Jaxon Hough offered insider police knowledge and a no-strings friendship, and I all but sucker punched him through the phone. The stress is getting to me, but Hough doesn’t deserve what I’m dishing out.
“Shit, I’m sorry. You know that—”
“I’ll give you updates. Have a good interview.” With that, the line goes dead.
Great.
I’ve managed to piss off the one person with intel.
Brilliant.
Throwing the phone on the couch, I walk to the window and gaze outside. Somewhere out there, waits a psychopath who tried to gut his own child.
I think about the impending birth of my own kid. The love I already feel blows me away, and it isn’t even here yet.
How could a father torture his own flesh and blood?
Cursing, I lift the bottle back to my lips, letting it dull the thoughts haunting me. In the pit of my stomach, I know he waits for the opportunity I hand him every time I leave on tour—Phoebe tied up in a red bow.
Sighing, I flip the cell phone over in my hand a few times before dialing the number I’ve hesitated calling.
He answers on the first ring. “Yeah?”
I clear my throat. “Hey, it’s me.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I need you to do me a favor, and I need you to not ask questions.”
“I’m listening.”
“Remember those friends you told me about last night?”
“Yeah.”
“I need you to call them.”
“What changed your mind?” I hear him take a drag off a cigarette and blow out the smoke.
“I told you not to ask questions,” I growl.
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to tell them?”
“Tell them they’ll be paid well—more than well—to keep an eye on the house and Phoebe. If anything goes down, tell them to do what they do best.”
“Jag, you realize what they do best is illegal, right?”
I grit my teeth. “No questions, remember?”
There’s a low sigh and a pause. “Okay, brother, I want you to understand something. When you tell them to do what they do best, they’ll do it. Completely and without consideration.”
“I get it.”
“Fine. I’ll call you when it’s done.”
“No, I don’t want to know about it. Just do it.” I don’t give him a chance to reply. Letting out a rough exhale, I jerk the phone away and end the call.
Everything I do is for Phoebe’s safety, so why does everything inside me scream to call Zane back and revoke the orders?
Fuck it.
I can’t turn back now. Whatever it takes to keep her safe is worth the risk.
Turning back to the window, I continue staring at the street. A vein in my temple pulses, causing my head to pound twice as hard. Surely, I’ve taken enough precautions and paid off enough people to give myself a little peace of mind.
Surely.
I stiffen as she slips her arms around my waist and trails her fingernails down my ribcage. That damn feeling of dread is back, and it has its hooks in deep.
“Are you okay?” Her soft voice soothes my shitty mood like an elixir. “You’ve been down here for hours.” I rest my chin on the top of her head, inhaling the familiar scent of her coconut shampoo.
“Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
For a moment, I consider telling her everything, but the minute I open my mouth, I close it. I can’t justify dumping this kind of burden on her—especially with me leaving.
“No, I’m just thinking about the tour.” I face her, and the smile she gives me skyrockets my pulse.
Every time I look at her, I fall in love with her all over again.
Her dark, tousled hair tumbled over her shoulders, and her crystal blue eyes weigh heavy with fatigue. She seems tired and worn down. But it’s the the dark circles under her eyes that reinforce my decision.
“I don’t want to spend my last days standing here talking about me,” I say.
A sly smile dances across her lips. “Oh? Want to take a walk?”
“Most definitely.” My smile widens as I back her up, my hands guiding her hips. “Just keep walking.”
“I meant outside.”
“Well, that’s up to you, princess. But the neighbors might talk.”
Her arm shoots out, and there’s a brief pause in our movement as we both glance down to where her palm is splayed against my chest. “Maybe I don’t want to take a walk with you.”
I lift an eyebrow. “No?”
“Maybe I want to make you wait to take a walk. You know, something to look forward to.” Her lips twist in a grin so