I blink rapidly. How the fuck does he know about Robert? And how does he know his last name when I don’t?
“He’s just some guy,” I flail, reeling. “I needed a ride. He doesn’t know anything.”
Jesus, did he look into Robert? Is that what this is about? But it doesn’t track, not with the steam that seems to be coming from Jax’s nostrils. I have no doubt that if he thought Robert was a problem, he would take him out without so much as a second thought. So why is he so mad?
“Let me be clear, Kira,” he says with barely contained contempt. “If you need a ride—I’m who you call.”
Is he… is he jealous? My lips part to protest, but he shakes his head and cuts me off.
“If you need to see a doctor—I’m who you call. If you need money—I’m who you call. If you want to wear shorts like that ever again—You. Call. Me.”
“Excuse me?!” I sit forward.
“And you’re not going back to work,” he adds. “I already had Nix call and remove you from the schedule until further notice.”
“Who do you think you are?!”
“I’m not carrying your lifeless fucking body again!” he snaps, and I freeze.
He squeezes his eyes shut, a shudder running through him. When he finally opens his eyes again, he runs a hand through his hair and straightens. “I can’t do that,” he says, more composed, “not with your body, at least.”
I suck in a breath, but it sticks somewhere between my ribs and my throat. He carries a lot of lifeless bodies.
But he doesn’t want to carry mine.
“So you’ll stay here,” he says, turning slightly as if he has to look away to keep himself together. “Under my name. You’ll get the best treatment this hospital has. You’ll rest. You’ll heal.”
Everything in me wants to tell him no. Because there’s no food in our fridge, and I have to go to work to get some. Because there’s a detective who wants to nail me, and I have to be ready. Because who is going to check Nosy Nellie’s house every five minutes if not me? But defeat feels heavy in my bones, and my rebuttal is weak.
“Jax, there are things I need to do.”
“And I’ll handle it.” He turns, and there’s such earnestness in his eyes that I look away.
“Your truck is already being fixed,” he says. “You won’t need to walk anymore.”
My head snaps up. “My truck? How did—”
“And Caleb is at the grocery store right now. He’s going to replace the food that your sister said you fell asleep on.”
My cheeks instantly burn. She told him that? I’m going to snot all over her when she gets back. That will teach her to—
“You need to rest, Kira.”
“But I…” I struggle to find a logical reason why I can’t stay here when he’s covering all the bases.
“The doctor says that if you don’t…” Jax trails off.
“What?” I weakly roll my eyes. “I’m going to die?”
He doesn’t answer right away. He just looks at me, and the solemnity in his expression makes my blood run cold. It’s a face I haven’t seen on him, stripped of arrogance and games, a face that makes my stomach knot.
“Yes,” he says. “You need a procedure.”
Chapter Thirty
Kira
Isit extra still, staring at the surprisingly delicious food that Celeste brought me, and have a quiet panic attack. On the outside, I’m just staring, on the inside, I’m screaming. Because I’m too scared to move, too scared to swallow wrong, too scared to take in a breath that’s even a fraction too deep in case my heart decides to finally give up.
