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“The same.”
“And you and Hunter—”
“We were good until we weren’t. At some point that changed.” He shoves aside his empty plate. I realize then that mine is empty, too, though I barely remember eating. Sensing he wants to talk about something serious, that our escape has come full circle to our prison, I set my plate off to the side as well.
“What is it, Jax?”
“I need you to understand why I came to you looking for revenge.”
“I know why,” I promise him. “I do. We’ve talked about this.”
“No. No, you don’t know everything.”
There’s a squeeze of dread in my chest. “What does that mean?”
He turns his chair away from the table, angling it toward me. “Right after my father died, Hunter wasn’t taking my calls,” he begins when there’s a sudden loud knocking followed by the doorbell.
“What the hell,” Jax murmurs, grabbing his phone from the table and glancing at the cameras out front. “Savage,” he says, pushing to his feet. “That man doesn’t know how to do anything quietly.” He heads for the living room, and the pounding continues. That’s what gets me. The insistence in the knocking. My heart is racing, adrenaline shooting me to my feet in pursuit of Jax.
I round the island and reach the archway to the living room as Jax opens the front door, and Savage demands, “Did Emma tell you that York Waters called her forty-five minutes ago?”
There’s a beat of silence from Jax that’s filled with my racing heart. “No,” he says, “she did not.”
I burst into the room. “I was going to tell you, Jax.” I rush forward and step in front of him, my back to Savage. “I was.” My hands come down on his arms, but he’s not touching me. He’s stiff. He’s more stone than man. God, he thinks I’m hiding something. “I didn’t talk to him,” I promise. “I’m sure Savagecan tell you that. It was on my call log, but I rushed to the kitchen, and we were talking, and I just—damn it, Savage.” I glance over my shoulder at him. “Why did you have to present it like this?” I turn back to Jax. “I just—I didn’t want to live in that world again quite yet. I just wanted us. Like you did. I know you held back in there for that very reason. I know you did.”
Jax relaxes instantly, his hands coming down on my shoulder. “I know, baby. And yes, I did. I want the same.”
“Why?” Savage demands, responding to my question as if Jax hasn’t spoken. “Because that asshole York made a few more calls, too. He met with your brother, Emma. And then he called every person on the list of people your father had investigated.”
Jax curses and turns away from me, scrubbing his jaw before he faces us again. “Not one of those people is coming to the festival. That means that whatever your father started, Emma, your brother has continued, and apparently, he’s using York to his aid. Does he know what York did to you?”
The blood runs from my face. “Please don’t go there, Jax. I don’t—I just—I’ll call my brother. No. I need to just go back and deal with my brother.” I start for the door, and Savage steps in front of me.
“We don’t even know what they’re up to right now. We don’t want them to pull back before we find out.”
“It’s obvious what they’re up to,” I snap back. “They want the castle. They’re going to burn Jax until they get it.”
Jax catches me from behind and turns me to face him. “But we don’t know why, baby. We need to know their motivation. There is too much we don’t know.”
“And Savage’s team isn’t finding out fast enough.”
“We were hired a few days ago,” Savage argues. “And what the hell is in this for York, Emma?”
I don’t turn to face him. “I don’t know, Jax. I don’t understand what’s going on right now. None of this makes sense. I need to end this. I’m the one who can get to my brother.”
“Not yet, baby. We need to take a step back and figure out what this is. My brother is dead. I won’t let you end up dead, too.”
“I’m not afraid of my brother. He won’t kill me. He won’t.” I press my hand to my stomach, feeling sick. “He’s not that man.”
“He’s not alone in this now,” Jax says. “York’s involved. I will not let you leave until I know you’re safe.”
“I need—”
“Damn it, woman, if that makes this the right time to tie you up and keep you here, I damn sure will do it.”
“Are you really saying that to me right now, Jax North?”
“Damn straight, baby. So make a move. And then I’ll make mine.”
