“Matthiasandthe twins at the house? Molly will be over the freaking moon,” I say with a laugh, thinking of my aunt and her fussing. “I’m surprised your dad left LA with everything that’s going on though.”
“Hmm. Well, when I reminded him that the only man who could get us out of this mess was in Dallas, and that said man could work his magic from anywhere in the world, he decided that this is where he should be right now too.”
“You’re incredible, have I ever told you that?”
Her cheeks flush pink. “No,” she whispers.
“I’m pretty sure I have, but I’m telling you again anyways.” I kiss her forehead and she leans into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and sending all kinds of signals to my groin area that I could do without right now.
“You’re more than incredible, Jax,” she whispers. “You and Matthias are everything to me. Wherever you are is where I am. You don’t get to rush off trying to save the world on your own anymore, even when I’m being an ass and tell you to leave. You got that?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looks up at me and she looks so fucking beautiful that I can hardly believe that she’s mine. “I love you,” she whispers.
I don’t say the words back to her. I show her instead, sealing my lips over hers and sliding my tongue into her mouth. I kiss her like I might never get the chance to again, until she’s clawing at my back and whimpering into my mouth and I’m wondering whether there is a supply closet somewhere I could take her to.
“You two wanna get a room?” a voice croaks behind us.
I break our kiss and grin at her and she wipes her mouth. “We just got busted by your dad,” she giggles.
“Better than being busted by yours.” I wink at her before I spin around and see my father trying to reach for the water beside his bed.
“Here, let me get that,” I say as I hand him the plastic cup.
He accepts it gratefully and takes a few sips before handing it back.
“I wasn’t drinking, son,” he says as he looks up at me.
“I know.”
Tears fill his eyes and I have to look away, but Lucia is by my side, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “It’s so lovely to see you awake, Harvey,” she says with a huge smile. He grins back at her. I mean she’s pretty hard not to smile at.
“They told me it was you,” he coughs.
I sit beside his bed. “What exactly did they say?”
He licks his dry, cracked lips. “Jackson wants you gone, o-old man. He paid us good money to do the j-job.”
“What?” Lucia gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. I forgot she doesn’t know about this latest development. She was too pissed at me to allow me to tell her.
Fuckers! “I didn’t…” I shake my head.
“I know that, son,” he laughs and coughs at the same time. “If that were true, you’re man enough to do it yourself.”
“I can’t believe somebody would say… that it was you?” Lucia looks between me and my father and then her eyes settle on my face. “Why?”
“To get me thrown in jail? To cause a bigger rift between me and my family here. I don’t know yet, angel, but I’m damn sure going to find out.” I turn back to my father. “Can you describe them? How many of them were there?”
His eyelids flutter closed and he takes a deep breath.
“Jax, he’s exhausted,” Lucia whispers.
“Yeah, I know,” I agree with a sigh.
“You want me to give you two some time alone?”
I shake my head. “No. You can hear this too.”