Page 78 of Risky Passion

“Jaxson, this is the third time I’ve asked you to tell me what’s really going on, and if you don’t give me a straight answer, Iwilluse that fucking radio to?—”

“Okay!” He let out a heavy, frustrated sigh and gripped the wheel tighter. “I don’t believe Eddie just happened to find us. And I sure as hell don’t think he wanted to kill us. I think he was blackmailed into that.”

My stomach knotted. “Okay. What do you believe?”

His jaw tightened as he increased the speed. “He knew exactly where to find us,” Jaxson said.

“Meaning?” As the wind whistled through the bullet hole in the window, my annoying hair flicked over my face.

“Meaning someone fed him information. And that someone wants us dead.”

My mouth went dry as the consequences of this tangled in my brain. “I have so many questions.”

He rolled his eyes like I was the world’s biggest headache.

I held up a thumb, refusing to back off. “First, any idea why Eddie would turn? Does he need money?”

“My guess is someone knew exactly how to manipulate him.”

I frowned. “Manipulate him into committing murder? That’s one hell of a leap.”

“In our minds, yes,” he said, sounding bitter. “But when family is threatened, it’s a different story.”

“Okay, I’ll buy that,” I said, “but why did he want to killus? What the hell did I do?”

Jaxson slid me a sharp side-eye. “What were you doing before they pumped your plane full of bullets?”

“Oh my god.” My jaw dropped. “I was filming that suspect boat, and they shot me down once they realized I was onto them. Was Eddie their onshore contact?”

“That would be my guess.” Every word came out grim.

I nodded slowly, trying to slot all the pieces together. “So, Eddie was waiting for the drug drop, but when they shot my plane down, he came to finish me off. And now you think Eddie was working for someone higher. Right?”

“Yes,” Jaxson said flatly.

“And what does that mean for us?”

“It means,” he said, locking his eyes onto mine with a hard intensity, “we can’t trust anyone. Not until we figure out who’s pulling the strings. No phones. No comms. Nothing that can be tracked.”

I bit my lip, torn between arguing and agreeing. The logical part of me knew he was right, but the idea of being completely isolated and on our own pressed down on me like a brick. “Except your brothers. Right?” I asked, my voice tinged with sarcasm.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “They’re the only people I trust.”

“What about me?”

His expression softened in a way I wasn’t expecting. “Of course I trust you.”

“Oh. Okay, that’s good.” There were still too many questions,though. One in particular that he’d dodged twice now. I crossed my arms and adjusted my seating so I could look at him better. “Good. Then tell me why your brother is in trouble.”

He heaved a massive sigh and hesitated for so bloody long that I clenched my good fist and punched his thigh. “Jaxson. Tell me.”

“Okay.” He growled. “Okay.” He released a noise like revealing this information was going to hurt. “I found a fresh grave at Angelsong Orphanage.”

I blinked at him. “What the hell? How?”

“Onyx and I went to the orphanage early this morning to search for more unmarked graves of those kids. And we found some. But we also found a fresh body in a shallow grave near an old fountain.”

“Jesus,” I blurted. The car jolted as we hit a bump on the winding road, and my empty stomach flipped. “I bet that was a shock?”

---