Chapter 6 Aurora
AURORA
Jax stands in the doorway, his imposing figure blocking the only escape route. I position myself slightly in front of Olivia, a pathetic shield considering we’re both still in our ball gowns.
“I hope you ladies are settling into your new accommodation well.” Jax’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. He surveys our concrete prison with the pride of a hotel manager showing off a presidential suite.
“Charming place. The concrete really brings out the bleakness,” I reply, keeping my voice steady despite the fear clawing up my throat.
Olivia crosses her arms. “The room service is terrible. I ordered champagne an hour ago.”
I fight the urge to look at her in surprise. Even captive, Olivia maintains her socialite wit.
Jax’s expression remains placid, unmoved by our attempts at bravado. He steps into the cell, and the door slides shut behind him with a hiss. My stomach drops. We’re now locked in with him.
“What the hell do you want?” I demand, hands balling into fists at my sides. “You’ve had us drugged, kidnapped, and thrown into a cell. At least have the decency to tell us why.”
Jax tilts his head, studying me with unsettling intensity. “It’s quite simple, Aurora. I want Hunter Reed’s head.”
The casual way he says it sends ice through my veins.
“And what better way to claim it,” he continues, “than to take the perfect leverage? The woman he’s supposed to marry—” he gestures to Olivia, “—and the woman he loves.” His eyes fix on mine.
My breath catches. The way he says it, like he’s been stalking us, makes my skin crawl.
“Hunter’s been planning to overthrow me for years,” Jax says, pacing the small space. “I’ve seen the signs for a while. He thinks I don’t notice, but I see everything.”
His voice rises, a manic edge creeping in. “Hunter believes he can replace me. Me! After everything I built!” He slams his fist against the wall, making us both flinch.
The sudden violence confirms what I already suspected: we’re dealing with someone deeply paranoid and completely psychotic.
I study Jax’s face, searching for any sign he’s joking, but his expression remains deadly serious. Something doesn’t add up. When he told me about Jax, he never once mentioned ambitions to overthrow him. If anything, Hunter spoke of the man with a strange mix of respect and caution.
“You’re wrong,” I say. “Hunter isn’t plotting against you.”
Jax laughs, the sound humorless. “And what would you know of our organization, little girl? Of the years I’ve spent watching him gather allies, position his people, build his resources?”
His eyes dart around the room as he speaks, like he’s seeing invisible evidence on the bare walls. The movement strikes me as unhinged.
“You’ve been with him, what? A few weeks? I’ve known Hunter Reed for fifteen years.” Jax steps closer, his breath hot on my face. “I made him what he is.”
Olivia shifts behind me. I can feel her trembling.
“If Hunter wanted to take your position, he would have done it already,” I counter, remembering how efficiently Hunter handles everything. “He’s not exactly the patient type.”
Something dangerous flickers in Jax’s eyes. “You don’t understand the game we play.”
“It’s not a game if you’re the only one playing.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
Jax’s hand shoots out, gripping my jaw painfully. “Careful, Aurora. Your worth to me begins and ends with Hunter’s attachment to you.”
I hold his gaze, refusing to show fear despite my racing heart. This man isn’t reasonable. He’s constructed an elaborate betrayal in his mind, and nothing I say will convince him otherwise.
“Let her go,” Olivia demands, her voice shaking but determined.
Jax releases me with a dismissive push. “You both better hope Hunter values you enough to come for you. Though I suspect only one of you truly matters to him.”
Jax’s gaze shifts to Olivia, his expression changing as he takes in her elegant silhouette still draped in the remains of her gown. Where he looked at me with calculated menace, his eyes now linger on my sister with something far more disturbing.
“You, however,” he says, stepping toward Olivia, “are even more beautiful up close.”
Olivia backs away until she hits the concrete wall. “Don’t touch me.”
Jax ignores her, reaching out to touch a strand of her blonde hair. “I’ve seen you at events, of course. Always on display, like the perfect little trophy.”
My sister’s eyes dart to mine, wide with fear.
“I always wondered why Reed would arrange an engagement with you only to chase your sister.” His voice drops lower as he circles Olivia like a predator. “It’s puzzling, isn’t it?”
“Get away from her,” I warn, moving closer.
Jax ignores me completely. “Such a waste. You’re the crown jewel.” His hand shoots out, wrapping around Olivia’s throat. “So refined. So polished.”
Olivia gasps, clawing at his fingers.
I lunge forward, grabbing his arm. “Let her go!”
Without even looking in my direction, Jax shoves me backward with his free hand. The force sends me flying across the small cell. My back slams against the opposite wall, knocking the wind from my lungs.
“What could he possibly see in you?” Jax tightens his grip on Olivia’s throat while staring directly at me. “When he had this perfect, beautiful fiancée already? The one who would advance his position, secure his legacy?”
Olivia’s face is turning red as she struggles to breathe.
