The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 72

Jax pulled up to the abandoned warehouse, looked around. King had chosen well, he was happy to note: nothing but open space as far as the eye could see, and the building wasn’t even visible from the closest road. Ideal for keeping people hidden away from the world. This would also be a great place for someone to fall off the planet. Someone could just mysteriously disappear out here. Jax wondered if Dave was going to be one of those someones.

He slammed the truck door, and right away, the front door opened. King and Honey stepped out of the building, and greeted him.

“Any trouble getting him?” Jax said to Honey.

She smiled. “Nope.”

Jax knew she wouldn’t be offering any more information at all, so he just nodded. The less he knew about how Dave came to be here in this warehouse, the better. And the less she knew about what happened next, the better. Her part was over, and Honey was free to wander away, and do whatever the hell she did when she wasn’t kicking ass.

Did a woman like Honey go for massages? Go grocery shopping? Do laundry? Jax supposed she had to all those things, but it was impossible to picture her as anything but a hardcode hired vigilante. She operated just on the legal side of the line… though Jax thought she toed that line pretty carelessly in those damn killer boots.

“OK, so.” King’s voice was harsh. “The Denver PD have an arrest warrant out for this fucker, so we can take him on in anytime you say so. Tank’s certified and legit as a bounty hunter, as you know, so he can bring Townsend in and not have to worry about being charged with kidnapping.”

“And if Tank shows up with a badly-beaten Townsend? How much trouble can he get hit with?”

King shrugged. “Private security guys and bounty hunters do what they have to do to bring in dangerous criminals. Guys like Tank may get a bit rough, but in my experience, the cops are so grateful that the job is done, so long as the guy is breathing, they accept explanations of ‘reasonable force’.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep. Tank’s no fool, and his papers and record are both impeccable. He can handle any questions that may come up.”

“The family?”

“They have lots of explaining to do about why they harbored a fugitive,” King growled. “Believe me, they won’t make too much of a fuss about their dickhead criminal son being dragged in by a private security company employee performing a public service.”

Jax nodded. “OK. Let’s get this show on the road.”

He was so looking forward to having a little conversation with Dave. And by ‘conversation’, he meant, ‘starting to pound on him until he cried’. For as long as he lived, he was never going to forget Sarah’s smashed face as she lay on the living room floor. In the almost two weeks since her attack, her injuries had started to heal up, but the bruising was still terrible, and his heart caught every time he saw the damage to her soft skin. Jax wondered what Dave would look like at this time tomorrow.

Just then, his cell rang, and he sighed in annoyance. When he saw who it was, he froze with fear.

Is she crashing? Has she died? f**k me. If I’m all the way over here in Wyoming when she goes, I’m never going to forgive myself.

“What?” King said, alarmed at his expression. “Who is it?”

Jax answered, trying to stay calm. “Annie?”

King and Honey watched as Jax’s face went from worried to shocked to happy, all in the space of about seven seconds. When he disconnected, he looked like a completely different man: lighter and ten years younger.

“Sarah’s awake,” he said.

“She’s awake?” King echoed. “But – how…”

“I don’t know. I’ve got to go.”

“What do we do with him?” Honey asked. “You want us to keep him here until you come back?”

Jax paused. The temptation to cause Dave extreme physical pain hadn’t completely gone away, but it had diminished. Next to the need to get eyes on Sarah and hold her again, it had become barely noticeable. It was an echo, a shadow, a faded watercolor.

You’re not that kind of man, not in your core.

You don’t have to do this.

Call it off. There’s still time.

Call it off.

Goddammit, Aidan. You get a raise.

“I’m calling it off,” Jax said.

Neither Honey nor King looked surprised, though they did look very relieved.

“Good,” Honey said. “I wasn’t able to say anything, but this whole thing wasn’t you, Jax. I’d have hated to see you make such a huge f*****g mistake.”

“Me too,” King said.

Jax sighed. “Me too.”

They all stared at each other for a few seconds.

“So,” King said, all business again. “Tank drops him off at the Denver PD?”

“Yeah. Totally unharmed, alright?”

“Well.” Honey smirked. “Maybe a little bit harmed.”

Jax rolled his eyes. “What did you do to the fucker?”

“Just stomped on his balls in high heels. Not so hard, though.”

“OK, OK.” Jax smothered his grin. “So unharmed except for his balls.”

“Sure thing.”

“I’ll pay more than in full, man,” he said to King. “Charge as if the entire job was done, and throw on your percentage too. For the inconvenience of driving to f*****g-Nowhere, Wyoming.”

King regarded his friend, then nodded. “You’re the client, and the client is always right.”

“Damn straight. Thanks, guys.”

Jax launched himself at his truck, his mind already back in Colorado. He slammed the door, gunned the engine, glanced at the dashboard clock. It had taken him just over seven hours to drive all the way out here to f*****g-Nowhere, but he bet he could haul ass back to Denver in about four. To hell with speed limits or rest breaks.

I’m coming, baby. Just hang on… I’ve got so much to tell you.