Page 30 of Wicked and Bound

Nash ran a hand over his face, stubble scratching his palm. “Not great. Shit went down at the ‘claiming ceremony,’ and she’s shaken. She also knows I was JasperThePrivateDick on that amateur crime-solving site. Her trust in me…isn’t strong right now. And my gut tells me she’s hiding something else. This pregnancy in her past… She won’t talk about it.”

“I know it’s frustrating, but none of that is priority one now. Focus on keeping her safe. The rest can wait until you’re free from that hellhole.”

Nash wasn’t so sure. The distance in Haisley’s eyes scared him more than any guard with a gun.

If she couldn’t trust him, how could they survive this ordeal? And if her faith in him was so shaken, how the hell could he keep her safe?

CHAPTER EIGHT

The following afternoon, Nash’s satellite phone with its encrypted signal buzzed as he watched Haisley stare out at the ocean, her arms wrapped around herself. The continued distance she put between them mirrored the emotional gulf that had only grown. He didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.

“Jasper King here,” he answered quietly, knowing the Velvet Cove’s surveillance could hear his side of the conversation…but his caller could spill the world’s best kept secrets, and no one would be the wiser.

“Mission accomplished. Kaylee is home.” Relief tinged Ethan’s voice. “Her parents couldn’t stop crying. Or thanking me. The girl herself… Man, she broke down the moment we were off that island.”

“Not surprising. Hopefully, that’s all good now. Anything else?” Nash was intentionally vague. Ethan knew he had to maintain cover.

“She’s traumatized, but she’s got a good support system. She kept asking about the other girls still on the island. Wanted me to make sure we’re going to help them, too. I promised we would.”

“That’s the plan.” Nash glanced at Haisley’s rigid back. She was listening, but she wouldn’t look his way.

“You holding up? I know you can’t talk, but the other night—you and Haisley—that looked…rough.”

“Incredibly.”

“Not good, huh?”

“Nope.”

“You two have been through a lot. I know you love her. I think she loves you, too. She’ll remember that once she’s had a chance to clear her head.”

Nash sincerely hoped so, but he responded with a noncommittal sound. “Anything else?”

“Not now, but I’ll keep you posted. Stay frosty.”

“Back at you.”

Nash disconnected, his frustration building with each passing hour. The weight of their situation, of Haisley’s pain, pressed against his chest until he struggled to breathe.

Unable to take the silence anymore, he headed to the gym, punishing his body with a five-mile run and an hour of heavy weights. Each rep, each mile, felt like a futile attempt to outrun his rage and helplessness.

After a shower, he found Haisley still curled into the window seat, one finger absently tracing patterns on the glass. The afternoon light caught the copper highlights in her hair, reminding him of happier days when he could have simply pulled her into his arms.

His phone buzzed again. Trees this time.

He answered quickly, aware of Haisley’s attention shifting to him. “Hey.”

“Heads up. We’re making progress through these assholes’ encrypted files,” his brother said. “It’s slow going, and some of the images I’m getting are horrifying. Fucking stomach turning.I wish I was there to kill these bastards. But this footage…basically an engraved invitation to prison.”

“No shock there.”

“But what we’re finding… This operation is even bigger than we imagined.”

“How much bigger?”

“Massive. The bosses have been coordinating with their FBI contacts. This ring operates in at least eighteen cities across the US alone. International presence, too. Hunter contracted a female agent, Karliah Dane, to join us undercover as a hairdresser in the spa. She’ll make contact when she arrives.”

“Good. You know I never turn down a woman,” he quipped for the surveillance. “But will one be enough?”

---