Jax’s booming voice ripped her from the conscious nightmare. Poppy’s eyes flew open, his imposing image blurred with tears she didn’t even realize had formed.
He marched across the room to where she and Isobel sat. With his eyes lasered in on Isobel, he walked over, took Poppy’s hand in his, and gently pulled her to her feet.
“You got what you wanted,” he growled. “She’s done.”
Jax led them across the room to the door. Poppy wanted to argue with him. To tell him it wasn’t his decision to put on the brakes when the memories they were trying to unlock were hers.
But the truth was, shewantedto stop. Wanted to put every single memory from that night out of her head forever and go back to the way things were before that night.
Poppy looked up at Jax. She thought about how different he’d been last night. The passion he’d shown her consuming at its core.
But right now, that same sensual, passionate man was fuming with an anger she didn’t understand.
“Wait.” She pulled him to a stop. Looking back at Isobel, Poppy couldn’t leave without saying, “Thank you. I hope the things I remembered help.”
“I’m going to take these new details to Detectives King and Thorne right away.” The other woman stood from the couch and walked toward them. “I’ll also give the description of the man you believe was in charge that night to the department’s top sketch artist. He may need you to come back in to tweak a few things, but hopefully between that and the new information, they’ll have a better idea of which direction they should follow.”
“I hope so.” Poppy gave the kind doctor a small smile of her own.
“Take care of yourself, Poppy.” Isobel pulled a business card from the pocket of her skirt and handed it to her. “My office number is on there as well as my work phone. If you need to talk about that night or yesterday’s attack, I’d be happy to meet with you again.”
She took the card and offered the kind doctor a small smile. “Thank you.”
“It was nice meeting you both.”
A low grunt was the only response Jax gave as he opened the door and the two of them walked out. Poppy was so busy trying to keep up with his long stride, she thought nothing of the fact that he was still holding her hand.
They made their way down the hall and back through the maze of officers and desks. Jax had just started to push open the door leading outside when they heard someone hollering for them to stop.
“Hey, Jax! Hold up!”
The two of them turned around to see Declan and Grady rushing toward them.
“We’re leaving,” Jax stated bluntly.
“So are we.” Declan and Grady slowed to a stop in front of them. “And we’re all going to the same place.”
“We are?” Poppy asked before Jax had the chance. “Where are we going?”
“Denver’s FBI headquarters.” Grady’s blue eyes met hers.
“The FBI?” She felt her own eyes widen. “Why are we going there?”
It was Declan who answered that question. “Maggie was able to I.D. the man from your apartment.” To Jax he asked, “The name Paul Wheatley mean anything to you?”
“No. Should it?”
“Probably not. Guy’s not from here, and as far as we can tell, he’s only been in town a couple of weeks.”
Blowing out a breath, Jax told his brother, “It was a really long night and a shit morning, so unless you have an actual point to make, we’re gone.”
“Boy, you’re in rare form this morning. Even grumpier than usual. What’s the matter, your Wheaties get soggy?”
“You’ve got two seconds to tell me what the hell is so important you had to chase us down and keep us from leaving. One…”
Declan looked at Poppy, a look of orneriness flashing behind his dark eyes. “He been like this all morning?”
“Pretty much.”