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Jax sighed, his shoulders slumping with resignation. He had known this moment was coming, but it didn't make it any easier.
"Alright," he said, his voice low and steady. "I'll tell you everything, but please put down the pineapple. You're making me nervous."
Mia's hand remained raised, her eyes still blazing.
He took a tentative step closer, hazel eyes locked on hers, pleading for understanding. "I wanted to protect you, Mia. There's so much you don't know, but I want to tell you everything."
"Why aren’t you taking me to Savannah, Jax? Have you kidnapped me? What are you planning to do to me?" Mia snapped back, her gaze narrowing suspiciously.
"Like I said, I’ll tell you everything. But first, we need to get somewhere even more remote, where nobody will ever find us. We're not safe here."
"More remote than this?" Mia looked around at the dense forest surrounding them, her skepticism evident. She shook herhead, her resolve hardening. "No way, Jax. I'm tired of running and hiding. It's time for the truth."
"Damn it, Mia," Jax cursed under his breath, his frustration mounting. He knew she had every right to be angry, but they couldn't keep playing this cat-and-mouse game. People were after them, dangerous people. If only she could understand that. "Please, just trust me one more time. I swear, I'll tell you everything. Just let’s find somewhere safe first. Somewhere as remote as we possibly can."
"More remote?!" Mia's voice cracked with panic as she took a step back, her green eyes wide with terror. "You expect me to believe that?! You're just going to take me out there and kill me!"
"Babygirl, no, that's not what this is about," Jax pleaded, reaching out for her, desperate to reassure her. He could feel the fragile trust between them threatening to shatter at any moment. "I would never hurt you."
Mia shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No, I can't . . . I won't let you murder me, Jax!" And with that, she turned and sprinted away from him, her bare feet pounding against the forest floor as she disappeared into the thick foliage.
"Shit!" Jax cursed, his mind racing with fear and frustration. He knew he had to find her before she got too far, before Viper or anyone else found her first. He quickly set off in pursuit.
As he ran through the dense underbrush, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs, Jax couldn't help but berate himself for how things had spiraled so out of control. How could he make her understand that everything he was doing was to protect her, not harm her?
"Damn it, Mia, where are you?" he muttered, scanning the forest for any sign of her. His hazel eyes were sharp, searching for the flash of movement or color amidst the sea of green and brown. Time was running out, and Jax knew he couldn't afford to lose her now.
He had to find her. And fast.
Chapter sixteen
Mia
Mia's breath hitched asshe stumbled on a twisted tree root, her ankle giving way beneath her. The pain shot up her leg like lightning, causing her to cry out and collapse on the damp earth. She struggled against the gnarled wood that trapped her foot, fear making her heart race.
"Great," she hissed, realizing that she was well and truly stuck. Panic bubbled inside her as she imagined Jax catching up to her, his eyes full of betrayal and anger.
The forest was alive with the sounds of insects and distant birdcalls, but the noise of life only served to make Mia feel more alone. Cold sweat trickled down her back, and she shivered despite the humidity clinging to her skin.
She tugged again at her trapped foot. Her green eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Jax or a way to free herself from the tree root's grip. Her chest tightened with each passing moment, her mind racing through scenarios of what Jax might do when he found her.
"Come on, Mia," she whispered to herself, desperation making her voice shake. "You've been through worse."
She tried to recall the words of her favorite books, seeking comfort in their familiar stories.
“What would Mowgli do?” she asked herself. “Alone in the forest?” She paused. “What would Shere Khan do?”
She wished she had her Baloo stuffie with her right now. He’d be good company. But all she had was the pain in her ankle and a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Mia huddled against the damp earth, her breaths shallow and trembling. The once-peaceful forest now felt like a menacing labyrinth. Her heart raced with each snap of a twig or rustle in the underbrush.
"Mia!" Jax’s voice rang out suddenly, close enough to make her flinch.
Panic surged through her veins, and she pressed herself further into the dirt, trying to become invisible.
"Where are you?" he called again, desperation lacing his tone.
"Damn it," Mia muttered silently, fighting the urge to call out to him. She knew she couldn't trust him, not after what she'd seen. But the fear clawing at her insides begged her to reconsider.
