Page 62 of Jax

“How’s Kyla?”

If the curl of Mag’s lips is anything to go by, Kyla has to be his girl. “She’s good. We’re still taking a much needed break from everything.”

Jax half gets off the couch and shakes Mag’s hand, too. I fully stand, letting the ice go for a second to shake his hand as well. He seems like the kind of guy who should see you as strong and not some pushover. “Sadie,” I introduce myself.

“Jacob,” he responds. I narrow my gaze because that’s certainly not what Cole called him. He must see the question in my gaze because he clarifies. “Mag’s my Crew name.”

Okay, there it is. He was Crew, so I definitely saw him around here. I don’t say as much because I don’t want to bring attention to the fact that I was basically a sex slave for K. Obviously, the guy isn’t Crew anymore, and I don’t see a Dragon tattoo on him, so he’s not in Cole’s gang either.

“He’s our cousin,” Leenie finally explains. “Who just so happened to not only be a Crew member but also an undercover FBI agent.”

My eyes widen—at least as much as they can. Shit. K had an undercover FBI agent in his house? He must’ve shit a brick when he found out. The information brings a smile to my face, stinging my already cracked lips. Jacob stares at me curiously. “I was Crew first, then went straight and decided to work undercover to take Kingston Marx down.”

“Which is why,” Jax says, “...we thought of him when we were brainstorming ways to deal with the Psycho problem.”

Cole shakes his head. “Still can’t get over his name. He probably gave it to himself.”

“You’re just jealous you never got a name,” Jacob quips.

Cole lifts his hand and gives Jacob the finger. I settle back beside Jax who helpfully places the ice pack back on my face. Peering at the collection of people we have here, it seems so surreal. A gang leader. An ex-gang guy. A gang leader’s sister who’s actually a really cool, chill person. Finny, who was more like my little brother, and Jax. I’m a long way from the Flats, and I’m definitely okay with that.

Jacob takes a seat across from us. He leans over, elbows on his knees. “Here’s the deal. I talked with my guy at the FBI, and he says Psycho and his band of misfits have been on their radar. There have been several complaints over the years, but nothing they could really go on, and of course, no one talks. So, he said if Sadie here is willing to talk, they can take him down.”

I blink. “Just like that?”

“Well...” Jacob grimaces. “Yes and no. I don’t know how far you’re into his cons but I’ve heard some evil shit. Not judging,” he adds at the same point my stomach does a flip. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. But they’re not going to just let you get away with it either. They’ll give you lenience if you talk first, and it depends on how much information you have.”

“Wait a damn second,” Jax argues. “We didn’t talk about that part. Sadie was—”

I place my palm on his leg. Somehow, this feels right. Sure, would I like to ride off in the sunset with no worries whatsoever? Of course. But I’m not sure that would help quell the troubled thoughts inside me anyway. “I did some shit,” I tell Jacob. “I’m not going to lie about it.”

“You were coerced,” Jax spits.

“And if that’s the case, they’ll take it into consideration too,” Jacob mediates.

Jax places his hand on my cheek and makes me look at him. “I just got you back. I’m not going to let you go away again.”

I swallow. We both know there’s probably some jail time in this for me. He doesn’t know the extent of what I did. I remember the trusting faces of the people I conned. I remember the sickening feelings afterward and how I grew to hate Psycho because of it. But I also remember that doing what I did also helped me get fed and kept a roof over my head. I was scared and lost and I would’ve done anything.

I place my hand on his and squeeze. “I have to do this.” Turning toward Jacob, I say, “I know pretty much everything. I was Psycho’s girl through every con. I know who and when. I know people who were just randomly gone one day. I don’t know where any bodies are but I know who could possibly be dead that he would’ve had a hand in.” I take a deep breath, remembering Lyla’s fierce eyes. “There’s one more thing, too.” Everyone in the room looks at me. “There’s another girl there that I promised I’d get out. If she talks, can she get leniency too?”

“Maybe,” Jacob hedges. “If you’re already—”

“I promised her,” I say firmly.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Jacob states simply, “but the same rule applies to her. If she’s implicated in anything, she’ll also face consequences. I can’t tell you what that’s going to be yet.”

I’m not going to answer for her. Honestly, if I get the chance, I’ll tell her to run. That’s how I atone for what I did to her. “I’ll do it,” I say finally. “Everything I know, I’ll spill.”

Jacob regards me and finally nods. “You’re doing a good thing here. I know it’s not easy.”

“And he won’t be able to hurt you anymore,” Leenie adds, concern clearly in her eyes as she watches me.

“Thank you,” I tell her. She pushed me from the beginning. She urged me to open up to Jax, to be true to myself. She tried to help me even before Jax did, back when he was still blinded by what I did to him and who could blame him? “You’ll never know how much I appreciate it. All of this. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it on my own,” I say, peering around at all of them.

“If you just let me kill him, you won’t have to go through this at all,” Cole offers. “Fuck punishment. That guy’s a sick bastard.”

“Tempting,” I tell him truthfully. I’d love nothing more than to see Psycho come to an end he deserves. “But...people need to hear what he did. There are families out there wondering what happened, and they need to see him be brought to justice, too. If it was just me, I’d tell you to go ahead and kill him.”

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