Page 37 of Saving Her Heart
"Jax," she says, though her hands are still under my shirt. "You should?—"
"I should keep kissing you? You’re right."
"The phone?—"
"Can wait."
But it can't. The emergency tone turns into an actual call from Captain Ramirez.
I answer, trying to sound like I haven't been making out in a hallway like a teenager. "Masterson."
"Building 3. Major vandalism. Someone smashed every ground-floor window and..." He pauses. "There's a message. You need to see this."
I put him on speaker so Kendall can hear. "What kind of message?"
"'QUIT NOW OR NEXT TIME IT GOES UP IN SMOKE.' Written in paint and smells like gasoline."
Kendall goes rigid against me. "Gasoline?"
"We've got units responding now. But Jax, this is escalating beyond property damage. This is a terroristic threat."
"I’ll be right there."
I hang up, and Kendall's already stepping away, switching into crisis mode. But I can see the fear underneath the professional facade.
"Fire," she whispers. "They're threatening fire."
"We won't let that happen."
"You can't promise that." She says, shaking her head.
"Watch me." I’m determined to end this for once and for all.
She looks at me, and there's so much in her expression—fear, determination, and something else. Something that looks like trust.
"Okay," she says. "Let's go."
We head for the car, both of us disheveled, and it’s obvious about what we were just doing. Mrs. Patterson is in the lobby and gives us a knowing look.
"Finally," she says. "About time you two figured it out."
"Mrs. Patterson—" Kendall starts.
"Oh, honey, the entire building's been placing bets. Gladys wins, by the way. She had 'passionate hallway encounter' for today."
"The Walking Ladies are betting on us?" Kendall asks, horrified.
"Everyone'sbetting on you. The pot's up to eight hundred dollars." She winks. "Better than reality TV."
We don't have time to process that. Building 3 needs us. But as I drive, breaking several traffic laws, I can still taste her on my lips, feel her hands on my skin.
"Jax?" Kendall says quietly.
"Yeah?"
"When this is over—the threats, the vandalism, all of it—we need to talk."
"I know."
