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“We’re sorry,” Jax said, sliding an arm around my shoulders.
“No, no, no. I’m sorry for everything I did, everything I was involved in. If I’d told you about Felix from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”
“We can’t know that for sure,” Theo said softly, rising from his seat and settling next to me. “Marina might have just found another way to fuck us over.”
“So… so what’s going to happen?” I asked, gulping through the tears I couldn’t wipe away fast enough. “Should I leave? Am I still in trouble? I’m sosorry.”
“Oh Summer…” Jax and Theo wrapped their arms around me, cuddling me tightly, but their comfort only made the tears flow harder. Even if this was a trap, my involvement in Luke’s accident was still crystal clear.
“The footage has been sent to the authorities, and Jax had the great pleasure of informing Marina that her plan backfired. If she wasn’t panicking before, she sure is now,” Theo laughed softly, and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, one that I surely didn’t deserve.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Jax assured gently. “This was on us, reacting without thinking.”
“Being protective over your kids isn’t reacting without thinking,” I whimpered. “I understand.”
“Still,” Jax said as his grip tightened, surrounding me in warmth and pressing so close I was sure he could hear how wildly my heart was beating. “We know you. We should have trusted you from the start.”
Theo’s hug also tightened, and together they held me close as the relief slowly worked its way through the cracks of grief in my soul. It had all been a trick, a trap set by Marina because she was losing her fight. I couldn’t blame Jax, he’d already been wound so tight that his reaction made sense, and despite it, they had immediately started looking for the truth. No one had ever done that for me before. Luke’s shock also made sense since Marina had spilled that secret too with all the subtlety of a foghorn in a nursery.
That didn’t ease the fear that this was just a fleeting moment, and Felix was waiting around the corner to try again. As reassuring as Jax and Theo were being, Felix’s vicious threat still stuck out in my mind.
I knew him. He wasn’t going to let this beat him.
Through all the comfort, there was still one person missing. Luke, who remained on his own couch and away from me. I understood why and yet I ached to reach out to him, to throw myself at my feet and apologize.
Jax and Theo were asking for my forgiveness, but would Luke ever grant me his?
36
JAX
Sending Summer to bed before dinner was the easiest decision; she was in no condition to see the kids, and frankly, she was exhausted. The last thing she needed was three children clamoring at her asking where she’d been, although their sadness at her absence was a huge testament to how much they adored spending time with her.
Halfway through dinner though, Tabitha pulled me aside with a stern look I knew far too well.
“What is it?” I asked, keeping my voice low as I poured Bonnie some more juice.
“Luke,” Tabitha said. “I know he’s taking this hard, but can you talk to him?”
I glanced over my shoulder and realized Luke had vanished to the bathroom some time ago and never came back.
“I’m worried that…” Tabitha took a deep breath and for the first time, her warm face twisted slightly with worry. “I’m worried that because he has a lot of pain from that time in his life, he won’t be thinking things through properly. He deserves good things, and I don’t want to see him lose that because of thatbitterwoman.” She patted my arm and shook her head so hard that her tight curls bounces, then her attention was drawn back to the table when Kane sent a forkful of mashed potatoes flying towards Ava.
Heading back to the table, I handed Bonnie her juice and kissed the top of her head as Kane and Ava descended into a small brawl, egged on by Theo.
“Go on Ava,” Theo laughed, “show him who’s boss!” It was a lively sight, and yet it was duller than what I had become accustomed to with the absence of both Luke and Summer. Dinner drew to a close when Theo received a call from the police about Helix access, and it was time to get the children ready for bed. However, Tabitha shooed me away and pointed out to the porch where Luke lingered.
Right. Time to talk.
Pouring two scotches in the study, I headed out onto the porch and bit back a wince at the rush of cold air that chased away the warmth I had gained at dinner. Luke leaned on the railing, absent a coat, and stared out into the darkness where the mountains melted into the skyline. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what was on his mind, what had surely been on his mind since the moment Marina called.
“I know it was horrible for you,” I said as I approached, and Luke jumped faintly at my voice. “But your accident was the best night of my life.”
“Excuse me?” Luke glanced over his shoulder, then down to the glasses in my hands.
“If I hadn’t found you on the side of the road and saved your life, you never would have offered me that job. I never would have become friends with you and Theo, I never would have had your support or the monetary ability to face down Marina. I would probably still be bouncing nightclubs back home without Bonnie by my side because Marina would have wiped the floor with me.”
I settled against the railing and held out a glass to Luke.
