Page 61 of Sanctuary of Secrets

“Hey, brother. I haven’t heard from you. I was getting worried.”

“Sorry. The situation has gotten…complicated.”

“How so?”

Jax’s thumb dug into the steering wheel. How to explain this mess? Was it the concussion or the war between what he wanted and what was best that blocked any explanation from forming? The silence stretched out until he made his decision. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“That’s good to hear, because Tyler learned Alison’s having twins.”

Jax dropped his head. Tyler had covered his back on more than one occasion. “Wow. Tell them I said congratulations.”

“I will. What would help the most, though, is knowing this deal is done. They’re counting on this investment so he can leave the Navy and be there for her. She’s considered high risk after the miscarriages.”

“Of course.” The devastation the couple had experienced with each of her three miscarriages, along with her health complications, had sent their entire group to their knees in prayer, their hearts broken. He couldn’t be the source of more stress for them. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Great. I’ll let the guys know. Here’s what I’ve got on the military information for Allen Withers and Travis Yoder. Withers had a reputation for being a pretty good shot. He left the service when his wife had their son.”

“So no disciplinary actions. Sounds typical, other than his marksmanship.”

“Yeah. Yoder, though, was dishonorably discharged after numerous allegations of misconduct. He was supposed to have a lengthy sentence. Instead, the charges were dismissed. The whole thing came across as pretty shady. This guy must have had some pretty influential friends or he blackmailed somebody with serious clout. Not sure how any of this is helpful, but that’s what he found out. Let me know if you need any more information.”

“Will do.” Jax hung up. He stared at the phone.

Guilt over his motive for asking his friend to look into the history of the two men weighed on him. Why hadn’t he told Rich what was going on? The answer to that question sat next to him. He wasn’t ready for the volley of questions that would follow his explanation.

Lord, what should I do?

He glanced over at Seyla. She’d only suffered some bruising and minor scrapes. However, both of them would be removing splinters for a month.

It could have been worse. Much worse.

She’d fallen asleep in the truck, her head rolled toward him on her headrest.

Jax turned off the engine, but she didn’t stir. Refusing to question his motives, he leaned closer and gently ran a thumb over her cheek. She looked peaceful, and he was hesitant to wake her.

His eyes caught on her lips, soft and pink. The thought of waking her with a kiss drifted through his mind. He doubtedshe’d appreciate that. Especially from the man who wanted to close the sanctuary she loved.

The situation had risen to a whole new level of danger, though. Something had to be done before a person lost their life. An image of a child, like the young boy lost at the fair, flashed in front of him. Jax pressed his eyes shut and shook his head when the possibilities of what could have happened tonight flooded his thoughts. He rubbed his fingers against his eyelids to dispel the horrible images, then blinked them open again.

His attention drifted back to Seyla’s face, its smooth, pearl-like glow evident in the low light of the dashboard. The woman was smart. Beautiful. Strong.

He admired her.

And soon she’d hate him.

Jax thought back to the time when he’d first met her at the ice cream shop where she worked after her family moved to town.

Never had the uniforms at that place looked that adorable.

She’d flashed a brilliant smile at him and Matt when they came in. At Matt, really. Jax only got to revel in it as a bystander. They became regulars after that. She served them samples of the new flavors on small pink spoons, although Jax bought ice cream each time so she didn’t get in trouble. Mostly cinnamon, since it was her favorite flavor, and she lit up a little more when he ordered it. He’d found any excuse possible for them to go there, even after he grew so sick of ice cream the thought of eating it made him gag. It was worth it, though, to spend time with her.

Until the day it all ended. Jax’s jaw tightened at the reminder of that awful night.

He smoothed her hair off her face. Her eyelids fluttered, then snapped open.

Seyla stared at him for a few seconds before she eyed their surroundings and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Hold up.” Jax told her what he’d uncovered regarding the two men.

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