“You were protecting me.” All this time, he’d thought she had abandoned him. He should’ve known better. All Taryn ever did was protect others.
It was time someone protected her.
Chapter 9
Getting it all out in the open was such a relief that Taryn wanted to cry at the weight that had been lifted from her. But it wasn’t all gone. She still had Boyd to deal with, as well as getting her sister free.
“I can get you the money,” Jace said.
Taryn had known he would say that. It was one of the reasons she had come to him. But that didn’t mean she wanted to take the cash. “If there was anyone else—”
“You should’ve come to me first,” he said before she could finish.
She licked her lips, hating her situation. “After what I did, I knew you’d be upset.”
“Damn right, I was. And worried. Everyone looked for you and your family.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Jace released a long breath. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. It’s not like you left because you wanted to. You were forced.”
“So, you believe me?”
He nodded. “I do.”
Tears pricked her eyes again. “I’m glad because I’m not sure how I could prove it.”
“I’ve got about sixty grand put away. The rest is locked in investments, which means I can’t get to it for a day or so. I’d rather not cut it that close.”
She blinked, completely taken aback by how easily he offered the money. But that was Jace. The hero. Her hero. “I’ll pay back every cent. With interest.”
“I don’t give a shit about the money. I want you and Payton free of these people,” he told her.
“That’s the plan, but they are … well, they don’t play by the rules. I expect them to try and go back on the promise.”
Jace’s hazel eyes turned hard. “Oh, they will. Without a doubt. Which is why I’m going to make sure they don’t.”
Fear locked itself around Taryn’s chest like a band of steel. She had lived in dread for years, watching first her father and then her brother be killed. She couldn’t stand to have Jace pulled into her mess. There had to be a way she could convince him to let her handle things.
The thought almost made her snort out loud. Jace was the epitome of a gentleman. Nothing she could say or do would make him let her go back to Boyd alone. But Taryn needed to try. She knew Boyd. The minute Jace showed up, Boyd would have a gun to his head and smile as he pulled the trigger. Taryn wouldn’t survive that.
“No. Please,” she said, “I don’t want you involved. These people are ruthless. They shoot first and ask questions later. I’ve dealt with them for nearly five years. I’ll make sure Payton and I are freed.”
“You need the money to make sure Payton lives. I’ve got that, but in order for me to let you hand it over, I’m coming with you. You might think you know them, but trust me, you don’t. As you said, they’re ruthless. They’re not going to let you go so you can make a beeline for the authorities and give information.”
Taryn shook her head, but the words wouldn’t fall past her lips. She knew there was no other place for her to go. She slid her gaze away, hating that Boyd had put her in such a predicament. Hating her father and brother for not being strong enough to stay off the drugs. Hating that she hadn’t seen all of this coming so she could save herself and her family.
Her throat clogged with emotion again. She felt more tears prick her eyes. She never let anyone see her cry at Boyd’s. Now, it seemed all those years of holding back had broken down the dam’s walls.
Or maybe it was just being with Jace. Knowing he would help her.
“You know they don’t expect you to get the money,” Jace said.
She sniffed and nodded, refusing to look at him until she got herself under control. “I know.”
“Payton could be dead already.”
The stress of the last few days—hell, the past years—and seeing Jace again had her emotions running high. His words caused the tears she fought so hard to hide to fall down her cheeks. Mostly because she also feared that Payton was dead. That would mean that everything she had done, all of her plans, were for naught.
Taryn jumped when Jace touched her hand. She swung around to look at his long fingers, then raised her gaze to his face. He used his other hand to wipe away her tears. It felt so good to be back with him. But at the same time, Taryn knew that it was a terrible mistake. The worst she could’ve made. Jace might be able to help her with the money, but she could very well lead him to his death if he insisted on returning to Boyd’s with her.
“If Payton were … gone … what would you do?” Jace asked.
“There would be no reason for me to return. They know that.”
“Exactly,” he said. “You need to make sure you talk to her or see her—alive—before you go back. If they can’t or won’t accommodate that, then you have to assume it’s because they’ve already killed your sister. Or…”
She frowned when he trailed off. “Or what? Say it.”
“They’ve done something else with her.”
Taryn’s gut clenched when she thought of the women she had seen being loaded into a truck several months ago. She hadn’t dared to question anyone about it, but there was no denying that the women had been frightened. It wouldn’t surprise her to know that Boyd was into human trafficking, too.
Jace caught her attention. “What else are these people doing?”
“I don’t know for sure. People are always coming and going. I can’t be certain, but there’s a chance they might be involved in human trafficking—among other things.”
He blew out a breath, his lips flattening. “That doesn’t surprise me. Do you have any names you can give me?”
“They killed my father without hesitation. Same with Ben. And for all I know, Payton, too. If I tell you anything about them, you’re going to do something rash and possibly get yourself killed.”
“Damn straight, I am. Sitting here twiddling my thumbs and hoping you get out on your own isn’t the kind of man I am. You know that.”
She did, but that didn’t make her like that he wanted to put himself in danger. “Jace, please. I may have had my issues with my dad and brother, but they were family. Now they’re gone. Payton is all I have left. And you. I might have already lost my sister. I can’t lose you, too.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
“You don’t know these people,” she cried as she jumped to her feet and moved back. “Did you hear nothing I said? They’re evil, vicious.”
Jace remained calm, his expression filled with understanding as he waited for her to finish speaking. Then he said, “You’re aware of what I did in the military. I was a Marine Raider. The elite. Trust me when I say this won’t be the first time I’ve encountered such individuals.”
“You had a team to back you up then.”
“I won’t be alone this time.”
Taryn took another step back. She didn’t have to ask to know that Jace referred to his friends who had been at the house when she arrived. It was bad enough that he was thinking of putting his life in danger. She couldn’t handle knowing that more could potentially do the same.