Page 66 of Thrown Off Balance

“The only time being a six is a good thing,” Jax grumbles under his breath.

“Dang, I didn’t think it would be this easy to get in here.”

I let out a shriek as I spin around and come face to face with Jude. His hair is a wild mess, sticking up in every direction. There are dark circles under his eyes, making him look like he hasn’t slept in weeks. But it’s the emptiness in his eyes that has me taking a step back.

My hand holding my phone slowly lowers to my side. My fingers are trembling so badly that I can’t even keep a hold on the device and it falls to the floor with a loud thump.

“W-What are y-you doing here, J-Jude?”

“I came to take care of you.” A sick smile spreads across his face as he cocks his head to the side and watches me carefully.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re gone, Jax will want to spend time with me again. You won't be able to poison his mind anymore. I just need to get rid of you.”

“How are you going to get rid of me?” I swallow hard as my eyes fill with tears.

“Well, I was thinking of strangling you, but that means I’d actually have to touch you and I don’t really want to do that. You disgust me. I was thinking of just shooting you.” He lifts the hem of his shirt to show off the black metal of his gun.

“How do you have a gun? How did anyone sell you a gun?”

“No one sold me a gun. I could never get one with my medical history.”

“Then how did you get one?”

“I broke into my neighbor’s house. He’s a big hunter and has a nice collection of guns. He had them locked in a safe, but the idiot left the key rather close to it. It took maybe two minutes of searching to find the key and get in. I had so many to choose from. This one was speaking to me though. I knew this one could do the job and get rid of you for good.”

“We’re moving in,” Mason murmurs in my ear. His voice startles me. For a few moments I forgot all about other people being in the house and how they’re ready to take Jude down. “Keep him talking.”

“Why do you want to get rid of me? I didn’t do anything!” I whisper as the first tear slips down my face.

“But you did. Don’t you see it?” He cocks his head to the side again as his brows draw together and he examines me. It’s almost like he can’t understand why I don’t get it.

“No! I don’t see it. I didn’t do anything!”

“You told Jax I was a horrible person. You put all these thoughts into his head. You made him turn against me. I saw it the day we went to Mulberry Lane. I heard you bad mouthing me to him.”

“I barely spoke to Jax that day. I never said anything to him about you.”

“Don’t lie to me, Sloan!” He barks, his loud voice making me jump and the tears fall even faster. “You put all of these thoughts into his head. You’re controlling him and turning him against me!”

There’s a loud thud down the hallway behind me. I glance over my shoulder, expecting to see someone there.

“Are you kidding me, Jax! Why is your room so messy?” Maddox growls in a low voice.

“Who else is here? You’re supposed to be alone!”

Before I can even glance over my shoulder at Jude, his arm is wrapped around my waist and there’s a gun pointed at me.

“No!” I whimper, knowing this is going to be the end. There’s no way he’ll let me out of here alive.

“He has an arm around her neck and a gun pointed at her,” Mason murmurs softly. “I have my sights on him, but if I take a shot, she could get injured. Especially if he’s tense and pulls the trigger.”

“He wants me. I’ll go talk to him,” Jax whispers.

“No. Do not go out there, Jax,” multiple voices say at once, the loudest being Wes.

“Who is here?” Jude growls in my ear, making my entire body shake.