Page 88 of Sheltered By Love

I start to protest when he gives me a grin reminiscent of Levi’s. “But I’m very glad you won the auction for him,” he says.

Zane

My vision has started to swim and I can feel pressure at the back of my eyes.

It may not have happened the way I wanted it to, but I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. And with Jax’s help, we even managed to locate the reason Felicity was outside.

“She saved your ass twice tonight,” Jax says.

I don’t even register half of what he’s saying. But I register that.

“I know,” I mutter.

“Funny,” he says.

It’s not funny. Not in the slightest.

“She could have been hurt,” I grumble.

Jax frowns at me. “She seems okay. You. Not so much.”

I try to frown back at him, but it’s impossible with him trying to patch me up.

“That damn rabbit,” I say, “Belongs in a stew.”

Jax flicks my forehead making me flinch. “You’re not fooling anyone. You didn’t have to threaten Dave so he’d help us look for Roger,” he says.

“I was worried you’d refused to treat me. Your bedside manner is lousy,” I mutter.

“Better me than Levi,” he says.

That’s true. Levi’s not great with blood, needles are even worse, and other bodily fluids make him throw up.

“Where is he?”

Jax grimaces. “On his date. With three of the ladies,” he says.

“Good. It’ll teach him a lesson,” I say.

Jax looks around the kitchen as he tidies away his medical kit. “Will any of this teach you a lesson?”

I frown at him. Hard to do when your forehead is screaming in pain. “What am I supposed to learn?”

He closes the kit with a snap and shakes his head. “Felicity didn’t need to help with any of this. But she did. Think about that.”

I’m too shattered to think about why Felicity helped. But I know better than to dismiss him. When Jax speaks his mind, it’s never without cause.

“You and Felicity can stay at mine tonight. I’ll go get my gear and stay at yours,” he says.

I doubt Felicity is going to be happy about that arrangement. Even if she has Roger back.

He turns to go, and I slap my palm on his forearm and hold him in place.

I don’t offer a word of thanks. Or tell him we couldn’t have done it without him.

He already knows. Just like Levi knows I’ll forgive him. And Garrett knows he can always count on me. No matter how much I grumble.

The bond we share is as much a part of the Reid DNA as the ocean is.

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