Now or Never(41)

“What happened?” Jay felt like he floated in time, not knowing whether to want or dread the end of that story.

“Everyone’s okay. No one got hurt. But one of them . . . Em didn’t have any money, but they didn’t believe her when she told them that. One of them . . . searched her.”

“He touched her?” How Ashlyn made out the words gritted so harshly between his teeth that he barely understood himself, he didn’t know, but she nodded solemnly. “And Em?”

“She kind of freaked.”

“Why the hell didn’t you call me?” Jay had barely removed his coat before Ashlyn dropped this shit on him, and he was already pulling it back on.

“When we got home, she went straight to bed. I checked on her first. She swore she was fine. She looked okay. Said she overreacted. Blamed it on not eating anything all day and too much excitement. I just . . . I thought you should know.”

Overreaction, his ass. That was bullshit. That was so much fucking bullshit, and Ash knew it or she wouldn’t be standing there, telling him all of this.

The door opened again behind them and when Mason strode in like he hadn’t a care in the world, Jay lost all control.

“What the hell happened last night?” He didn’t bother waiting for an answer, shoving Mason against the wall.

“What the hell? Nothing. We got robbed by some thugs, but everyone’s fine. No big deal. Chill out.”

“No big deal? You let those assholes put their hands on her and that’s no big deal?” He knew damn well it was a big deal to Em.

“No one got hurt. They just—”

“No one touches Em. You get me? You let anyone put their hands on her again and I will rip yours off.”

“All right. I get you.” Mason threw up his hands in surrender.

Jay didn’t have time for this shit. He had to find Em. Part of him knew it was a bad idea. He should leave her alone. But he couldn’t do it. Not after what Ashlyn had just told him. He needed to see her. See for himself if she was okay. Em was good at putting on a show, making people believe she was fine when she wasn’t—she’d done it for years—but he could see through all that crap straight to what was going on behind those damn walls of hers.

Ashlyn was still standing beside the bar, gaping at him in stunned silence.

“Where is she?”

“My house. She doesn’t work til later.” Her gaze drifted past Jay to Mason and back again. “You know, it wasn’t his fault we—”

“I’m going over there.”

Her attention snapped fully to him. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“I have to see her. Tell Bart I’ll be back in an hour.”

“What if—?”

He didn’t hear the rest of her question. He was already out the door and headed across the lot to his truck. He was only going to look. Play the creepy stalker for a few minutes, catch a glimpse of her, convince himself she was okay, and go back to work. But when he pulled up to the curb outside Ashlyn’s house and saw her through the bay window, curled up on the couch in a little ball, arms wrapped protectively around herself, staring at a blank TV screen, that plan was shot to hell.

With no clue what he was going to say, Jay rang the bell and waited. A moment later, the door cracked open an inch and anxious eyes peered out at him. The fear lurking in their depths made him sick to his stomach.

“Jay?” The relief in her voice made him want to hit something. If he’d just been there last night . . .

“Em—”

The door flung open and before he could get another word out, she flew into his arms. Jay wrapped her up tight, just glad to have her there again, even if only for a minute. Ushering her back into the house, out of the cold, he shut the door behind them.

“Ashlyn told me what happened. Are you all right?” She stared up at him from beneath her long, dark lashes before becoming intensely focused on her mismatched socks. Fingers knotted in front of her, she shuffled back toward the living room.

It was a stupid question. He didn’t even know why he bothered asking it. One look at her was all it took to know that she was far from all right. But it was the fact that she didn’t want to tell him—to talk to him—that got to him the most. He’d given her no reason to. Hell, he probably shouldn’t even be there, but he couldn’t let her retreat behind her walls. Not from him.

“Em . . .” He tailed her into the living room, refusing to have her out of his sight even for a moment. “I know we’re not . . . No matter what we are or aren’t, you can always talk to me, Em. I will always be here for you, no matter what. I hope you know that.”