The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 67

“I think it’s time to start facing some facts.” Mac’s voice was soft.

Annie and Jax stared at him, silent. Neither one wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about. He looked right back at them, hating what was coming next. He’d been in this exact position hundreds of times, and it just never got easier. The fact that Jax was a friend, and Sarah was Jax’s heart’s blood, only made an impossible situation torturous.

“Sarah’s been in a coma for over a week now,” Mac said. “No responses at all, as you know. Her vitals are strong, though, and that gives me hope, still.”

They nodded.

“I’m not saying it’s time to give up. Not even close. But you do need to understand that by this point, the chances of Sarah waking up without some kind of damage are pretty slim. I mean, it does happen that patients come out of a coma and are almost totally fine… but that’s rare.”

“What kind of damage are we talking about here?” Jax said.

“Physical or psychological, or both.” Mac’s blue eyes were steady. “After more than a week of being under, she’ll probably need some kind of physical therapy to retrain her body to do things. Her sense of balance may be compromised, so she may need help to handle that.” He hesitated. “And there’s a good chance that she’ll have… brain damage. She may – she may be unable to speak, for example.”

Shocked, Annie gave a cry, and Jax quickly grabbed her and pulled her to him.

“Jesus Christ, man,” he hissed. “You couldn’t break that to us a bit more gently?”

Mac shook his head. “I’m sorry. You need to start preparing yourselves.”

Annie’s body shook with sobs now, and both Mac and Jax were horrified. This whole time, the woman hadn’t cracked, not once. They were sure she cried at home, or in the hospital bathroom, but in front of Noah and with them, she’d never so much as shed a tear. And now here she was, losing it completely.

“Oh, God, Annie.” Jax stroked her hair. “Hold on, hon. Just hold on, OK?”

“I’m – I’m trying.” She buried her face in Jax’s chest, hoping that a bit of his incredible strength might pass to her. “It’s just getting so hard to stay positive.”

“I know.” Jax held her tighter. “I know.”

OK, that’s enough f*****g around, Hamill. Sarah’s not getting better, and if she actually comes out of this, she’s probably going to be forever changed. I played the game their way – gave the cops time, gave that dickhead’s family a chance to do the right thing. Now I’m done. Now I do things my way.

Fuck. Them.

****

Jax closed his office door, hard. King stood for a minute, watching the other man quietly. He didn’t like what he saw, at all.

Jax looked like hell. Strained and raw; stretched and primal. The fury in his eyes was dulled by sadness and worry, but his large body was coiled up tight, ready to let loose. King knew that Jax was holding onto his self-control by the slimmest of knife-edges, and the smallest thing would drive him right over the rage cliff now. If he thought it would help Sarah, he’d smash and burn without regret; he’d kill and maim, and not feel one second of guilt about it.

Jax faced him. “I want to hire your team.”

King leaned back against the door. He wasn’t at all surprised. When Jax had asked to speak to him alone, King had known right away what it was all about. He stayed silent, watching Jax through narrowed eyes.

“We never talk about it – about your real business,” Jax said. “But it’s not like I don’t know what you’ve got going on in the back of your garage after-hours. I want to hire you.”

“What for?” King held his eyes. “Be specific.”

“You want specific? Fine. I want to hire you to track down that fucker, wherever the hell he’s hiding out. To grab him, and tie him up, and stick him somewhere isolated where nobody can hear him scream. To get the f**k out of the way when I beat the s**t out of him.” Jax paused. “If she – if she dies, I need you to leave me alone with him while I make sure he disappears permanently. No debate, no discussion, nobody stops me.”

“And if she lives?”

“Then you stay in the room with me while I beat him within an inch of his life. You make sure I don’t go that last inch. Then you deliver him to the cops. He may be in pieces, but he’ll be alive.”

“You don’t beat him to death if Sarah lives? If she comes out of the coma?”

“No. Assuming she could even understand what I was telling her, she’d never be able to live with herself, knowing that somebody died because of her. And I’d never be able to look her in the eyes again, knowing what I’d done. I’d have to tell her, I’d have to confess.” Jax exhaled. “That would be too much for her to handle, and I won’t do that to her.”

King nodded.

“But if she dies?” Jax’s voice got quiet, clenched and dark. “All bets are off, and I don’t give a good goddamn if I go back to jail forever for murder. If Sarah dies, then I just – I won’t give a flying f**k about anything at all, anyway. But no way I’m trusting the courts to deal with him… his Daddy will make damn good and sure that he doesn’t spend one minute behind bars. I take care of things my way, and I live with the consequences.”