Chapter 41
Nessa punched the total into the register, smiling tightly at her customer as she read the price aloud after tax. She loved her job, but after a night of restless sleep, she was more than ready to close up and head home. Her head just wasn’t in it right now.
Once she’d taken the credit card handed to her, swiped it and bagged the tea, she all but shooed the customer out the door, eager to be alone with her thoughts.
Well, as alone as she could be, given her agitating companion.
“So,” Jasper drawled, his focus shifting from the retreating customer and back to Nessa. He’d been watching her all morning, trying and failing to strike up a conversation. She’d hoped he’d take the hint and let them continue their day in silence, but he hadn’t. Not yet. “You’re in a snit.”
“I am not in a snit,” Nessa argued, snatching a box of sample tea bags from the cabinet beneath the register. She began placing them in an orderly, aesthetic fashion on a small plate on the counter, doing her best to ignore the bear who was sitting beside her.
She just wanted some time to collect herself and process the last twenty-four hours. Seeing Angela, hearing her story … It had dragged a lot of long-buried feelings to the surface that she’d tried so hard to put behind her.
After her talk with Murphy last night, she’d hoped taking a bath would help clear her mind from the tumultuous thoughts plaguing her. It didn’t. Nor did avoiding him afterward. She’d stayed in the bedroom, licking her metaphorical wounds until she’d finally fallen asleep.
Murphy had left her alone, and she couldn’t tell if that had made her feel better or infinitely worse.
Part of her had hoped he’d barge into her room and tell her he’d seen the light and would do whatever she said.
He hadn’t, though she’d woken up briefly when he’d climbed into bed with her in the middle of the night.
Even upset, she’d turned into his embrace as he’d curled himself around her, still needing to be closer to him. She felt awful for the small wall she’d erected between them, and she was very aware of how complex everything was.
She didn’t even know Dante, nor had she been a part of Murphy’s bear clan when he’d betrayed everyone. Logically, she understood that whatever happened, it wasn’t her decision to make. Rightfully, she didn’t deserve a say in the judgment either.
All she could do was voice her opinion, which she had, and hope that her mate listened. And if he didn’t … Well, she’d be disappointed, but she’d understand. She’d just need time to get over it.
“Murphy was cranky as hell this morning too,” Jasper continued, propping his forearm onto the countertop and leaning forward nonchalantly, facing her.
“I’ll bet he was,” Nessa muttered under her breath.
She had barely given Murphy a peck on the lips when he’d swapped places with Jasper a few hours ago. And before that? She’d been too in her own head to even keep a conversation with him.
Murphy didn’t deserve the silent treatment from her. It was juvenile and unwarranted, but it was difficult to pretend everything was fine when Angela’s heartfelt pleas still echoed in her head.
“You wanna talk about it?” Jasper asked, his tone shifting from carefree to concerned in an instant.
She shook her head. Whatever issues she needed to work through with Murphy, discussing it with his youngest brother wasn’t appropriate. Aside from that, Murphy was the Alpha. His bears didn’t need to know the inner workings of their relationship, especially when there were bumps in the road.
“Fine,” he said, put out. “I hope you’re not upset with me because I told Murphy that Angela was here.”
“I’m not,” Nessa answered sharply. She sighed, dropping the small bags onto the counter and turning to face him. “I am upset, but it’s not because of you, Jasper. You did nothing wrong.”
He canted his head to the side in confusion. “But Murphy did?” he guessed.
“Yes. No.” I don’t know. Frustrated, she scowled. “Didn’t I just say I don’t want to talk about it?”
“Yeah, but we both know I’m too adorable to resist for long,” Jasper replied smugly.
Nessa rolled her eyes, returning her attention to her half-organized pile of tea. “If by adorable you mean ‘infuriatingly obtuse’ then I agree.”
“Hey!” Jasper gasped dramatically, clutching at his chest. “You wound me, female. Now my offer to beat up Murphy for you has expired.”
She quirked a brow, sending him a sidelong glance. “You never offered to beat up my mate. And besides, I’d decline anyway.”
He nodded sagely. “You’re worried I’d hurt him. I get it.”
Cracking a small smile, she turned back to Murphy’s brother. “I’m actually worried that Tabitha will throw a fit once you get your ass kicked. I don’t want my mother-in-law blaming me for your shortcomings.”
