“Can’t prove it by me.”

Even one-eyed, Tobin managed a sour frown. “I took a pain pill a few minutes ago.” With one wrapped hand, he held his ribs. “God willing, it’ll kick in soon.”

It blew Jackson away that Alani kept quiet through that display of pain. Expecting to see her near tears, he glanced at her, but instead, she frowned intently, and she had her hands locked together in her lap.

Upset but not falling apart.

Proud of her, he turned back to Tobin. “The meds don’t put you to sleep?”

“No. No rest. No sleep. I don’t dare. Not until I know…”

“That your ass is safe?” Jackson leaned against the bed. “I get it.”

“Actually, I’m not the villain you want me to be.” He looked beyond Jackson to Alani. “I know you can’t forgive me. I can’t forgive myself. But when you dumped me…” He labored for air, wheezing, struggling to suppress a cough. “It killed my ego, as you said.”

Jackson’s eyebrows shot up at the admission. “Not your heart, huh?”

“No one has rejected me in a long time.” He lifted a hand but lowered it back carefully to the bed. “The perks of power and prestige.”

Alani stood but didn’t go near Tobin. Instead she sidled up next to Jackson. “What did you do, Marc?”

“After I left your place that first time, people approached me. They said he was dangerous to you. They said they were bounty hunters and he was wanted, that there would be a reward. They said…” Self-loathing filled his broken confession. “They said a lot of shit, and after the way he took me out, I wanted to believe it.”

Did that saccharine admission work on Alani? Jackson curled his lip. “You want me to think you acted out of her best interest?”

“Not then, no. But now…I know you want to keep Alani safe. I realize now that’s what you were doing. I didn’t know…never suspected that people would be so…” He fell quiet. “Is that what you went through? When you were taken?”

Jackson worked his jaw. He prayed not. To keep Alani from answering, rehashing the past and giving Tobin too much info, he said, “Let’s talk about you, Tobin, okay?”

Tiredly, the man nodded. “Yeah, let’s. Here’s the deal—guarantee my safety first, and then I’ll tell you what I can so that you can keep Alani out of their reach.”

A red haze clouded Jackson’s vision. “Yeah, you’re an altruistic motherfucker, aren’t you?”

“You can’t make me feel worse than I already do, and it changes nothing. I want to live.”

“What makes you think I can ensure that?”

“Because even though they wore masks, I saw their eyes.” Tobin met his gaze unflinchingly. “And you have the same look.”

“Fuck you.”

Alani’s hand moved up and down his arm. She leaned into him—and that was all he needed to regain his cool composure.

“I don’t mean…mean cruel.” Tobin swallowed, wincing in more pain. “I mean capable. You walk in the same stratum. You understand them.”

True enough. Jackson narrowed his eyes as he considered things. “Tell me what happened without the bullshit. Straight-up facts, that’s all I want. All of it. Start at the beginning.”

Tobin nodded. “When I killed the electricity…it was to set you up.” He paused for two heartbeats. “I wanted to hurt you and I wanted to hurt her. I just never suspected…”

Alani shifted. “That you were dealing with monsters?” Shaking, she took a step forward. “They could be the very people who kidnapped me. The people who would have sold me.”

Jackson watched Tobin and saw no reaction to that disclosure. So he’d already known they were human traffickers?

“They could have killed Jackson.”

“Or you,” Tobin said. “But I didn’t realize. I thought they’d take him, rough him up. I thought they had some personal beef with him. He’d be out of the picture, and I’d be the one there with you.”

“And then what?” Alani demanded. “There was never anything substantial between us.”

“Hell, I don’t know. I figured you’d be upset, need a shoulder…” He swallowed. “I admit it’s the dumbest move I ever pulled.”

Trying to be subtle, Jackson tugged Alani closer again. He didn’t want to make a big deal of her upset, especially with her trying to hide it.

He stated the obvious. “You know she was taken by human traffickers.”

“I do now.” Sad, apologetic, he looked toward her. “I was kept in a small structure. Like a shed maybe. When I got free, I saw there was an old stone building nearby, too. I could hear…” He stopped, struggling for breath.

“Shit.” Jackson put Alani back as he stepped forward. “You bastard. You left women behind, didn’t you?”

Tobin nodded. “I couldn’t help anyone. I could barely get myself out of there. But I heard…suffering.” Again he glanced at Alani. “Several women.”

Jackson already had his phone in his hand. “Tell me where, and make it fast.”

“You’ll keep them from killing me?”

“If I don’t kill you myself.”

Somehow his swollen, broken lips worked in the way of a smile. “That’s what she’s here for.” But he wasted no more time. “I was off the highway, about a mile into the woods.” He told what he could, then waited, his gaze locked on Alani, while Jackson relayed the message to Trace.