Page 23 of Traitorous Lies
“We can spare an afternoon.”
Lifting a hand to grip his wrist, Monique shook her head, hardly able to move it since Jax still held her chin. “No, Jax, we can't. It’s going to keep getting colder, and we’re not dressed to be out in the cold. Neither of us is getting enough sleep or enough food. And by now, the bodies have probably been found, which means people are out here looking for us. I don’t want to be here when they find us.”
Jax’s mouth opened, and she was sure he was going to offer her some platitude. It wasn't that she didn't believe Jax could protect her and keep her safe, she did, and he had. But they would know he’d killed six of their men and they’d send more this time. Jax was good but numbers were numbers, and they didn't lie. There was a limit to how many he could take on and still come out on top.
Before the platitude could come out, a loud scream pierced the air.
Not a human scream.
“What the hell was that?” Jax demanded, releasing her and spinning in a slow circle, searching for the source of the scream.
“Fox,” she answered immediately. “What?” she said with a shrug when he looked over his shoulder at her. “I love animals, and I've cared for plenty of foxes before. That was a fox.”
“Monique, wait.” He grabbed at her as she darted around him, heading in the direction the sound had come from, but she easily dodged out of the way, suddenly reenergized.
An animal needed her.
This was her purpose in life.
Caring for those that couldn’t care for themselves.
It didn't take her long to locate the little ball of red and white fur tangled in a fallen branch. Poor little baby must have gotten stuck as it ran, and now it was huddling against the ground like it was in pain. Had it hurt itself?
A hand snapped around her bicep, stilling her as she went to move toward the possibly injured animal. “You can't go up to it,” Jax hissed.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a wild animal.”
“Dealt with plenty of them since I opened my rescue,” she reminded him.
“Aftersomeone else has already caught it and brought it to you to heal and be nursed back to health.”
Rolling her eyes at him, Monique planted her hands on her hips. “I didn't tell you how to do your job, I just trusted you. Now you can trust me to know how to do my job.”
With that, she broke free of his hold and approached the terrified animal slowly.
Just because most of the animals at her rescue had been brought to her didn't mean she hadn't rescued lots in her lifetime. Plenty as a kid, and sometimes she was called out to rescue the animal that would be put in her care. Besides that, most of her days were spent dealing with animals who were hurting and scared, she knew what she was doing.
“Shh, baby, I'm not going to hurt you,” she crooned as she knelt beside the branch where the animal was trapped. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I'm just going to help you, all right? I'm going to get you all untangled, and then I'm going to see if you're hurt. If you are, I’ll make it all better, I promise.”
Her soft and soothing tone worked, and while it still cowered, the little fox didn't move a muscle as she quickly untangled one of its legs from where it had gotten stuck between two smaller branches.
“There you go, baby, all free,” she murmured as she yanked off the sweater from the dead guard that she was wearing over Jax’s suit jacket. She’d be colder without it on, but the little fox needed it more.
Reaching out with a steady hand, knowing how she approached the animal would fuel how it reacted, she stroked a single fingertipdown its chest, then rubbed lightly under its chin, making sure to keep her hand where it could see it at all times.
“Can I pick you up now, baby?” she asked, as she wrapped the sweater around the trembling creature then when it didn't fight against her, scooped it up and sat down, settling the fox on her lap.
When she looked up, she found Jax staring at her incredulously. “What the heck are you? Some sort of animal whisperer?”
“Told you that you should trust me to do my job. I know how to get an animal’s trust, how else could I run the best animal rescue in the country?” Monique wasn't trying to brag, she was just being honest. The reason she wound up with such an array of animals was because she was so good at what she did, and she only hired the best of the best.
Animals were innocents, they didn't hurt on purpose to be cruel or malicious, and they deserved the very best care she could give them when they were at their most vulnerable.
“You are just full of surprises,” Jax said.
There was something odd in his tone that she didn't focus on figuring out. She had a little fox who needed help and her attention focused on it. “I'm not leaving it behind,” she warned Jax, better to let him know that now. The fox’s foot was injured, possibly broken, leaving it alone was basically a death sentence. Not only would it not be able to hunt for food, but it was also perfect prey for a predator. “I'm sure Cinderella will be thrilled to have a companion when I get you home.”
