Page 87 of Saved By the Boss

“It’s not your fault,” I cut her off firmly, though my voice still trembles. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She sniffs, blinking back tears, and when she looks at me again, there’s a fierce fire burning in her eyes, a determination that isjust so her.

“We’re going to get through this,” she says fiercely. “No matter what. They wouldn’t have kept us alive if they didn’t need something.”

Her words are meant to be reassuring, but they only make the dread in my stomach worse. They’re going to kill me, I’m sure of that. But what will they do to her? She’s not part of this, she’s just collateral damage. They’ve probably brought her here to hurt me. If something happens to her, it will be my fault.

I shift slightly, wincing as the rope digs into my wrists.

“Where are we?” I whisper, my voice hoarse, trying to change the subject.

Tawny glances around, her brow furrowing. “I think we’re in the basement of the hardware store. I woke up a little while ago and recognized the smell. Ron uses it as a workshop sometimes.”

Ron. My heart sinks as I wonder what they’ve done to him. If they’ve hurt him, that’s my fault too. He’s been nothing but kind to me since the moment I stepped into this town. He gave me a place to live and a job. He’s been fatherly and protective of me. If he’s hurt or dead, I’ll never forgive myself.

“Do you think he’s okay?” I ask quietly.

Tawny hesitates, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I don’t know,” she admits finally. “I didn’t see him when I got to the store. I don’t know if they did anything to him.”

My stomach churns at the very idea that they might have hurt him or worse. I say a silent prayer that he’s okay, that they just knocked him out and left him alone.

Tawny shifts closer, her voice dropping even lower. “Who are these people? Why are they after you, Jade? Do you know?”

Her question hits me like a punch to the gut. She didn’t read the email. I’ve been avoiding this conversation for so long, burying the truth beneath layers of denial and secrecy. I thought that if I told Tawny, or anyone, about what happened in LA, they’d somehow find me. For two years, I’ve avoided getting close to anyone because I didn’t want anyone else to suffer for the sins of my past. Look where that’s gotten me.

“These men,” my voice falters, and I take a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “They’re from LA. They’re the reason I left. Ran away, really.”

Tawny doesn’t say anything, just waits, her gaze steady and patient. It’s the same look she gives me when she knows I’m holding back, when she’s determined to get the truth out of me no matter what.

“There was a murder,” I say finally, the words feeling foreign and heavy in my mouth. “I saw it happen. I was coming home from work one night. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. The man who did it, Fabian Ramirez, he runs a gang there. He’s probably the most dangerous man in the entire state. He found me and threatened my family if I went to the cops. I didn’t want anything to happen to my family, and there wasn’t anyone who could protect me. So I ran.”

Tawny’s eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t interrupt.

“I thought I would be safe here,” I continue, my voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I’d put enough distance between them and me. And it’s been two years. I figured by now theywould give up, would realize that I wasn’t going to tell anyone about what I saw. And I stupidly hoped that all of this would be behind me for good.”

I break again, tears falling from my eyes as the reality of our situation hits me one more time. This is truly all my fault and the people I care about most are paying for it. I should never have stopped running, should have never thought I could start my life over again comfortably.

Tawny takes a deep breath, her jaw tightening. “We’re going to get through this,” she says again, her voice firm. “No matter what. You hear me, Jade? We’re not giving up. Don’t you dare give up. You’ve got a little one to fight for now, remember?”

I nod, my stomach clenching again. She’s right. I can’t give up. I have to fight for her, for me, and for the life I’m carrying. I have to fight for us to make it back to Declan and hope that maybe, we can start a happy little family. If I die here tonight, he might never know there was a little version of something we created inside me.

The sound of footsteps echoes above us, the heavy thud of boots on wooden floorboards. Both of us freeze and our eyes snap toward the stairs. The footsteps grow louder, and then the door at the top of the stairs creaks open, flooding the basement with a harsh, fluorescent light.

Several men descend the stairs, their shadows stretching long and ominously across the concrete floor. The first man is the one who threatened me at the store. His expression is cold, his eyes sharp and calculating. The rest are a blur of expensive-looking suits and sharp, cold expressions.

But it’s the last man walking down the stairs who makes my blood run cold.

Fabian Ramirez.

I’d recognize him anywhere, the sharp angles of his face, the dark, predatory glint in his eyes. He’s older now, with a few streaks of gray in his hair, but there’s no mistaking him. He’s the man who shattered my life, the reason I’ve been running for so long.

He sees me and smiles, a slow, chilling grin that sends a shiver down my spine. “Jade Moreno,” he says smoothly, his voice dripping with false warmth. “It’s been a long time.”

I can’t speak. My throat feels like it’s closing, my breath coming in shallow gasps as panic claws at my chest. He’s my nightmares come to life, standing over me in the flesh. I try to force myself to stay calm, to breathe, but it’s no use.

“You’ve been very hard to find,” he continues, his tone almost conversational. “My nephew and I have been looking for you for quite a while.”

Nephew. My eyes dart to the first man, the one who threatened me at the store. Of course. The resemblance is there, subtle but undeniable. The same sharp features, the same cold eyes. A pang of nausea rips through me and I feel like I’ll vomit.

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