Page 144 of Jay Bird

Chen leaned closer, his expression filling the last clear part of her vision. “Let him try.”

Willow’s eyes finally closed as the drug dragged her into darkness, but even then, she refused to give Chen the final word.

Because Jay Bird would come for them, she knew that with every piece of her heart.

But this time Willow wasn’t going to sit quietly and wait for someone else to rescue her.

She had escaped Chen once before. And the moment he gave her another opportunity, she intended to make damn sure he regretted ever taking her again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Jay Bird leaned back in his chair on Bayside’s patio deck, stretched his legs out beneath the table, and took another drink of his beer while half listening to Snow and Nails argue over something so fucking stupid he’d stopped paying attention five minutes ago.

Whatever it was, Nails was convinced he was right, Snow was equally convinced Nails was an idiot, and the rest of the team had apparently decided the safest option was to sit back and encourage both of them.

It was a pretty typical afternoon with the guys.

The late summer sun was still high enough to throw plenty of heat across the deck, although the breeze coming off the ocean made it comfortable. Bayside was busy, but mostly with locals, and the sound of conversation mixed with music coming through the speakers and the occasional crash of waves beyond the dunes.

Jay Bird should have been enjoying the rare downtime. Instead, he was staring at his phone again.

Willow: I put a former cop on his ass.

A grin pulled at his mouth.

He had already given her shit about needing video evidence, but he couldn’t deny how damn proud he was of her. When she had first told him she wanted to take Nova up on the kickboxing lessons, he had supported the idea completely. Anything that gave Willow back another piece of the confidence Chen had stolen from her was worth it.

What Jay Bird hadn’t expected was how seriously she had taken it. Then again, he should have known.

Willow might have been timid at times, especially when she found herself in unfamiliar situations or around men she didn’t know, but beneath all of that was one of the strongest women Jay Bird had ever met. She had survived three years with a monster, escaped while carrying a two-year-old child, traveled halfway across the world with practically nothing, and somehow found her way to Virginia Beach.

She had fought like hell to get her life back, and now she was learning how to fight in an entirely different way.

His gaze drifted to the last message he had sent her.

Jay Bird: Proud of you.

Her response had been simple.

Willow: Thank you. Have fun with the guys.

He smiled again.

“Jesus Christ.”

Jay Bird looked up to find Aussie staring at him.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Aussie lifted his beer. “Just checking to make sure that’s actually you sitting there.”

Jay Bird narrowed his eyes. “Drink your fucking beer.”

“Oh, I am. I’m just not the one staring at my phone smiling like a teenage girl.”

Playboy barked out a laugh.

Bear shook his head. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”