Page 88 of Reckless

Each night before she went to sleep and in the morning right after she woke, she and Xavier would talk. Most of their chatter revolved around all the various activities she was experiencing on the farm. He’d told her that hearing about them was the highlight of his day, so she went out of her way to describe each event in the most entertaining way possible. To her ears, there was no more beautiful sound than Xavier’s laughter.

She felt like it had been a lifetime since she’d seen him, felt his arms around her, kissed him. She missed him like she would miss an appendage. He was an intrinsic part of her, heart and soul.

Her time here had to end at some point. As much as she was enjoying the peace and simplicity, she couldn’t stay here forever. She had a life to get back to, a job she loved, and a man she adored.

As if Serena knew exactly what she was thinking, she said, “So what’s going on with you and Xavier?”

Knowing her face was already a little flushed from the margarita she’d consumed, Jazz felt the heat hit her like a flame. And if that weren’t enough, the instant Serena saw her color rise, she gave a shout of gleeful laughter. “I knew it! You guys finally admitted how you feel about each other!”

“You knew?”

“Of course I knew. Everyone knew. We’ve just been waiting for you two to finally figure it out.”

“Did Xavier know?”

“How you felt? No. You both were so clueless. ” She grinned and added, “It was adorable.”

Shaking her head, Jazz laughed at Xavier being called adorable. He was many things, but being adorable wasn’t one of them. Gorgeous, sexy, rugged, and manly. And mine.

A rush of emotion followed that thought. She had loved him for so long, and apparently he’d had feelings for her for a long time, too. And now that they had admitted it to each other, they couldn’t be together because of this insanity.

“I so want this to be over,” she muttered.

“I know,” Serena said softly. “And it will be. You just have to be patient.”

Jazz grimaced. Patience wasn’t one of her strongest traits.

“Have you thought about the money you’ve inherited?”

“Not really. It’s blood money. There’s no telling how many people died or were tortured to get it. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

“Hmm.”

“You don’t agree?”

Serena gave a delicate shrug. “It’s your choice, of course. I was just thinking how cool it would be to use it to do the opposite of what it was intended for.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the people trying to get it obviously have evil intentions. But you could use it for good. Think about all the charities out there and the children and animals you could help.”

She had been so angry after learning why she had been abducted, she hadn’t even considered what opportunities that much money would allow her. Having been homeless herself, the very thought of being able to aid others, especially children and animals, gave her goose bumps. Her mind boggled at the good that could be done.

“Thank you, Serena. I never even considered that.”

“I know some people who could help when you’re ready.”

Jazz let that settle within her. When this was over and if it was true that she would inherit this money, then she would definitely use it only for good. Using it for herself would go against everything she believed in—material possessions meant very little to her.

Taking another sip of her margarita, Jazz asked, “When are you going to tell Ash about Lazarus?”

Serena looked up from painting her toenails. “Soon. He knows I’m working on an angle. And it’s not like I know exactly who the guy is or where he lives. I’m narrowing it down for sure, but I want to give him something concrete. If I tell him now, it’s just going to frustrate him more.”

Serena’s phone pinged, but Jazz barely noticed the sound anymore, as the woman’s phone seemed to ping 24/7 with intel from various sources all over the world. It amazed Jazz how her friend could keep up with everything and stay sane.

This time when Serena read the message, a look of delight spread across her face.

“What’s that smile for?” Jazz asked.