The Last Message

The morning was supposed to be quiet. Peaceful.

Instead, it was shattered by the sound of Jax's phone buzzing again.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, staring down at the screen with an unreadable expression. Grace sat beside him, her stomach twisting as she watched his grip tighten around the device.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Then, finally, Jax exhaled sharply and answered. "What?"

A pause.

Then his face paled.

"Sir, I'm calling from the LAPD. There's been an accident."

Grace's pulse slowed. Her skin felt cold.

Jax didn't move. Didn't speak. He just listened.

"Sienna was found early this morning. She was in a car crash."

A sick feeling curled in Grace's stomach.

"She didn't make it."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Jax didn't react at first. He just sat there, phone still pressed to his ear, as if his brain hadn't fully processed what he'd just heard.

"She... she's dead?" he asked finally, his voice hoarse.

"Yes. Preliminary reports suggest she was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Multiple bottles of alcohol were found in the passenger seat."

Grace sucked in a sharp breath.

Drunk. She'd been drinking.

Jax finally lowered the phone from his ear, staring blankly at the floor. His whole body seemed frozen in place.

Grace placed a hand on his arm, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jax?"

He didn't respond. Just kept staring at nothing.

The message. The last thing she had sent.

"Miss me already? You should. This isn't over."

Had she been drinking when she sent it? Had she even made it home? Or had she gotten into the car—angry, reckless, completely out of control—driving toward them with no real plan?

And now... now she was gone.

Jax suddenly stood up. He ran a hand through his hair, then over his face, exhaling sharply. He looked... lost.

"I need a second," he muttered.

Grace just nodded, watching as he stepped onto the balcony, gripping the railing like he needed something to hold onto.

The world outside was bright, the sun rising higher, the city already awake. But to Grace, everything felt eerily still.

Sienna was gone.

And somehow, it still didn't feel over.

The air outside was crisp, but Jax barely felt it. He stood on the balcony, hands gripping the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. His thoughts were a mess—spiraling, looping, trying to make sense of something that would never make sense.

Sienna was gone.

Just like that.

No warning. No final showdown. No last attempt to tear him down.

Grace watched him from inside, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to shield from the weight of it all. She wanted to go to him, to say something, but what was there to say?

Sienna had been a nightmare in their lives, a constant shadow they couldn't escape. And yet... this wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Not like this.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Jax exhaled and turned back to her. His face was unreadable, but his eyes—God, his eyes were haunted.

"She was drunk," he said flatly, like he was still trying to convince himself of the words. "She was on her way here."

Grace swallowed. "You don't know that."

Jax let out a humorless laugh. "Come on, Grace. She sent that message. She wanted me to come after her. And when I didn't..." He shook his head, dragging a hand through his hair. "She was out of control. And now she's dead."

Silence stretched between them.

Then Grace finally stepped forward, hesitating only for a second before wrapping her arms around him. He was tense at first, but after a moment, he let out a shaky breath and pulled her closer, burying his face against her shoulder.

"I don't know how to feel," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Grace squeezed her eyes shut. "You don't have to figure it out right now."

Because no matter what, the truth remained.

Sienna was gone.

And nothing would ever be the same again.

Chapter 32 – Guilt

Jax pulled away from Grace, pacing back and forth across the living room. His breaths were shallow, his fingers running through his hair like he was trying to rip the thoughts out of his own head.

"I killed her," he muttered, more to himself than to her.

Grace's stomach twisted. "Jax, no—"

"I did," he cut her off, his voice sharp, filled with something dark. "She was coming here because of me. She sent that message because of me. If I had just—if I had done something—"

"Stop it!" Grace's voice cracked as she took a step back, suddenly feeling unsteady. Her hands trembled, her heart pounding against her ribs. "You didn't do anything, Jax. It was her choice to get in that car. Her choice to drink. This isn't your fault!"

Jax let out a bitter laugh. "Isn't it? I ignored her. I pushed her away. And now she's dead." His voice broke on the last word, and it sent a sharp pang of fear through Grace's chest.

This wasn't just grief.

This was guilt eating him alive.

Her breathing quickened, her hands shaking as she tried to think of the right thing to say. But nothing felt right. Nothing felt enough.

"Jax..." She swallowed, blinking fast. "You're scaring me."

That made him pause.

He looked at her then—really looked at her. Saw the fear in her eyes, the way her shoulders were tense, her fingers gripping the fabric of her sleeves like she was holding herself together.

His expression shifted, softening just slightly. "Grace, I—" He took a step forward, but she instinctively flinched.

Jax froze.

Something inside him shattered at the sight of it.

"I can't do this," she whispered, shaking her head. "Not if you're going to blame yourself for something you couldn't control. Not if you're going to break yourself over this."

Jax clenched his jaw, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. "I don't know how to stop."

Grace exhaled shakily, her pulse still racing.

Neither of them knew what to do next.

And that terrified her more than anything.