Her hands tremble as they stroke my face. “Jax, I’m sorry that all this—”
“—Raven, never be sorry for something that was never your fault. I love you, and will move heaven and earth to keep you safe.” I run my hands up and down her arms. “Hey, are you hungry?”
“Starving!” She widens her eyes. “Are you going to feed me?”
“Sweetheart, I’m going to feed you, and then I’m going to make love to you all night long.”
“Well, while you’re getting dinner ready, I’m going to have a relaxing soak in that beautiful tub.”
I kiss her and push her along, while I figure out what to do for dinner. I’m so glad Bella taught me how to cook. She said it would come in handy someday, and she wasn’t kidding, especially since my wife is totally clueless in the kitchen. I put the dinner in the oven and decide to go check on Raven. She is soaking in the tub. Her hair is pulled up, but some tendrils are cascading down. Her eyes are closed, and she’s singing a beautiful song by Nickleback, ‘Never Gonna Be Alone.’ I don’t know why she thinks she can’t sing—her voice is beautiful. I climb into the tub and face her. Her eye’s fly open with a look that makes my cock jump to attention.
“I never heard you come in, is dinner ready?”
“You were very relaxed, and singing a beautiful song. You have a fantastic voice, so don’t get all embarrassed. Dinner is in the oven, we have time. Relax and let me rub your feet.”
She leans back and closes her eyes as I lift her foot. I work my thumbs up and down her arch, and then I graze my teeth along her big toe. She grips the side of the tub and just when she can’t take anymore, I move onto the other foot.
“Oh, Jax.”
“Feel good, sweetheart?” I give her a slight smile. My thoughts shouldn’t be anywhere but with her, yet, I can’t help myself from worrying about Max. What if, this time, my brother doesn’t come back?
“Jax, he’ll be okay.” She pulls her foot away and moves to straddle me.
I let out a deep breath. “How could you know I was thinking about him?”
“Know that Max will be okay, or know that you’re worried?”
“Both.”
“I love you, Jax. When you hurt, I hurt. When you worry, I worry. I feel what you feel. I know Max will be okay because I have faith. The same way I knew he would wake up. You need to do the same. Right now, I’m more worried about Jackie and my mom. Both of them are reliving a nightmare. Jax, can we head back home? I know that we were going to stay here another night, but I would feel better if I was there for both of them.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing. Let’s head back.”
ROSE IS MESSING AROUND in the kitchen, trying to keep busy. I am in dire need of chocolate. I know that Jax has a stash here somewhere. I find some and sit at the counter, watching Rose cook. “I didn’t know you could cook.”
“Actually, I love to cook. I find it very relaxing.”
“Well, Raven didn’t get that gene, that’s for sure. Unless you consider a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cooking.”
“Maybe that’s something I can teach her now that we’re together. Right now, I want to talk about you. You haven’t been yourself since Max left earlier. What’s going on?”
“The last time Max went after Vincent, it didn’t end well.” I cross my arms across my chest, rubbing at them to fight the chill I just got.
“We just have to pray that everything will work out, Jackie. Stay positive, dear.” She offers me a warm smile.
Nothing else needs to be said; all we can do it wait. I decide to hang out with Mick in the living room for a little bit while Rose is busy cooking dinner. “Hey, Mick, how are you doing?”
“He’ll be okay, Jackie.”
“Am I really that much of an open book?”
He laughs, “Well, yeah, you are.”
“What happened with Ashlyn? She’s a very nice person, Mick. She does some great work with veterans.”
“After the wedding, we went for coffee. I like her. We talked about getting together again, so we’ll see where it goes.”
“I’m going upstairs on the deck, for a bit. If you need anything, let me know. I’ll let Rose know where I’m going, and my security, too.”
