I would never have thought he had it in him.
When another Caligos attacks Jax with a roar, I lift my bow to take the enemy out. But a blade glitters in Jax’s hand right before he ducks, twists, and buries the dagger into the side of the Caligos’s throat.
Blood spraying everywhere, the man falls.
“Unbelievable,” I mutter.
Two Caligos run into the iron cage, towards the kids. That snaps me out of my trance and I strike both of them between their eyes before they even reach the kids.
Swiftly, Jax handles the last Caligos. The silence that falls over the warehouse once the fight is over is jarring.
As if knowing exactly where to look, Jax finds me. Our eyes lock.
He smirks and winks.
I’m too stunned to react.
When he moves to help Vera up, I rise, too. It’s too far for me to jump from here, so I rush back to the ladder and slide down it in a heartbeat.
Once I push the door open to the main warehouse, the rest of the crew is already inside, heading for the kids.
“What the fuck was that?” I approach Vera and Jax.
His loose white shirt is soaked in blood. And so is his face.
He looks at me, all innocent. “What was what, darling? You must be more specific.”
“Where did you learn to fight like this? I didn’t even know you knew how to hold a damn blade,” I say.
He shrugs. “You don’t know many things about me. If you care to learn more you only need to say a word.”
I scoff.
I would never admit it to him, or anyone, out loud. But the way he handled those Caligos…well, it was extremely hot.
I’m so grateful nobody here can read my emotions or my thoughts.
“Come on,” Vera says, brushing the dust of her suit. “Let’s get the kids into carriages and get the fuck out of here.”
Quietly, all of us work to get the kids inside them. Ri’s girls take the full carriages and ride away, towards the safe house outside Jaakii. We load one more and send Ri off. Bart takes one, too. We leave one carriage for the rest of us to get back to Vera’s studio.
Once Bart’s carriage is out of sight, I can breathe easier. Vera talks about something with her girls in hushed tones, while Jax inspects his bloody rings, trying to polish the stones with a piece of his shirt that hasn’t been spoiled.
This man.
I sigh and shake my head. I don’t feel Lorca’s presence, but I still ask,Are you satisfied?
For a moment, nothing happens. Then the tattoo burns and claws gently caress my mind.
Very, Lorca purrs.
Well, at least someone is.
Suddenly, the skin on the back of my neck prickles.
Something is not right.
I whirl on my heel a moment too late.
