The Dangerous Curves Series

Chapter 53

Suddenly, she was jerked backwards, hard and fast. She gave a cry as she went, and it was part-shock at falling, and part-relief that the pain of the knife was gone. Joker’s arms weren’t around her anymore, and without them, her balance was thrown. She flailed, trying to get her feet back under her, and she couldn’t.

Then Jax was there, pulling her up and towards him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other caught behind her knees, and he lifted her. She gasped, still fighting to breathe, and he carried her away from the room, down the hall. Sarah buried her face in his chest, trying to understand how she could be against his familiar body.

What the f**k just happened? How did I get here?

Jax kicked the office door closed behind them, and sat down on the massive leather sofa, with Sarah in his lap. He cupped her face in his wrecked hands, still unable to believe that she was away from that f*****g monster.

“Sarah.” He saw her eyes spark to life. “Sarah.”

“Jax…”

A wave of relief smashed right through him. “Yeah, I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

“But – how… who…”

“Aidan.” Jax leaned back a bit, trying to take her in all at once. “He hit Joker from behind.”

She shook her head, bewildered.

“Hey, it’s OK.” He kissed her forehead now, gentle and soft. “You’re safe.”

“I – I don’t… what happened?”

“Aidan.” Jax spoke more slowly now. “Aidan was behind you, and Joker didn’t see him coming.”

Sarah nodded now. “Aidan…”

“Yeah.” Jax smoothed her hair back, then extended her neck. “Let me take a look at this.”

She winced when he touched the cut on her throat, and his eyes changed. That look was back now, the one that she’d seen just before falling. Cold, unforgiving, unrelenting. The eyes of a man who’d hurt and kill, and not care at all. A man who might even enjoy it.

“Jax,” she whispered.

His face softened, and he looked like himself again. Still angry, still worried, but reachable now. She let her whole body sink onto him, and when he held her gently, she fully relaxed.

“Shhh, baby.” He rocked her a bit, trying to help her feel secure. “You’re OK now, I promise you.”

There was a knock at the door, and Sarah jumped. Jax ran a soothing hand down her back.

“Come in,” he called.

It opened and Aidan sauntered in. His blond hair was tousled, and he sported a welt on his cheek. He grinned at Sarah like nothing at all had happened, so cocky and unconcerned, but his golden eyes were watchful.

“You doing OK?”

She nodded again.

“I brought the first-aid kit,” Aidan said to Jax. “You want to clean her up, or you want me to call Mac?”

“I’ll do it.” Jax held her closer. “You get everyone out and lock up. Curves is closed until tomorrow.”

“No problem, boss.” He set the kit on the sofa next to Jax, along with Sarah’s purse and jean jacket.

“Aidan?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, hon?”

“Thank you.”

He paused, then gently touched her hand. “You’re welcome, Sarah. I’m just glad you’re OK.” He gave her a smile, then left the room, shutting the door behind him.

“Wait,” Sarah said to Jax. “What are they going to do with – with those guys?”

His face tightened. “Don’t worry about that. They’ll get them back to their clubhouse.”

“In pieces?” she said, trying to make a joke.

“Yes.”

She swallowed at the total lack of emotion in his voice, and dropped her eyes. He stared at her again, starting to really get the full sense of what could have happened out there. He looked at the purple fingermarks on her throat, at the oozing blood dripping onto her shirt, and he felt nothing but relief to be holding her now.

He wasn’t about to tell Sarah that Donovan 'Joker' Kane had killed six women that Jax knew of – though the man always seemed to have a convenient alibi for the times of the murders, courtesy of Kirk Jensen – and that every one of those poor souls had had their throat slashed. If Jax were a betting man, he’d say that Kane had used that exact same f*****g knife that had just been pressing down on Sarah’s wildly pulsing jugular.

Jax also wasn’t about to enlighten her about Joker Kane’s rap sheet of crimes that had actually stuck: three counts of rape, four counts of physical assault, a grand total of eleven years in jail. He was a dangerous, twisted f**k, and the truth was that he’d have killed her without batting an eyelash, just to make a point. Sure, Jax would have beaten him to death in retaliation, but that wouldn’t have brought Sarah back.

If I’d lost her – goddamn. I’d have died right along with her, one way or another.