I don’t give him a chance to protest. I need to get out and get some air. I would love to go for a run, but not without Max. It’s a beautiful night, and I can see stars, even with the lights of the city. I’ve decided to tell Jax I want to go forward with the school at Raiders. I need something to do. I never thought my life would turn out this way. I had it all planned out, but not like this. I want a life with Max, but I also need to be safe. Now that I know everything that happened to Max’s family, I can understand the fear he lives with. I need to get him to a place where he can finally feel safe and loved. Suddenly, I hear a noise and nearly jump out of my skin. I turn, see Raven, and lose it. She is on me in a second, her arms around me, holding me tight.
“Jackie, stop with the ugly cry; he’ll be back safely.”
“If you believe that then why did you come back early?”
“I knew you needed me.”
“Ugly cry, really?”
“Yeah, really ugly.”
“Did you know your mom cooks?”
“Yes. The place smells wonderful.”
“Raven, thank you for coming back.”
“He will be back, Jackie, I have faith.
You ready to go back down?”
“Yeah, lets go.”
WHEN WE GET DOWNSTAIRS, I see my mom setting up plates of food. Jax and Mick are deep in conversation. As we approach them, the elevator doors open and Max and Sammy step out. I let out a breath as Jackie runs to Max. The look on Jax’s face is like a kid on Christmas morning. I walk up to him and whisper in his ear, “Faith, Jax.”
Max lets go of Jackie, and kisses her forehead. “I told you I’d be back, no tears, baby.” He then looks at Jax. “We got it. The videotape was in a safe, in the cabin. The authorities took possession of it, and I have a copy. It will be submitted Monday morning to the Feds. I’m not sure what is going to happen, but either way, we can use it to our advantage. If he turns state’s evidence, we can leak it to the rival families, letting them know that he is a rat. Or they can use it to prosecute him for Antonio’s murder. It is clear cut, and he can’t talk himself out of it.”
“Max, what else was in the cabin?”
“Nothing, Jax. It was just a basic fishing cabin, in the middle of nowhere.”
“Let’s all sit down and eat. Apparently, my mother-in-law is a wonderful cook.”
Everyone sits down to eat Rose’s wonderful food. Talk soon turns to all things baby. It’s nice to see such normalcy for a change.
“Mom, what type of birth did you have with me?”
“I had a natural birth. My labor was very short, and you were early. Have you decided what type of birth you want to have?” She grabs her glass of wine and takes a sip.
All of a sudden, Max starts laughing. “Max, you already used up your one get out of jail free card, so if you know something, you better confess now,” I order, having a hunch that his laughter was brought on by something Jax had done. That’s usually the case.
“Raven, think of who you’re married to. You should have seen him with Bella. I’m surprised we didn’t have him sectioned.”
Jax is very quiet, stroking his chin. I know he’s done something. “What did you do, Jax?”
He’s about to get up, but I grab his arm. “Don’t even think about trying to worm your way out of this one.”
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Max,” he says with a bit of irritation “I rented a private suite at the hospital. I hired a team of nurses. I’ve been interviewing nannies and security guards. The baby never leaves our sight, and I hired a private Lamaze instructor to come to the house.”
I’m reciting my mantra in my head over and over again. Pick and choose your battles wisely. I know it is fear that is driving him, b
ut if I don’t rein him in, it will only get worse.
I leap up and slam my hand on the table, and all heads turn towards me. “Jax, what about me? What about what I want, or don’t want? I understand a lot of what you’ve done. I know the more private we operate, and then the safer we are. The one thing I will not go along with is a nanny. I’m not working. I will stay home and take care of our baby. Women have been having babies and taking care of them for years without the help of a nanny. I keep telling you the same thing over and over again. You have to talk to me before you go off and do all this crazy stuff. You just used up your last get out of jail free card, so like Max, you better think before you go off half-cocked.”
You could hear a pin drop it’s so quiet. I turn my focus to my mother. “Mom, how early was I?”
“You were only a week early, nothing to worry about. You do need to let the doctor know that I had a fast birth, as did your grandmother. It would seem to run in the family.”
