“I love you, Justice,” he whispered. She nodded and hummed, still recovering from what he just did to her. He couldn’t help his chuckle. This woman was his heart and soul. He just needed to make sure that by the time they left for home, she understood just how much he needed her. Their lives were about to change; they were about to reenter the real world, and there was no way Jagger would ever let her go—not now.
By the time they made it back to the cabin and put away their groceries, Justice was ready to crawl into bed. But seeing how excited Jagger was about taking her out to dinner for what would be the last night of their honeymoon, she couldn’t tell him no. She pulled on her best outfit and waited for him in the kitchen. He let her use the tiny bathroom to get ready first, but now waiting for him left her time to think—and worry. The thought of having to tell him about the baby was weighing on her. Just hours ago, he was inside of her and sharing such an intimate moment. That would have been the perfect time to tell him about her pregnancy, but she chickened out, deciding that dinner would be better. Honestly, there was no right time to blurt out that she was careless and didn’t use protection. She blamed herself, but there was no turning back.
A part of her was already in love with the little life growing inside of her; she just hoped Jagger would feel the same way. Nothing about their relationship was conventional or easy. Hell, she ended up with the man who kidnapped her, and that made her sound like a crazy person. Everything about their relationship seemed to move at top speed. A baby felt like the next stop on their crazy train, although she was hoping that the train would slow down, even if just a little bit. What she needed was to talk to her grandmother—she would know just what to do about telling Jagger he was going to be a father. Granny Norma always knew the right words to say, even if they were sometimes harsh. Her grandmother was a “Take no prisoners” kind of woman, and Justice admired the way she took care of herself and the ranch since her grandpa died. The question remained—would Jagger want to be a father? Would he want to be a partof her and their baby’s lives, or would he walk away? When they started their marriage, he never made any promises of love. It was a way to keep her safe, and she appreciated and admired him for doing that for her. But did that entitle her to forever with him? He would never promise her a happily ever after, and she would never hold him to any of her romantic misconceptions of their marriage. Jag told her he loved her, and honestly, she believed him, but would she be enough for him to want to stay and have his entire life uprooted by a baby? Justice was still in shock, but she knew deep down that she wanted the baby. If Jagger didn’t, she would find a way to move forward and be the best mother she could. After all, she came from strong women, and she knew she could handle a baby on her own if need be.
Justice hoped she could get through their dinner without blurting out her condition. They deserved a break from all the stress that life was throwing at them. Jagger deserved a night off from all the worry and grief she caused him.
“Ready, honey?” Justice jumped, startled by Jagger’s sudden question. She was so deep in her mind that she didn’t even notice him come into the kitchen to find her. She pasted on her best smile and nodded.
“Yep,” she said, taking his offered hand. He helped her into her coat and pulled her in for a quick kiss.
“I’m looking forward to our night together, but I’m excited about going back home.” Jagger’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and she knew he was worried about something.
“Why don’t you look very happy then, Jag?” Justice framed his face with her hands and tried to smooth away his worry lines.
“I’m just wondering where our home will be together,” Jagger admitted. “I want for you to be happy, baby. Where do you want to live?” Jagger rested his hands on either side of her hips, framing her body with his own. That was a really good question. They would be starting their new lives, and she was sohappy to hear him say they were going to make a home together. It took away some of her worries. A part of her wanted to move back to Goose Creek to be closer to her grandmother, but the painful memories of her past still lived there, even though her father was out of the picture. She would always leave a piece of her heart in Harvest Ridge, but it had never really felt like her home. Justice loved her friends there, and she would always be grateful to Sunny for taking her in and giving her a chance. She knew she would always count Sunny and Aaron as family, finding a way to make time to see them, but it was time for her to move on with her husband and family.
“I want to live in Dove Creek with you,” she whispered. She didn’t miss the way his eyes lit up from her declaration. She guessed correctly—he wanted to go home to where he had roots and history. Her choice was simple; she wanted to be wherever Jagger was. He was her home now, and if she had to guess, he wanted to settle in Dove Creek. He spent so much time away from home while serving in the military, he deserved to feel settled.
“Well, I’m not going to lie, that would make me very happy. I’d like to be close to Jules, and Dean will be around, so I get to hang out with my best friend again. I’ve missed home all these years. Are you sure?” Jagger looked so hopeful that she couldn’t help her giggle.
“I’m sure, Jag.” She went up on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek. “I just want to be where you are, and if Dove Creek will make you happy, then I say we live there.” Justice shrugged, not ready to face the second half of their discussion. But it was now or never. He brought up their future, and it was going to involve a baby, whether they were ready or not.
“Um,” she stuttered. She felt more nervous than she ever had, and she knew that was just silly. Jagger never made her feel that she couldn’t tell him something.
“How about kids?” She shyly looked down at her boots, but Jagger wasn’t about to let her hide. He nudged her chin up, crooking his finger underneath it, making sure that her eyes reached his own. His gaze was so intense she worried that he was angry until he smiled.
“I’d like kids someday, honey. I think you and I need to get to know one another a little better first, and then we can discuss expanding our family.” Justice felt like she swallowed her tongue. She stood there in his arms, completely unable to speak. Tears ran down her face, and she was sure she was going to be found out.
