12. Mira #2
"Long enough to know he drives a red Mercedes, lives for speed, and would burn down half of California to keep you safe."
He sees the surface. But he can't feel what I feel when Jax looks at me.
I take a careful sip of wine, buying time to think as the earpiece carries sound. Jax's voice, tense.
"Mira, we've got multiple contacts positioning around restaurant perimeter. Time frame just got compressed."
Even through the tiny speaker, hearing him coordinate my safety makes heat spike through my chest. His voice wraps around me like armor, protective and claiming.
That reaction. Alexei could never predict that. Never plan for it.
"Your boy is good," Sasha observes, watching my micro-expressions.
Stop talking about him.
"The racing operations connect to your parents' murder. Follow the money trail through Gideon Lynch."
The words hit hard. Lynch was involved. When my world ended, he was part of the machine that destroyed it.
"Lynch laundered the payment for their deaths through racing circuits. Alexei's been using the same routes for seven years."
My hand moves toward where my knife rests against my thigh through the slit in my dress. The familiar weight centers me, reminds me what I am.
A killer. And right now, that's exactly what this situation needs.
"Side exit is compromised." Asher's voice joins the tactical chatter in my ear. "Kitchen access remains clean. Suggest immediate extraction."
The coordination between them makes something twist in my chest. They're protecting me like I matter. Like losing me would cost them something precious.
When did I start wanting to be worth protecting?
Sasha finishes his wine, movement deliberate and calm.
"Your team is impressive, but Alexei's been studying them for weeks. He knows their patterns, their weaknesses."
Heat flashes through me at the thought of Alexei watching Jax. Planning to hurt him.
That's where his game becomes mine.
"He's counting on you running. Disappearing again like you did at sixteen."
I stand slowly, smoothing my dress. I let my real smile show—the one that promises death.
"Then he's about to be very disappointed."
The earpiece carries Jax's sharp intake of breath. He caught something in my tone that promises violence.
Good. Let them both know what they're dealing with.
"The information's valuable, Sasha. Thanks for the warning."
"My employers will be interested in the outcome. Good hunting."
The kitchen exit opens into the alley. My heels catch on wet asphalt. When did it rain? Suddenly Jax is there, hand on my lower back, steadying me.
"Don't touch me," I gasp, but I'm already leaning into him.
"You're shaking."
"Adrenaline." Lie. It's withdrawal. From him.
His hand slides lower, fingertips grazing the spot where my dress dips low. "The intel—"
"Drive us somewhere. Anywhere. Just—" I can't finish. Can't admit I need his presence more than air.
Four days of avoiding each other after the parking garage. We lasted four days. Now I'm climbing into his Mercedes, knowing this is a mistake, knowing I'll do it anyway.
"Target acquired. Package secure."
Jax's voice cuts through the comm chatter. His eyes scan me from head to toe, searching for damage.
"Talk to me. What did Kozlov give you?"
We slide into the car, and I hand him the envelope. His fingers brush mine as he takes it, and that simple contact grounds me more than it should.
"Photos of Alexei in Los Angeles. Recent ones."
Jax flips through them, his expression darkening with each image. The city lights blur past the windows as we navigate through traffic.
"He's been watching me hunt for seven years. Every contract, every kill. It was all part of his plan."
"Damn."
His hand finds mine in the dark car, fingers interlacing. The warmth spreads up my arm.
"This mission just became exponentially more dangerous for everyone."
Especially for you.
"How dangerous?"
"He knows about the team. About you specifically."
Jax's grip tightens on my hand protectively.
"Let him come. I've been dealing with dangerous people my whole life."
Not like this. Not like him.
Asher's voice comes through the comm.
"Multiple surveillance units converging on hotel. Recommend immediate relocation to safe house for debrief."
Jax puts the car in gear and the car surges forward, but he doesn't let go of my hand. His thumb traces patterns across my knuckles, steadying and reassuring.
I'm not used to being the one who needs comfort.
"We'll figure this out."
His voice carries absolute conviction, like there's no doubt we'll survive whatever's coming.
We. When did it become we?
"He's using the racing circuits. Lynch is part of his operation."
Jax's jaw clenches, but his touch remains gentle. "Then we take them both down."
The casual way he includes himself in my war makes something warm unfurl in my chest. For thirteen years, every battle has been mine alone.
Not anymore.
He turns onto a quieter street, the Mercedes purring through the darkness.
Then Sasha's words echo in my memory: "He knows about your protective teammate and his instincts."
My phone buzzes. Unknown number. "Little swan flying with broken wings now. Your boy drives beautifully when he's protecting you. - A"
I show Jax the screen. His jaw works silently before he speaks.
"He's making you choose between revenge and me."
"No." My voice comes out harder than intended. "He thinks he's already won."
Wrong. I'll burn down the whole city before I let Alexei take either.