Now or Never(14)

Stifling the cringe that threatened to surface, she forced herself to relax and allow him to encase her small hand in his much larger one. His grip was hard and when she pulled back, he failed to release her, doubling Em’s heart rate.

“Where’s Julian?” It took her a moment to register who he was looking for, having only heard Jay’s real name once before.

“Why are you looking for him?”

“Who is it, babe?” Jay came up behind her and Em turned just in time to see him freeze in his tracks. For a seemingly endless moment, Jay just stared at the man at the door, but his eyes were so cloudy she doubted he was really seeing him at all.

“Jay?” Her voice snapped him back from wherever he’d gone and he stepped forward, wrapping a strong arm around her waist and hauling her backward into his chest. His heart was beating so hard she could feel it pounding against her spine.

“What are you doing here?” Jay’s voice was deceptively low, but there was no mistaking the tremor of fear behind it.

“I want the money.”

Money? What money? Em’s mind scrambled to play catch up. They didn’t have any money. They’d spent his grandparent’s money on the house and . . . His grandparent’s money. The money Jay’s father had been using until he inherited it when he turned eighteen.

Oh, crap.

Jay’s arm was like a steel band around her middle, but it melted away under her gentle prying. Stepping away from him, Em gripped the door so hard her fingers ached. She really wanted to grip something else, like that bastard’s throat.

“You need to leave. Now. And if you ever come near us again, I’ll call the police.” She slammed the door with a force that surprised even her and made every frame in the house rattle.

When she turned around, Jay was standing in the exact spot she’d left him, unmoving. She walked to him and his arms opened automatically. Em didn’t hesitate to throw herself into them. Jay buried his face in her neck as she brought her arms around his back. Even through his shirt, she could feel the marks that monster had left on his body and the way he trembled from head to toe.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. He’s gone. He’s gone and we’re here. Together. Everything’s okay.” She knew she was babbling, but she didn’t care. If the words existed to calm him, she would find them, even if she had to go through every word in the English language.

Jay’s head pulled back and his deep blue eyes focused on her with alarm. “You’re everything to me. You know that, right?”

Em could only nod and force the words past the lump in her throat. “And you’re my everything. As long as we’re together, everything will be all right.”

“I love you.” Jay’s warm lips pressed against her temple and she felt his chest expand against her with a deep steadying breath.

“I love you, too.”

He allowed her to hold him a short while longer, before extracting himself from her embrace and heading back into the kitchen. Em followed slowly, not entirely sure what was going through his head. He’d found gravy—who knows where—and was heating it on the stove, while biscuit batter sat in a bowl on the counter.

Her fingers itched to touch him, but she forced herself to stand back and watch him move silently around the room, scooping batter and putting the tray in the oven. When he slammed it shut hard enough to jostle the bowl off the counter, Em jumped.

“Jay?”

“I can’t.” His hand drove forcefully through his hair, tugging at the roots.

“Jay, everything’s going to be—”

“I can’t believe this shit.”

Em felt herself tense at the venom in his tone, though she knew it wasn’t meant for her. She’d rarely seen Jay so angry.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Em. He was here. Talking to you. Touching you. Son of a bitch!” In a single fluid move, he swooped down, snatched the bowl off the floor and slammed it down in the sink. “I should have seen this coming. I should have known things couldn’t be so simple. That he’d never give up that kind of money without a fight. He never does anything without a fight.”

Jay had a habit of talking with his hands, especially when he was upset. They were moving a mile a minute now as he paced the small space between the sink and fridge like a caged tiger.

“Dammit, why can’t I just keep you safe?”

“Jay, you—” Em stepped forward to comfort him at the same moment he whirled around to face her and his outstretched palm slammed across her cheek. Pain exploded behind her right eye and she stumbled sideways. Feet twisted, she fell before she could grab a hold of the counter and found herself sprawled across the peeling linoleum of the kitchen floor.