Page 122 of Jace 4Ever
“I’m not,” I answered. “Why would I?”
“You…” He stared back at me, and I waited.
He whipped his head around to where Smoke was leaning against the building. I noticed the duffle was already gone. He winked and waved.
“Smoke…”
“Knows no more than I do,” I answered. “I’ll give you the story when we get home. You’re going to the hospital first, though, because I want them to check you from top to toes.”
“I’ve survived longer down there.”
I kissed his lips softly. “Humor me, baby. Please. I almost just lost you to a horrible cartoon caricature of a mafia hit man. Named the Shoemaker. It’s like a bad Batman episode.”
“Original shows, Burton-Schumacher, Animated, or Nolan?”
“Oh, you know your Batmen…” I considered a moment. “Tie. Either original shows or Burton-Schumacher. Perhaps he was in development after Mister Freeze.”
“Could be a friend to the Condiment King.” He laughed.
“Okay, color me impressed.”
He kissed my cheek. “You’re really not going to be…”
“No,” I answered. “I’m not entirely sure who Smoke really is, or who he belongs to, but he’s got friends in high places. And believe me, the Shoemaker being gone is better for everyone.”
Smoke tossed a chin at me when I realized I’d forgotten important information. I backed up just a little bit and stared down at my adorable fiancé, who was smearing away tears.
“Jace, Jerrod is in the hospital,” I said. I saw the entire war fought in his expression on how to feel to about that, about Jerrod in general. “He sought us out after you ran. He told us as much as he could. He’d been shot by the other two guys who were with him.”
“Is he going to live?”
I confirmed that with a nod. “But he’s going to prison for a very long time. The police have him under arrest while he’s in there.”
“He’s gotten out of it every time.”
“Not this time. He confessed to a whole shit ton of stuff and he’s going to do hard time. He only has a lawyer because I insisted. He just wants to plead guilty to all of it and have it done. Jerrod realized he nearly got you killed and he’s a mess.”
He didn’t have much to say about that. Instead he turned and nodded at Logan, who was being loaded into the ambulance. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Yes.” I kissed the top of his head. “You and Tony did a magnificent job staunching the bleeding.”
Jace cocked his head. “Tony seems taken by him.”
“Tony could do worse.” I smirked. “Logan is a good guy.”
“Worlds apart,” he said with shake of his head.
“Didn’t stop us.”
His gaze bore straight into mine. “No, it didn’t.”
I pulled him close, and he wrapped his arms around me. I grinned and could feel him smiling against my cheek. It felt good, and right. And I felt complete.
We were where we were supposed to be.
“Let’s go home,kærasti. We have a happily ever after to write.”
