Page 18 of Serpent King's Revenge

Nathan had trusted me with his siblings, but I didn’t know what to do about Alex. I didn’t have the kind of contacts I needed to get a known criminal out of harm’s way. I would normally have called my dad, but I didn’t want to put him in danger–or to get Alex arrested. I didn’t trust the FBI, didn’t trust Diane Hayes with any of my new family.

“We need to figure out what to do about Alex,” I muttered. “He has to have…fuck, a matter of days?…until your dad finds out he’s still alive. Nathan covered for him, but…I think he had a plan and I don’t know what it was.”

Lily frowned. “I wish I knew someone to call, but they’re all my dad’s allies.”

It came to me like a lightbulb going off in my head–the meeting we’d had a few nights ago with Nathan’s friend from San Diego.

"Jack Kensington," I murmured to myself. "I need to call Jack."

Justin glanced up, his brown eyes clouded with worry. He shifted on the couch, clearly uncomfortable. "Jack's more Nathan's friend than ours," he said, his voice barely above a murmur. "But yeah, he's a friend."

"Could you give me his number?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Sure." Justin fumbled with his phone for a moment before sending me Jack's contact card.

"Thank you," I whispered, barely recognizing my own gratitude amidst the turmoil churning inside me. I didn't want to alarm Lily or Justin any further—they looked like deer caught in headlights.

Best to handle this next part alone.

With a deep breath, I pushed myself to my feet. My limbs felt heavy, weighted by the gravity of our situation and the fatigue that seemed to be part of being pregnant. I moved toward the bedroom–Nathan’s bedroom–where he’d kept me prisoner, shown me the depths of his depravity…where I’d fallen in love.

We were fucked up and twisted, but I loved him more than I’d ever loved anything before.

I closed the door behind me with a soft click, sealing myself within the confines of a past life that seemed so distant now. Alone with the shadows dancing on the walls, I dialed Jack's number, holding onto the sliver of hope that he could help us navigate through the treacherous waters we were about to sail.

The bedroom was a mausoleum of memories, each object a headstone marking the life I shared with Nathan. His scent lingered on the pillows, a cruel reminder of our intertwined lives now unraveling. It felt like years ago when he had done whatever he wanted to me in this bed…but fuck, I definitely wanted it too. I wanted him too.

He had known that before I had.

I sat on the edge of the bed we used to share, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"Come on, Jack," I whispered to myself.

After an unbearable stretch of silence, a crackle on the line. A click. And then, a voice.

"Hello?"

"Jack, it's Abby. I need help," I blurted out, the words tumbling from trembling lips.

“Abby?” he asked. He clearly didn’t recognize me.

“Nathan’s girlfriend…uh, fiancee,” I said, my voice practically breaking when I said the last word. “We’ve met a couple of times.”

“Oh! Right. Okay, yes,” he said. Then he went quiet for a second. “Is Nathan okay?”

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “I think so. I hope so,” I said. “That’s kind of why I’m calling you.”

"What's wrong?" Concern laced his voice, cutting through the static of the line.

"He—he’s been arrested." The sentence felt foreign, even as I spoke it; a truth too heavy for my tongue.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack’s voice spiked with confusion. "For what?”

“He kind of…killed a federal agent,” I murmured. “But that’s not what I’m–”

“Seriously?”

“I can’t explain everything over the phone, Jack,” I uttered, biting my lip to keep it from quivering. “We need your help. Well, I don’t need your help, and Nathan would handle this by himself if he was here. But he’s not here, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know who to call, I–”

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