“Which is why she’s vulnerable.”

I said nothing, knowing he was right. “It’s only a few days,” I said, wishing I didn’t have to do this over the stinking phone. “We’re heading back as soon as we get Nick.”

Jenks made a harsh grunt of sound, and I pulled my eyes from his plant. “Since when were we going to get Nick?” he said, his youthful face holding anger. “We came for Jax. We got him. Tomorrow we leave.”

Surprised, my eyes widened. “Ah, Kist, can I call you back?”

He sighed, clearly having heard Jenks. “Sure,” he said, sounding resigned that I wasn’t coming home until Nick was safe. “Talk to you later. Love you.”

My heart gave a pound, and I heard the words again in my thoughts. Love you. He did. I knew it to the core of my being.

“I love you too,” I said softly. I could have breathed it and he would have heard.

The connection broke and I turned the phone off. It needed recharging, and as I gathered my thoughts for the coming argument with Jenks, I dug my adapter out of my bag and plugged it in. I turned, finding Jenks standing in his Peter Pan pose, hands on his hips and his feet spread wide. It had lost its effectiveness now that he was six-feet-four. But seeing as he was still in those black tights, he could stand anyway he wanted.

Rex was on the floor, blinking sleepily up at him with innocent kitten eyes. Jax took the opportunity to dart to the kitchen, alighting on one of the plastic cups in their little cellophane sleeves. Eyes wide, he watched us between bites of the nasty concoction of bee pollen and maple syrup his dad had made for him a moment after we walked in the door.

“I’m not leaving without Nick,” I said, forcing my jaw to unclench. He hadn’t left me. He thought I had died. And he needed help.

Jenks’s face hardened. “He lured my son away. He taught him how to be a thief, and not even a good thief. He taught him to be a two-bit crappy thief who got caught!”

I hesitated, unsure if he was upset about the thief part or the bad thief part. Deciding it didn’t matter, I took my own Peter Pan pose, pointing aggressively to the parking lot. “That van isn’t turning south until we are all in it.”

From the kitchen, Jax made an attention-getting clatter of wings. “They’re going to kill him, Dad. He’s all beat up. They want it, and they’re going to keep beating on him until he tells them where it is or he dies.”

Turning, Jenks scooped Rex up when the small predator realized where Jax was and began stalking him again. “Want what?” he said warily.

Jax froze in his reach for another cake of bee pollen and syrup. “Uh…” he stammered, wings moving in blurred spurts.

At that, I collapsed back into my chair and stared at the ceiling. “Look,” I said, legs stretched out and tired. “Whatever happened, happened. Jenks, I’m sorry you’re mad at Nick, and if you want to sit here and watch TV while I save Nick’s ass, I won’t think any less of you.” His fingers caressing Rex froze, and I knew I’d hit a nerve. “But Nick saved my life,” I said, crossing my knees as a feeling of guilt passed through me. He saved my life, and I shack up with the first guy who shows an interest. “I can’t walk away.”