Page 32 of Queen of Wrath

In truth, the most concerning question was, Why the fuck am I so set on hoping Lea has returned somehow?

“Are you going to kill me now?” Emma’s eyes hardened in a way Jax had never seen before.

In that instant, he realized that she was a hell of a lot stronger, fiercer, and certainly more familiar with the crueler side of the world than he had given her credit for.

Jax slowly tucked his hand into his robes, careful not to make any sudden moves.

The air between them was thick with anticipation.

Then he pulled out a small vial and folded her hand over it.

He looked deeply into her eyes, wanting her to see his true intent there, and said, “If I was going to kill you, don't you think I would have done it while you were sleeping?”

“We both know that’s not your style anyway,” she ground out, her gaze piercing right into him—to where his soul might have resided once.

Jax had just settled down in the conference hall when he was disturbed by one of his assistants.

“Sir, Mr. Ransom left you a message.” Every warning sign was going off in his head. I guess I’ve been waiting for this. “He said he wants to see you immediately, and assured me you would know where to meet him.” She kept her head tucked down, unwilling to look him in the eye.

She was afraid of him now, and he couldn’t blame her. She’d walked in on the massacre in his office right before his men had been able to seal off the area.

Jax pushed out of his seat, and fixed his robes as he walked by his assistant. She shuddered as if the cold itself had just blown past her. And then there was the sound of her terrified heart pounding in his ears. He had to put her out of her misery.

He turned to her suddenly, but made sure to keep his distance. “You are dismissed as my assistant. Feel free to leave immediately if that’s what you wish.”

She ducked her head down, blurted a hurried “thank you, sir,” and made quick work of leaving his presence.

His senses were all heightened, and his muscles pulled tight and ready for a fight, as he made his way to the underground facility where his uncle was waiting for him.

The wall evaporated around him momentarily, allowing him to enter the dark hallway.

Diesel was already there. He could sense his presence.

The closer he got, the stronger the stench of blood and ruin became, which always seemed to trail behind Diesel wherever he went.

Sure, Jax had supported his uncle through many wicked things, but it was almost like he was coming up on his breaking point lately. More and more, he found he couldn’t look the other way anymore.

How am I going to explain things to him? he wondered as he descended the stairs. If he finds out that Emma was down here, he's going to want her head. I can't let him find out about her.

He knew his uncle would be suspicious of what had truly happened here, and would come knocking on Jax’s front door before long, but he had to find a way to keep Diesel’s attention from Emma for as long as he could.

“There you are. You are a very difficult man to get a hold of. You must be very busy,” his uncle said as Jax reached the bottom step, eyeing him up and down as if he already knew something.

“It's not easy keeping up with two businesses. I'm sure you would know. Now what's this all about? I have a lot of work to do.” As hard as he tried to exude confidence, the underlying nervousness still showed up in the minute tapping of his fingers against the folds of his robe, and in the strange pitch to his voice.

“Then I won’t bore you with pleasantries. Do you know who these intruders were who’d breached the lab?” Diesel was angling for names, which was a relief. He had no clue who had broken into the facility, much less that his son had been involved.

“It doesn't matter who they were. I took care of it already. We won't have to worry about anything being leaked about our family.” Jax managed to keep his mind focused.

Diesel furrowed his brows. “Where are the men who captured the intruders? I want to speak with them as well.”

“Can't you keep track of your men, Uncle? It's bad enough I have to keep tabs on my own people. I don't have the time nor the patience to keep tabs on yours.” Jax pinched the bridge of his nose, pretending to be exasperated.

“You need not worry about that. I can handle my own.” Diesel looked at Jax with cold analysis. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint it. Not yet. “Sorry to take time away from your busy schedule. I'll be on my way.”

Diesel strode past him, and for a moment, Jax thought he might have gotten away with it. That was until his uncle turned on the ball of his foot to stare Jax down again. “When we speak again, be sure to have a more put-together story ready for me.”

It was as if the air had been knocked out of Jax. His lungs felt like they were filled with liquid. He could hardly breathe.

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