Chapter Forty-Three
Jovie
I peek around Axle’s shoulder and freeze.
“Jovie?”
Cabe stands in the barn doorway. Completely still. His eyes lock on me, wrapped around Axle, my legs hooked around his waist, my arms around his neck.
Shock flashes across his face, followed by fury.
Royce drops the metal box he’s carrying onto the concrete floor with a loud clang and steps between his brothers.
Axle carefully lowers me to my feet.
“Cabe,” he says evenly, turning toward him while keeping me tucked behind his back.
Royce raises both hands. “Everybody, just take a breath.”
Cabe doesn’t look at Royce. Doesn’t look at Axle. His eyes flick to me.
I shake my head desperately as tears sting my eyes. “Cabe—”
His jaw clenches.
“Don’t move,” Axle murmurs over his shoulder.
Then he begins walking slowly toward Cabe, as if he were approaching a spooked horse, like he believes they can talk this out.
Cabe turns on his boots and starts toward the doors.
Axle lays a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s take a walk and—”
Cabe spins and drives his fist directly into Axle’s jaw. The punch comes so fast that I barely see it. The crack echoes through the barn.
Axle stumbles back a step.
“Axle!”
I lunge forward, but Royce catches me around the waist.
“No!”
“No, Jovie,” Royce mutters.
Axle straightens slowly. Blood appears at the corner of his mouth.
He lifts a hand. “It’s okay.”
“Like hell it is,” Cabe growls.
“Brother, listen to me—”
The second punch lands even harder, and Axle’s head snaps sideways.
I scream.
Royce tightens his hold.
“Stop, Cabe!”
But Cabe isn’t hearing anyone.
Axle wipes blood from his lip. “Go ahead. Get it out of your system,” he says quietly.
“Fuck you,” Cabe spits.
The next hit isn’t to his face; instead, Cabe drives a fist directly into Axle’s injured ribs.
A sharp grunt escapes him as his body folds instinctively around the pain.
“Oh my God!” I thrash against Royce. “Stop it.”
Axle sucks in a ragged breath.
Cabe grabs him by the front of his shirt and drives his knee straight into Axle’s side.
Same side. Same ribs.
This time, Axle drops to one knee, and real fear slices through me.
The fracture.
“Royce, let me go,” I demand.
Axle wheezes as his hand goes to his ribs.
My stomach drops.
I start screaming and thrashing.
Suddenly, the barn bursts into motion. Boots pound on the concrete. Voices shout. Bryce steps through the doorway first, with Micah and Waylon right behind him. Charli and Shelby follow close behind.
“What the hell is going on?” Bryce sees Cabe, Axle doubled over, and me fighting Royce, and wraps both arms around Cabe’s chest. “Enough!”
Cabe struggles, but Bryce manages to drag him backward.
Axle remains bent over. I stomp my boot heel onto Royce’s foot as hard as I can.
“Son of a—”
He lets go, and I take off running straight to Axle.
I grab his face.
A welt is already forming along his cheekbone.
“Are you okay? Can you breathe?” I ask as I bring my fingers to his neck and start counting his pulse.
His hand presses against his right side. “I’m okay, Doc.”
“No, you’re not.”
Then I spin toward Cabe.
The sight of him still trying to get free snaps something inside me.
I march across the barn.
Bryce still has him locked down, and I shove both fists into his chest as hard as I can. Neither man moves an inch, but I don’t care.
“What is wrong with you?”
His eyes finally meet mine.
Pain replaces anger.
“He has a fractured rib. You could have punctured his lung!”
The entire barn has gone quiet.
Cabe stares straight past me at his brother, nostrils flaring, chest heaving, as if he doesn’t even hear me.
I whirl around and hurry back to Axle.
I slide beneath his right arm, and his weight settles against me.
“Lean on me,” I say.
“I’m fi—”
Tears blur my vision. “I swear to God, if you say you’re fine right now, Axle Trust, I’m going to black your other eye.”
Micah rushes toward us.
“Don’t,” I snap. “I’m taking him home.”
“Let me help,” he says.
I let out a sob and step aside as he slips under Axle’s other arm and takes his weight.
Thank God.
Together, we start toward the barn doors.
Bryce and Waylon move Cabe aside.
The path opens, and nobody says a word. The music outside has stopped, and everyone gathered around the cookout stands frozen, watching us emerge.
I keep my eyes on the ground.
I can’t look at them.
This is my fault. All of it. Because I kept a secret.
I look up as we pass Charli. Her eyes are full of worry.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
Her face crumples.
I want to stay. To try and explain, but I can’t be here another second, so I lower my head and keep walking.
“Doc?”
I hurry to Axle’s side. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
A sob escapes me.
“None of this is your fault,” he says.
He’s wrong.
Micah opens the truck door, Axle climbs inside, and I follow Micah around to the driver’s side. I slide in and across the bench seat to him, grabbing his hand.
His fingers close around mine.
Neither of us says anything as Micah carefully navigates the short ride to my cabin.
He helps Axle out even though he insists he can do it himself.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still making sure you get inside, or Jovie will kick my ass.”
Axle chuckles, which turns into a cough.
Micah drops him on the edge of the bed, and I follow him back out onto the porch.
“Thank you.”
He offers me a small, sad smile.
I start to cry again, and he wraps his arms around me.
“It’ll be okay, Jo. They’ll work it out. Cabe just needs to cool off.”
I nod into his shoulder.
I hope he’s right.