Jasper’s jaw dropped, mock hurt shining in his eyes. “That might be the meanest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“Aw, you poor baby,” Nessa teased, some of her spirits lifting. Leave it to Jasper to help make her feel better using nothing but his never-ending humor. “Do you need a muffin to make you feel better?”
Dealing with her melancholy all morning deserved some type of compensation. Plus, it was the least she could do after outrightly stating he couldn’t handle himself in a fight.
Like he could take on Murphy and win. Your mate’s the Alpha for a reason.
Pride enveloped her, temporarily extinguishing some of her morose emotions.
“Really?” Jasper perked up, moving out from behind the counter and practically skipping to the display case full of treats.
He touched the glass, peering inside with a look of pure delight etched across his features.
It reminded her of a kid in a candy shop.
“Oh, the chocolate chip looks delicious.” He glanced up warily. “How many can I have?”
She pursed her lips, wondering how many she could let go without losing a ton of profit. At the rate he was consuming everything, she’d be in debt by the end of the week. “Five?”
“Only five?” He pouted.
“Five and I’ll order us pizza for lunch,” she bartered.
“Hell yeah, Nessa,” Jasper praised. “You’ve got a deal.” Sliding open the glass window, he reached into the display case, grabbing his first muffin. He brought the baked good up to his nose, inhaling deeply. He groaned.
“If you plan on having sex with that muffin, do it in the back,” Nessa commented dryly, her lips twitching as she returned to her menial task.
She’d just looked down when the front door opened, the chime of the bell signaling a new customer.
“Hi, welcome to Nessa’s Tea—” Nessa glanced up. The remaining words died in her throat. A chill raced down her spine, terror gripping her stomach and twisting it so hard she wasn’t sure if she’d pass out or vomit all over the ground.
“Hello, Vanessa,” Tony stated softly, his voice sliding over her senses like a venomous serpent.
She froze, pure fear taking her hostage even as her brain screamed at her to run, to fight, to do something.
He looked the same as he had all those years ago. Tall and imposing, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks. He was dressed in a black suit, his persona of a nine-to-five business man firmly intact.
As he stepped through the door, his eyes locking onto Jasper, three men crowded into the teahouse behind him, each one muscular and intimidating, wearing similar black suits.
Tony’s enforcers. Tattoos covered their hands and necks, their gang insignia proudly displayed at the center of their throats.
Tony flicked his attention away from Jasper, his cold, cruel gaze settling on her. Years of pain, anguish and heartache rose to the surface, threatening to destroy every ounce of strength she’d built up over the years since her escape. “Did you miss me, pet?”
“J-Jasper,” Nessa whispered fearfully. Her knees shook, the world around her swaying in and out of focus as panic enveloped her.
Tony had found her. After all this time, he’d finally tracked her down. He was going to kill her. Jasper, too, if she didn’t do something.
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
They needed to get the fuck out of here!
Nessa willed her legs to move, willed her mouth to open, desperate to scream at Jasper that they were seriously fucked.
But no words escaped, only one small whimper of terror falling from her throat as black dots crossed her vision.
She grabbed onto the edge of the counter for purchase, lightheaded.
Breathe! You’re stronger than this.
But she didn’t feel strong. One second in Tony’s presence and she was weak.
Useless.
“Who the hell are you?” Jasper barked, his muffin falling to the ground with a dull thud and rolling across the tiled floor. He squared his shoulders, placing himself directly in front of Nessa, cutting her off from the four extremely dangerous men blocking the nearest exit.
“Deal with that one,” Tony instructed, not even sparing Jasper another glance.
Nessa knew what that meant, and her body kicked into overdrive, her fight-or-flight instincts finally making an appearance. She couldn’t let them hurt Jasper. Couldn’t let them hurt either of them.
“Guns!” Nessa shouted, right as two of the enforcers reached for the weapons concealed beneath their jackets.
Jasper rushed forward, his fist flying right at Tony’s face. He struck the gang leader hard.
Tony bellowed in pain, reeling backward. He careened into one of his men, both of them toppling over into a heap of limbs.
“Kill him and take her!” Tony screamed to the others, his calm facade disappearing to reveal the angry, violent man she remembered all too well.
“Nessa, get out of here! Run!” Jasper bellowed, lunging at one of the armed men. He knocked the gun from his hand, kicking him hard in the chest. The enforcer flew back, hitting the front door. The glass cracked from the impact.
