I flop back down onto the bed and wait for Jack to finish with Jim. There's no use going against him. He'll just find me and put me back where he wants me when he's done. I hold my hand up so I can look at the ring again. Am I alright being with someone who is such a complete alphahole? Yes, yes I am. Because those are the men who love the hardest.
My hand falls to my stomach and rubs across the still flat surface. We could have made a baby already. I could be pregnant with a child. I would have my own family. Not that Libby and Jim aren't family - it's just different. They are a unit unto themselves and sometimes I felt like I was outside looking in but now...now I'll never be there again because I have my own unit.
I see movement at the door and look over at Jack standing in his unbuttoned jeans. His face tells me I'm not going to like what he is about to say. I sit up and pull the sheet up around me. I'm not so much trying to hide myself from Jack as I am trying to comfort myself from what he's going to say.
"We need to go back."
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Libby? Is she alright?" I'm so afraid to enjoy this newfound happiness I have that I almost expect awful things to try to tear it from me.
"She's fine, Sweets. I just want you to be in the compound safe."
"Please tell me what happened?" My voice is soft and sounds small.
"That was Jim. He's found Don. He also found out a lot about Don."
"More than you already did?" They already know he attacked women what more can they find out that would make Jack so tense.
"He's the reason I got shot."
I gasp at his words and nearly fall off the bed trying to get off the bed. He's beside me in seconds to keep me from falling. He helps me get myself untangled from the sheet and stand. "My God, Jack, how...?" There is so much to be answered.
"I'll tell you on the way over there."
"But we took the bike." There won't be any talking once we're on the back of that thing.
"I have a garage out back. There's a jeep in it that we can take."
***
I'm still not sure how they found out Don sold-out Jack but I have no doubt he did. It makes me see red to think he was the person who almost got Jack killed before I could even meet him. We go straight to Jim's office when we reach the compound. My sister is sitting in Jim's chair when we come in, Jim standing beside her.
I know the moment my sister sees the ring on my finger. Jack reaches down and takes my hand in his as we stand in front of them. Libby jumps up and rushes to me.
"Oh my God, Lexi! I could see that thing all the way from space!" She takes my hand to bring it up higher so she can look at it. "Are you happy?" Her eyes come up to meet mine.
"I am."
"Then I'm happy for you." She looks over at Jack and then pulls him down for a hug, much to his surprise. She catches herself and steps back. "Get used to it. You're family now. I can hug you if I want to."
She turns just missing the smile Jack wears before he looks up and sees Jim smiling at the three of us.
"When Libby's happy, I'm happy. People die quickly today, no lingering torture." My eyebrows rise as my mouth forms a small 'o'. Jack laughs but I'm thinking Jim isn't joking. "Now let's get down to business."
22
____________
Lexi
The men left leaving Remy and Duncan behind to 'watch over us'. Instead of going back to the old bedroom I was staying in before Jack took me with him, all the girls decide to hang out in the living room and have a sort of slumber party. Evie calls it an engagement party for me and Libby.
It's the most fun I've had in a long time. I step out of the downstairs bathroom and start heading back to the living room when hard arms wrap around me and a hand covers my mouth. My heart starts racing as the person who has me pulls me back to him.
"You stupid bitch," oh shit, I know who has me, "you should've just fucked me and then all of this shit wouldn't have happened." He starts dragging me to the backdoor. His hand is pressed so hard over my mouth and nose that it's hard for me to breathe. This psycho doesn't intend to let me go. He's going to kill me - not just to get rid of me because I didn't want him, but to hurt Jack for the rest of his life as well.
He has me out the door and dragging me to the dock when the training Jack put me through kicks in and I go on autopilot going through the motions. I break Don's hold and take off running. He doesn't stay down for long and tries to grab me again. It's not quite dark out but I'm turned around and end up running towards the dock instead of back to the house.
I kick out of his attempt to grab me again and the two of us end up staring each other down. "He taught you well, didn't he?" He reaches behind him and pulls out a gun. "But no amount of training can help you outrun this. Jack of all people should know that."