Page 64 of Furious
Maybe the better question wasdidhe ever love her? It might have been infatuation or delusion, but the match flame of whatever they’d had was nothing compared to the bonfire between him and Jax.
“Here. Now you can leave.” He placed an envelope of cash in her hand, and a sly grin crept across her face; it unnerved him.
“I guess.” She glanced toward the building and then back to Tristan. “Have a good day atwork.” She drawled the last word, waving absently at him as she stalked off. He wanted to follow her and figure out what that grin was about, but today needed to go flawlessly, so he should get inside.
Driving to the lot, Tristan found the hall empty except for the kitchen staff, and after he checked on the walk-in, he changed into his tux and sent Jax a text.
Hope you loved the shower. At The Pointe, and everything looks good.
Opening duties kept Tristan occupied for almost an hour, and when he finally surfaced for air, he headed for the kitchen. Jax should be at The Pointe by now. How come he hadn’t checked in?
But he froze in place as Marci and Winter stepped into the main room, heading his way, and the worry on their faces made Tristan’s stomach drop.
“What’s going on?” He couldn’t hide the tremble in those words.
“Have you heard from Jax?” Marci asked, and for the second time that day, Tristan panicked.
“Why?” Sweat bloomed across his skin, his heart racing.
“He’s not here.” Winter showed Tristan their phone. “And he’s not answeringour calls.”
On autopilot, Tristan checked his phone too, his knees wobbling when he realized that Jax had never replied to his text.
“…where is he?” His voice sounded far away.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Marci said softly, putting her hand on Tristan’s arm.
“He wouldn’t no-show, it’s not like him.” The anxiety in Winter’s voice added to the swirling tornado of fear inside Tristan. Worst-case scenarios tumbled through his mind, scattering his usual calm, because this wasJax. The person he cared about most in the world.
He could feel that something was wrong. Jax loved cooking; he loved being a chef, and this weekend meant everything to him. While it hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped, he’d persevered despite the sabotage, working things out. He wouldn’t just toss that all away. And he wouldn’t vanish without calling.
Four years ago, I woke up after a night out and I couldn’t move…
Icy realization ran through Tristan’s veins as he remembered something Jax had told him last month, when he’d been stretched out on Owen’s office floor, vulnerable and honest.
Now he was certain that Jax needed his help.
“Tristan?” Winter’s soft voice broke through, and he blinked down at them.
“I have to go.” He ripped off his headset. “Marci, can you-”
“I got you, hun. Find him and let me know what happened as soon as you can.” Her green eyes held worry, which was rare, confirming that Tristan’s gut was right.
Taking off, he ran through the foyer, and as he stumbled outside, he spotted Finn by The Pointe’s shuttle bus. He wore a smile, but it quickly fell from his face as Tristan approached.
“What’s wrong? Is it Ollie?” The words held the same fear that whirled through Tristan’s mind.
“No, it’s Jax.” Tristan’s voice echoed weirdly in his head. “He didn’t come in, and he’s not answering his phone or any texts. I think it’s his back.”
Frightened guilt welled up inside of him, and it must’ve shown on his face because Finn patted his shoulder. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
All Tristan could do was nod, realizing that he was in no state to use a car. Following Finn to his SUV, they got in, and Finn gestured to the navigation on the dashboard.
“You guys didn’t drive in together?”
Tristan shook his head, typing in his address with shaking fingers.
“I had to run an errand.” And he hated himself because of it.
