CHAPTER 14 #2
Jaxon's jaw clenched, the muscle ticking visibly. His grip on my arm tightened. Not enough to hurt, just enough that I felt the storm inside him. When he looked at his brother, his expression was a carefully constructed mask of barely contained fury.
He drew a slow, trembling breath, his entire body taut with the effort of control.
"You need to leave," he said, each word heavy and deliberate, coated in restrained violence. "Now."
Jared's smirk stretched even wider, clearly enjoying the chaos he was stirring up. Feeding off it like some twisted emotional vampire.
"Oh, touchy, aren't we?" he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Lighten up. It was just a joke."
Joke. Right. Because mocking someone's murdered fiancée is hilarious.
But it wasn't a joke, and we all knew it. The tension was thick and suffocating, like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for the explosion.
Jaxon's grip on my arm loosened slightly, but he stayed close—his body still shielding mine, a barrier between me and whatever Jared was planning. I remained pressed against his back, ready to follow his lead. Trusting him.
I watched Jaxon's eyes narrow as he studied his brother, scanning for any sign of a move. His instincts were screaming; I could feel it in the tension radiating off him.
Then, suddenly, Jared's demeanor shifted. The smug, taunting edge dropped away, replaced by something almost serious.
"Look, I just want to talk," Jared said, his tone softening. "That's all."
The sudden shift gave me pause. It made Jaxon pause too. I felt the subtle change in his posture, more wary than ever, but slightly altered.
Jared had stepped back a few feet, his stance looser now, though something about it remained predatory. Like a snake sunning itself but still ready to strike. Despite the calm in his voice, every instinct in me screamed don't trust him.
Jaxon's hand dropped from my arm as he stepped forward, squaring off with Jared. I moved with him, keeping a steady hand on his back, a quiet reminder: I'm here. You're not alone.
"What do you want?" Jaxon asked, his voice clipped and sharp with distrust. He crossed his arms, posture rigid and ready.
"I just told you. I want to talk," Jared said, irritation flickering in his eyes now. "You always were stubborn."
I tightened my grip on Jaxon's shirt, grounding him. This could escalate fast. I'd seen it happen before, knew the signs. And I wasn't sure how much longer Jaxon could hold himself back if Jared kept pressing the wrong buttons.
"Talk about what?" Jaxon asked again, his tone even but unyielding.
Jared's smirk returned, cold and mocking. It didn't reach his eyes. "You know. Family stuff. Figured it's been a while since we had a little heart-to-heart."
The phrase family stuff sounded absurd coming from him.
Jaxon didn't believe a word of it. I could tell by the way his jaw tightened and his stare bored into his brother. Jared didn't do anything without an angle, and Jaxon knew it. Hell, even I could see it, and I'd only just met the guy.
"Cut the shit, Jared," Jaxon said, his voice dropping to a glacial chill. "Whatever you're here for, just spit it out. I don't have time for your games."
"What's going on here?"
Connor's voice sliced through the moment like a blade. He rounded the corner, his sharp gaze landing first on my hand gripping Jaxon's shirt, then sweeping over Jaxon's taut posture, and finally settling on the man at the bottom of the steps.
Recognition flickered across his face. His expression hardened.
"My brother wants to talk," Jaxon said without looking away from Jared. His voice was terse. His body was still coiled like a loaded spring.
"So I'm going to take him to my place."
What?
"Jaxon—" I started, panic and concern rising in my chest.
"Go inside with Connor, Anna."
He finally turned toward me, and the look in his eyes made my breath catch. Fire. Determination. Anger. He was resolved, determined to get Jared away from here, even if it meant letting the wolf inside his own den.
I hesitated, my grip tightening on his shirt. The idea of him alone with Jared, especially after that comment about Nikki and the barely concealed hostility, made my stomach twist with worry.
Connor seemed to sense my reluctance. He stepped forward and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders.
"Jax, you sure this is a good idea?" His voice was low, cautious, his eyes never leaving Jared.
"It's fine," Jaxon said flatly, his tone brooking no argument. "I'll handle it."
He turned back to his brother, his expression colder than ice.
"Let's go, Jared. We have things to discuss."
Jared's smirk returned, though I caught a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes as they briefly shifted toward Connor's solid, immovable presence. But he'd come here for something, and he clearly wasn't leaving without trying to get it.
"Come on, Anna," Connor said, calm but firm. "Let's give them some space."
I stood frozen, my eyes bouncing between Jaxon and Jared. Every instinct I had screamed at me not to let Jaxon go alone with this man who so clearly wanted to hurt him. But I trusted Connor's judgment. And Jaxon's resolve was unshakable.