Spurred into action from the sound, she bolted, sprinting out from behind the counter and heading for her office.
Her gun was in her purse, just a room away. She could get there—
Three soft pops sounded behind her, followed by a pained, surprised groan. Dread hit her like a battering ram, taking the air from her lungs as she swung back around, terrified of what she’d discover.
Tony pushed furiously to his feet as Jasper stumbled backward, still facing their assailants. Jasper clutched his chest, and directly in front of him was one of Tony’s enforcers, his gun aimed right at the bear shifter.
Jasper dropped his hand limply to his side. Bright red stained his palm, more of it dripping from his fingertips to land on the tiles.
He’d been shot. Murphy’s brother, her friend, her family … He’d been—
No.
No!
Nessa whimpered in despair, her body shaking as he lunged toward the gunman, his steps uncoordinated. “Jasper!”
The guard pulled the trigger again, another soft pop renting the air as a bullet struck Jasper in the chest. The bear wheezed, turning toward her. Their eyes met, his so full of anguish. Four bloody bullet holes littered his torso, each one resonating in her mind more horrifically than the last.
This was her fault.
Jasper—
Another shot went off, hitting him in the back. He jerked forward.
“Run,” Jasper rasped. His eyes rolled back into his head, his knees buckling.
She screamed as he dropped like a stone, lying face-first on the floor.
Completely unmoving. Tears blurred her vision as she backpedaled, moving blindly toward her office.
The enforcers angled toward her, their lips moving as they spoke.
She didn’t hear a single word over the sudden ringing in her ears, deafened to the world around her.
One enforcer reached into his pocket, pulling out a syringe. Her shoulder slammed into the doorway to her office, the slight sting of pain jarring her just enough to rouse her from her shock.
The gun … have to get the gun.
Nessa whipped around, stumbling over her feet as she ran toward her desk. Her hip slammed into the edge as she rounded it, but she barely felt it, her sights set on her purse resting on her desk chair. She snatched the bag up, a wave of relief coursing through her at the heavy, familiar weight.
Burly arms wrapped around her chest, trapping her arms to her sides. The man yanked her backward and off of her feet. She flailed wildly in his hold even as she fumbled with her bag, her fingers shaking as she tried to find the zipper.
The enforcer carried her out of her office and back into the lobby, Jasper’s prone body on the floor causing bile to rise up in her throat.
Tony stood over him, smirking. She’d never wanted to kill him more than in that moment.
“Let me go!” Nessa screeched as her assailant hauled her toward Tony, unperturbed by her futile struggles. Her fingers snagged the zipper, and she desperately tugged at it, the slight vibration from the metal teeth parting filling her with triumph.
Just as her purse opened, another enforcer ripped it from her hands, tossing it carelessly aside.
It hit the floor with a clatter, right as a loud crack pierced her ears. Her head whipped to the side, immeasurable heat flaring across one half of her face. Her teeth bit into her cheek as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
The shock of the slap barely registered before she felt a small prick on the side of her neck.
The syringe.
Nessa opened her mouth, ready to scream again, hoping like hell someone was nearby and had heard her.
Tony grabbed her around the neck, squeezing so hard her throat constricted, the air cutting off from her lungs. Her eyes bulged, and panicking, she struggled harder in the enforcer’s arms, her limbs oddly heavy as she tried in vain to free herself.
Tony released her throat abruptly, and she coughed, sucking in heaving breaths, her throat and lungs burning. Tears ran down her face, the warmth of them fading as the fight drained from her body. Her head rolled to the side, and she went limp in the enforcer’s hold.
“What did you do to me?” Nessa demanded, her words slurring together.
She blinked, trying to keep her focus on Tony, desperate to remain alert.
To remain conscious. But as each second passed, it became harder to keep her eyes open, to do anything but submit to the darkness threatening to take her under.
Tony grabbed her by the hair, fisting the thick length and ripping her head back roughly.
“You’re asking the wrong question, Vanessa.
” He cupped her aching cheek, his fingers digging into the bruise she could already feel forming.
“You shouldn’t worry about what I have done to you, but what I will do to you.
” His grip tightened in her hair as everything around her blurred together.
“Our years together will seem like paradise by the time I’ve finished taking what I want from you. ”
The world went black.