Page 79 of Unveiled

“As well as can be expected,” Abel replied. “I think having friends and family around helped to take her mind off it a little bit. Jenn was still there when I left.”

Thank God for that. She had been a lifesaver through this whole ordeal, practically glued to Adalyn’s side. Jaxon could breathe a little easier now, knowing that she wasn’t alone. “Thanks again for staying with her. It means a lot.”

“No problem, it was nothing. I—oh! Of course!” Abel said as if he’d just had a revelation.

“What?”

“I was just trying to remember how I knew Jenn. It’s been driving me crazy.”

Jaxon’s brows drew together. “How do you know her?”

“Seriously?” Abel laughed. “She had the biggest crush on you, remember? But it’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and she looks totally different with that short, dark hair.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Abel sounded confused. “I thought you were the one who got her the job at Adalyn’s place. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. Jocelyn from down the street.” He paused when Jaxon remained silent. “You know—Aaron’s little sister.”

Jaxon remembered who he was talking about. Aaron’s sister was several years younger, and she had always tried to tag along, much to his chagrin. But Jennifer had long, curly red hair. Or she had the last time he’d seen her, though it had been several years ago. Was that really the same girl? “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything,” he remarked. “And when did she start going by Jenn?”

“I don’t know,” Abel replied. “I knew she looked familiar, I just couldn’t place her. Anyway, I’ll let you go. We’ll stop over later once you guys are settled.”

“Sounds good.” Jaxon thanked him, then hung up, turning his attention back to Jaclyn. His attention was splintered as Miles came jogging toward them, waving a hand in the air.

Jaxon’s brows drew together. “What’s up, man?”

His face was grim. “He’s asking for you.”

Jaxon couldn’t conceal his surprise as he strode over to where the PD had a young man seated on the sidewalk, Miles on his heels. Knox shot him an unreadable look as he approached, and dread congealed in his gut. The boy they had apprehended looked fearfully up at him, and the officer beside him urged him on. “This is him. Tell us what you know.”

He glanced between Jaxon and Jaclyn, his eyes filled with remorse. Jaxon’s arms tightened a fraction around his daughter’s body. Mostly to feel her securely against him, but also in part so he wouldn’t knock the boy’s teeth down his throat.

He shook his head. “I didn’t want to do it,” he whispered. “But she begged me. She said it would all be different once we got rid of her.”

Chills ran down Jaxon’s spine at his words. “A woman did this?”

The boy’s expression turned hard, his tone bitter. “I would’ve done anything for her. I just wanted her to be happy, but it was never enough. It’s you she wants.”

CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

Adalyn nervously paced the room, unable to sit still. She couldn’t help but wonder how everything was going. She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling on the ends. The pain shooting across her skull momentarily grounded her, detracting from the agony of not being able to do anything.

She felt weak—absolutely helpless. She prayed to God that whatever plan Jaxon and his friends had in place worked. It felt like she was literally hanging on by a thread. Everyone tiptoed around her like they were walking on eggshells, as if the slightest noise would cause her to break.

It was killing her. She could feel it in the slow way that she moved, the sluggish way her brain reacted. Still, she couldn’t give up. She forced herself to move on, to keep going. Jaclyn was depending on her, and she refused to let her down. She had only slept the previous day out of sheer necessity before her body shut down completely. She had gotten maybe three to four hours of sleep over the past couple of days, catching little naps here and there. The past two days had slowly begun to drain the life from her.

Aiden had managed to convince her to catch some rest where she could. She wasn’t sure why, but she trusted him when he told her they were doing everything they could. All of the men at Vantage seemed so competent, so sure of themselves. They came from various military and law enforcement backgrounds and were trained to handle any situation. It was reassuring, but she still couldn’t fully relax.

The men had insisted she not breathe a word to anyone about the sting the cops had set up that day. If all went well—and she prayed it would—Jaclyn would be home soon. Knox had gently explained that, until they knew who was responsible, they couldn’t risk tipping anyone off. So there she sat, waiting for a single word that her baby was okay.

Mind spinning, emotionally drained, she sank onto the couch and dropped her head into her hands. She would do anything if someone would just bring Jaclyn back to her. Every part of her body hurt. Her shoulders ached from carrying the tension of the past three days. Her eyes burned from sleepless nights and endless tears.

Jenn’s soft voice cut through the silence. “How are you holding up?”

Like crap. “Fine.”

Jenn had insisted on being there with her that day, if for no other reason than to lend silent support. Adalyn could feel her staring intently at her, but she refused to meet her gaze.