Leo's jaw tightened. His hands, resting on the desk, curled into fists. "Bella's uncle."
Jay went still. The air in the room seemed to thicken, pressing down on him. His breath caught in his chest.
"Alexa's plan," Leo continued, his voice flat, controlled, like he was reading from a report, "was to have that man kidnap Bella. To have him—" He stopped. His hands had curled into fists on the desk, knuckles white. His jaw was tight, the muscles working beneath his skin. "To have him r*pe her. So that when she came back to me, I wouldn't want her anymore. So that I would leave her. And Alexa could have me."
The words hung in the air, ugly and vile, staining the silence.
Jay felt sick. His stomach turned. His hands curled into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms. He thought about Bella… what if Alexa had carried out her plan? His Bella Bell… he couldn't even imagine, and even the thought made him want to cry and kill Alexa multiple times.
