Strong Enough (Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #1)(53)

“Muse, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Oh God, Jasper, I’m so sorry,” she wails.

“Sorry for what?” I ask, my concern growing by the second. I’m running through scenarios again. What has she done? Who did she call? What did she see?

She leans away long enough to look up into my eyes. The bright orange flames all around us are reflected in the glistening green pools and I think for a tenth of a second that I’d like nothing more than to lose myself in there, to just turn my back on the world and hide away with Muse somewhere. Somewhere safe.

“Your m-mother. I’m so sorry!” Tears stream down her cheeks and her expression is one of intense agony, like it’s she who just lost a parent rather than me. Her empathy flows over me like cool, soothing water.

“It’s okay, baby,” I tell her softly, quieting her the best that I can. “It was fast. She didn’t suffer.” She buries her face in my neck and I brush my hand over her hair, eyes trained on the darkness at her back. “Her pain is over. She’s free now. She’s finally free.”

She’s finally free. Truly free. Free of every monster that my father created.

The notion brings me some small bit of comfort. Muse brings me more. With her in my arms, I’m reminded that I do have something left to lose. I can grieve later if I must, but right now, I need to focus on the living, focus on getting Muse to safety before I seek my vengeance.

“We need to go,” I whisper near her ear as I loosen her hold on me.

She pulls her hands around to cup my face. “Are you okay, Jasper?”

“I’m fine,” I assure her.

Her brows knit together. I know what she’s thinking. She’s thinking that a decent person would be devastated right now. “But . . .”

“But nothing. She’s gone. She’s dead. Nothing I do will bring her back. This part is over. Someone will pay a price for her death, but that has to wait. Right now, you’re more important. I need to get you out of here.”

She nods. “Okay.” She reaches for my hand, curling her fingers tightly around mine. This is who she is. She is the kind who gives comfort, the kind who shares in grief, the kind who gives of herself. The kind who will only be hurt by getting involved with someone like me. The best thing I can do for her once I get her to safety is to let her go. Because once I do, she’ll never be able to find me. I’ll be in the wind. A ghost. A nightmare best forgotten.





TWENTY-SEVEN


Muse

I catch myself glancing repeatedly at Jasper as he steers the car back to his cabin. He’s stoic. Calm. Eerily calm. He just saw his childhood home in fiery pieces scattered all over the place, probably along with his mother’s remains, and he’s acting as though everything is fine.

Well not fine, really. He seems in a hurry to get me away, but other than that, he’s quiet. No tears. No roaring like a lion, no howling like a coyote. No nothing. Just . . . calm.

When he rolls into his driveway, he slams the gearshift into park and turns to me, fierceness on his face. “Lock the doors. Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

It’s not a request, nor does he pause to see if I agree to comply. He simply turns and crawls out of the car, knowing that I surely can’t be crazy enough not to do what he says.

And he’s right. I’m not. I’m just not as quick as he is.

I’m watching Jasper mount the steps in two long leaps when my door is wrenched open and a hand covers my mouth. I start to scream when something is jammed into my ribs. It’s cold and unyielding. Instinctively I know it’s a gun.

My heart is slamming around inside my chest, but I remain absolutely still.

“Scream and I’ll shoot you. Try to get away and I’ll shoot you.”

I listen to the words, which are alarming in and of themselves, but it’s the voice with which they’re spoken that I find most disturbing of all.

I roll my eyes to the right and get a glimpse of Matt’s face in the glow of the headlights reflecting off the side of the cabin.

He catches my wide eyes staring and grins in that half-cocked way that used to melt my heart. Right now it merely freezes it.

“Matt?” I mutter against his hand.

“It’s good to see you, too, little girl,” he says, using his old pet name for me. I’m sure it’s supposed to put me at ease, but it doesn’t. If anything, it puts me on guard.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Shhh,” he says, clamping his hand over my mouth again. “Come on. I’ll take you to your dad.”

“Dad’s here?”

“Yeah. We came for you. Now come on. And be quiet about it unless you want your bodyguard to get shot.”

My lungs tighten at just the suggestion of Jasper getting hurt. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I’m sure my father will explain it. And in the meantime, there’s no reason to risk Jasper getting shot over a misunderstanding just because he’s on high alert.

“Where is he?” I ask in a hushed voice.

“This way. Come on.”

Matt takes my hand and tugs me from the car. He doesn’t let go as he starts off around the front of the cabin, sticking to the edge of the trees where the darkness creeps in. He leads me down to the lake and to the dock, but I pull back before stepping on the first plank.