Page 144 of Stealing Blinds

“Look at me,” Jax demands, and the agony of this entire situation has him appearing boyish and dominant at once. “I won’t promise you that he’s okay. But he’s got the absolute best people up there with him.”

I shake my head, hearing the logic but still feeling lost. The absence of the chatter from the comm hits me then. I fumble with my ear and clothing, but can’t find the earpiece or the mic.

“Mine didn’t make it either. Too much pressure when we entered the water.” He expels a ragged breath, considering something. “I’ll get you answers as soon as I can. But … this is what he wanted.”

I study him, wondering what he means until he fills me in.

“For you to be safe.” He stares out at the nearly white horizon before adding, “For your family to be safe. For Rena and her family to be safe.” He drags his hand down his face. “For this to be finished.”

Cash’s tenacious mandate from the day he fucked the insecurities out of me in his closet rams into me with the rushing waters. “Do we give up when things are hard?”

“We fight,” I answered then, so I turn to Jax and bob my head with the same response.

My waterproof backpack worked overtime today. Everything survived. Unfortunately, my personal cell is in my suitcase, so all I have is a burner that both E and Peter Fairfax have the number to. Calling Cash isn’t an option, just in case there are prying eyes. It wouldn’t make much sense for me to be contacting him if I’m fleeing to complete the job for E.

Jax only had Axel’s number memorized, but he’s reluctant to use it for the same reason. Axel is undoubtedly with Cash by now.

Instead, I send a message to the encrypted chat.

Me: We’re headed for the train. Please update on how everyone is.

Several minutes later, an ambiguous response comes through.

Ty: We have things contained, and we’ll update soon. Carry on as planned.

“Is this one of those situations where they don’t want to deliver the unthinkable over texts, so they’ll keep things vague and make us sweat it out?”

Jax shrugs, looking more worn than I’ve ever seen him. “I’d rather not know right now.”

Because no matter what horrid reality awaits us, we still have to finish this.

We make it to shore of the mainland and take an Uber to the depot in a daze. I’m surprised when the train is waiting for us because we’re late. But Jax isn’t.

We board, and the first thing that sticks out isn’t that it’s a luxury train with velvet and gold accents and grand chandeliers. It’s that we’re the only passengers. Not just in this car. In all of them, which is something I discover after I make a dash through several—dining, passenger, movie, scenic.

“Where are all the people?” I ask Jax as we start moving.

“Cash bought it … well, for the night. He thought he’d be with you, of course, so he”—the break he takes is less like his typical pause and more of a tormented redirection—“wanted to be sure you were safe.”

He bought the train.

It wasn’t just for safety, though I’m sure that was part of it because the last leg of this journey is still harrowing. But it was also because of the FaceTime conversation we had, back when I was still calling him a friend and I lived in New York. He always remembers everything.

As I settle into a plush velvet seat in front of a curtain-adorned floor-to-ceiling window, showcasing gorgeous coastal views, my clothes still wet from exploring those waters, I let myself replay that call.

He was so beautiful. It pissed me off that he had such relentless swagger when I was trying so hard to resist him.

“Before you answered, I pictured you on a train.”

I kept my tone unaffected, even though flutters were erupting in my stomach. “So sorry to disappoint you. Why a train?”

“Nothing about seeing you could ever be disappointing, Sly, but trains have a certain mystique. They’re a great place to make memories. Nostalgic and … intimate.”

“Oh, yeah? Have you made a lot of memories on trains?”

I remember wishing I hadn’t asked that, worried that he’d offer a spicy anecdote, but he was too smooth to fumble that way.

“None. Yet. But I can envision … clearly … making some with you, which is probably why I had that glimpse of you answering from one.”