Page 19 of Ours to Keep

Chapter Eleven

JAX

When I arrive at the hospital, I find Tommy outside Lily’s room, eyes downcastas he leans back against the wall. He looks up at the sound of my approach, his tired eyes finding mine.

“Boss,” he says.

“Tommy, is everything all right?” I ask, nodding towards Lily’s closed door.

“Depends on your definition of ‘all right’… Avery’s here, and she’s pissed.”

I run my hand through my hair. “Shit.”

“Yep, you can say that again. What happened to you?” His eyes scan the blossoming bruise on my jaw and split lip.

“River,” I reply.

He nods in response. “Figures.”

“I need to speak to Lily about you and her going to a safe house.” He raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to explain. I glance up and down the hall, lowering my voice. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to return to the house. Elliot is speaking to Caleb and Noah about an option for a safe house.”

He licks his lips. “Who else is coming with us?”

“Just you two, for now. I want the rest of us to chase the leadto get the location on Mia, and then we can go from there and take appropriate action.”

He scrubs his palm over his stubbled jaw, his eyelids heavy.

“You really do need to get yourself back to the house. Eat, shower and sleep, Thomas.”

None of us will be any good for Lily if we continue to neglect looking after ourselves. I need to do better and lead by example.

His lips rise into a slight smile. “Is that an order, Boss?”

“If it’s the only way you’ll listen, then yeah.”

A retort forms on his lips, but it’s cut short when the door opens, and Avery’s frame fills the threshold.

Any surprise by seeing me standing beside Tommy quickly morphs into anger.

The door has barely clicked closed behind her when she squares her shoulders, hands on her hips, narrowing her gaze on me.

“I can’t believe this,” she snaps, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and emotion. “You were supposed to protect her, Jax. There were four of you, for crying out loud, and yet Lily’s in the hospital because you didn’t do your job!” she whispers, but it doesn’t make her words any less potent.

Her eyes dart between Tommy and me, each of us standing awkwardly under the weight of her accusations, which, unfortunately, are true.

“Avery,” I start, my voice soft but firm, “we fucked up. We know this, but we’re doing everything possible to find Richard. I promise he won’t get away with this.”

She shakes her head, taking a step closer, her eyes blazing. “Forgive me for having trouble believing you when Lily, my best friend, who is more like a sister to me, islying injured in a hospital bed. All becauseyou failed to protecther. And to make matters worse, that sick bastard has Mia.”

She pokes me in the chest, hard. “How can I trust any of you to keep her safe now?”

Avery might as well have punched through my chest cavity and stabbed me directly in the heart. Because no matter how much I apologise, nothing will make up for that, but I refuse to allow any more harm to come to her.

Her words hang heavy in the air. I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words, but I don’t think I have any.

“She’s a sitting duck in there. Richard attacked her in her own home, for fuck’s sake,” Avery says, her lips trembling, and the tears she’s attempted to keep at bay finally fall. She swipes at them angrily.

“I promise you, we will keep her safe. Lily will not be left alone, not until we find him and get Mia back. One of us will be with her around the clock. But we need to be smart about this, Avery. We can’t afford to fuck it up.”

---