“You’re plain compared to her,” Jax continues, his thumb stroking Olivia’s jaw while he keeps her pinned. “Unremarkable. Yet he risked everything—his future, his position, even his life—for you.”
I push myself up, ignoring the pain radiating through my back. “Let her go. Now.”
Jax’s lips curl into a smile that chills my blood. “Perhaps I should discover what makes the Harrison women so irresistible.”
Jax finally releases his grip on Olivia’s throat, and she collapses forward, gasping for air. Her hand flies to her neck, angry red marks already forming on her pale skin.
“Get the hell away from her!” I shout.
Liv scrambles backward, putting distance between herself and Jax. Her eyes are wide with terror and rage as she presses herself against the concrete wall.
“You’re a psychopath,” she rasps, her voice raw from being choked.
Jax watches her retreat with predatory interest. “You can struggle all you want, beautiful Olivia. But in the end, you won’t be able to escape.”
He adjusts his pants, and I feel sick when I notice the visible bulge there. The fact that hurting my sister sexually excites him makes my stomach turn. This man isn’t just dangerous—he’s depraved.
I rush to Liv’s side, putting my arm around her trembling shoulders. We press ourselves against the far wall, as far from Jax as the small cell allows.
“Are you okay?” I whisper, my eyes never leaving Jax.
“Yes,” she breathes quietly.
Jax backs toward the cell door, his eyes fixed on Liv the entire time. The way he looks at her makes my skin crawl—like she’s prey he’s saving for later.
“I’ll leave you ladies to rest,” he says, pressing his palm against the scanner beside the door. “We have all the time in the world to become... better acquainted, Olivia.”
The door slides open with a metallic hiss.
“I look forward to discovering what those pretty lips of yours can do,” he adds with a twisted smile before stepping through the doorway.
The door slides shut with another metallic hiss, leaving Olivia and me alone in our concrete prison. For several moments, we just breathe, the silence broken only by Liv’s ragged inhales as she recovers from Jax’s assault.
I gently brush her hair back, examining the angry red marks on her neck. “That bastard. Are you okay?”
She nods, swallowing painfully. “I’m fine. Just... give me a minute.”
I help her move to one of the cots where she sits, hands still trembling slightly. I pace in front of her, rage building with every step.
“I swear to god, Liv, I won’t let him touch you again.” I kneel in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll keep you safe from him.”
Olivia’s gaze meets mine, and I’m surprised to see something other than fear in her eyes—calculation.
“He wants Hunter,” she says, her voice still hoarse. “But he wants me too.” Her fingers touch the marks on her throat. “Did you see the way he looked at me?”
“I saw,” I reply, my stomach turning at the memory.
Liv’s expression hardens. “We can use that.”
I blink; not sure I understand what she’s suggesting. “What do you mean?”
“He’s fixated on me,” she says, straightening her shoulders. “If I play into it—just a little—I might be able to get him to trust me. Get information. Maybe even find a way out.”
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head vehemently. “He’s dangerous, Liv. You saw what he did just now, and that was him being... restrained.”
“I’m not suggesting I actually let him...” She shivers. “But men like him are predictable. They think with their dicks. I’ve been managing men’s egos my entire life, Aurora. This is just a more extreme version.”
“This isn’t some corporate asshole or trust fund baby,” I protest. “This is a psychopath who just choked you for fun.”
“Which is exactly why we need every advantage.” Her eyes meet mine, determined. “I can handle this. We need to be smart, not just brave.”
“No.” I grab Olivia’s shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “I don’t care what advantage it might give us. Playing into his sick fantasies is too dangerous.”
Olivia’s eyes remain steely. “You think I want to do this? You think I want to pretend to be interested in that monster?”
“Then don’t suggest it!” My voice rises. “We’ll find another way.”
“What other way, Aurora?” She pulls away from my grip. “We’re locked in a concrete box. The door requires palm recognition.”
I pace the small cell, desperate for another solution. “Hunter will find us,” I say, more to convince myself than her.
Olivia’s laugh is hollow. “Hunter. The same Hunter who got us into this mess?”
“This isn’t his fault—”
“Isn’t it?” She touches her neck where Jax had grabbed her. “We’re here because of whatever game he’s playing with Jax.”
I can’t argue with that, though I want to defend him.
“And who’s to say he’s even looking?” Olivia continues softly. “Or that he can find us if he is? We don’t even know where we are.”
I stop pacing, staring at the unforgiving concrete walls. Olivia’s right. We have no idea where Jax has taken us. This facility could be anywhere.
Olivia stands, smoothing her ruined gown in a gesture so familiar it breaks my heart. “We need to be practical, Aurora. If Hunter comes, great. But we can’t just sit here waiting to be saved.”
She lifts her chin, and for a split second, something flickers in her eyes when she mentions Jax—not just fear, but something more complex. “I can handle Jax,” she says. “I’ve dealt with powerful men my entire life.”
“Not like him,” I whisper. “He’s different.”
“I know.” She looks down at her hands. “But we might not have a choice.”
I hate that she might be right.