“Okay,” I agree with a nod, picking up my bag from the booth and swinging it over my shoulder.
“Come on, baby,” he says, taking my hand and leading me out of the restaurant to his truck that is parked right out front. Getting into the back with Hope, I watch Jax run around the front of the truck to the driver’s side then look around, trying to see if anything is out of place, but I don’t notice anything.
When we pull up to the house, Jax takes us inside and gets us settled in the living room before leaving with his phone to his ear. Looking down at Hope, I pray Jax, unlike everyone else I know, is able to keep his word.
Chapter 9
Jax
“You guys gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, Ellie’s freaked, but I think since she knows this had nothing to do with the guy who kidnapped her, she’s gonna sleep a little easier,” I tell my Uncle Nico, looking toward the stairs, where Ellie disappeared with Hope a few minutes ago.
I hate that she was scared at the restaurant, that I couldn’t reassure her things would be okay, but my only thought was to get her and Hope out of there and home. I’m not too worried that Mellissa will do anything while I’m around, but I’m still not going to risk anything happening to either of my girls. “When will Mellissa get served with the restraining order?” I ask, going to the fridge, grabbing two beers.
“I know one of the judges in town, and I’ll make sure it happens tomorrow morning,” he says as I grab the bottle opener and pop the top on both before handing him one, leaning against the counter behind me, and taking a long pull. “I don’t think she will do anything to hurt Hope or Ellie,” he adds, and I feel my jaw clench.
“I don’t think so either, but I’m not taking any chances. The chick thinks she has some kind of hold on me. Even after I’ve made myself clear on more than one occasion that there is nothing between us, nor will there ever be. Her insisting differently only tells me she’s whacked, and in this day and age, you can’t turn your back on crazy.”
“I agree. It’s better to be careful,” Nico agrees.
“I don’t know how my dad did it,” I mutter, taking another pull from my beer, watching as my uncle’s face changes slightly. I know he understands what I’m talking about. He helped my dad get back Ashlyn after my biological mom kidnapped her when she was little.
I still remember being scared when she took Ashlyn right from our backyard when we were playing hide-and-seek. Even as scared as I was, I still found my way into the back of the pickup truck, where I hid under a tarp. When the truck stopped at an old house in the country, I ran across a field to an old farmer’s house and told him what happened, and he called my dad. Thankfully, the guy my biological mom was going to sell Ashlyn to was actually an undercover agent, but if he hadn’t been, things could have turned out completely different.
“The idea of Hope and Ellie being in any kind of danger sends me into a panic I’m not used to feeling.”
“Love does that to you, makes you feel unsure and unsettled. To this day, I worry about your Aunt Sophie and your cousins. I don’t think there is a minute or second that goes by when I’m not wondering if there is something I can do to make sure they’re safe and taken care of. You just gotta know that shit’s gonna happen; things that are out of your control are going to occur, and the only thing you can do is be thankful you’re all together when the dust settles,” he says, just as the scent of Ellie hits me, letting me know she’s close. As soon as she walks around the corner into the kitchen, her gaze locks with mine and I feel my face go soft.
“Is she asleep?” I ask her as she comes toward me.