“How fast was it?”
“From start to finish, one and a half hours.”
There’s a loud clank as Jax drops his fork. He’s frozen, my poor husband. If he survives this, it will be a miracle. “Mom, Monday afternoon I have a doctor appointment, will you come with me? It’s the start of my last trimester. You can tell her the family history.”
“Of course I will. Don’t worry, Jax, I will be here to help with the baby.”
I’M LISTENING TO EVERYTHING going on around me, but all I hear is fast birth, over and over again, in my head. I never even thought it was possible, especially since my mum reminds me repeatedly how long she was in labor with me. I swear it gets longer every time she gets mad at me.
While everyone is cleaning up and getting dessert ready, Max, Sammy, and I head towards the office for a private chat. “Alright, bring me up to speed. What happened at the cabin? And thanks for throwing me under the bus, Max.”
“Jax, you through yourself under the bus. You need to dial it down, we will get through this together, mate.”
He hands me a flash drive. “Put this in the safe. I had the tape transferred to a drive. There is no reason for Raven or Rose to ever see this. There were some papers in the safe, and among them was a letter to Raven from Joseph, explaining why he chose not to use the tape to go after Vincent. At first, I didn’t understand it, until I watched the tape. I hope that neither of them will have to watch it again.”
I take the drive and put it in the safe. “What’s the plan for Monday?”
“I asked Sammy to help with security and transport. Jax, I know I’m not one-hundred percent for field work, plus I’m too closely involved to be clear-headed.” He looks down. I can tell this is a hard adjustment for him.
Sammy steps up and begins to explain his plan. “Jax, I am going to stay here with Rose and Jackie. I have brought in some private security that I trust, and have used before for additional backup. They are all retired MI6. We will leave via the back entrance where a bulletproof car will be waiting for you. I emailed you both pictures of your driver and additional security that will flank you at all times. I also sent you additional pictures of Annabelle and her children. She has a son and a daughter; neither is in the business. The daughter is a director at a private school for the blind. The son is a research chemist for new drug development. Keep in mind; I never make changes to a plan. If anyone tries to tell you that I changed something—I didn’t.”
“Well, it sounds like you have everything covered. Where are you staying, Sammy?”
“I moved into Max’s guest room, since Jackie is staying with him. After the dust settles, I will make arrangements for a permanent solution. Right now, I just want to get us all to the other side of this.”
“Thank you. We better go back inside before I get into anymore trouble.”
I look to Max, giving him a slight side nod of my head. No words ever need to be spoken, that’s one of our many cues when we have something more to discuss in private.
“Sammy, Jax and I have some Raiders business to discuss, we’ll be out in a bit.”
I watch him leave, then go to my desk, bring out the scotch, and pour us each a hefty shot.
“Talk to me, Jax. What’s going on in that crazy head of yours?”
“How did Sammy know who Rose is?”
“The Director of MI6 told him. I told you, Gerhard has quite a bit of influence.” He takes a sip. “You never told me that Rose didn’t know about Raven being kidnapped by Vincent. When Sammy and I were trying to figure out where the tape could be, Rose heard. I had to tell her. I assured her that Vincent never touched Raven. It’s because of Rose that we found that tape.”
“What was on the tape?”
“ I would say, it is one of the most horrific things I have ever seen. The rage and pure evil from that man was sick. I would not have been surprised if he was really aiming for Raven, when he took the shot. Maybe Joseph told Raven the shot was meant for him to ease the burden of her father’s death. We’ll never know the answer; he took it to the grave with him. After watching it, I can understand what drove Raven into silence and Rose to recess into the darkest corners of her mind. Vincent made her watch this over and over again.”
“What was in the letter from Joseph? Why didn’t he put the bastard away?”
“Fear. He feared if it went to trial, Raven wouldn’t survive, neither mentally nor physically. He feared Vincent would find out about Duke’s existence, and that Rose was alive. He also knew that Vincent’s reach was far and wide. That type of venom has connections in high ranking places.”
