Chapter 29
If Jax was the Tin Man, then this office was the inside of his big, empty chest.
The walls held pictures of Jax with military generals and two US Presidents. There were two degrees, one from Harvard and one PhD she never knew he had, but it failed to give him personality or actual flesh and blood.
Jessa's eyes drifted over shelves of books about history and tactical decision-making, and it occurred to her that even with good decisions, history was still bound to repeat itself unless people learned, but that never seemed to happen.
That was why people like Jax and companies like HERO Force had something to do, lest they sit around here twiddling their thumbs.
She sat down at his desk with a sigh. She didn't know what she was looking for, she only knew she had not found it. She started opening drawers, unconcerned with Jax’s privacy.
He’d gone through everything she owned. If he didn't want her going through his things, he shouldn't have left her in here alone.
The first thing that surprised her was the gun. In a place like this, everyone had a weapon all the time, but to find one in an unlocked drawer was alarming. She checked the chamber. It wasn't loaded, and she slipped it back inside the drawer and opened the next one.
Whiskey. Arguably, Jax’s best friend.
No surprise there.
She pulled open the bottom drawer and her heart fell out of her chest. There, next to a few cigars, was a small framed picture of Ralph and Jax laughing.
Her chest tightened as she brought the picture close to her face. They were wearing fatigues, and she recognized it must have been taken in their navy days. From the obvious youth on their faces, it was likely shortly after they met and before Jessa was even in the picture.
Those two were always laughing together.
Come to think of it, the only time she’d seen Jax really laugh was with Ralph.
They were friends — good friends — and finding this little piece of her heart tucked away in Jax’s desk drawer seemed like the only thing in the entire space that showed he was capable of feeling.