Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“I think it’s best we don’t talk to them until the deal is done,” Jensen said. If he heard her voice, he might not be able to do it. If Niall tried to talk him out of it, he might listen because this was the last thing he wanted.
Jack refused the call. “She’s going to kick my ass. She’s sent about a hundred texts, but I’m sure it’s all crap about how I’m ruining everything. I cannot win with that woman.”
“Do you want to win with her?” Jensen was curious how much he’d fucked up Jack’s life.
Jack’s expression shuttered. Like he’d shown too much. He slid his cell in his pants pocket and then the smooth cowboy lawman was back. “She’s a friend of my cousin’s. I assure you Harlow is going to be pissed at me, so why don’t we go and make sure this whole thing is worth it. I don’t want to have blown apart my family life for nothing. What floor are you on?”
“The third. I’m the last unit on the left.” It wasn’t like there was a doorman or anything. There wasn’t a lobby, either. It was all apartments with stairs and open walkways.
Jack’s cell trilled again, and he groaned. He brought it out with a long sigh. “It’s the office. I need to take it. I’ll be here. Hurry. We need to be downtown in twenty minutes.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Lori. Yeah, we’re back in Dallas. You got any updates on the Dark Web search? Nothing?” He nodded to Jensen. “Hurry. I want to get you somewhere safe, but it seems we’re okay for now. I’ve got someone tracking Hamilton. He’s not scheduled to fly into Dallas until tonight.”
He would be long gone by then. He’d gotten so close. He knew the Jensen he’d been months back would mourn the loss of his revenge. Now, as he walked around to the back of the building, all he could feel was the pain of losing her. Of Niall never trusting him again. He would be alone for the rest of his life, and it was his own fault.
He should have left with her in LA. He should have made the choice to have a future rather than trying to avenge the past. They could be married by now.
Instead, she would marry Niall, and they would have a beautiful life and he would pay for his sins.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a car darting into the parking lot. Someone was in a hurry, but that wasn’t unusual. They were probably trying to hit their dealer’s house before heading to work. Traffic was usually terrible this time of day.
He jogged up the stairs and pulled out his key. Where would they live? He hadn’t been to Niall’s place and had only heard that Harlow had a pretty condo in a nice part of town.
He’d missed so much. He wished he hadn’t, wished he’d been part of their daily lives so he would have more memories.
This was stupid. He was being stupid.
Jensen stopped two doors from his apartment as the truth hit him.
And there’s the beautiful, damaged one who needs a shit ton of therapy because of all the damage. That one is the dangerous one because she’ll make split-second decisions based on the trauma she survived and not what’s best for the three of them. She’ll martyr herself because that’s all she knows to do. Because she thinks maybe she doesn’t deserve good things like love and protection, like no one should risk for her.
Niall had been right. Chase hadn’t been talking about Harlow. He’d been comparing Jensen to his wife. Natalie Dawson had been the one to make bad choices based on trauma. Her trauma had been… He couldn’t even imagine it, and yet she was whole and happy and a good mom and a great partner to her husbands.
Could he do that? Could he learn to shove down what the world had tried to teach him and believe that he was worthy of love?
A little panic threatened. It seemed so simple. He was doing this to save her. He was making this decision because he was absolutely certain she wouldn’t allow him to leave without her, and neither would Niall.
Would he be okay with her doing the same? If she was in trouble and she decided it was too dangerous for him, would he nod and accept it and move on with his life? Fuck no. He wouldn’t because he loved her and he owed her everything he had, his love, his protection, his advice, his time, his effort. He owed it to both of them to be part of the team, and yet he’d made a unilateral decision that affected them all with zero input from them.