- 6.
It wasn’t until I was out of the complex that I
realized I was trembling. Three workers
following me in, Ashton’s perfectly timed “rescue.” I didn’t believe it was a coincidence.
Even in this new life, Ashton was the same. He
would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
<
I called Jake repeatedly, but he didn’t answer.
As evening approached, I knew something was
wrong. He’d never been this late. I went straight
to the factory. The place was a mess. I stopped
a janitor who was cleaning up. “Do you know
where Jake is?” “Jake? He’s at the hospital.” I
froze. Why the hospital? The janitor shook his
head. “Poor kid. Ran into some thugs.”
By the time I got to the hospital, Jake was
being wheeled out of the examination room. He
had two cuts on his face, and his right arm was
in a cast. His muddy clothes were stained with
blood. Tears welled up. “Jake!” “What are you
doing here?” He reached out with his good
hand and wiped my tears. “Hey, I’m still
breathing. Don’t cry.” How could he joke at a
time like this? I was about to snap at him when
I heard a voice. “Whoa, Jake, your wife’s
gorgeous! Like an angel!” He muttered, “No
wonder you don’t hang out with us anymore. If I
had a wife like that, I’d stay home too.” I
noticed a young man standing behind Jake He
く
stared at me, his eyes clear and guileless. His
straightforward compliment embarrassed me.
Jake grinned. “Back off, she’s mine.”
After speaking with the doctor and confirming
that besides a minor fracture in his right hand,
Jake’s other injuries were superficial, I finally
relaxed. “How did this happen?” Before Jake
could answer, the young guy with him burst out,
“Some jerk came in today, car was perfectly
fine, claimed Jake messed it up, demanded we
pay. We told him no way, and he called in a
bunch of goons to trash the place.”
“Did you call the cops?” “What’s the point? The
guy was obviously connected. Five 8’s on his
license plate. Only someone with serious pull
can get a plate like that.”
Five 8’s? Something clicked. “What kind of
car?” “Black Hummer.” The kid was still
fretting. “We’re screwed. What if the boss
blames us, Jake?”
く
I tuned out the rest. Everything went black.
Ashton.
Suddenly, a hand pinched my cheek. “Ouch!” I
looked up into Jake’s teasing eyes. I stared at
him, bewildered by his nonchalance. “Aren’t you
worried?” “About what?” “About… what
happens next.” He scoffed. “Worst case
scenario, I lose my job. What else can they do?”
He grinned. “Besides, I’ve got my wife to take
care of me. Three grand a month, remember?
All yours, babe.”
He’d brought up my proposal. I blushed. “All my
money is yours.” He flicked my forehead.
“Dork.”
