I bet you’re not the only one she asked.”

“Great. I’m just the only idiot that actually came.”

With his eyes down and lips pursed, he adds, “Yeah, well, senators are busy, you know.”

My mouth is open, prepared to retort when I realize what he’s saying. Senator Davis is on the Congressional Subcommittee for Energy—he’s in the city. Either Ella couldn’t get a hold of him, or Senator Davis just doesn’t care what happens to his son.

I wrap my arms around my stomach and give myself a hug. No matter how disappointed my parents would be of me, I have no doubt they’d be by my side if they thought I was in trouble.

“I’m sure he’s trapped. If he could get here I know—”