Torn by A.F. Crowell Read Free Book Online Page A

walk around the SUV and drive away,
my heart sank. I hated hurting him.
    Once I entered Jaxon’s room, Ashley and Doug
stood and mumbled something about going to get a bite to eat. The
room was tension-filled and I sat down near the bedside feeling
uneasy.
    “We need to talk, Lei.” Jax’s tone was grim
and cold.
    “We’ll talk once you’re home. Why don’t you
let me help you get dressed?”
    “No. Sit back down. We’re gonna talk now.
There are some things you need to know, before you move back in
with me.” He sat up in the bed. “You should have all of the facts
before you decide to come home with me.”
    “You’re scaring me, Jax. What’s going on?” I
murmured as he intertwined our fingers. My heart started racing and
the pit in the bottom of my stomach opened up. I could feel the
adrenaline coursing through my veins.
    “I haven’t been completely honest with
you…about who I am. I know all of this is gonna come as a shock,
but I need you to remember one thing. I love you. That will never
change and it’s as real as me sittin’ in front of ya, and has
always been real.” He took a deep breath then launched into it. “My
name isn’t Jaxon Henderson. Well, Jaxon is really my first name,
but my last name is actually Coleman. I work for the Department of
Homeland Security.”
    “What?” I gasped in disbelief and tried to
pull my hand from his. “Is this some sort of joke? What do you
mean? You work for the club, not Homeland Security. Why are you
saying this?”
    “Let me finish. I’ll explain.” He held my
hand tighter, not letting me slip away or giving me the distance I
really wanted.
    “Yeah, that would be a really good idea,
because I don’t get this,” I said, shaking my head.
    “I was recruited after my last tour with the
Marines. I’m part of a drug task force that works with the FBI and
DEA. I’ve been undercover for more than three years. I can’t give
you specifics about the OP, but I’ll tell you I’m not the only one.
There are a few others in the MC that are also undercover.
    “You cannot say anything to anyone. Ever.
This is serious, Lei. Not even Barb can know. No one can know. Long
and short of it is, three years built up to the night I rode
out—when I told you I couldn’t be with you and you had to trust me.
Remember?”
    I nodded, which made me dizzy.
    He continued, “We finally got the intel we
needed to shut down a major pipeline up the I-95 corridor. But
somethin’ spooked the buyer and it went south. Fast. The dealers
shot first, which essentially covered my ass. I’d reached out to my
handler, but no one knew I’d placed the call. The boys in blue
swooped in long enough after the shooting began so it looked like
some random stranger called it in when they heard gunfire.”
    I pulled in a deep breath and tried to
process everything he’d told me. His eyes never left my face as he
watched me, his sharp gaze gauging my reaction, his silence giving
me the time to put all the pieces together.
    After long minutes, I asked, “Who’s dirty? In
the club, I mean.”
    The muscles in his jaw flexed. “Not a word,
Lei, swear to me.”
    “I swear.” I put my hand over his heart.
“Who?”
    “Drill.” He hung his head.
    Oh my God. Drill? He was the fucking
treasurer. “Why?”
    “Babe, I’ve said all I’m gonna say. The
reason I’m tellin’ ya is because some really bad people are
involved. My people got most of them, but there are higher-ups.” He
looked me in the eye. “Everything in my life is backstopped really
fuckin’ well, but there is always danger.”
    Holy shit.
    I was reeling. Sitting back in the chair, I
tried to let it all sink in. Total disbelief washed through me. How
could he propose marriage to me and not say anything before now?
How could he promise me the sun, the moon, and the stars and not be
who he said he was? How could he lie to me for months? About this?
About something so fundamental to our future?
    “Talk to me, babe. I can