Shattered (LOST #3)(14)

But Molly backed away from him. “You don’t . . . look like one of Eddie’s friends.”

Mostly because he wasn’t one of Eddie’s friends. Despite what the fool had thought. “He’s done some work for me before.” He smiled at her. “The kid has a gift with that guitar of his. I’ve had him do a few gigs at some of my places around town.”

Her smile came then, slow, but there.

He offered her his hand. “My name’s Jax. Jax Fontaine.”

Her fingers curled around his.

She was still so hesitant. She held his hand a moment, then immediately let go. “I . . . um, thank you for coming out, but I can get home just fine by myself.”

Molly wasn’t one of the strippers or dancers. She didn’t even tend bar. She had a job as a dishwasher at the bar across the street. She worked nights and went to the community college during the day.

“I know, Molly,” he told her, as he inched a bit closer. “I know why you don’t like to walk home alone and I know why your brother made me swear I’d see you home safely tonight.”

She caught the end of her braid. Pulled a bit nervously on it.

“Your mother,” he said, voice soft and sad. He thought he added just the right touch of sympathy. An amount sure to fool Molly.

She flinched.

“It’s never a good idea to walk alone when so many . . .” He waved his hand to the crowd. “ . . . drunk jerks are about.”

She almost smiled at him then.

“How about I just take you two streets over, to where the cabs wait? Will that work?”

Her fingers were still pulling lightly at her braid, but right then, a particularly drunk SOB—drunk and fat—barreled into her. Molly would have gone flying face-first into the pavement, but he lunged out and caught her.

“Got you,” he whispered to her.

She smiled at him. “I . . . I think I’d like it if you came with me.”

Of course, she would.

They turned together and headed down the road. He kept his pace even with hers, and he talked easily about everything. The weather. Beignets. The LSU Tigers. And a few minutes later, when the crowd thinned because they’d left Bourbon Street and no one was watching him, he put his hand on Molly’s slender shoulder.

It’s time. This was the spot he’d picked.

“Do you think she suffered?” he asked Molly.

Her steps stumbled. “Wh-What?”

“Your mother. Before she died, do you think she suffered?”

Molly’s body tensed. She tried to jerk away from him.

He didn’t let her go.

“Let’s find out,” he said, and he put his hand over her mouth before she could scream. “Let’s find out just what those last, horrible hours were like for her.” He shoved a needle into her throat. Then he lifted her up easily, and he started to hum as he carried sweet Molly away.





Chapter 3

SARAH CRACKED OPEN ONE EYE. SHE SAW A WHITE, thick comforter about two inches from her face. She opened her other eye—and she saw a big, naked male right beside her.

Jax was sprawled across the bed, and he had one arm currently wrapped around her stomach. A naked stomach since—just like him—she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothes.

They’d moved from the den. After the best orgasm that she could remember having, she’d been limp, but they’d made it up the stairs.

Then he’d given her another mind-numbing orgasm.

Fear had been the last emotion she felt during the hours with him.

She could just see the light of dawn creeping through the shades. The night had ended, and it was time for her to go. She held her breath as she slid from the bed. Morning-after scenes weren’t really her thing. Mostly because she didn’t have a whole lot of them. Very carefully, she rose to her feet and tiptoed to the door. Sarah was naked when she headed down the stairs. When one stair creaked beneath her feet, she stopped, but heard no sound from above.

Her heart was racing in her chest when she reached the landing, and Sarah hurried to the den and found her clothes thrown around the room. She dressed as quickly as she could, and— Her gaze fell on the wineglasses.

You don’t have to pretend here with me. You can let go. She had let go with him. All of her defenses had fallen down in the darkness.

She turned away and hurried to the little alarm box near his door. When he’d been typing in the code last night, she’d been paying careful attention. She always did. She’d been taught to watch others. Her fingers quickly flew over the keypad and she disengaged the alarm. Then Sarah rushed outside. She paused briefly near the gate, then typed in the code there, too. Before she left, she glanced back over her shoulder once more. Her gaze rose to the second floor. The blinds were open now, and she could see Jax. Standing up there, watching her.

She froze. This was it. Her last moment with him. And she was running because she didn’t know what to say. Oh, Sarah understood completely why she was drawn to him. Like a moth right to the burning flame.

It wasn’t because he was drop-dead sexy, though Jax certainly was.

It wasn’t because he was strong. Fierce. It wasn’t even because he’d saved her life the night before.

No, it was something even more basic than that. She looked at him, looked past the mask that he wore and she realized—