Carter puffs out several rings of smoke, staring at them with affection. “You think you’re so clever. A prince? The bee’s fucking knees maybe? You’re nothing but an entitled punk. I don’t expect Lucius to offer me protection. I have my own network. I’m doing this for Ella, not because of your empty threats. Once I know she’s safe, I’ll step back into the shadows.”
“Then we have a deal,” I say, feeling ice forming in my veins. No matter what, I’ll convince Lucius to take us in. I won’t give him a choice.
Carter gets up, putting a hand on my shoulder as he goes by me. “Get some rest, Jaxson. Tomorrow will be a tough day for all of us. You’ll have to get both Ella and Lucius to agree to the plan. It’s all on you.”
*
Standing outside the room where Ella’s sleeping, I can count the pounding heartbeats in my chest. Just this morning we thought we’d start all over, get away from the ugly clutches of organized crime, away from grief and uncertainty. And now everything has turned around. We are about to fall deeper than ever into this deadly game.
I enter the room quietly, afraid my booming heart will wake her. I’d give anything to know what she’s dreaming about tonight, what thoughts troubled her before she fell asleep. She barely uttered a word since we arrived.
My beautiful girl has been put through too much. I will not rest until Ella Wade is safe and once again living her life without fear.
Kneeling by the bed in the dark, I shut my eyes tight. I don’t need to see her face to picture her breathtaking beauty. Her smile, her brown eyes, her soft curves have been imprinted onto my retinas and heart forever.
—three—
Ella
All I am is tangled nerves and exhaustion. I can’t stop yawning. Last night, I pretended to be asleep so I could avoid more awkward conversation and now I can barely keep my eyes open. Feeling sleepy and losing my mental acuity is not exactly wise after discovering a crime syndicate wants me dead.
I step out onto the brick patio of the guest house. I stare in wonder at a completely unexpected sight. Last night, when the car dropped us at the doorstep, it was too dark to see much of anything besides the lit sidewalk.
The beautiful elegance of a huge horse farm surrounds the house. I gaze at the rugged hills in the distance and the gorgeous variety of horses feeding in gigantic outdoor pens.
The sun blurs my vision for a moment so I reach for the sunglasses in the pocket of my jeans. Riders appear on four spectacular horses and enter a simple wooden outdoor riding arena. I’ve always loved horses but have never actually been so close to them before.
The main house looms majestic behind the guest house, all white with a wraparound porch and several balconies on the second floor. The place is strangely quiet for such a large property.
I’m still taking everything in when Jax approaches on a tall, brown horse with a beautiful golden mane. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Jax can ride a horse—after all he’s had the money and opportunity to learn, but it still takes my breath away a little to see him like this, back perfectly straight, knees held tight against the horse’s ribs, concern in his smoky green-blue eyes.
“Where are we?” I say as he approaches. If I reached out, I could pet the horse’s silky neck but I don’t want to disturb the magnificent creature. I’m even more reluctant to touch Jax no matter how much I crave his arms right now. I need him. I ache for him, but can’t get past the fact he’s lied to me repeatedly.
“We’re in horse country,” he says, looking at me from above.
My eyes question that sentence as I take off the sunglasses, not sure if it’s a joke or if such a place exists. “We’re in California,” I say, confused.
“Just north of LA,” he says. “This is the area where they shot hundreds of westerns. There are ranches like this in every direction. We’re safe for now.”
“That’s reassuring,” I say with more than a tinge of sarcasm.
He extends a hand which I don’t take. “Do you want to ride with me?”
I stare at his hands on the horse. “Are we supposed to act like everything’s just rosy?”
His eyes meet mine and narrow as he surveys my face. “We’re here, baby. Things are not rosy. I wish they were, but we’re here and I’d rather ride than overthink every detail again. We need a break.”
Is he serious? We should just take a ride in paradise? My long lost father kidnaps me and tells me he’s some kind of underworld figure and his enemies want to kill me and now I wake on some tranquil horse ranch where Jax suggests an idyllic ride on a beautiful stallion. Am I missing something?