Reluctantly, I nodded and stepped back toward the door. Before I went inside, I met Jaxon's eyes one last time, hoping he could see the concern written all over my face. The unspoken plea: Please be careful.
Jaxon gave a faint nod in return, acknowledging my worry. Then his focus snapped back to his brother, and I knew that, whatever came next, he was ready to face it head-on.
God, please let him be okay.
I watched as Jaxon descended the steps, never taking his eyes off Jared. He gestured toward the Jeep's passenger seat but kept several feet of distance, refusing to turn his back. Smart. As they drove off, I stood in the doorway, watching the taillights disappear into the deepening dusk.
The sense of dread that settled in my chest was heavy. Suffocating.
I turned to Connor, not bothering to hide the anxiety on my face.
"What the hell was that, Connor?"
I closed and locked the front door behind me, something I hadn't felt the need to do since arriving here.
Connor sat on the bottom step leading upstairs, his head resting on his crossed arms. He slowly shook his head, looking drained.
"Like everything else about Jaxon," he said, his voice low and weary, "it isn't my story to tell. But I can say this—stay away from Jared if you see him around. Don't let yourself get stuck alone with him."
He paused, then lifted his head, his expression serious.
"It's common knowledge in town that he was deep into drugs a while back. He went away for it, and there's been no contact with Jaxon since. I'm guessing he just got out recently and came crawling back, looking for support."
Connor stood and stretched, his movements stiff, then walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer.
Drugs. Prison. And now he's back… digging his claws into Jaxon.
My concern deepened as I watched Connor's reaction. This wasn't just a bad encounter, it was bad news. And Jaxon was in the middle of it. Alone.
I pulled out my phone to message him, just to make sure he was okay. But as I opened the app, I saw the earlier message I'd sent was to the group chat, not to Connor privately.
Which meant… Jaxon had seen it, too.
The realization hit me with sudden force.
His arrival hadn't been a coincidence. He'd seen my message and come running.
He'd dropped everything, left whatever he was doing, to come protect me from his brother.
The realization hit me like a wave. Something warm and complicated twisted in my chest.
I opened a new thread with just Jaxon. My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a beat before I finally typed:
[Me]: Please let us know you're okay.
His response came quickly:
[Jaxon]: I will.
Brief. Curt. But it brought a small measure of relief. I slipped my phone into my pocket and let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
It didn't erase the unease churning in my gut about Jared's return, or what it meant for Jaxon, but at least he knew we were worried. That we were here.
I curled up in the den, my knees tucked beneath me as I leaned into the armrest. I'd clicked on Netflix, letting some random movie play in the background, trying to fill the silence that blanketed the house like fog.
Connor sat beside me, handing me a beer without a word. His second of the night, by the looks of it. His eyes were on the screen, but he wasn't really watching.
The first movie came and went. I couldn't have told you what it was about if my life depended on it. My mind kept replaying the porch scene—Jared's cruel smirk, the way Jaxon had trembled with rage.
Connor and I barely spoke, trading the occasional meaningless comment about the film. The waiting stretched endlessly, like a rubber band pulled too tight, threatening to snap.
When Connor finally stood to make dinner, I realized I'd been holding onto the hope that Jaxon would walk through the door any second. That he'd return, reassure us that everything was fine.
We ate in the den, letting the next movie play in the background—just in case. But the anticipation was like a dull weight pressing down on both of us.
Near midnight, the glow from our phones broke through the stillness. We both reached for them at once, hearts in our throats.
[Jaxon]: All's good. See you tomorrow.
Connor let out a sharp breath, like he'd been holding it for hours.
"I'm heading up to bed, then," he said. Relief softened his voice, though exhaustion still tugged at his features.
After he left, the house felt even quieter. Emptier.
I stayed on the couch, staring at Jaxon's message.
He said everything was fine. But his absence said otherwise. Whatever had happened with Jared had taken hours and something told me "fine" was a generous interpretation.
Eventually, I turned off the TV. As I made my way upstairs, I checked the locks on every door. Something I hadn't felt the need to do here—until tonight.
One step forward, two steps back.
Jared's return, and Connor's warning, had reopened wounds I thought were healing. The progress I'd made, the confidence I'd been rebuilding… it all felt like it was crumbling again. Eroding at the edges.
I tried to push the fear down. Tried to believe Jaxon could handle his brother. That he was strong enough. That he'd be okay.
But the unease lingered like a shadow as I climbed the stairs, thick and silent, the darkness pressing in from all sides.