“No, Jordan. I’m the one to blame. I made sure the security detail didn’t know I left the house. If not for that...”
She swallowed back the lump forming in her throat as she fought off the tears blurring her vision. Her future had looked bright and promising this morning. Within a matter of hours, she single-handedly destroyed her chance at happiness.
Chapter Sixteen
“Open this hatch, Brock.”
“Haven’t you caused enough trouble for one day, Paxton? Stay away from Jared. He doesn’t want to see you.” Brock blocked the exit from the stronghold with widespread legs and arms folded across his chest. He wasn’t intimidated by her.
His words shook her. Cruz had managed to find the van on traffic cam footage. Jared and his team had raced to the underground parking garage where it had last been seen. When they got there, the van was deserted. The kidnappers must have escaped in another vehicle. Cruz and Jordan were still searching but couldn’t find a trace of them anywhere. Jared had returned even more emotionally shut down, ignoring Paxton. She’d fucked up badly but it hurt that he possibly hated her now.
“Did he say that?”
“I know him better than anyone. Believe me, you’re better off keeping your distance from him.”
“That may be, Brock but if Jared doesn’t want to see me, he can damn well tell me himself.”
Brock wasn’t moved as he stared her down. Paxton exhaled slowly. She had to talk to Jared to repair the damage to their relationship before it escalated any further. It wasn’t in her nature to cower in a situation like this. She had badly misjudged his counsel and ended up endangering the life of his sister. Now it was up to her to let him know how much she regretted her impulsive behavior that morning.
“Look, Brock. I understand you love and protect each other but I need to make things right.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. Now wasn’t the time to be hard-assed. She had to penetrate that hard-headed mind of his if she wanted out of the bunker to get to Jared. “I made a mistake which I regret. My negligence caused one of my team to be taken. I can’t forgive myself for it, nor do I expect Jared or any of you to, either.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Please understand, Brock. Jared has come to mean something to me. I—”
“Define something.”
“I care for him.” Her tongue trailed over her dry lips. “In truth, I believe I’ve fallen in love with him. I’ve already committed to be his sub. He’s hurting, Brock. Please, I have to be there for him.”
“Very well, but I’m warning you, Paxton. Hurt him and you will have all of us to deal with.”
She nodded, too taken by the way the men cared for each other to utter another word. Brock opened the hatch. He leaned in and said in a deep voice. “The security detail will take you to his house. Do not attempt to lose them again, Paxton.”
“Don’t worry, I learned my lesson.”
She tried to keep her mind blank as she walked. To wrack her brain on what to say when he opened the door served no purpose. Her heart had to do the talking. Instinct told her it was the only way she’d be able to break through the wall he’d built around his heart since Kezlin had been taken. That is, if he didn’t first slam the door in her face.
She stopped on the porch and stared at the door. Suddenly, the courage with which she’d shown Brock, disappeared. Fear that nothing she could say would sway Jared’s mindset, paralyzed her.
“You’re not going to achieve anything by staring at the door, Paxton.”
She rang the doorbell and waited with her heart in her throat. When he opened the door, nothing could’ve stopped her from flinging herself into his arms. The haunted look in his eyes tore at her heart, knowing she had put it there.
“Don’t send me away... please.”
His arms tightened briefly around her before he released her and stepped back. “How did you get past Brock?”
“I appealed to his empathy.”
“I’ll have to send him a memo to ignore your feminine pleas in the future.”
Paxton didn’t react to the veiled insult. She took his hand. “Jared, I need to—”
“Come inside, Paxton. I’m not having this conversation on my doorstep.” He gestured to her to enter. She followed him down a flight of stairs into a palatial living area that took her breath away. Not offering the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of his home, he continued out onto the deck overlooking the ocean.
Paxton stood next to him, listening to the distant rumble of waves crashing to shore. A white line of residual seafoam glowed phosphorescent under the moonlight.
“I owe you an apology.”
His gravelly voice drew her gaze to him. He watched her with sadness in his eyes.
“No, Jared, you were right. I am to blame. I can’t begin to—”