Page 77 of Wasted Lust

“It was a promise. My brother and I made it together. We’re the dragons and we were gonna take over the world. He’s got the same tattoo. Two fire-breathing beasts with the world at our mercy. We were so angry after Michael was killed.” I stop talking and look at her for a moment. “It’s nothing. I mean, it was something, obviously. A promise that we’d see this through to the end together.”

“Get revenge and kill Nick.”

“Not just Nick. Everyone. But he wins again, I guess.” I gesture to the phone in my hand.

“What happened?” she asks, propping herself up on her elbow as I end the call.

I scrub a hand down my face and scratch the stubble on my chin as I think of how to word this.

“What, Jax? Tell me, dammit.”

I shake my head and just let it out. “How bad did you hate your aunt?”

“I barely knew her. It was just a gut reaction. Why?”

“She’s dead, Sasha. Nick went there last night and blew the place up. You said it reminded you of the house in Santa Barbara. Also blown up by you and Nick.”

“Whoa there. Also? I didn’t have anything to do with last night! I was here with you!”

“I’m not saying that, obviously. But Nick was here. You talked to him. Did you tell him where that compound was?”

“No! He never even asked, Jax.”

My phone rings again. I grab it off the bed and thumb the accept button. “Yeah.”

“You motherfucker!” Madrid’s voice booms out of the speaker so loud, I have to hold the phone away from my head. “We are partners, asshole! That means you tell me everything. And I’ve been sitting here for two days waiting for this girl to come home, and ain’t nothing goin’ on at her house. Now where is she?”

“She’s with me.”

“And just exactly where is with me?”

“Classified.”

“Classified my ass! I have my orders and so do you—”

I end the call and turn my phone off as I look at Sasha.

“Um,” she says, holding the sheets up to her naked torso, shielding her body. God, that almost kills me. “What’s going on?”

“I have to go head up that investigation. I’m supposed to hand you over to Madrid so she can keep an eye on you.”

“Keep an eye on me? Like I’m your prisoner? Jesus Christ! You did sell me out!”

“No, Sasha. I’m not handing you over to Madrid. But I need to figure this shit out. Nick killed your aunt last night. She was working with Max. Has been working with Max for years. This is not going to sit well.”

“Well, you better start questioning your loyalties to Max, then. Because Madeline was bad. I believe Nick. He knows what’s going on. Your father isn’t Company. He has no idea and neither do you.” She gets out of bed, still hugging those sheets to her body, and points to the door. “Get out of my house.”

“Sasha, look—”

“No. I’m not listening to you. Not after that accusation. Not after that justification. I trusted you with the secrets Nick told me last night and you turn around and blame me? Accuse me of working with him?”

“Look, I don’t think you’re working with him.” But I stop and take a deep breath. Because that’s not true. I’ve always thought she was working with him. And even Jake said she might be playing me. But last night felt so real. “I just need to know what’s going on. What exactly happened last night?”

“I told you. He came here.”

“How did he find you?”

“How should I know? I’ve been with you for the past two days!”