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Simply taking them down won’t be enough. Their tracks will always be buried, and their crimes will go unpunished. Their claws stretch far into the criminal underbelly of the world, and even further into our everyday law and order. Politicians, lawyers, and everyone else up the ladder have something to lose should a member of the Sparr family be caught.
The only way to take them out is to find everything they have on everyone.
From what I’ve seen, they can only stretch themselves so far, and there are just as many good citizens ready to stand up and fight as those who have chosen to be bought. I’ve worked alongside many of those groups over the years.
I get the impression that I have a better handle on Maxwell’s situation than they do, and Jack is right: they do need Zane and me, but I’m not ready to share everything I know yet, because this will be ending my way.
“Is there anything else about your plan?”
“We have a couple of other ideas that I am not able to discuss at this time.” His trust in me only goes so far.
I’m keeping just as much from him as he is from me, and this is a good reminder that I need to keep my cards close to my chest, so I go with a question that will lead the conversation elsewhere.
“How did you know we were at the farmhouse?” Now this is an answer I’m curious about. I was confident we were completely off-grid and untraceable.
“Complete honesty here; it was an anonymous tip. Called in through back channels, directly to Link’s team. It’s a number no one has. I mean, it’s a number no oneshouldhave. The voice was distorted, nothing traceable. But the caller had too much credible information to ignore.”
Jack’s answer opens up a lot of new questions. I’m not sure if the informant gave us up to benefit my goal or not, so this is another piece of information I’ll need to table for now.
“And what happens to Zane, Dana, and me? If I help you, can you guarantee we go free when this is over?” I already know the answer to this one. What I want to know is how Jack will respond.
He takes a long minute to look at me, then he drops his eyes to his lap and tangles his fingers in mine.
“I don’t know. I can’t tell you you’ll be released. I can tell you I don’t want to lose you again, but I don’t know what will happen.” A heavy silence follows his words.
“Thank you for your honesty.” I let the conversation linger around us before I change the topic. “Last night. I, um—” Suddenly, my cheeks warm in embarrassment. How have I become the person who doesn’t know what to say?
“It’s okay, Jessa. I can’t put into words what last night was either. It was something I never thought I would have again. You, here. I’ve been playing it over in my head.” He cocoons my hands in his own. “The moment I found out you were missing was the single worst moment of my life. I should have been there to protect you, but I wasn’t. Instead, I broke down in front of my commanding officer and had to be sedated then transported back to our home base. I should have been out there looking for you. Having you back here like this is—there are no words.”
I crane my neck and reach my lips up to his. I want to taste him again. His mouth, the softness of his lips, the strength behind his kiss, but he pauses, his features tight with restraint.
“I want you, Jessa. More than you know.”
The rest is unspoken.
We can’t entertain this. Not now, when there is so much at stake.
He hooks two fingers under my chin, then tilts my head up and pushes his lips against my forehead before settling his eyes firmly on me.
“I want you to sleep here with me tonight.”
The extent of my exhaustion becomes evident when he says “sleep.” Jack relaxes when I nod my agreement, and we slip into a comfortable conversation, returning to our high school days.
He focuses on his memories of Dana and things that happened with other kids and teachers. He stays away from Maxwell, and after another thirty minutes of talking, pieces of me are living in the past with him.
I remember how at ease I was around him. Everything came naturally. With Jack, I never needed to wonder where we were going, I never assessed or read into anything. We just were.
So when he offers me a T-shirt to sleep in, I accept it without hesitation. Then, when he stands to get his own sleepwear from the dresser, I turn away from him, remove my sweater, and lift the fabric over my head to slip his shirt on.
It’s only when a strangled gasp registers from behind me that my reality comes crashing down.
“What the fuck are those?” His low timbre is laced with rage, and I don’t need to see him to know his whole body has gone completely stiff.
I forgot about my scars.
CHAPTER18
JACK
