Page 31 of Dangerous Lies

Jax studied the target on their makeshift shooting range at the edge of Megan’s property. The wind stirred the trees above him, rustling through the dense copse that served as a natural barrier in case any bullets pushed past the stacked hay bales. A few pine needles drifted through the crisp air. Overhead, a squirrel scurried across a low-hanging branch before leaping to another.

“What do you think?” Megan asked, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Her breath created a fog that vanished into the overcast morning. The deepening shadows in the woods made the lake behind her look moody and dark. “I’m getting better, right?”

Jagged holes punctured the black silhouette on the target. A few shots had strayed from center mass, but most were accurate. A curl of pride stirred in Jax as he shot her a smile. “You’re a natural. Most people can’t hit a target that precisely after only two days of practice. I’m impressed.”

Her face lit up at his praise. “It’s because I have such a good teacher.”

The compliment twisted something deep in his chest. Spending time with Megan pushed him dangerously close to forgetting why they’d been brought together in the first place. Oliver’s death had always been a barrier between them. But now, when he looked at her, the past wasn’t the first thing he saw anymore.

He saw a woman who was brave and smart. One with a kind heart and unwavering strength.

A breeze caught a loose strand of her golden hair, sending it fluttering across her forehead. Jax’s fingers itched to brush it back, but he resisted. Giving in to this attraction would only lead to heartache for them both. Instead, he focused on replacing the target. “Want to practice some more?”

She adjusted the zipper on her coat and nodded. “Then I’d like to go over the moves you showed me yesterday.” Turning, she strolled toward the front of the shooting range.

Without warning, Jax grabbed her from behind, locking one arm around her neck and securing it with his other hand. Megan gasped as he lifted her off her feet. She scrambled to put her legs underneath her, and the moment they touched the ground, she tilted her body weight toward his elbow. Her shoulder shoved against his chest as she wrenched herself free and bolted.

“Nice job!” Jax called out as he caught up with her. She was breathless, her cheeks flushed, a smudge darkening her chin. Guilt punched him hard. He brushed her hair aside to get a better look at her neck. The strands were silky against his fingertips, but all he could focus on was the redness of her skin. “I’m sorry, Megan. That was too rough.”

“No.” She placed a reassuring hand on his chest. “If someone tries to hurt me, they’ll be a lot rougher. You just caught me off guard, that’s all.” A grin broke across her face, her brown eyes sparking with accomplishment. “I got away, though.”

“You did.”

Their gazes caught. Held. Jax suddenly noticed just how close they were to each other. One more step and Megan would be in his arms. The cold had put a pretty flush in her cheeks and her lips were coated with a shimmery gloss that drew his attention to her mouth. His pulse hammered against his ribs. His breath stalled. Unconsciously, his thumb brushed against the curve of her jaw.

She inhaled. Beneath his fingertips, which lingered along the delicate column of her throat, Megan’s heartbeat jumped. Jax knew he should back away, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was frozen—unable to move forward, unable to give in to the insane desire to kiss her.

A crow cawed overhead, its sharp cry slicing through the moment.

Megan blinked. She took a step back, dropping her hand from his chest. “I should…” She trailed off, glancing at the shooting range. “Practice. I should practice shooting.”

“Right.” Jax struggled to regain his equilibrium. He handed her a set of headphones and put on his own. For the next few minutes, he watched as Megan repeatedly fired the handgun at the target. Her grip was firm, her stance steady. When she was done, more of the bullets had landed dead center.

Jax removed the target from the hay bale. “That’s enough for today. Let’s grab something to eat. I’m starving.”

She chuckled. “You’re just looking forward to Pops’s brisket.”

“You got that right.” Jax’s mouth watered at the thought. Clay’s slow cooker had been working all morning, the scent of hickory and mesquite hanging in the late afternoon air.

They gathered their things, including Jax’s personal handgun that Megan had been practicing with, and headed toward the house. Grass crunched under their boots. Jax’s gaze swept over their surroundings. It had been two days since the confrontation with Cody, and Megan’s attacker hadn’t struck again. But Jax wasn’t taking any chances. Not even with Special Forces still guarding the property. He knew this wasn’t over. The killer was planning his next move, and it was only a matter of time before he struck again.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the night Oliver died.” Megan pushed aside a branch on a small sapling. “Trying to remember any detail that might help figure out what happened.”

Jax glanced at her, surprised by the sudden shift in conversation. “And?”

“Nothing. There are holes in my memory. That’s not uncommon when something traumatic happens, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something important—some key piece of the puzzle.” She exhaled in frustration. “I can’t live like this forever, Jax. My boss, Tess, called me this morning. Douglas’s mom is in the hospital, so they’re down another counselor. Tess has canceled as many appointments as she can, but I’ll need to go back to work soon. My clients need me.”

Jax wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Megan going back to work before her attacker was caught. “Let’s give Noah and Dawson a little more time. They’re still working on tracking down the list of Zeke’s friends you gave them. The divers recovered the drone from the lake, so tracing the purchase might lead them to whoever’s behind this. I know it’s frustrating, but police work is slow and tedious.”

Wesley was also still missing. Jax had convinced his parents to file a missing person’s report, and now every law enforcement officer in the country was on the lookout for his brother. That Wesley still hadn’t been found bolstered Jax’s theory that he was in the wilderness somewhere, trying to work through his PTSD or memories of being a prisoner of war.

At the start of all of this, he’d been angry with Wesley for taking off and leaving them in this position. Now, all he felt was sadness. His brother was hurting and trying his best to handle that pain. The coping mechanism might not be the healthiest, but what Wesley needed was grace and understanding. Something Jax had learned from attending the NA meeting with Megan.

He glanced at the gorgeous woman at his side. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. The NA meetings… are they always open?”

“On Tuesday nights, yes.” She pushed another branch aside. “Thinking of going again?”

“Maybe. Hearing those stories… it was eye-opening. And I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’ve been processing Oliver’s death.” The words felt heavy, but keeping them bottled up wasn’t working. If anyone would understand, it was Megan. “I’ve been blaming myself. I helped raise Oliver and Wesley. My dad worked oil rigs, my mom pulled double shifts at the factory. I was the one who made sure they got to school, did their homework, ate dinner. When I left for college… it was a relief. For the first time, I could focus on myself.”

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