Page 110 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

“The man fucking kidnaps you and Lexi, and you don’t seem to think it’s a problem. Kidnapping is a crime.” I wanted to fuck Jareth up for what he’d done to the two women I loved.

“Stand the fuck down, James. He didn’t think he had a choice. We have a plan to fix things.”

I stepped back, my surprised gaze searching Jess’s face. All I could see was how tired she was and her rising irritation. I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or the situation we found ourselves in.

My hand cupped her face. I needed the physical contact. She was mine and I needed to know she was okay. Clearly, there were things I was missing, and I felt like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice. “Fix what?”

“My parents neglected to tell me that my grandparents left me additional shares in the company.” She curled into my touch making me feel marginally better.

I glanced at Jareth. “And he’s the one who told you this?”

She nodded and reached for her back pocket. It was then I noticed the rolled-up papers sticking out of there. “It’s all in here.”

“Jess, we’ve been hiding out because he tried to kidnap you at the benefit,” I reminded her. Had Jareth somehow fucked with her mind? I took the papers she offered me, eyeing Jareth with suspicion.

“Why would I have tried to kidnap her?” Jareth asked, his mouth tightened.

I moved away from Jess, stopping a foot from Jareth. “Why don’t you fucking tell me asshole? Because you didn’t seem to have a problem with taking my sister. Why the hell should I believe you didn’t have anything to do with it all that night?”

Jareth didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t flinch or back down and I was finding it really hard not to punch him.

“You have no reason to believe me. My people are looking into it. I’m hoping to have proof soon. Although, Jess says you have a hacker on your team that might not just rival mine, he might be better.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Maybe.” There were lots of people who’d tried to hire Gage out from under me. We’d served together and he had my back. I knew where his loyalties lay.

Jareth’s gaze narrowed. “I don’t suppose it’s Gage Christenson.”

“Why does it fucking matter who I work with?” How did he even know about Gage?

“I’ve been trying to hire him for years.”

He’d known all along Gage and I worked together. He was showing off. Letting me know he’d been watching us, too. And I’d have a chat with Gage and find out who else had been trying to steal him away.

One of Jareth’s men moved to his side and whispered in his ear.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Jareth said, and headed to the back of the room to take the phone handed to him.

“Alden, things okay?” Gage spoke through my earpiece.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Can you get Lexi to your car and come back for us?” I’d feel better knowing we had a quick way out of here. I’d deal with who was poaching him later.

“You sure? I don’t want to leave you alone without backup.”

I glanced at Jess. My senses weren’t tingling, telling me to be cautious.

“Go. We’ll be fine.”

She nodded and twined her arms around me. Laying her head against my chest she let out a deep, sad sigh. “I’m just a pawn to them—my parents. If they make sure I’m not available at the board meeting on my birthday I forfeit my right to the additional twenty-eight percent my grandmother left me in her will.”

I brought a hand up and rubbed her back. “Are you sure we can trust Jareth? He’s a fucking monster, Jess.”

She leaned back to look at me, her hands sliding down to rest on my biceps. “My parents destroyed his dad. Caused the guy to kill himself or who knows. I’m starting to believe they might have hired somebody to kill him.”

“Jess, that’s a huge accusation that he’s not able to prove.”

She shivered. “I don’t think he’s lying about my parents trying to kidnap me. And if they could do that to me, what would they do to someone they perceived as a threat?”

“In the world of normal that still doesn’t give him the right to kidnap you or my sister,” I growled, low in my throat. I still wanted to tear Jareth limb from limb.

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