Page 48 of Save Me

“And you’ve killed people in your line of work before.” Not really a question.

Jax gives me another nod.

“But you’re not in the business of killing people?”

“We try to stay out of that as much as possible. But, as I’ve said before, sometimes it’s a necessary part of the job. Sometimes, someone thinks they have what it takes to take the business from me, and it’s self-defense. And sometimes, someone has seen too much, wants to make more money snitching on us, and death is a consequence of their own actions.”

“And does your business hurt… innocent people? Like kids?”

“You really have a high opinion of us, don’t you?” Ryan says with an eyeroll, feigning offense.

Jax’s smile doesn’t falter. “No, love, we have never hurt any children. I can’t speak for those that ran the business before me, but since I took over no one who wasn’t directly involved with crime has been killed due to our operations. I’ve made sure of it, and my guys know the cost if they do.”

“And that would be?”

“Their life.”

I take a sip of my water; the rest of my dinner having gone cold on my plate. I’m too ensnared by this conversation to eat, hungry to learn more about his business and what he actually does.

“You said it took so long to find me because you didn’t knowwhotook me at first.” I look between them again, the darkness behind their eyes rising to the surface, their anger about the whole situation still roaring deep within them. “Do I need to beworried about this? About some other crime family wanting to send a message again?”

“Yes and no,” Ryan says casually.

“Well, that’s reassuring,” I say, rolling my eyes at him.

“No one would usually go to so much effort until a relationship was… solidified,” Jax says. “Until they were sure you are someone of importance and not just a casual fling.”

“What he’s trying to say,” Ryan drawls, “is they’d want to make sure that taking you would be worth the effort. They’d want to know they’d be rewarded for giving you back, or at least make their message very clear by targeting you.”

I’m quiet for a bit, mulling over their words.

“It’s a lot to take in, if you need time to think about it—”

I furrow my brows. “You think they see me as a casual fling?”

Ryan chuckles, picking up his glass and drinking deeply.

“Thatis your takeaway?” Jax laughs.

“Well, shouldn’t it be?ApparentlyI’m not deemed important enough to you?”

“You are the most important thing to me, love,” Jax says, the humor in his eyes replaced with passion. “And the second the world finds that out, then yes, we will need to be even more careful about making sure you stay out of any crossfire that might exist because of our lifestyle. But until then, we don’t usually have to worry about other organizations putting the effort in, of crossing this huge line, to take you.”

“An act like that would cause a war between families, a literal, bloody war,” Ryan says quietly. “Even if it didn’t happen right away, whoever decides to fuck with another’s family knows that death will eventually be the price they pay for sending that message.”

I contemplate what Ryan said before turning back to Jax.

“Then why did you check with them in the first place? Why were you unsure of who took me if they usually wouldn’t be bothered? Doesn’t that narrow down your options a bit?”

My heart beats quickly in my chest as I wait for him to answer.

“Because it wouldn’t be the first time someone didn’t play by the rules, and I didn’t want to risk you being in their hands. I was not willing to risk having you sent home to me in pieces. So, I checked with everyone who I knew would do the most damage first. I asked my contacts I’m on good terms with, had my intel check estates and houses. I had phones bugged and crime lords tailed halfway across the world. And only then, only when I was sure you weren’t there, did my brain even start to think about the alternatives.”

“And when you found out Rhett had me?”

“I was relieved,” Jax says quietly, his face solemn. “I was relieved that out of all the wolves out there, it was him. Relieved that he is not known in our world for sending people back in small boxes, one piece at a time. And then, about ten seconds later, I was angry.”

“I don’t think angry actually describes what you—” Ryan starts before being interrupted.

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