Jax’s gaze darted between them, catching the flash of warning on Seyla’s face before she broke eye contact with her cousin.
For several long seconds, he stared at Seyla, willing her to tell him whatever she’d withheld. Bitterness dug into him as the seconds stretched on.
Don’t underestimate what a human being is capable of doing.
Would he ever learn?
Of course, Seyla was hiding something. She worked at Safe Haven. They excelled at hiding the truth there.
The realization that he didn’t, in fact, know the woman standing in front of him hit hard. She’d changed from the sweet,kind girl linked in his mind with the scent of vanilla waffle cones and ice cream from ten years ago. He didn't know who she’d become other than a person willing to conceal the truth for her own purposes.
He angled himself in order to see both of their faces. “Vanessa, do you think you could tell whether or not it resembled Travis’ voice if we get you near him?”
“Maybe,” she answered, “but they sounded muffled, so I’m not sure. It’s worth a shot, I suppose.”
“Right now, that’s all we’ve got.” He nodded at Seyla. “According to Matt, you’ve had several accidents lately.”
Vanessa gasped. “The zip line!” She stopped on the path and gripped Seyla’s arm. “Do you think that was intentional?”
Seyla patted her cousin’s hand. “Highly doubtful. You saw it. Total fluke.”
“Uh…while you were testing it?” Vanessa drawled, disbelief dripping from the words.
Seyla frowned.
“Matt doesn’t think so. He doesn’t think the car wreck the two of you had was an accident, either.” Jax let the words sink in for a moment and set off walking again.
“You think I’m the reason Matt got hurt?”
Guilt layered the soft-spoken words. Guilt she should feel. For the wrong reason, though. The wrong person.
“Of course, it’s not your fault,” Vanessa insisted, frowning at Jax. “It’s the fault of whoever’s doing this.” She wrapped an arm around Seyla as they traveled along the well-worn path. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to the director for you and figure out what to do. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Seyla halted abruptly. “No.” She stepped in front of Vanessa, eyes wide. “Promise me you won’t say anything yet. Please, I’m begging you.”
Curious, Jax stoked the fire a bit. “I can talk to the founders when I meet with them. They can address it.”
Seyla rounded on him. “Wait a minute. Why are you meeting with the founders?”
“A business proposal. Why don’t you want them to know?”
What was she hiding?
“I-I…let’s not cause any panic, okay?”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “Right. You certainly don’t want to warn people about a dangerous situation, do you?” He scowled, huffing in irritation. “What are a few lives compared to bad press for the sanctuary, right?” He kicked at a twig on the ground, then dropped his hands to his hips. “There’s no way to hide this one. You both have injuries, and I’m sure people will report the sound of a gunshot. You don’t have a choice.”
“You’re right,” Seyla conceded. Her shoulders slumped.
“I’m so sorry, girl,” Vanessa said, rubbing Seyla’s arm. “Let’s focus on keeping you safe for now, okay?”
“Sure.” Seyla dropped her head.
The word struck a flat note in Jax’s ear. Vanessa showed no sign she’d noticed. Shouldn’t she know her cousin better than him? Yet he couldn’t shake the pervasive feeling that Seyla had been denied the freedom to spread her wings and soar, that the cage of safety her family had erected around her had become a tomb. Despite their best intentions, had they done more damage than good?
Or was he imagining a connection to Seyla that wasn’t really there?
Either way, her family dynamics had no business occupying his thoughts. His business centered on the safety of the man who raised him.