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“Where are we going?”
Jax eyed the broken window, its jagged glass an ominous promise. “Somewhere safe.”
A plan came together in his mind while she got ready to go. One he didn’t like. But he had no choice.
She’d stay with him and his uncle.
He’d ask Ellen to stay as well so Seyla would be more comfortable.
He, on the other hand, would be highly uncomfortable.
/////
I can do this.
As they pulled in front of Jax’s uncle’s house, Seyla glanced over at the darkened sanctuary building next door, surrounded by fencing.
She squashed down the revolving door of emotions circling through her: fear, excitement, curiosity, resolve.
This was a good thing. A golden opportunity to catch this maniac the next time they attempted to sabotage the sanctuary. And there would be a next time. She felt it in her gut.
Next to her, Jax talked on the phone with a person named Ellen. From what she overheard, Ellen agreed to stay with her and Jax at his uncle’s place until her window got fixed and various security measures were put in place. Seyla hoped Ellen wasn’t a light sleeper, because she planned to sneak out tonight to do some surveillance.
She stole a glance at Jax, still reeling from the kiss they shared. Her fingers rose to her lips, only to drop like a lead balloon when he glanced in her direction.
He acted no different, like it hadn’t changed anything. It probably hadn’t for him.
But for her, it opened a door she’d closed a long time ago. She didn’t know how to shut it again, nor did she want to shut it again.
“What are you thinking?”
The question made Seyla jump. “Um, I…” She grabbed hold of her necklace, her thumb rubbing against the metal backing already heated by her skin. “About the past, I guess.”
His hand drifted onto her other hand that lay on her knee, its warmth tempting her to curl into his arms.
“Can I ask you a question?”
His request drifted across the space between them, both rough and tender.
Seyla’s muscles tensed.
Jax squeezed her hand.
Trust me.
“Okay.” The sense of connection between them, as if she’d known him for eternity, warred against the need to protect her heart and the sanctuary.
He licked his lips, his face a silhouette in the moonlight now that the clouds had broken. “What happened that night?”
The question punched Seyla in the stomach, tightening her gut and robbing her of speech for several seconds.
Didn’t he know? Wasn’t that why he’d severed ties with her afterward? “Didn’t Matt tell you?” Wait. No, Matt wouldn’t have told him. “Didn’t you hear at school?” Surely, one of those awful people had bragged about what they’d done. Or had they stayed silent, too afraid of getting in trouble after what happened to her?
“No. You just vanished. And Matt wouldn’t discuss it. I had no idea what happened to you. When I went to your house, I saw a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard. I called but was told not to callback.” His thumb rubbed against the bones on the back of her hand. It stopped at the slight bumps where they’d been broken.
Seyla heard him swallow hard. He settled his hand over hers again, wrapping his fingers around it. His fingertips pressed against her palm. “Please. I want to know. You went through a terrible experience. I want to understand. I want to be there for you, although I know it’s a little late in the game.”
Seyla appreciated his show of support. Yet she waffled about sharing such a painful memory. Maybe because of the numbing shock at the realization he hadn’t walked away from her like she thought, she mumbled, “I was new in school and kind of shy.” She glanced at him. A thin smile flicked over her lips. “I don’t know why I said that. You know that.” Seyla pulled her hand away from his and curled it into her lap. “One of the popular girls in my class, Tracy, stopped to talk to me after biology that day. She said that the school quarterback, a guy named Toby—”
