I pause, confused. It’s good that Paul fell and hit his head? Or Jax saw Paul but they didn’t talk?

Jax holds up two fingers. “That’s twice now.”

“Two cuts?”

“No.” He gestures behind him, to the black smear glittering in the darkness. “Two women in the lake. First Katherine, then Sienna.”

I pull in a sharp breath, and my heart bounces against my ribs. Jax knows the woman’s name. I want to ask how he knows—did he talk to her?—but I’m more traumatized by his message. This horrible, awful thing he’s implying.

“Paul didn’t hurt those women, Jax. He loved Katherine, and he was with me all last night. He couldn’t have hurt either one. He wouldn’t.”

Jax doesn’t look convinced. “But Micah...” He frowns.

“Micah what?”

Jax looks to his left, to Micah’s porch lights flickering through the trees, and I wonder if he came from there, if he maybe banged on Micah’s door first. But then Jax turns back, and his expression sends an uneasy feeling climbing up my spine. He looks jittery again, and I don’t know what’s changed. I don’t understand any of this.

“Jax. What about Micah?”

But Jax has never been one for conversation, and I can tell I’ve already lost him. He takes a step backward, then another, moving in the direction he came. “I wasn’t here. You never saw me.” He turns in long strides for the stairs.

I step onto the deck, the boards icy under my bare feet. “Jax, wait.”

He’s all the way to the corner when he stops. He slaps a palm to the siding, but his body leans for the stairs. It’s like he’s literally holding himself back. Slowly, reluctantly, he looks over his shoulder.

“Do you need anything? Food, maybe, or a coat? Some warm socks?”

His beard tugs in a way that makes me wonder if he’s smiling, and I think for a second or two that he might turn back. And then what? Do I invite him in? Raid Paul’s closet while I make Chet whip him up dinner?

And then Jax makes the decision for me. He ducks his head and takes off, disappearing in one long stride around the corner. I’m turning for the door when his voice floats up from the stairs.

“Watch your back.”

14

Jax follows me around the rest of the night. Not literally, of course, but every time the house goes quiet I feel him there, whispering in my ear. Chet settles in, taking over the entire downstairs. He blares ESPN while I putter around the house, replaying every word of the conversation over and over in my head.

That’s twice now.

I wasn’t here.

You never saw me.

I gather the laundry from the hamper in the closet and carry it downstairs to the laundry room.