“Erm… not anymore.” Brody seems to be hedging.
I raise my brows, looking from one to the other. “But he did have once?” I press.
I think of the two scars on Jax’s neck. “Jax’s got removed, right?”
“Yeah,” Brody mumbles.
“When?”
“A few years back.”
“How?” I persist.
I see Kazmo elbow Brody in the ribs. “Maybe take that up with Jax, better he explains it to you than us,” he says, and leans over the bar. “Two take-out cappuccinos, three sugars for Brody, please, none for me Tip.”
I curl my lips. “Right, sure. If I can catch him,” I huff, then add, “You didn’t happen to see him on his motorbike just now?”
“Nope.” They shake their heads.
I sigh, rub my forehead. Everyone is being evasive about Jax.
And Jax is being the most evasive of all.
Now I’m even more curious about what the fuck has been going on in the three years since Jax got mauled.
I feel lightheaded suddenly, a mini version of how I felt yesterday before I got Labyrinth overwhelm. I don’t need another attack of that right now, without Otis to calm me down. I down the rest of my smoothie and grab my bag. “I should go home,” I say.
Maybe I’ve gone pale, because Kazmo’s golden eyes narrow slightly as he looks at me.
“Want a lift? We’ve got a jeep parked outside.”
I glance up at the clock on the wall. It’s 11 am. Otis will be home soon to ice the cake for his mom.
I slide off the stool. “A lift would be great, thanks.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
OTIS.
When I walk into the kitchen Clem already has the cake out on the benchtop. and all the ingredients ready to ice it.
There’s a big bowl of fresh berries on the counter, red and black and dark blue.
“You bought these from Betty’s stall, I can tell.”
She nods. “They’re the best you can get,” I say.
“I wanted the best for your mom.” She puts her arms out and I stride into them and we hug.
We stay like this for a few moments, my chin resting on her head. I nestle my lips into her hair, making sure my tusks slide either side of her head. “Did you have fun this morning?”
“Yeah. I went to Digger’s after the markets and had one of Tippy’s smoothies.”
“And you survived it?”
“Yes, it was actually delicious.” She hesitates. “Before that, I thought I saw Jax, but I didn’t.”
“How’d you mean?”
