Page 80 of Lamb

Chapter Twenty-Two

LAMB

Every mile that disappeared beneath the car made Ash wind tighter and tighter. Her tension traveled like an infection, the car growing quiet and anxious. Words sat paused on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed them every time, turning back toward the window, eyes looking far beyond the glass.

I knew what she was struggling with. Or rather,whom.

Ash had only one connection to this world, and the last time she’d been at the club, she had severed it. Now, every minute that passed brought her closer and closer to the moment of confrontation. As cold and clean as she’d been about it, the wound left behind had festered in her for a long time. It was raw and painful, having never even begun to heal.

Her hands were clammy, and her fingers shifted restlessly as she tried to worm away. I didn’t let her. I kept our interlocked palms pressed against my thigh, the physical anchor relaxing my tension and growing fiercely in my chest.

I’d tested Ash’s reaction to Anna before, and the bitter taste still sat in my mouth. I didn’t want to see her retreat into herself if this went poorly. Nevertheless, this had to happen, and there was no way out this time. The only path was forward.

Huge metal gates rose into view, and a moment later, the large concrete building towered over us. Pipe was by the gate, swinging it open and letting our vehicle through.

I was sure Ash had stopped breathing by now as I could not hear even a whisper of breath from her. My thumb slipped from around hers, stretching down to her wrist and feeling the thick, thumping thrum of her heart beneath her skin. She stared out the window, as if an alternate reality had stolen her mind.

“Wait!” Jax snapped, slamming his hands hard onto the center console. He jerked forward, a string of curses falling from his lips.

I didn’t have to lean far to see what he had; the cherry red beetle was visually screaming between the array of black SUVs.

“She’s not supposed to be here,” Jax growled, snatching his phone out of his pocket and hammering his fingers onto the screen.

“What should we do?” Mint frowned, head turned toward Jax. His hands were wrapped tight around the wheel, his foot light on the pedal as the car thrummed quietly in neutral. “Should we head back?”

“We can’t go in,” Jax hissed, pulling his phone from his ear, his call unanswered. “Anna doesn’t know about this yet.”

Ash flinched in my grasp. She didn’t move. Didn’t turn. Didn’t even breathe. But her hand had grown tighter in mine, my knuckles a pearly white.

I’d had enough.

I wasn’t going to play a part in this cat-and-mouse chase. Wolf had made his decision. If he hadn’t told his old lady about it yet, that would have been his problem to solve. Now, I had my own priorities.

Ash’s hand was weak and tired as I slipped my own free. Her head whipped around, ghostly green eyes flashing to her emptypalm. I didn’t spare a moment to gauge her reaction as I popped open the car door and stepped out.

I heard Jax shouting from inside the car but ignored it. I marched across the lot, past the bright red car, to the double metal doors of the clubhouse.

Mint’s voice piped up as fast feet raced behind me.

I knew Jax’s footsteps, but I didn’t stop.

I was inches from the door when the collar of my shirt noosed around my neck and Jax’s voice shouted in my ear, but it was too late.

We both barreled forward, slamming and busting through the metal doors as we burst into the main crowded room of the clubhouse.

Noise collapsed into silence as over a dozen heads turned in our direction, Jax half over my back as we fought to right ourselves.

Jax’s grip tightened on my collar, hand shaking against my back, and it took me a second to see why.

Wide blue eyes gave us a slow, careful assessment before a pale blonde brow crooked in our direction, neither surprised nor concerned at our state. “What’s got your panties in a twist this time?” Anna sighed, propping a hand onto her voluptuous hip. “Did he steal your juice box or something?”

I opened my mouth, my collar cinching in protest.

“Don’t,” Jax growled, head shaking, eyes alight with intense swirling emotions. “Not like this.”

He was pleading with me, and it wasn’t often I saw this side of any brother. It was strange and unsettling. I knew how much he cared about Anna; they were more like siblings than those bound by blood.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.

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