Molly's Man (Haven, Texas 4)

“This morning. Maybe you can still catch her before she gets on a plane.”

Maybe. If he knew where she was going. And if she’d answer her phone.

“I need to know where she is.” He stared at her. “Please, Laken, it’s important.”

“I can see that it is. I can try calling her.”

“Please.”

She pulled her cell out. Jake waited as she made a call. Finally, she gave him a sad look. “She’s not answering. I promise, as soon as I know where she is, I’ll let you know. You love her, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.” But he questioned whether she felt the same. How could she just leave him like that? He’d been an asshole, sure, but surely they’d had something worth staying and fighting for.

Laken sighed. “For what it’s worth, she looked really upset. We tried to convince her not to leave. We thought she’d change her mind. She seemed to love it here and she really cared for you. It was easy to see from the way she spoke about you. But she told us she had to go, that it was better to do it now before people got really hurt. Whatever that meant.”

Too late.

“What are you doing here?”

Jake didn’t turn to look at the man standing behind him. He lay on his back on the weight bench, pushing the weighted barbell up and down. Sweat coated his body, and his arms were shaking, starting to tire. How long had he been at this? Did he care? Working out was the only way he could quiet his brain.

Two tanned hands grabbed hold of the bar and held it still. Saxon’s face appeared upside down above him. “I’m talking to you.”

Jake glared at him. “Let go. I’m not finished.”

“You are now.”

Jake narrowed his gaze. Rage filled him, and he welcomed it.

“I’m not your fucking sub,” Jake spat at him. “Let go. Now.”

Saxon let the barbell go and disappointment filled Jake. He hadn’t expected him to give in so easily. He wanted a fight, he realized. He wanted a way to rid himself of the anger burning a hole in his gut. Two days had passed since she’d gone. It felt like a lifetime.

Jake pumped the barbell up and down a few more times, more to make a point than because he wanted to continue. He slotted the bar into the rack and sat up, reaching for his towel to wipe his face.

He looked over at Saxon, who was now sitting on a small bench across from him. They were alone in the gym, the few people that had been around had disappeared.

“What are you doing here, Saxon?”

“I believe that’s what I asked you.”

“I think that’s fucking obvious, don’t you?” Jake paused, taking a deep breath. Do not let him get to you.

“You’re right. It is. You’re hiding.”

“If I’m hiding I’m not doing a very good job since you found me.”

“Why did you let her go?”

“What?” Jake was perplexed by the change of subject. Talking to Saxon on a good day tried his patience. Today was not a good day. “I’m not in the mood for your riddles so why don’t you just spit out whatever it is you came to say.”

“Fine. I want to know why you let Molly go. She’s the first person you’ve truly responded to since Rebecca. I could tell you cared deeply about her, even though you probably never told her that, or admitted it to yourself. So why did you let her go?”

“When did you become such an old busybody? Running that club has given you a God complex. But you’re not God. And what I do is none of your business.” Jake rose. He was out of there. He’d come for some peace, not an inquisition.

“I care about you, Jake.”

Jake stilled. It wasn’t like Saxon to be open about his feelings. He liked to manipulate. He enjoyed messing in other people’s lives. But he didn’t welcome anyone into his.