“Do you want me to be honest, or should I lie?” Nix asks.
I don’t have to look up to imagine the look Kira gives her.
“He was out of town,” Nix groans, duly chastised. “You were still in the hospital.”
Jesus, I have every mind to actually believe she was planning this. She’s lucky James doesn’t believe in cameras—they get used against you way too often in court—otherwise she would be the one on the dining room floor right now.
“I can’t believe you,” Kira sounds exasperated, but in her defense, it’s not every day you watch someone you love kill someone in cold blood.
I hate to say it, but I saw this coming. Not James specifically, but Nix. She was too unfazed with Marshal. And once you getthat kind of experience under your belt, it opens a door—one I suspect flew wide open for her when she killed Marshal. If your hands are already dirty, what’s a little more, if it means you get what you want? No one realizes how easy life becomes when you can just off anyone who gets in your way. But I warned Nix, back when I was ripping up floorboards, that it doesn’t come without consequences, that it rots your soul—if you have one. And I know Nix Noland has one. This is going to catch up with her if she’s not careful. It’s one thing if she truly believed Marshal and James deserved it, but if she accidentally takes liberties against someone who makes her question her choices, the guilt will eat her alive.
I should know.
My conscience isn’t clean. I’ve had to do things that will follow me for the rest of my life, things that I would give anything to erase from my mind. I’ve learned to turn it off, find a numb place to rest knowing there’s no other option, but now that James is gone…
I suddenly have the urge to thank Nix for doing what I couldn’t, but I refrain. I don’t think she needs that kind of encouragement right now. Instead, I reread the document.
I am to take over all contracts, writtenandverbal. That means whatever seedy deals James had are now mine to make good on, to make sure the firm makes good on. All favors owed, mine to collect. All alliances, mine to uphold. I could give a fuck about the money, it’s the trade of power that has my blood thrumming, thefreedom.
I run a hand down my mouth, scanning the legal jargon for any clauses that could mean otherwise. After a moment, Nix sighs impatiently.
“I told you,” she says. “It’s all you. Just like I said. So can we do something with the body now? I don’t like moving them when they’re stiff.” She crinkles her nose.
Under any other circumstance, I would cut her a glare that would make her blood run cold, but she’s right. We have work to do.
Rolling up the papers, I shove them in my back pocket and straighten. “We’re not moving it,” I correct her.
If I really am the sole inheritor of the company, then James needs to be declared dead, not missing, as soon as possible.
“We’re not?”
“No.” I blow past her. “Where’s Caleb?” I ask, realizing he didn’t follow us.
He’s going to have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that his girlfriend killed his father, and I don’t need any hormone-fueled antics right now.
Kira’s face crumples with remorse where she’s been patiently waiting by the door. “I think he’s still with…”
She clearly doesn’t know whether to say James orthe body, and I remind myself this isn’t a normal night for her. Taking a breath, I force my mind to slow down.
“Hey,” I grab her hands and pull her into me, “it’s okay.” I level my gaze to meet hers, sure that she can see that I mean it. “It’s going to be fine.”
Her eyes instantly begin to well up, as if they were on the cusp this whole time, and my chest cracks wide open. Fuck, I should have held her sooner.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, dipping her head away from Nix and lowering her voice. “I didn’t know she was going to do that, or I would have stopped her. I thought… I mean, Ineverthought she would… and he’s your father. Jax, I’m so—”
“Hey, hey, hey.” I cup her cheek and shake my head. “It’s okay, baby.”
“But he’s yourfather.” She stifles a gasp.
“Trust me, buttercup. He was dead to me long before tonight.” I give her a dark smirk.
She looks like she doesn’t believe me, and I wipe one of her tears away. “She did me a favor,” I say lower.
“Do nottell her that.” She glowers, the panic subsiding into anger, which is exactly what I want.
“You mean you don’t want me to train her? I could show her how to keep it from getting so messy.”
“I will kill you.”
