031

REN'S CALL~KAI'S POV~I couldn't stop thinking about Jax's hands.I was sitting in my own apartment, on my own couch, but my body was still a traitor. It was replaying the bathroom in the bleach, the way his fingers had cinched around my throat, the way his hot mouth had ruined me. My skin was still buzzing from his touch.I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth and stared at the ceiling.'Don't be late tonight.'He hadn't even asked. He'd just decided. Jax Carter made the rules, and I was starting to realize I loved obeying them. I was already calculating what time to leave so I wouldn't look too desperate. I was nervous just thinking about seeing him again.Then, my phone rang.I grabbed it fast, my heart skipping a beat. I was hoping it was Jax, but the screen said Ren.I answered with a frown. "Hey, what's...."I stopped cold. On the other end, there were no words. Just the sound of someone fighting to breathe. Ren was crying....or he had been....and now he sounded like he

032

SPAGHETTIKAI'S POVJax cooked.That was the only thing my brain could process as I sat at the kitchen table, chin in my hand, watching him move. It was 7 p.m. on a Tuesday, and Jax Carter was effectively taking over my kitchen.He had found the pasta in the third cabinet and the sauce hidden behind a can of chickpeas I'd forgotten about months ago. He'd even found the good olive oil without me saying a word. He'd been paying attention to every detail of my life.It made my heart skip a beat, but I forced myself not to think about it.He moved with that unhurried, alpha confidence. Like the apartment had already agreed to belong to him.The smell of garlic hit me first, followed by the rich scent of tomatoes. Underneath it all was the smell of Jax—cedar and warmth. It was a combination that made the space feel lived in for the first time in years.I watched the line of his muscular shoulders as he stirred the pot. I watched his large, calloused hands reach for the salt. He looked so

033

THE LOCATIONKAI'S POVMy phone rang at 5:47 a.m.I was still at my desk, my eyes burning from lack of sleep. Three empty coffee cups sat next to my laptop, which was still open to the mapped-out financial chain. My head was pounding, but the adrenaline kept me upright.I answered before the second ring."Tell me you found something," Ren's voice rasped. He sounded just as wrecked as I felt."Not solid yet," I said, rubbing my palm against my eye. "But I found the structure. The transport network. The shell companies. Ren... I think Maya's been moved to a location they're using as a front."I heard a quick, pained exhale. "What kind of front?"I looked at the coordinates on my screen—a licensed entertainment venue on the south side of the western district. Clean on paper, but I knew better."A club," I whispered."I'm scared, Kai," Ren said quietly. "I'm terrified of what that means for her.""Don't panic," I commanded, though my own hands were shaking. "We're going to get her. But I

Puck & Ruin의 모든 챕터: 챕터 31 - 챕터 33

031

032

033