Page 51 of Jax

“That’s why we need to go as remote as possible. High up in the mountains. I know of several locations that will keep us hidden.”

Mia swallowed. High up in the mountains? She didn’t like the sound of this one bit. Then she remembered the text messages she'd seen on Jax's phone—the ones that had sent her running in the first place. "I saw your message to Savannah, Jax. Why did you say you weren't taking me back to her?"

Jax frowned, confused. "Savannah? What are you talking about?"

"Your texts, Jax," Mia said, exasperation seeping into her words. "When I saw you texting her that you weren't taking me back, I thought—"

"Wait." Jax held up a hand, his expression clearing. "You misunderstood. That wasn't Savannah. It was Viper."

"Viper?" Mia's heart skipped a beat.

"His old nickname," Jax admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "TechSavvy, or Savvy for short. I never changed it in my contacts."

"Jesus," Mia breathed, her anger dissipating as the truth sank in. "God, I should never have snooped. I’m so sorry.”

“Darling I don’t blame you. You had a right to know the truth,” said Jax. “I’m so sorry I kept it from you. I thought I was protecting you. But you’re strong enough to know what’s going on. I should respect that. I promise you, from now on, you’re going to be kept in the loop on everything. We’re partners in this.”

Mia nodded. “Partners. Right. So, what now . . . partner?"

Jax reached down to the root trapping Mia's foot. “I’m gonna set you free, babygirl,” he said. “Then I’m gonna take you back to the tent. We pack up lightning fast then get the hell outta here.”

"Okay, but how are we supposed to outrun him if he's tracking us?" Panic bubbled in Mia's chest, her breaths coming in shallow gasps.

"Relax," Jax soothed, rubbing her shoulder gently as he pulled her away from the tree root, letting her lean all her weight on him. "We just need to stay ahead of him, be smart about our movements. My phone is secure now, so he won't be getting any more updates on our location. After I sent the message, I put it in something called a Faraday pouch. He’ll be able to figure out the location of my last message, but my phone’s no longer trackable."

A terrible thought occurred to Mia. “Jax,” she whispered, “when I looked at your phone, I got it out of a black pouch thingy.” She grimaced. “But I didn’t put it back in there after.”

Jax's face went from surprise to disbelief in a matter of seconds. "You what?" he snapped, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't think about it. I was just... scared and confused."

For a tense moment, Jax stared at her, his jaw clenched tight. Then, taking a deep breath, his expression softened. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "It's alright, Mia. You didn't know any better. But this changes things."

"Can Viper find us now?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Change of plan.”

"Change of plan? How?" She felt panic rising within her, threatening to swallow her whole.

"First things first," he said, pausing to survey their surroundings. "We need to race back to the car and grab our stuff. Then, we'll get the hell away from here and reach out to my brothers at Paladin Security."

"Your brothers?" she asked, surprised. "They think you’re in rehab."

"Well, I’ll have to come clean," he replied. "We're family—we watch each other's backs. They'll help us, no questions asked."

Mia couldn't help but feel envious of the bond Jax shared with his siblings. It was something she'd never known.

"Okay," she agreed, trying to push her envy aside. "Let's find that safe place and call them."

"Good plan." Jax smiled at her before pressing forward through the woods.

Chapter seventeen

Jax

The night sky stretchedoverhead, dotted with stars. Jax was rushing, but he was trying to stay safe. No speeding, just unconventional routes with minimal stops to stay off the grid. His knuckles throbbed white as he gripped the steering wheel. "We'll be at the Den soon," he said, hazel eyes scanning the dark road ahead. "You'll be safe there."

Mia glanced over at him, appearing tense but trusting. "Jax, what's going to happen once we're there?"

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