Nightshade

Chapter 55 - Pain | Jason

Jason threw the last of the luggage in the trunk of the Mustang. He felt his chest tighten when he looked up at his sister crying against Logan's chest while Nik lowered Leo's body in the back of Aaron's Jeep.

Jason walked closer. "Jess, let's go home." He motioned for his sister to come to him.

Jess shook her head.

Logan opened the Jeep's door for her. "It's okay, she can drive with me. Nik can take my Bentley." He threw Nick the Bently's keys.

Jason gritted his teeth and motioned for her. "No, Jess come with me."

Jessica glared at him and then climbed into the Jeep.

Logan closed the door behind her. "Give it a rest Jason, and don't pretend you're not relieved she won't be marrying a Frost anymore."

Jason felt his blood boil. "I would rather she had him in her life than this." He shook his head. "Let's just get out of here."

Nik helped Evelyn get Sam into the backseat of the Bently so he could lay with his head in her lap while she held a clean towel to the left side of his face.

Rachel looked at Jason and shrugged. "I'm driving with my brother." She got into the front passenger seat next to Nik.

Jason watched Logan and Nik drive off.

"Sweet Pea had this with her." Nova softly spoke from behind him. "It's a tracker." She dropped the small black device on the ground and crushed it with the heel of her boot.

Jason stared down at the tracker. He tried very hard not to break down in front of Nova.

"Give me your keys." Nova held out her hand.

Jason met her eyes.

She averted her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, just give me the damn keys."

Jason suspected she was trying just as hard to keep it together. He fished the keys from his jeans and dropped them in her palm. "Better step on it." He waved to the disappearing lights of the Jeep. "I doubt we should be separated right now."

Nova nodded.

Jason leaned forward with his arms against the dash to keep his back off the seat. He hissed with each bump in the road and only relaxed once they hit the tar.

Nova stepped on the gas.

"Can't believe we trusted Kasumi," Jason mumbled.

"We never trusted her. We just went along with it." Nova shrugged. "She did help. She took out Talia, so she wasn't against us—"

"Just not for us." Jason sighed. "Skylar told me the same thing. You talk like there is some honor among thieves."

"There's no honor in any of this." She shook her head. "If it wasn't for Skylar, I would probably have been in there fighting against you."

Jason mauled over her words. "So, you are capable of feelings. You care about Skylar."

Nova remained silent for a few seconds then shrugged. "Skylar was never cut out for this life. She held on to her humanity. I respect her."

"Will you be honest with me if I ask you a question?"

She glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "There really is no point in lying to you at this point."

"Do you like Logan?"

Nova grimaced. "Real sneaky, but the answer is as short as it is complex."

"So, what is the answer?"