Page 74 of Redemption

Fucking wanker.

“Jackson,” Sloan called. “Is everything o— Oh!” Sloan stopped short, quickly schooling her shocked expression into something more neutral. “Edward, what are you doing here?”

“Darling,” he crooned, and it fucking grated on my nerves.

He took a step forward, and I shifted, putting myself between him and Sloan. If he wanted her, he’d have to go through me.

“Get out of my way,” he sneered.

My entire body was tense, my muscles coiled tight and itching for a fight. I didn’t know what had happened with Edward and Sloan, but she’d told me it was over between them. There was no reason why he should be here.

I glared at him, hoping my intent was clear—touch her and die.

“Jackson,” Sloan said softly, placing her hand on my shoulder as she stepped around me. “It’s okay.”

I shook my head, my expression solemn. He was a security risk.

“Edward would never hurt me.”

“Exactly,” Edward said, swooping in to place his arm around her. I glared at his hand on her as if my gaze alone would burn his skin. “This is all just a big misunderstanding.”

Sloan silently pleaded with me—to let it go? To stay quiet about what we’d done? The fuck if I knew.

Was this what she’d meant when she’d said it was over between them? Over but not actually finished? Because clearly, Edward was under the impression they were still together. And the security staff had allowed him on the premises without consulting me first.

“Can I speak to you in private?” I asked Sloan.

“Just—” Sloan smiled brightly at Edward “—give me a second.”

We went over to the kitchen, where I kept my eyes on Edward and my voice low. “What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know.” Sloan dragged a hand down her face. “If you’d given me a chance to talk to him, maybe I could’ve found out.”

“It’s too risky.”

I had a bad feeling about the situation. About him.

“Jackson.” Sloan rolled her eyes. “You truly believe he’s—” she gestured toward Edward “—a security threat?”

“You don’t?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You’ve been receiving threats. You said it was over with Edward, but he’s here now. Unless—” A darker thought occurred to me. “Unless it isn’t over between the two of you.”

My stomach bottomed out at the idea. But Sloan wouldn’t do that, right?

“We broke up before I left for Miami.”

That was a relief, even if I was still alarmed by Edward’s presence.

“When?” I asked, needing to know how recently.

“In the days before we left.”

Well, shit.

“Who broke up with whom?” I told myself it was for the security assessment, but I found myself wishing I’d asked sooner for my own personal sanity.

I prayed that Sloan had broken up with Edward and not vice versa. I hoped I wasn’t a fucking rebound. My stomach curdled at the idea.

“I broke up with him.”

---