Page 68 of Jax

“I literally have no money.”

Jacob sighs and looks away. “Don’t think about that right now, okay?” A few moments of silence pass. “For the record, I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Yeah?” I ask, voice shaky. Jail doesn’t appeal to me. Not in the least. I have no money to pay restitution, and I have no idea what’s coming up for me next, but I do know I need to go through this to come out better. I can’t have people save my ass all the time. It’s just not good for growth. “What about Psycho?”

“He’ll be going to jail for a long, long time. Most of the girls are flipping on him for rape charges. Then the stolen money, the domestic abuse... It all points toward rotting away in a jail cell for a significant amount of time.”

“I like that,” I say, smiling. “That sounds good.”

Jacob peers to his right and then back at me. “There’s someone here who wants to see you.” He steps back and Lyla moves into view.

She approaches the bars, looking stiff and uncomfortable. But when she glances at me, some of the rigidity in her shoulders relaxes. “Thank you,” she says, clearing her throat after a break. “It means so much to me that you kept your word. I’m going to corroborate your story one hundred percent.”

“You’re free?” I ask, gazing down and searching for handcuffs or foot chains. But no, she has nothing, and she’s still in the clothes she wore to the Ring, plus an oversized hoodie.

She only nods, and I heave a sigh of relief. With everything that went down at the end, there was no time to warn her. Of course, if she’d just come over to our side when I tried to get her to, I could have. Yet, she knew about the gun, so there’s no way she would have. “I’m so sorry about your boyfriend, Sadie. Any man who will stick up for his girl like that is a keeper.”

“Don’t I know it,” I whisper. “I’m not pushing him away again.”

“Cotton,” a gruff voice sounds.

Jacob nods toward the other end of the hall and then steps forward again. “Sorry, Sadie, she has to go.”

I nod, and Lyla walks away, looking once over her shoulder with a hint of a smile. It’s not a best friend pact by any means. I don’t expect one. I ruined her life. But maybe it’s a start toward that future I want.

When she’s out of earshot, I gaze up at Jacob. “How did that happen?”

“My little cousin went to her brother and told him to pull some strings for that girl. She’s the one you told us about, right?”

I nod. “She didn’t really do anything, and I owe her.”

“She’s free now. She flipped with Cole’s help and is going to testify against Psycho, too.”

That’s something I can be happy about.

“Actually, pretty much everyone flipped. Psycho is one scary fucker. I can’t believe he was under the radar for so long.”

“Yeah, well, scary and smart aren’t good attributes for one person.”

“Well, he won’t be able to hurt anyone else now because of you.”

I shake my head. I don’t deserve any praise. If it weren’t for Jax, I’m not sure I would’ve ever had the guts to do it myself, no matter how bad it got. I like to pretend that I would have but I don’t really know.

“Don’t think too hard,” Jacob says. “You did a good thing.” We’re silent for a few more moments while I take in his words before he starts explaining to me what’s going to happen next. He can push for my time with the judge to come quicker than the others but until then, I will have to spend time in jail. Whatever time I do spend there will be taken off my final sentence, no matter what that is.

Despite the sober news he’s telling me, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I see a blazing star haloing Jax who will wait for me there.

I see hope even through the haze of gray, prison drab.

I see everything so clearly now.

Love is so powerful. It’s the ultimate balm to a damaged soul. Jax’s love for me, and my love for him, won in the end.

I’ll happily do my time knowing that I put one bad guy away and that a good one waits for me at the end...with hope.

I gaze up at Jacob through unshed, determined tears. “Tell the big guy I love him, okay?”

Epilogue

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