CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
NATHAN
I CLEARED MY schedule for this.
I gave a nod to the two men who worked for me, they were the kind who didn’t deal in contracts or studio sessions, but handled things quietly whenever I needed a mess cleaned up. It had been three days since Jax put his hands on Elise and ran.
The son of a bitch had been inside my building the whole time, buried in our inmate rehabilitation program under his full first name and his mother’s surname, a loophole that kept “Henley” from ever hitting our security alerts and gave him exactly what he’d wanted—easy access to Elise.
My men found him holed up in a run-down motel in Long Beach, shacked up with a bottle of bourbon and a burner phone like that was enough to keep him hidden from me after what he did.
They slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with the man of the hour.
Jax sat there, bound and gagged, his body slumped against the chair like a broken toy.
I strode over to the center of the room where a single chair awaited me.
The metal creaked under my weight as I sank into it.
I let the silence hang between us for a moment, savoring the tension, then I leaned forward, my voice cutting through the thick air.
“My apologies for making you wait. I had business to handle.” I announced casually. Slowly, I reached for the bag covering his head and pulled it off.
Jax blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright light. They were cold, and calculating, but there was also a fleeting glimpse of fear.
“Nathan Edge. We finally meet.”
“So you know who I am? Good.” I reached down into the pocket of my pants and pulled out a pair of black gloves. “Because I’m the last face you’re gonna see before you die tonight.”
Jax let out a dark chuckle. “Oh, I know exactly who you are,” he said, leaning back in the chair as much as his restraints allowed.
His lip curled into something that almost resembled a smirk.
“Nathan Edge. Big-shot music exec. Elise’s former boss.
” His voice dripped with mockery. He tilted his head. “Now lover?”
My jaw clenched, but I said nothing.
Jax hummed as if considering something, his eyes flicking over me with knowing amusement. “Yeah… I figured as much.” He taunted. “Tell me, does she still make that sexy little sound when she's about to c—”
My fist collided with his jaw, cutting off whatever filth was about to leave his mouth. His head snapped to the side, and for a second, he stilled. Then, with a slow, painful turn, he looked back at me with blood on his lip and laughed.
“Touched a nerve?” he rasped, tongue swiping at the crimson smear at the corner of his mouth. “I thought for sure you could hit harder than that, lover boy.”
I tilted my head, studying him as he blinked through the pain. “You know,” I mused, rolling my shoulders as I reached for the steel bat that my men left behind for me. “I was going to take it easy on you.”
Jax coughed, spitting blood onto the concrete floor. “Oh yeah?” he rasped, his words shaky now. “Couldn’t tell.”
I smiled, but there was nothing warm about it.
“Yeah. I was going to be merciful. Make it quick. Only because of Elise. She still thinks I’m someone who believes in restraint.
” I leaned in just a bit. “But you just reminded me I’m not.
” I crouched in front of him, tapping the bat lightly against his knee.
“Now? Now you’re gonna fucking beg for death. ”
I could see his muscles tense, his eyes darting toward the door as if contemplating a last-ditch escape. But there was no escaping. His wrists strained against the zip ties, but they wouldn’t give. He wasn’t going anywhere.
I gripped the steel bat tighter in my hands, the weight of it familiar. Comforting. The metallic scent of it reminded me that it was time.
Images of Elise bruised, battered, and crying came to mind and my blood burned hotter.
Her cries still echoed in my head, a sound that had haunted me since the day this asshole left that message on her wall.
Without warning, I brought the bat down on his leg with a sickening crack, the sound echoing through the room, followed by a pained scream from Jax. He thrashed, but the zip ties held.
I leaned down, lowering my voice to a deadly whisper. “This is for Elise. For every bruise you put on her. For every tear you made her cry.”
I swung again, the bat landing squarely on his other leg. This time, his scream was raw and desperate. But it didn’t faze me. He’d taken pleasure in hurting her, and now it was my turn to make him regret it.
By the time I finished with Jax, I’d broken his legs, broken his nose, and dislocated his jaw. And it still wasn’t enough. I wanted every ounce of his blood poured onto the ground for every time he put his hands on Elise. But seeing him seconds away from breathing his last would have to be enough.
I circled around his limp body, watching as Jax struggled to keep his eyes open and listened to his jagged breathing.
“Oh, and about that sound you were asking about earlier?” I said, almost conversational as I stopped behind him. “She makes it every fucking night.”
Then I swung, the metal connecting with his skull with one final crack and now it was over.
I straightened my shoulders and moved away from the body, careful not to step in any of the blood, before I walked over to the door, knocked twice and watched as my men opened the door and let themselves in.
“Get rid of the body, and make sure none of this shit is traced back to me. Call me when it’s done.” I ordered before I walked out.
Jax’s death wouldn’t erase Elise’s nightmares or take away her memories, but maybe it would help her feel safer. And from this moment on, I’d make damn sure no one ever hurt her again.
***
I FOUND ELISE getting comfortable in bed when I walked inside her hospital room. Her shoulders stiffened but relaxed the second she realized it was me.
“Did I scare you?” I asked softly.
“Yes, but it’s not your fault. I’m just jumpy after everything.”
If Jax wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him.
“You’re safe now. I don’t want you to worry about Jax ever again.” I stopped at her bed.
“I want to believe you, but he’s still out there.”
I captured her face with my hands, needing her to look me in my eyes when I said what I said.
“I took care of him. Jax will not hurt you or any women ever again. You’re safe.”
“Took care of him, how?”
“You’re safe, cupcake. That’s all you need to know, okay?”
I could see she had more questions, but thank God she didn’t ask any of them. Instead, she relaxed back into her pillows. “Stay with me?”
Instead of replying, I climbed into the bed with her, which was big enough to hold the both of us and pulled her close to my side.
“I was thinking,” I began, tracing my fingers along her arm as she rested against me, her head tucked beneath my chin. “When you get out of here, you could stay with me.”
Her head lifted slightly, eyes wide. “What?”
“The last thing you need right now is to be alone,” I said simply.
“I get that, but I can’t stay with you, Nathan.” She shook her head, her voice soft but sure. “It’s one thing to sleep at your place for a night or two, but I can’t have you taking care of me. You have the company to run. I’ll be fine. I have Kelsey.”
I caught her hand before she could pull away. “You told me Kelsey has hardly been around since she started filming. You need someone who can be there, not just check in.”
“You have the company to run,” She tried to argue.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m the boss and can do whatever I want.”
“I don’t want to be your responsibility.”
“What did I tell you before, cupcake?,” I murmured. “I take care of what’s mine.”
Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but I could see the exhaustion creeping in, the way her shoulders sagged beneath the weight of pretending she was fine.
Elise looked down at our joined hands, her thumb brushing over my knuckles. “And if I say no?”
“Then I’ll ask again tomorrow.”
A quiet laugh slipped past her lips despite herself. “You’re persistent."
“I’ve been called worse.”
For a long moment, the only sound was the steady rhythm of the machines and her breathing. Then, finally, she sighed. “Okay. I’ll stay. But only until I can get back on my feet.”
It didn’t take long for her soft breathing to fill the room and when she absentmindedly pressed her face to my chest, I had the strange urge to say three words I’ve never said to any woman, do things like order another blanket to chase away the goosebumps on her arms, and press my lips to the smooth skin of her cheeks.
But I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I listened to Elise, letting the lull of her soft breathing lure me into a peaceful night of sleep knowing that the person who hurt her was no longer alive.
***