“Aw, no, baby. Not the waterworks again. You seem to cry at the drop of a hat now. Are you sure you’re all right?” Justice nodded. She wasn’t about to ruin their evening together. Her news could wait just a little longer, or at least until dinner was over. That would give her time to regroup and get her crazy emotions under control.
“I’m fine, Jag.” She rolled her eyes for dramatic effect and smiled up at him, but she didn’t feel fine—quite the opposite. At least he wanted kids. He could have said that he didn’t want any children, and then they would have had a whole different conversation. She just needed to get herself together, enjoy their evening together, and figure out a way to break it to her new husband that he was going to be a father a little earlier than he hoped.
“How about we head to dinner and then bring dessert back here? We can eat it naked in bed while you tell me what has been bothering you lately. I want to leave all our demons up here so that when we get back to Dove Creek, we can have a new start—a clean slate. What do you say?” Jagger held out his hand, waiting for her to agree and take it. She wanted that too, a clean slate to start their new lives together. She just hoped Jagger still felt that way when she spilled all the details he so desperately seemed towant from her. She nodded and took his offered hand, following him to the SUV that was parked just out front of their little cabin. She watched as Jagger rounded the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat.
“I’ve made our reservations while you were getting ready. Do you like Italian?” Jagger asked hopefully.
“Yes, I love any food, but Italian is my favorite,” Justice gushed.
“It’s mine too.” Jagger started the car and sat back to look at her. “We have so much to learn about each other, Justice. I just hope you’ll give me a chance to make you truly happy. I love you.” He didn’t give her a chance to say anything back. It was as if he just needed to get his feelings out, but she had so much she needed to say back to him. Justice swallowed past the lump in her throat and hoped she could get out the words. “Jag?—”
“Shit,” he swore. “I forgot my wallet. Hold that thought, beautiful. I’m going to run in and grab it, and then we can pick up right here.” Justice nodded, pasting on her best smile. She was just afraid that if she didn’t blurt out everything she was feeling she wouldn’t be able to when he returned. She was constantly second-guessing herself when it came to what she shared with Jagger, not wanting to come off as too gushy or needy. But Justice wanted to tell him just what he had come to mean to her. Jagger became her whole world, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to live without him now that she had a taste of how good her life was with him in it.
“Hurry back,” she whispered and watched as he ran back up to the cabin and unlocked the door, disappearing into the dark house. The back door to the SUV opened, and someone got in behind her. Before she could turn around or even try to get out of the vehicle, the person stuck something sharp into her neck, and a burning pain shot down her back. What the hell just happened, and why was she suddenly so tired? It was as if she couldn’tmove; her whole body felt heavy, and her mind was foggy. She wanted to get out of that fucking SUV and run into the house to find Jagger. She wanted to scream and fight, telling whoever just put something into her body that she was pregnant, but the words didn’t come. She was paralyzed, and when she heard his sadistic chuckle coming from the back seat, her blood ran cold. Jordan Wolf had found her, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. He put something into her body, and she was at his mercy.
“Hi, honey. Long time, no see. Well, I’ve seen you, but you didn’t know I was watching, did you?” He laughed. “It’s okay if you don’t answer, Justice. I understand.” A second man slid into Jagger’s seat, and she watched the house, praying that Jagger didn’t come back out. If Wolf was going to take her, she didn’t want Jagger involved. If he came out of that house and found Wolf with her, they would kill Jagger, and she couldn’t handle that. She already caused him enough pain and grief.
“We are going to take a little trip, Justice. I just have one more piece of the puzzle to fit together, and then we’ll be on our way. Do it,” Wolf barked from the back seat, and his henchman, sitting next to Justice, pulled from his pocket what looked like a remote control for a toy car. He pushed a button, and she watched helplessly as the cabin first shook and then exploded into a fiery inferno. The heat and sound were so intense that she was sure that she could feel both through the vehicle. She watched for any sign of Jagger wanting to open her door and scream for him to be okay, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything but silently watch as the cabin they spent so many happy nights in burned to the ground. Justice felt a single tear roll down her cheek as her entire world turned dark. She didn’t want to succumb to the darkness, but she had no choice. Jagger was gone, her world collapsed, and she was in the hands of a madman—and there was nothing she could do about it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Justice looked up to find Jordan Wolf standing over her. “Wh—what am I doing here?” she stuttered. She tried to sit up and groaned at the pain in her head. Jordan chuckled and bent over her body. She wanted to scurry out of his way, but he wouldn’t allow her even an inch.
“Not so fast, sweetheart,” he spat. Wolf reached down and lifted her to her feet, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She dry heaved as he dragged her across the floor and threw her onto the sofa. She knew it was useless to fight him; he was beyond the point of reason. She could see the crazed way he watched her as she tried to get her bearings.
“You had a little accident, Justice. I found you, and here you are safe in your old bedroom where we began our little courtship.” He grabbed a black duffel bag that he stashed in the corner of her old room and pulled out some rope.
“We’re going to have a little fun, sweetheart. Last time we were here, you gave me a little fight. I’ve come prepared this time, honey. Get on the bed,” he commanded. A fresh wave of nausea hit her at the thought of Jordan touching her.
