Page 46 of Burning Secrets

She glanced around the room, but the other jumpers, Tori and Cadee, along with the female hotshots, Raine and Sanchez, had already gone to dinner.

Skye turned off the television, dropped the remote.

Oh, so this was aconversation.JoJo dropped into a nearby overstuffed chair, pulled her wet hair around, and started to braid it. “Clearly you have thoughts.”

Skye folded her legs, leaned on her knees. “I just want you to know what you’re getting into here. Crew is a great guy, but he comes with…well, baggage.”

“I already know about his father and his jail time.”

“Did you know that he nearly killed a man in prison?”

She stopped braiding.

“It was a fight—a brawl, really, prison-wide—but Crew was caught up in it. His father went down, and Crew lost his mind. It was in the mess hall, and he picked up a spoon, went after the guy who hurt his father, and Rio believes that if he hadn’t seen it, hadn’t gotten ahold of Crew then, well, things would be much different today.”

“What are you saying?”

“Crew is a great guy. But he’s dangerous too.”

“He’s had to be. Have you seen what Rio has him doing? He’s living among killers?—”

“It’s his job.”

JoJo’s mouth opened.

Skye held up her hands. “I’m not saying it’s easy.”

“It’s horrible.” Aw, forget the stupid braid. She let go of her hair. “There’s this Viper guy who could kill a man with his bare hands, and a guy named Jer who just might have it out for him. He was in danger every. single. minute.”

“And he agreed to do it.”

“Because he has no choice.” She didn’t know how she found her feet. “Because someone has to go in and bring these guys to justice, so of course he said yes. Because nobody else is willing to stand up against evil.”

“That’s not true,” Skye said, her eyes sharp. “Rio went undercover in prison to fight evil.”

“And didn’t he nearly get killed doing it?”

She drew in a short breath.

“And I’ll bet you were terrified the entire time.”

“I didn’t know him then.”

“And if he went back now?” She stood, hands on her hips, her voice shaking.

Skye’s jaw tightened. “Rio and I are married. And we’re trying to start a family and?—”

“And I get that. But Crew’s life matters. And what if…” She looked away, her chest thick, eyes burning. She looked back, her voice low. “He’d leave behind people too.”

Skye met her gaze. Then, softly, “Are you in love with Crew, JoJo?”

A beat. “No. I mean—I don’t know. Maybe. But I do know what it feels like to watch a good man go out alone, face people who mean to do him—the world—harm. What it feels like to stand at his graveside, wishing that…”

“That it could be someone else?”

She met Skye’s gaze. “No. Yes. I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I just know what it feels like to be the one left behind, to feel like the world has crumbled under your feet. To not find your bearings.”

Skye went silent, her expression softening. “I’m sorry.”

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