My cousin wasn’t smiling when he wrapped his arm around Tara, holding her snug against him, but I could see the satisfaction in his eyes.
His hand came to rest gently at her throat. It was enough of a threat to stop me in my tracks.
“You look like you’ve had a long trip,” Jacques said, his voice as accented and soft as I remembered. “Let my friends give you the welcome you deserve.”
I stilled.
One more step and he could crush her throat.
The mutts closed in.
I could only watch as Tara’s face crumpled with her sobs.
Something slammed into the back of my head.
Her face disappeared into darkness.
Chapter 22
Strangers
Tara
Ididn’tfightback.Didn’tdrag my feet through the hallway or turn to bite the hands gripping my shoulder as I was shoved into a familiar bedroom.
One of the men from the hall took two steps forward. I recognized him.
The driver who ran me off the road. There was a grin on his face when I backpedaled. His body jerked. The muscles in his face twitched.
Those yellow eyes burned into me.
I didn’t breathe.
“Trey!” The other one snapped. His eyes were no longer glowing, irises giving way to white as they widened.
Trey didn’t respond, too fixated on my neck where my pulse was going crazy.
“That’s enough, Trey.” The voice that came around the corner was smooth and accented, hiding the monster underneath.
I always knew there was something off about Jay. I never imagined it was this.
Trey stiffened, lip raised in a silent snarl. He twisted, sidestepping out of the room. Never giving his back to the other two men.
“Welcome home, Tara.”
I sucked in a breath.
Jay was well-dressed, as always, not a single hair out of place. For the first time, the collar of his button-up was lying flat, revealing the extent of the scarring on his throat.
He never wanted to talk about the scars. Now I knew why.
“You had me kidnapped.” I dug for courage, keeping my voice steady. Maybe I could still reach him.
He ran his hand along the quilt on the bed, face angled away. I focused on his movement, reading that careful, smooth way he moved when he was disguising his anger.
Jay turned his back to me. Cold dread crept through me. The anticipation of his outburst was what ate at me. Always on eggshells. Never knowing when his mood would turn.
But it wasn’t hismoodtaking over, was it?