Page 50 of Queen of Wrath

“Yes, of course, Mr. Ransom. Right away.” A handful of the guards left the group and ran to release Diesel’s lackey.

Jax turned to look at Emma, who appeared too shocked to move.

Her lips were slightly parted as she drew in an uneven breath.

Her claws retracted back into her nail beds, and her shoulders dropped.

She feels so deeply for people… Especially for those locked up and mistreated it seems.

He remembered how she’d reacted meeting the warden of Ryklira, General Achlys. She’d looked disturbed and frozen, with an undertone of anger, just like she had a moment ago. Jax had found it suspicious at the time, but now he’d gotten to know her better.

Jax walked up to Emma and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I freed her, but you will have to take her under your care, and make sure she doesn't get into trouble again. My wife will skin me alive if I brought home a stray.”

Emma twisted her face in disgust at the sentiment that this young girl was a stray animal and not a person, but she quickly hid it with a smile.

Jax realized much too late that the rhetoric he’d gotten used to using against the poverty-stricken wouldn’t work with Emma. She genuinely cared about them, even though she was of a much higher class.

Before he was able to retract what he’d said, she responded, “Thank you for sticking your neck out for her like that. I will make sure she's taken care of.”

She gave him an affirming nod, and for the first time in a very long time, Jax felt good.

It wasn’t a feeling derived from fame or fortune. It wasn’t due to his accomplishments which were widely accepted by the affluent around him.

No, this was a more subtle sense of fulfillment.

Even if no one else would ever know the good he’d just done, he didn’t care.

Or perhaps it was because of the new way Emma was looking at him now…

19

LEA

“Did you not think that this might jeopardize our mission? How are we supposed to account for a child now?” Rowan paced back and forth in my living room, nearly ripping her hair out from frustration.

I glanced beside me at the young woman who was still unconscious on my couch. “You didn't see how those pigs were treating her. She wouldn't have lasted another week there.”

Rowan stopped pacing long enough to pinch the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “I know you want to save everyone, but we can't worry about all of that right now. We have much bigger fish to fry.”

“What are we doing here if we’re not helping out the people without voices? She might be one small drop in an ocean of people who need our help, but how can we turn a blind eye?” My voice cracked as I spoke. I found it difficult to keep myself composed.

“Are you sure you're going to be able to keep her in check?” Rowan punched her fists into her sides as she glared down at me.

“Well, she's already on the wrong side of the law. I don't think it'll be an issue.” I looked over again at the way the young woman's lashes fluttered.

She had to be really out of it to be sleeping through this racket.

“See to it that it's not. We can't afford a misstep now when we are so close to success. It isn't just our necks on the line. It's everyone’s.” Rowan marched out of my apartment and slammed the door shut behind her.

I really thought she was going to take it better than that. Maybe I caught her at the wrong time. No matter. She'll come around.

Suddenly, the young woman's eyes popped open, revealing blazing purple irises. They darted over to me as she sat up. “I'm not going to cause any problems! You don't have to worry about me. I just appreciate that you and that man saved me.”

Oh, so she wasn’t sleeping through all that.

“There's just one thing I don't understand… How did you guys know that I worked for Diesel?” She tilted her head with innocent curiosity.

My eyes widened, and my mouth ran dry.

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