“Fine. Never a dull moment or a day off,” Lincoln said.
Declan hurried over toward Jaxson and me. He shoved his hand into his coat pocket, retrieving a smartphone. “A small present. You can thank Jaxson later,” Declan said with a wink. He handed me the phone. My mouth practically hit the floor.
“What are you—I don’t understand,” I said. My fingers grazed over the crystal screen. It appeared brand new. There were no scratches or scuffs, pristine condition. It was better than my flip phone.
“When you mentioned your cell phone had been destroyed earlier, I texted and asked him to set you up with a new phone. He also made sure that no one else can trace your whereabouts. Other than us,” Jaxson said. He laughed.
I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. I didn’t care. “Thank you,” I said to both men. They’d saved my life. If they wanted to implant a tracker on me or put one in my phone, I was at their mercy. I owed them.
Declan gestured at the phone in my hand. “We tied it to your recent phone plan. It’s already active, and anyone who needs to get ahold of you will be able to.”
Mason hurried over to us. “Do you still need a ride home?”
Jaxson pulled me tighter against him. The wind outside whipped through the air, stinging my cheeks, but his proximity warmed me. “Yes, we both could use a ride back to my place.”
I shuffled my feet and shoved my hands into my coat pockets. Jaxson’s scent surrounded me, especially on his coat. He had to be freezing, but he hid it rather well. Did he always pretend to be the tough guy?
“Follow me,” Mason said, hurrying to his truck.
Jaxson grabbed my arm, linking ours together as he walked me to Mason’s truck and opened the back door for me. I slid into the backseat, the leather chilly against my bottom, forcing an unwanted shiver. I had no home to return to, but if Jaxson insisted I go back with him, I would not say no. I didn’t want to be alone. Not until I knew I wasn’t in any further danger.
Jaxson shut the door for me and climbed into the front seat. Mason started the truck and pulled out of the lot.
“Drop off Ariella at my house, then I want to make a stop, just you and me,” Jaxson said.
Where did they plan to go after dropping me off? I relaxed in the backseat, staring out the window as we headed up the mountain pass. I pulled the new phone from my pocket, my finger scrolling through the contents he’d been able to retrieve off the cloud, including my contacts.
I had several missed calls and a few text messages from Emma asking me where I was and if everything was okay. I’d call her back tonight when I had a few minutes alone.
I checked my voice messages, my stomach in knots, when I heard my boss, Bridget Sanders, from the Blue Sky Resort fire for me not showing up for work. “Shit.”
“What’s that?” Mason asked. He glanced at me in the rearview mirror.
My cheeks burned. Jaxson wasn’t happy when I’d cursed in front of Izzie. It was a nasty habit I had trouble breaking.
“I just got fired from my job.” I deleted the message and shut off the screen for my phone, pushing the button on the side to put it into silent mode. I didn’t want to hear from anyone else. My mood turned sour.
“I can’t believe they fired you,” Jaxson said.
Mason’s gaze met mine again, his focus back on the road a moment later. “Wait. They likely don’t know what happened, that you were kidnapped and unable to get to work. You can’t fault them for being in the dark. I’m sure if you talk with your boss, you can have your old job back.”
I didn’t even care about that stupid place or the job. The money was crap pay, but it was employment. “Doubtful. They fired me because, according to them, I lied on my resume since I didn’t disclose my married name or my previous employer.” I ran my fingers through my unkempt hair, tugging at the strands with a groan. “In her words, I’m too much of a liability.”
Mason and Jaxson exchange a silent glance.
“It never ends,” I seethed. My fingers dug into the leather seat. As if that was the worst of my problems. “Those men will be looking for their money.” I never made the drop at sundown.
Jaxson shifted in the passenger seat and turned around to face me. “You’re under our protection. We plan on making that clear.”