Page 12 of Jewel of the Sea

“I don’t know anything more about all this than he does.”

“You were Miss Sinclair’s primary caregiver before she left town with Jax, weren’t you? She was here, being treated for injuries sustained at sea?”

“Yes.”

“Did she talk to you about anything while she was here? Any details about this creature, where it came from, what it’s capable of?” He leaned back, never breaking his intense, piercing gaze.

“No. She only told me thatJaxisn’t dangerous. That his people were engineered by humans using human DNA. They think and act like us. Speak our language. In every way but appearance, theyarehuman.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “She didn’t say anything else because it wasn’t her right to do so.”

“You said hispeople. How many are there, Miss Rhodes? How many have you seen?”

She could have kicked herself for the slip, and nearly bit through her tongue.

“I’ve only seen Jax. For him to exist, there have to be more somewhere.”

Randall bent forward, resting his elbows atop his thighs, and sighed. “The glass on the tanks in that warehouse is thick. It’s built to take a beating. A man could break it, yeah — a strong man like Breckett, with twenty minutes and a hammer. But by all accounts, he was walking his daughter down to the docks when all this happened. Someone led the guards away, and my guess is that more of those things came in to freeJax.”

Aymee flattened her hands on the bed and leaned over it. She held his gaze. “Yes, someone led the guards away. It was all part of the plan to help him escape without anyone getting hurt. Just like I’m sure Breckett explained to you. He gave Jax his blessing to take Macy, because that washerchoice. And that tank was cracked on the inside before it was broken open. Jax could’ve broken free at any time.”

“I understand, Miss Rhodes. You’re very close to all of this, and I’m from out of town—”

“You’re a Hunter.”

“You have hunters here, too.”

“They’re not hunting Jax. That’s whatyouare here for.”

“I’m here to determine whether or not Ishouldbe hunting him. Anything that can break out of a tank like that and has humanlike intelligence is a potential threat, not just to this community, but toallof the settlements on Halora.”

“Do you think we would’ve just stood by and done nothing if Macy was in danger? Me, her parents, even Camrin, the man she’d intended to join with? All of us helped her that night. There’s never once been an incident with Jax’s people in all the years I’ve lived here, and I’ve never heard of one in all the years before that. If they meant us harm, we’d have felt it already.

“Macy ishappy. She’s in love with Jax, and he loves her in return. If any of us had any doubt of that, we would’ve been hunting for him long before you heard about all this.”

He ran a hand up his cheek and then over his short hair. “You had a few brief interactions with one of these things.” He didn’t waver at her glare. “Now it has an idea of how this town is laid out. Has an idea of your armament and defenses. And it knows that not everyone is going to be friendly. I’ve hunted a lot of dangerous prey, Miss Rhodes, and the more dangerous it is, the more we prepare. They could be planning an attack on this town right now. They could be watching this town right now.

“I’m not here to kill anything; I’m here toprotecthuman life. And if it comes down to it, I will choose us over them, every time.”

“Then leave them be,” Aymee said. “Jax has no interest in this town or its people, apart from Macy, and he’d never do anything to place her in danger.”

Clutching the arms of the chair, Randall pushed himself to his feet and stepped toward the bed. “Not everyone in town shares that opinion, Miss Rhodes. Iwantyou to be right, but it’s my duty to becertain, as much as it’s your duty to tend to these folks when they’re wounded or sick.”

“And none of them were there. Like you, they want a monster to slay. But humans are usually more monstrous than the things they fear. His appearance means nothing. Would you hunt me, or any other person, like you hunt an animal?”

He frowned, and the iron in his eyes softened for a moment. “There’s no such thing as monsters, Miss Rhodes, apart from humans. And like you said — Jax and his kind are human in all but appearance.” He sighed and leaned over the bed, propping himself on his arms. “You and I didn’t start out on the right foot, but I’m truly not here to hurt you or anyone you care about. I just want everyone to be safe. I wantyouto be safe.”

Aymee frowned. He was close,tooclose, and his scent — leather, earth, a hint of sweat — drifted to her. It wasn’t unpleasant.

What he said was true; when she’d seen the rangers in the town hall and heard their reason for coming to The Watch, she’d gone on the defensive. She’d do anything to protect Macy and Jax. To protect Arkon.

Not once had Randall responded with anger, despite her verbal attacks. He’d shown nothing but patience.

“I know,” she said. “And thank you for that. I don’t mean to be ungrateful or rude; I’m just—”

“Worried for your friend.”

“Yes.”

“It’s all right, Aymee. I admire your loyalty, and if you’re right about Jax and his kind, you don’t need to worry about your friend anymore.”

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