I wasn’t surprised that was her first priority. She probably couldn’t wait to wash off the memories of that place from her skin. Jax pointed down the hall. “There’s two bedrooms, each has a bath. Yours is on the right.”

I cast a glance around the place. The living room was tiny with a futon and matching chair. The kitchen seemed even dinkier on the other side of the bar that separated the space from the living area.

“Does any of this look familiar?” he asked.

None of it sparked a thing.

“No, sorry.”

Why was I apologizing to him? He’d done so many fucked up things, yet at the very core of my being, I trusted him.

He headed toward the small kitchen, and I was tempted to follow, to demand he tell me what I wanted to know, but Alex needed me. She clung to my neck, as if loosening her grip would mean she’d crash to the floor and shatter.

I hesitated, indecision freezing my muscles. This was stupid. He’d busted us out. No one was coming to drag us back. We all just needed a little time to adjust.

Jax pulled a bottle of vodka down from a cupboard and parked his ass on a stool at the bar. He poured the clear liquid straight down his throat.

And that was that. He wanted to be alone with his bottle of misery.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I ventured down the hallway, pushing the door on the right open with my foot. The bedroom was surprisingly spacious, considering the size of the rest of the house. A large king-sized bed, four posters and all, dominated the room. My gut clenched. Instinctively, I knew why that bed was important. No matter where we ended up, I’d always need a place to restrain her.

It was ingrained in me.

I set Alex on her feet, and her quick intake of breath told me she understood the significance too. She stepped forward and let the hoodie slide from her shoulders, forgotten on the hardwood floor. I spotted an ajar door to the left.

“Bathroom is that way.” Placing a hand on the small of her bare back, I pushed her toward the one place she needed. The place where she could hide and let it all out, safe in the shower as the water washed away the last few days.

I searched the wall and switched on the soft light, thankful it wasn’t too bright. Our eyes had become accustomed to pitch-black. The sunlight today had been a glaring ball of pain in my eyes.

The bathroom ran long and narrow, and a large tub sat front and center. Alex backed into me, her breaths coming in quick gasps.

I wound my arms around her midsection and nudged her neck with my nose. “What is it?”

“I don’t take baths.”

“How come?”