21
ETHAN
“Hey,” Reece says to Jax, nodding toward the bedroom. “Go. I got it.”
There’s turmoil in Jackson’s eyes and weariness on Reece’s face. Something happened.
They’re both being vague, which in itself is odd, but for them to be getting along, even the tiniest bit? Shit must have hit the fan.
Our life is chaotic. Jax could be upset about many things—Kyle, the case, Reece’s crush on Aurora…
Or he’s still pissed at me and refuses to share a bed.
With a frustrated groan, Aurora goes to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. We have at least fifteen minutes before she finishes her skincare routine, thirty if she braids her hair.
I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s going on with you?”
He lowers his head and drags his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I’m exhausted. It’s your date night. Go have fun. I don’t mind sleeping here.”
Who is this person? Jax doesn’t sleep without Aurora and is always first in line for fun . He’s also not afraid of confrontation. If he wanted to sleep apart because I was an ass, he’d be insisting I slept elsewhere.
This isn’t the Jackson I know. He’s a whirlwind of emotions, but he’s never this distant or flat. He’s a fighter to the core, but tonight, he seems to have lost the battle.
The water comes on in the bathroom. Aurora is on step one of her twenty-step nightly routine. We have time before she returns, but she will return. She won’t abandon Jax.
I sit on the coffee table across from him and rest my elbows on my knees. “If this is about our argument or the bullshit I said, just get in the fucking bed. I didn’t mean it, and you know she won’t sleep without you.”
His knee bounces. “It’s not. Please drop it and go be with her. She’s wearing your jersey.”
Arms folded over his chest, Reece leans against the doorframe. “I’ll take watch. I’m used to it. Go to bed, Jax.”
Take watch? Warning bells ring in my head. I glance between them. “Someone tell me what’s going on.”
Jackson shoots him a lethal glare. “What happened to keeping it between us ?”
“ Us .” Reece circles his hand to include the three of us. “He needs to know. You can’t hide this.”
Slumping back into the couch cushion, Jax shakes his head in frustration. “Whatever.”
I understand why Aurora is worried he might leave—or worse. His jaw is clenched and his chest heaves. He’s about to either bail or detonate.
Tonight is not my night to be a surly bastard. I clasp his shoulder. “Look at me.”
The weight of his anguish is palpable when his gaze meets mine.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you away, to where you feel you can’t trust me. Whatever it is, we’ll work through it. Just tell me.”
“That’s not it.” His eyes glisten, and he swallows hard. “I don’t want Aurora to know.”
I shift my hand to his nape. “Okay.”
“When something happens, you withdraw. She doesn’t need that. We don’t need that.”
I nod in agreement. “I won’t.” Then, for whatever reason, my impulsive fingers move from his neck to run through his messy hair.
He swats me away, scowling, and I smile.
“Sorry, it’s bugging me. I’ve never seen your hair like this.”
Unlike his usual impeccable style, it’s blah and lifeless.
His scowl deepens. “It air-dried. I’m not naturally perfect.”
I grin, even though, appearance-wise, he is quite perfect. “Wow, that must have killed your ego to admit out loud.”
He shoves my shoulder. “Can you not be an asshole, for once?”
“I dunno.” I shrug. “Do we need to hug this out, or you gonna tell me what’s wrong?”
All humor washes away, and he sighs. “I got a threatening text.”
Tightness grips my chest. “From who?”
He drops his gaze and clears his throat. “One of Kyle’s old partners.”
“Show me.” He makes no move for his phone. “Jax…” I warn in a low tone.
Reece steps closer, his hands up in a placating gesture. “Before you freak out, my entire team is working on it. She’s safe.”
“This is about Aurora?” I ask through gritted teeth. “Show me the fucking text.”
Jax unlocks his phone and gives it over, the message already open on the screen.
The floor shifts beneath me. With every word I read, my pounding heart becomes louder until it’s the only sound I hear. My lungs struggle to fill with air, each forceful breath slow and shuddering. A chill spreads across my skin like thousands of tiny electric shocks.
I lock eyes with him. Shame and torment reflect in his gaze, and my blinding anger subsides—slightly.
“You were planning to keep this from me?”
“Parts of it, yeah.”
“What the fuck? Why?”
He gives me a blank stare.
Am I missing something obvious? I reread the text. “This sounds like Kyle.”
“It’s not.” His temples bulge and release. “He didn’t call me pretty boy.”
“Kyle is most definitely dead,” Reece adds. “I saw his bloated body myself.”
This piece of shit is why Jax tensed when I called him pretty. I figured as much, but it still hurts to think about. I struggle to accept what’s right in front of me. “You’re worried this person will come here. Is that why you won’t sleep?”
He cracks his knuckles. “Among other things.”
“Like what? Tell me, Jax!” My voice rises in frustration.
“Nightmares, okay?” He juts his chin, his nostrils flaring. “Now, can you leave me the fuck alone and go to bed?”
I hold his furious gaze. He’s hostile, defensive. If I don’t back off, he’ll bolt.
With the three of us and whatever Reece arranged, nobody is touching Aurora. I’ll send the text to Rocco and focus on it tomorrow. For now, Jackson is my priority.
“No. I love you, Jax. A threat against one of us is a threat against us all.” I return my fingers to his soft hair. “If you’re staying up, I’m staying up. If you have a nightmare, I’ll be there.”