Page 57 of A Spark in the Ash

“Blake, thank you for coming,” Jaxon greets his older brother as we interrupt his conversation.

“You two love birds taking off?” he asks as he turns away from a group of exceptionally sketchy looking characters.

“Yeah,” Jaxon says simply.

“Well, congrats, man,” Blake says as he embraces Jaxon. “I still think you’re nuts, but the queen of the dark fits you.”

“The queen needs a king,” I say with a smile as I step forward and hug Blake. He just laughs and bids us a good night.

We find Griff and Chantel together. They don’t offer hugs, but they do say congratulations. Griff is still a little wary of me. Can’t say I blame him, considering I shot him in the arm. He fired first, though.

We find Aaron hanging out in a chair, pushed up against a wall.

“Hey,” Jaxon says as he sits next to him. “I have a contact who is going to pick you up tonight at midnight. Grab whatever you need, you’re not coming back.”

I blink five times, trying to catch up with everything. When did he arrange all of this?

Jaxon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a torn piece of paper. “This is his number. He’ll call you when he gets to your hotel. He’s going to drive you somewhere, but you’re going to ditch your phone as soon as you leave your parking lot. You understand me?”

Aaron trembles and sweats, but he nods as he looks up at his younger brother.

“There’s an apartment waiting for you, and you’ll be starting at this address in two days at a new job. It’s nothing fancy, but it will get you on your feet,” Jaxon says. His brows are deeply furrowed. The look on his face is so intense.

Will I ever stop being surprised by this man?

“Thank you, Jaxon,” Aaron says. There are tears of gratitude swimming in his eyes, but they don’t break free. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t really understand why you’re doing this. But thank you.”

Jaxon offers a thin-lipped smile and claps his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You’re not the only one who wants a different life. My time is coming, but if I can help you jumpstart yours, I’m more than happy to do it.”

Aaron gives his own thin-lipped smile and then pulls Jaxon in for a bear hug.

They all look so much alike.

Every one of the Gray children has a different father, most of them dead now, but they all look so much like each other. Apparently, Vivian has strong genes, and a type when it comes to the way she wants her men to look.

“Take care, brother,” Jaxon says. “Get in touch when it’s safe.”

“I will,” Aaron agrees.

My heart breaks just a little bit when Jaxon stands and takes my hand once again.

That kind of felt like a permanent goodbye. Jaxon just got Aaron back, therealAaron, and he’s already having to say goodbye.

But we do what we have to do. No one does that better than Jaxon.

We scan the room, and finally, we spot Scarlett across the ballroom.

She’s sitting at a table by herself, staring emptily at the surface of it. Which sets off alarm bells in my brain. This isn’t like her. Even though I barely know her, I know this is out of character.

Jaxon curses under his breath, and then I know for sure something is wrong.

“What is it?” he asks as he slips into the seat next to her.

She looks over at him with a glare. Her face is streaked with smeared makeup, as if she’s been crying, though tears aren’t falling at the moment. “You,” she says, her tone accusing. “You’re what happened.” Then her eyes slide over to me. “No, more accurately,youare what happened.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jaxon asks. His tone grows harder, more defensive. I stand there, poised, and so ready to get out of here, get away from his family and all their drama.

Scarlett’s eyes slide back over to her brother, her gaze going even darker. “You told Mom you’re transitioning out. That you’re taking a step back. But that doesn’t mean there’s any less work. Guess who she’s making step up to take over for you?”

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