Page 49 of Reckless

Feeling suddenly shy, she said softly, “Mine, too.”

Gifting her with one more quick kiss, Xavier settled her back against the pillows and returned to his chair. He picked up her hand again. “Ready?”

She nodded. She had told Serena, Eve, and Gideon a little when she’d first woken, but she had been so out of it, she didn’t really remember if she’d told them anything useful. Today was the first day she felt clear-minded enough to give significant details.

“I don’t know who took me.”

“Start from the beginning.”

She wiggled slightly in the bed to find the most comfortable spot. The doctor had told her the day before that her wounds were healing nicely, and though she felt much better than she had two days ago, there were still twinges of pain.

Apparently seeing her wince, Xavier said, “Want some pain meds?”

“No. Maybe later. I want to be awake enough to give you everything I can.”

“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”

Settling deeper into the bed, she began to describe her ordeal. “It was late…maybe around one in the morning. I couldn’t sleep and thought I’d find a diner and get something to eat. I opened the door, and four men attacked me. I got in a few good hits, but they overpowered me. I woke up in a bedroom.”

She closed her eyes and described the room in detail. She knew most of what she said was unimportant, but she’d learned that detailing as much as possible often brought to mind items she might have missed otherwise.

“I was sick…nauseated and had a horrific headache. I had a knot on the back of my head and thought it was likely a concussion. I later learned I’d been drugged, too. I don’t know what with.”

Xavier squeezed her hand. “The doctors ran a blood panel. Since you were given the drug so long ago, there’s no evidence left in your blood. They didn’t see any anomalies, though, and don’t believe there’ll be any lasting effects.”

“Good. Thank you.”

“Go on,” he encouraged.

“This older man came in. In his late fifties or early sixties, iron-gray hair, a little thin on top. Light brown eyes, pale complexion. About five eleven, on the slender side, maybe about a hundred fifty pounds. Sophisticated clothes, cultured voice. Looked like he came from money.

“He didn’t introduce himself and apologized for how I’d been banged up. Made two of the guys who’d taken me apologize. Said the other two had been disciplined.”

“They were,” Xavier said abruptly. “Their bodies were found in Seattle at a dump site. We figured they were local hires.”

She didn’t question how he’d known who they were. She’d get the details later but figured that Serena had likely worked her magic.

“What did the man say to you? Did he tell you what he wanted?”

“Not really. He started out by wanting to know why I was going by another name. Where I’d gotten my weapons and self-defense training. When I was taken, I only had my fake ID with me, a burner phone—which had nothing on it—plus my gun and knife.”

She gasped as a thought suddenly hit her. “Oh no. The safe in my motel room. It’s got?—”

Xavier shook his head. “Already taken care of. We got everything—your OZ phone, your other weapons, and the tracker you were supposed to place on Bass.”

She grimaced. “Sorry, I should have returned that before I took off.”

Again, there was no mention of the reason for that, and she wasn’t about to bring it up now.

“Also, I have this.”

Pulling something from his pocket, he placed it on her palm he’d been holding. She looked down to see the chain and the locket that held the only photo she had of her family. Emotions swamped her, and it was all she could do not to give in and cry again. Swallowing past a lump in her throat, she said huskily, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Knowing she needed to continue, she said, “I didn’t tell him anything…actually didn’t speak, figuring the less I said, the more he might reveal. He didn’t appreciate my silence. Told me he’d give me a few days to recover, and then he’d come back for another conversation. Right before he left, he called me Jasmine and then asked if I still went by Jazz.”

“So he knew exactly who you are.”