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Anxiety pulled and tugged at my insides. “It has. I have a guess who might have been behind the trigger, and I need to deal with it. In order to do that, I have to take off for a while.”
Silence descended over the room, and I watched as my friends processed what I’d said.
“How long will you be gone?” Anderson asked, sadness clinging to his expression.
“I don’t know. Hopefully only a week or so. My uncle is in an MC, so I’ll be working with them to track someone down that has answers. I’ve not talked to Ari about any of this yet, but I need to make sure she’s safe before I leave.”
“From the sound of it, she’s safer away from you.” Quinn gave me a pointed look.
“I know. It’s why I’ve gotta jet for a bit. I love her, and I didn’t protect her after the fire. I can now.” I had dealt with Peter too, but I sure as hell couldn’t share that with anyone other than Kane, Quinn, and Anderson.
“I’m in,” Kane said first.
The others agreed, and we discussed how to ensure that Ari remained safe while at school. Asking the guys for help wasn’t the hard part, though. It was making Ari understand my decision to leave.
My cell buzzed, and I stared at the screen and read Gunner’s cryptic text.
The eagle has landed.
I blinked multiple times. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Ari and I had run out of time.
ChapterThirty-Six
Ariana
Istared at Jagger as if he’d just told me he had a family that lived on Mars and he visited on weekends.
Jag paced my bedroom, his ice-blue eyes pinning me. “Ari, this isn’t up for fucking discussion. Pack your bag,now.”
“I can’t skip classes, Jagger. I’ll flunk out and lose my scholarship.” I tapped my toe against the wood floor, hoping that he would understand he was overthinking the situation. “You leave if that’s what you have to do. I’m staying.”
Jagger’s temper snapped like an overstretched rubber band. He stormed over to me and grabbed my shoulder with one hand. “You’re not listening. I’m not giving you a choice. You can either pack a duffle bag with what you want to take or I’ll throw you on my bike without it. We’re leaving.”
“You know, it might help if you told me why you’re freaking out. I don’t care how long we’ve known each other, threats to kidnap me won’t work well. It wouldn’t for any girl, Jagger.” I attempted to pull away from him, pissed that he thought he could control my life. A lesson would do him some good, and I was about to teach him.
Jagger tightly gripped the back of my neck and placed his forehead against mine before he whispered, “I don’t trust that your room or phone isn’t bugged. Call me paranoid, but I was shot a few weeks ago. Shit is getting real, and I have to keep you safe. I was going to go out of town on my own until I got a text message that changed my mind. You’re coming with me. It’s not up for debate. This is life and death, baby.”
His words slammed into my chest like a freight train, stealing the air from my lungs. I looked into his eyes. They were heavy with desperation and love.
I swallowed over the lump in my throat and willed my overactive pulse to slow before I spoke. “Crimson?”
Jag shook his head. “Worse. Tell the girls we’re going to spend a few weeks at Theo and Mom’s place You can still keep up with your schoolwork online, so grab whatever you need then pack a week’s worth of clothes. You have to keep it to necessity only since we’re on my bike.
“We could take my car, Jag.”
“No. I want people to think you’re here.”
“Can you tell me where we’re going?” I asked, my voice thin with anxiety.
“Not now. I will soon, though.” He gently squeezed my arm.
My brain scrambled for the right words to say to the girls, but since Jagger was still recovering, it should be easy to give them a reason. I hated lying to them, but I wasn’t sure what was worse than Crimson unless it was . . . Fear scraped its ugly nails down my spine and I shivered.
“You have to tell me what’s happening when we’re tucked away safe, Jagger. You promise?”
His eyes bored into mine. “I swear. Right now, we have to get the fuck out of here.”
His words squeezed my chest, and I pushed up on my tiptoes, kissing him. “I need to talk to Teagan before we go.”
