Mafia's Ex Wife

Chapter Thirteen

Jax

"Ugh." Andre grunts, stumbling back against the ropes as he reels from the right hook I just landed. Blood starts to collect at his split lip and he looks up at me with a venomous stare. 

"Fuck, man," I wipe at the sweat collecting on my brow, catching my breath. "I'm sorry."

This was just supposed to be a little sparring. Light hearted and a productive way to let off a little steam. But just like with most things, I don't know when to stop.

Andre unfastens his gloves and tosses them to the side with a chuckle. "I think I'm done for the day. You're too wound up." 

"Can you blame me?" I lean forward, bracing myself against the ropes and letting my head drop. "Lizzie went to meet with Arias four days ago and I haven't heard so much as a peep from her."

"What's the informant saying?" Andre's always careful when the subject of Lizzie comes up because he knows how quickly that conversation can turn catastrophic. No one gets me quite like she does--for better or worse. 

"Jack shit." I growl. It was a cake walk getting my hooks into Arias's cellmate, but I'm pretty sure that the guy fried every brain cell he had with all the meth he cooked up. A fucking airhead. 

It's always good to have more men on the inside, but if he doesn't start to bring something to the table soon, I'm going to have to cut him loose. "Only that Arias hasn't had a single call or visitor since Lizzie." 

Andre sits on the bench, unlacing his shoes and pulling them on. "Look, this shit is messy. I know you're anxious but it's not like the two of you can be sen together. It'll blow the entire operation. Just let her work I'm sure she'll come to you if she needs help."

The laugh that escapes me bounces off the exposed walls of the gym. Lizzie? Ask for help? Right. He's got to be speaking sarcastically because he knows as well as I do that the woman would hardly admit she needed help getting water if her hands were tied behind her back and she was on fucking fire.

She never let anyone take care of her--certainly not me--and I doubt that's changed all that much.

There's the smallest part of me that finds it endearing. As her husband, I found her determination stubbornness sexy. But today, when she's supposed to be working for me, all it is is annoying.

I walk with Andre to the parking lot, hopping into my truck. A few messages ping from my phone, and may be a little too optimistically, I expect to see her name on the screen. When it isn't, irritation blasts through me like an electric shock. What the fuck is her deal?

It takes me all of five seconds to hack into her calendar. When I do, I see she's got a massage appointment this morning and an idea strikes me. Andre is right. We can't be seen in public together, but this might be the perfect solution.

Elisabeth

I laid down, pulling the sheet over me and positioning myself just right on the bed. Nearly late for my appointment, I hurried the entire way here and I'm still jittery with adrenaline. The irony of being in a rush to relax isn't lost on me as I let out a deep sigh.

The lights are dim, soft flute music plays, and it smells like eucalyptus.

God, I need this.

After the week I've had, my mind and my body are both exhausted. My visit to the jail was only the beginning of the madness. Arais agreed to let me defend him, and so I spent the last several days doing the ground work. This isn't legit, but it still has to look that way. There can be nothing amiss, even more so than usual, because I don't have a single doubt that the Costas family will be checking in on me.