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I made my way downstairs, surprised to hear the clinking of glassware when I stepped into the kitchen.
“Jax,” I said, surprised to find him there pulling a teacup from a cabinet “I would've thought you'd be asleep by now.”
“Can't sleep,” he said. “I guess there’s just been too much to process. Being in an unfamiliar place makes my dragon uneasy.”
I gave him a sympathetic smile, walking to the stove and reaching for the kettle. “I was just coming down to make some tea myself. Do you mind having company?”
“Please, love.” Jax leaned against the counter, watching me, and I had the distinct feeling that he didn’t want to be alone. I busied myself with preparing our tea, feeling his gaze on me the entire time. I couldn’t begin to imagine what he’d been through.
“Here you go.” I handed him a steaming mug and stood there, wanting to say something but unable to find the right words.
Jax finally broke the silence with a chuckle. “I know you’re still feeling guilty about all of this, but really, love, you shouldn’t. I chose to help you the very first day we met, and I stand by that choice. It was my decision, and I’d do it again.”
I bit my lip, struggling with the weight of his words, as that night we met in Tomas’s mansion replayed in my mind. How he’d been so eager to help me escape. I couldn’t even begin to fathom why, and part of me didn’t want to ask. I was afraid of what he might say.
He looked at me for a long moment, and there was something in his light blue eyes that gave me pause. It was a soft look, and I wasn't sure what it meant, or if it was anything at all. He opened his mouth, but then he shook his head and polished off his cup, as if dismissing the thought. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head.
“Guess I’m more tired than I thought. That tea did the trick. Thank you, Mariah.”
“Of course, Jax. Get some rest,” I said, smiling despite the strange feeling that’d settled over me.
“Everything is going to be okay.” He took a step closer while wearing that same soft look. “We're all in this together now. We’ll put an end to Tomas’s games.”
I nodded.
“Good night, Mariah,” he said abruptly, placing his teacup in the sink and heading toward the guest room.
I watched him go, the image of his stare seared into my memory. As I finished drinking, my thoughts swirled, unable to shake the feeling Jax had given me. Was I overthinking this? Or was there something more behind his eyes? I couldn't be certain, but the look was…adoring.
I shook the thought away, rinsing out my cup before making my way back upstairs where Evan was still sleeping peacefully. As I slipped under the covers once more, I held onto him, drawing comfort from his warmth and steady breathing.
But I still lay awake far into the night, trying to make sense of it all.
Chapter 17
Evan
“Any updates on Tomas’s whereabouts?” I said to Sebastian when I walked into his office for our morning meeting. Jax was already there waiting.
“Nothing concrete yet,” Jax said, running a hand through his messy hair. “But I won’t stop digging for information. I still have a few more angles to explore.”
“Keep at it. We need to find him before he makes another move.” I clenched my teeth together at the mere thought of Hawthorne still out there. It’d only been a few days since we’d returned, but I wouldn't let him hurt anyone else.
“Should we involve the human authorities at this point? They may offer resources we don’t have access to.”
Sebastian steepled his fingers. “Only if we gather enough evidence to lock him away for good. If he catches on to what we’re doing, if he realizes that we’re on to his bigger scheme…” Sebastian shook his head. “We can't risk him slipping through the cracks again.
But that didn’t make it any easier to sit around and wait. How much proof would we need for the human world to take us seriously?
“Let's keep going, then.” I took a seat at the long table we’d all taken to working at. “Jax, do you have any of your encrypted files saved on a cloud?” There had to be a way we could access the data we needed.
“No,” Jax said, rubbing his temples. “The chances of being hacked were too high. I had everything on my laptop, and that's long gone. It took me months to secure my own system so it wouldn't be traceable when I accessed the files. It’d be stupid to risk it unless you guys have a setup where I can't be tracked.”
I put a hand through my hair. I’d assumed as much, but I was also grasping at straws.
“I don't dabble in the hacking world, Jax,” Sebastian said. “Everything I do is legit, but I may know someone who can provide you with what you need. It may take some time and convincing, but I can make some calls.”
I nodded. “Right now, that's our best shot. We can't afford any more setbacks with Tomas still at large.”
