Chapter 10 Seriphina Joseph
~ Seriphina Joseph ~
I BLINK AT THE DOOR before looking over at Jax. “Do you do things you should get stabbed for?”
His laptop is open in front of him on the table and he’s clacking away.
His grin says that he absolutely does. “Only on days ending in Y, daredevil.” He leans back in his chair, arms stretching behind his head.
“But don’t worry, I’m here to look pretty and make sure you don’t do anything he would shoot me for. ”
I roll my eyes and go back to reading my ebook.
My legs are pulled up underneath me on the couch.
These men and their weird ass nicknames.
He’s not kidding about looking pretty though.
He has striking blue eyes and sleek black hair.
His smile is breathtaking, with dimples I can’t stop myself from fixating on.
He’s only a couple inches shorter than Griffin and although he’s not as big, he’s not lacking in definition, if his biceps are anything to go by.
I’m beginning to think I’ve never met a bounty hunter before because they have to hide from the general public. Men this attractive shouldn’t exist.
I disappear into a world where I don’t have to think about all the reasons my life is fucked up right now.
Hot bounty hunters included. The only sound in the room is Jax’s fingers over the keyboard.
I have to wonder if his typing abilities translate into the bedroom.
Then it stops and I look up to see him staring at me.
“What?” I ask, raising a brow.
“You reading romance? Because if so, I have opinions,” he says, eyeing my e-reader.
“Yeah?” I set it in my lap and my lips quirk. “Do tell.”
“Most of it’s crap.” He leans forward like he’s sharing a secret. “All romance novel men are assholes. Too much, ‘I’m a cold heartless warrior with a dark past and emotional baggage I’ll never get over, woe is me.’ It’s bullshit. Women deserve better.”
“Oh? And what is it that you think women deserve?”
He leans back again with a shrug. “I don’t know, a dude that’s actually good to you?
Who’s not a walking bag of issues you have to fix and has functioning communication skills.
Not to mention a personality that isn’t just ‘I’m a badass but I brood in a sexy manner and I’m sad and lonely, so it’s justified.
’” He makes a dismissive gesture like the answer is obvious.
I snort. “Date a lot of dark romance readers there, Jax?” I go back to my book, shaking my head at his cluelessness. “‘Cause you sound jealous.”
He barks out a laugh. “Jealous? Oh, daredevil, I am the dark romance.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“But even I know not to brood all of the time. That shit’s exhausting.
” He glances back at his laptop for a beat.
“Though if you’re into tragic backstories and bad decisions, Griffin’s got the market cornered. ”
That grabs my attention. I would never ask Jax to spill Griffin’s secrets but I definitely won’t make him shut up if he decides to tell me on his own.
I’m curious about the man who climbed through my window and made the decision to stand between me and the storm.
“Is that so? I wouldn’t have guessed,” I say sarcastically.
He grins, dimples popping. “Yeah, tortured soul that one. Tragic backstory, a temper, commitment issues. The whole nine yards. If he wasn’t busy playing cowboy, he’d be a best seller.” He pauses. “Or were you expecting puppies and rainbows?”
“No, I definitely didn’t expect a lot of sunshine in his past. But I had hoped most of the shadows he carried came from his occupation more than a hard life.
..” I frown, worrying my lip piercing with my teeth.
I wonder what sort of past Griffin had and how much of it is responsible for the dark aura he carries.
Jax watches me for a moment before smirking. “You like him.”
“What?” Shocked out of my musings, my eyes snap to Jax. “No, no I don’t. I’m just curious about him. I mean what makes a man like that drop everything and risk his life for a woman he barely knows?”
He tilts his head to the side like I said the most obscure thing he’s ever heard.
“Huh.” He crosses his arms over his chest, tilting his chair on two legs.
“Well, if that’s what you’re wondering. Griffin doesn’t do things he doesn’t want to.
Ever.” He lets the chair legs fall back to the floor with a clunk.
“So either you’ve got some real impressive blackmail material on him. Or he’s that gone over you already.”
I scoff, “Wow, you’re full of jokes aren’t you? Fine, don’t tell me.”
He raises a brow and taps the side of his laptop.
“You really don’t know why he’s doing this?
That he has the connections that could have put you in witness protection instead of watching over you himself?
I did tell you, you aren’t listening.” He goes back to his laptop with an amused shake of his head.
The clicking of his keys fills the room again.
I stare at the screen not absorbing anything.
Jax’s words repeat in my head. Connections, witness protection, he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to.
I read the same paragraph five times. When I start to read it a sixth, I decide I don’t need to know.
Because right now, the conclusions that I am coming to feel far scarier than the Russian mafia.