Page 167 of Risky Passion

“Jaxson . . .” I said softly, my voice breaking.

“I’ve spent twenty years hating myself for it,” he said. “And Parker feels the same way. We were supposed to protect her, Tory. We failed her.”

“No,” I said, shifting closer to him. “You didn’t fail her. You said she left the party at 7:30, right?”

He nodded, his brow furrowing slightly.

“And your mom told you to pick her up at what time?”

“10:30.” He swallowed so hard I heard it.

“Then how could it be your fault? She left hours before you were supposed to meet her. You couldn’t have known she’d leave early. And besides, if it had been the correct time for her to leave, you and Parker probably would’ve sorted out who was going to get her. It’s not your fault, Jaxson. Or Parker’s.”

He stared at me, his eyes searching mine, like my words were trying to sink in but couldn’t quite find a place to land.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly. “She’s gone, and we didn’t protect her.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of his pain settle between us.

“Parker and I fought for years over it,” he continued, his voice thick. “Years. We blamed each other, blamed ourselves. Until we finally realized how much the guilt was eating us alive, and how much we needed each other to survive it. Now, we’re inseparable. And Whitney. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

“That’s what family is for,” I said.

He blinked at me, his expression unreadable. Maybe he was trying to work out how I could say that, given my own rotten sister, who I hadn’t seen in years.

"What about the investigation?" I asked gently. "Did the police ever find anything?"

"It's a cold case now. No clues. No evidence. Nothing." The resolve in his eyes hardened. "But my brothers and I will never stop looking for her. Ever."

"And you shouldn't," I said, crushing his palm to mine. "You owe it to Charlotte, your brothers, and your parents to keep searching."

"That's just it." His voice softened, but his grip tightened. "My life is divided between work, training K9s, and Charlotte's case. And now with Parker heading the cold case unit, we might finally make progress." He met my gaze, and his intense focus took my breath away. "I want to give you everything, Tory. All of me. But sometimes my family needs me. I'm afraid our time together won’t be enough for you. Or me . . . I want this to work. Forusto work."

"Then we'll make time, and we’ll make this work." I held his gaze. "We can train Onyx together, it will be fun. And I’ll help with Charlotte's investigation. I’ll be your fresh pair of eyes. We have something special, Jaxson, I know it, and I can see in your eyes that you know it. Our connection is our strength, the rest we’ll figure out together."

His lips parted as he stared at me, disbelief washing over his features. For a moment, he seemed frozen. Then he crushed his lips to mine, hard and desperate, like a man who'd wandered in darkness suddenly finding light.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine. "You're incredible, you know that?"

Smiling, I rested my hands on his chest. "I know."

He laughed softly, yet his chuckle was still laced with sadness.

The weight of guilt was carved into him like scars. He and his brothers hadn't forgiven themselves for Charlotte's disappearance, and maybe they never would.

But I was living proof there was life after tragedy. I was an orphan. And I survived.

And now I was his lover, and I was determined to show Jaxson that he was a good man . . . a man who deserved to find his happy place.

CHAPTER 39

Tory

Jaxsonand I arrived at Aria and Xander’s farm mid-afternoon, and the sun hung low in the sky, casting golden glows over the rolling paddocks. The landscape looked like something out of a postcard, lush and endless, with the kind of beauty that made me stop and breathe it in.

Following Yasmin and Cobra’s lead, we made our way around the house toward the backyard, where the hum of voices and laughter grew louder. A large white marquee stood at the center of the yard, with rows of chairs lining the grass, ready for the wedding ceremony.

“Oh yay, you’re here,” Zena said, appearing with a tray of canapés in hand. She thrust it toward us. “Here, eat.”

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