“He almost hurt you, Jess. I’m having a very hard time not storming over there right now. But you and the baby are always going to be my priority.” He ran his hand over her hair. “Let one of your brothers tell him. I’m carrying you to your parents. If Dakota isn’t caught, then we need to get a plan in place for protecting you. Gage and Gunner can schedule something out. I’ll be with you, but I think we need to have someone else too. I’m not?—”
“You’re exactly what I need. Don’t even try to blame yourself for this! But right now, I need you to take me to Lach’s. His cabin is right there.” Jessie pointed over his shoulder. She was right. It was a closer walk than to bring her all the way back to her parents’ house.
“Your brother was getting Birdie and Stone. They think we’ll be at the main house.”
“Text them. I don’t care. I’m telling you, Chief. I know my body. I’m fine. Bee’s fine. But I have to be the one to tell my brother. He lost… he’s struggling because of what happened and I’m the one who was there when it all happened. It happened because of me,” her voice caught and he pressed his lips to her temple.
“Alright, Pretty Girl. We’ll go see Lachlan. But you’re riding in my arms. No complaints.”
Jessie bit her lip, and he watched her eyes flash with defiance, but she relented with a quick nod.
“Are you sure you feel okay to move? You were sick a minute ago. Nausea level?”
Her hand pressed gently against his chest. “I was sick because I just hoofed it out here with a watermelon bouncing on my stomach, and it’s so hot and humid. I’m fine.”
Hawk nodded. “Let’s take a couple deep breaths and then I’ll get you to Lach’s, okay?”
He felt her body finally relax into his. “Thank you.”
“Lachlan?” Jessie pounded on the door for the second time since Hawk helped her up onto the porch. “Lachlan!”
The door swung open, and her brother stood before her, supported by crutches, looking like a shell of his former self. His shattered leg was slowly on the mend, but seeing the cage and the rods and knowing the pain he’d been in… She couldn’t help it. Everything she’d been shoving down just rushed to the surface and she let out the most gut wrenching sob as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He teetered, and she felt a surge of guilt because she forgot his balance was off.
“Whoa. Jessie? What’s wrong?”
She wanted to answer her brother, but all she could think now was what a terrible idea it had been to rush over there. Lach was barely hanging on. The dark circles under his eyes and pale, sickly skin tone hadn’t gotten better since his release from the hospital. Jessie hated seeing him like that, and now she was going to add to his pain.
“This… This was a m-mistake,” she said over her shoulder to Hawk, who was rubbing circles between her shoulders. “We n-need to g-go.”
“Is this some sort of pregnancy thing happening? Or is something really wrong?” Jessie knew Lach wasn’t directing the questions at her any more, but she still couldn’t help shaking her head.
“Can we come inside for a few minutes? I need to get Jessie back to the house… hell maybe even to the hospital depending on what Birdie says, but she insisted we come here first.”
“Yeah, come in! And tell me what the hell’s going on? You’re both scaring me.” Lach used his crutches to move out of the doorway, creating a space for Jessie and Hawk to walk in. She was still an emotional mess, her tears blurring her vision as she made her way to his couch. Hawk held her arm as she settled down on the sofa.
“Out with it, Jess,” Lachlan ordered as he sat in his chair, his head lolling back as he closed his eyes.
“I’m so sorry. I feel sick having to say this… to have to tell you what I just found out.”
“Just say it.”
“It was Dakota,” she whispered.
Lachlan’s head snapped up and his brows pulled together. “What was?”
“The person with the dragon tattoo… the guy who broke into Mom and Dad’s and trashed my room… the one who’s been stalking me all this time… it was?—”
Her brother sucked in a breath and the last drop of color in his face faded away. “Jess.”
“Listen to me…”
“No, Jess. That’s enough!”
“He told me himself, Lach,” she whispered. “I just saw the tattoo. It’s the same one. He’s been wearing those stupid long sleeve shirts for weeks and saying he doesn’t want to get a sunburn! He’s been hanging around us all this time trying to get a thumb drive back. He hid it in the bottom of the vase of flowers he gave me. Don’t you remember them questioning me about that stupid thumb drive?” Her voice was climbing, louder and higher with each word that clawed its way out of her throat. She turned to Hawk. “Can you get me some water, please?”
“Of course.” He pushed up off the sofa and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Jess, you need to drop this. Okay? Just… look, I appreciate that you came to tell me, but it’s so much more than you realize.”
