“Jax, I can’t do this today. Can you hold on to hatred and vitriol for just twenty-four hours? I’ll let you spew it all tomorrow. I just don’t have it in me to deal with it today.”
He was stunned silent, but only for a moment. His jaw hardened, and I swore I heard his teeth grinding together. “It’s always all about you.”
“No, it’s about Lisbeth. I’m trying to be here for her family. To show up, even though it’s tearing me up inside. All I’m asking is that you have a little compassion.”
He should know better than anyone. We’d sat at the front of that sanctuary, doing our best to say goodbye to Jase. Jax should know how hard it was to walk in there. I’d never understand why we couldn’t support each other instead of battling the way we did.
His hands fisted at his sides. “I heard you’re fucking the movie star.”
My spine jerked straight, sending sparks of pain through my back. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. How long did it take for you to spread your legs? Half a second?”
“Who I have a relationship with is none of your damn business.”
Jax’s knuckles cracked, the sound echoing in the mostly empty lobby. “I guess I just thought you were pickier than that. Took you forever to give it up to Jase. But I guess he wasn’t rich and famous. He was just the chump who loved you. And all it did was get him killed.”
21
Boden
I pulledmy truck into a spot at the back of the church’s lot. The space was jam-packed with vehicles. The crowdedness had me loosening my tie a fraction.
Shutting off my engine, I slid out and hit the locks. A few stragglers like me hurried inside. I picked up my pace, moving across the lawn towards the sanctuary.
A tiny form stepped into my path. The little boy’s eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open. “You’re—you’re—”
I held a single finger to my lips. “On an undercover mission.”
He bobbed his head up and down. “Rescuing someone? I saw all the movies. The one when you saved the president from the evil guys from Zoltran is myfavorite.”
I smiled down at him but couldn’t help glancing around to see if anyone else noticed. A woman who looked to be in her thirties hurried over. “Tim, what did I tell you about talking to strangers? I’m so sorry if he was bothering you. He’s overly friendly. We’re trying to work on it.”
“Moooooom, he’s not a stranger. He’s Boden Cavanaugh. He’s the Iron Fist.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Holy—” She snapped her mouth closed before the curse slipped free.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Tim. I need to get inside, but if your mom here gives me her email, I’ll make sure to send you some fun stuff.”
“No way! That would be so cool. Give him your email, Mom!”
The woman fished in her purse, pulling out a business card. “Here you go. That’s incredibly kind of you. You’re making his year.”
“No problem. I’d just appreciate you keeping this between us. I’m trying to keep a low profile here.”
“Of course,” she assured me.
Tim grinned. “Undercover mission. This is so freaking cool!”
I held out a hand for a high-five. “You’re officially my sidekick.”
The little boy squealed and turned back to his mom as I jogged up the front steps. The person ahead of me held the door open, their eyes flaring a fraction as they took me in. I grabbed hold of the edge of the wood. “Thank you.”
“Uh, sure.” The guy shook his head and headed for the sanctuary.
I started to follow when I heard a familiar voice. Laiken telling someone that who she had a relationship with was none of their damn business. I turned, moving towards the sound, and then stopped dead in my tracks.
A guy with broad shoulders and a large frame had her backed against a wall, towering over her. I saw red. The words he spewed only turned that anger to fury.