“Max, are you okay with Sammy taking the lead on security for tomorrow?”
“I am. I know I’m too close to the situation, and I’m not one hundred percent. I’m still getting headaches, although they happen less, I never know when one will spring on me. The Chief said he would trust his children with him.”
“Just one more thing, Max, before we go. I’m telling you this one time, and one time only. After what you put me through, getting shot in Miami, you’re never going out in the field again. Your little stunt of going to that cabin when you knew I wasn’t here to stop you—it really pissed me off. I have too much on my fucking plate! And yeah, right now, it’s all about me. Pull that shit again and I’ll shoot you in the arse myself!”
I slam my glass down and head out the door, leaving Max in silence.
Just as I head back to the living room, Mum gets off the elevator. Could this day get any better? “Hello, Mum.”
“Don’t you hello, Mum me, where is he?”
I’m so glad I’m not in trouble for a change. “He’s in the office.”
Before she can say anything, Max comes up behind us.
“I’m here, An, and I’m fine.”
She reaches up and pulls his ear with no signs of letting go.
“Let me tell you something, Maxwell Fleming, if you ever do something like that again, so help me, Lord.”
“Mum, I already warned him.” I try to rescue him.
“Jaxson James, stop laughing, you’re in just as much trouble as he is.”
What the hell? “I wasn’t even here, why am I in trouble?”
“You know the way he is. Next time, leave Mick here to guard him, and make sure he behaves.” It doesn’t matter how old I am, when she yells at me, I feel like I’m a kid all over again.
“An, I am an adult, and I can take care of myself. I was in no immediate danger, and I had, Sammy, with me.”
Raven comes out, probably to see what all the yelling is about. She knows how to defuse a situation. Must be all of that teacher training.
“An, why don’t you come inside and have some tea. My mom made some wonderful cookies.”
“Honestly, Raven, sometimes they are like little boys in the school yard.”
She is still talking away as Raven leads her inside. She looks back to me and I mouth, “I love you, wife,” while giving her a smirk. She rolls her eyes.
IT’S MONDAY MORNING, AND I open
my eyes, only to find that the room is dark and I’m alone. I feel panic, but then I see him sitting in a chair in the corner of the bedroom. My poor, beautiful husband, he’s so brave, yet so vulnerable. Everyone looks to him for strength and guidance, whom does he look to? I know he’s watching me; I can feel it in my soul. I say the one thing that I know will make him come running.
“Jax, I need you.” Without another minute passing, he’s holding me, loving me, and consuming every part of me.
“I need you more, sweetheart, more than you’ll ever know.”
It’s just a whisper, but I heard him. His fear about today is really off the charts. I know where he needs to be. The one place he can let go, the place that’s reserved just for us. He’s kissing my neck and nibbling my ear. I love when he is gentle, but I love when he is fierce. Right now, I know he needs fierce.
“Jax, I need you inside me now.”
He stops and our eyes lock, “Hard and fierce, Jax—no holds barred.”
He enters me slowly, his eyes still gazing into mine. When he’s totally buried, just the way he likes to be, he stops. He lifts my legs up and places them on his shoulders. He slides his arms under my back grasping my shoulders. Our eyes never stray. He doesn’t have to say a word; I see it in the depths of his beautiful blue eyes. He pulls back really slow and then slams into me, screaming my name. First fast, then slow. Time seems to stand still as I feel my heart pounding. He slows down, I think it’s to give me a chance to catch up, but then he’s swiveling his hips, first right and then left. He pulls back and then begins pounding again. I don’t know how much time passes by; all I can concentrate on is his relentless pounding. He grabs my legs and pushes them towards me, lifting my pelvis to take more of him in. I grasp at the sheets, practically ripping them as he explodes, so fiercely, I fear he might pass out. He rests his forehead on mine, our eyes still locked.
Darkness into Dawn (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 2) Page 23