JaxonI could still smell Sara's perfume lingering on me and my clothes. I savored the sweet smell and let it bring me back to our latest encounter together. It was starting to feel… more real than it ever had before, as if I wasn't the only one of us with feelings. The persistent feeling of her skin pressed against mine helped keep all the rest of my emotions at bay. Nothing helped calm me like the feeling of being inside her. I kept my foot steady on the gas pedal, trying to drive sanely. There was no reason to rush. My men would wait for me. Lord knew what Daren was up to, but I'm certain he wouldn't be expecting me to act so quickly or thoroughly. I rolled my eyes in disgust and fury thinking about the man I used to call one of my closest friends. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and let myself momentarily imagine beating him to near death. I took a deep breath and let the revenge fantasy fade. Despite her fury and contempt for him, I knew Sara wouldn't appreciate it if
JaxonThe pawn shop owner couldn't find the picture frame, and I was too impatient to wait for it. I told him I'd come back later and to call me when he found it. It wasn't his fault that Daren was a no-good thief.I headed back to my car, waiting out front, and the few people out on the street went out of their way not to walk too close to me. Good. I had enough fury and rage to last for days, enough to share with anyone else who chose to cross me, but I wanted to continue to save it up for one man: Daren. My phone rang as I opened the door and got into the driver's seat. I quickly pulled out my phone and held it to my ear. "What?" "We found him. He's in a gambling den on the outskirts of town. It's called the Ivory Fountain off of Polaris and Spring Street." "Excellent. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't leave. I'm on my way," I replied. I hung up the phone and tossed it on the seat next to me as I threw the car in drive. I turned around in the middle of t
Jaxon"What do you mean by that?" I growled. Inside I already knew. Inside my heart was racing, and my nerves were on overdrive. I could feel the panic waiting anxiously for permission to take over. Daren was silent and still chuckling to himself. I kicked his side again. What was wrong with this sick f*ck? How had he become so evil in just the few short years that I had cut him out of my life? When he was silent, I kicked him again. Surly Sara wouldn't mind if I left him a little bruised, right? "Answer me!" Daren started laughing again–more manically now–and pulled himself to his knees. He looked like a haunted shell of a man. He was so thin I could almost see his bones. I was certain if he lifted up his shirt I would be able to easily make out the lines of his rib cage. His skin looked a little purplish in spots, yellow in others, probably from poor nutrition. I wondered what he'd really fed himself with besides beer and cheap whiskey. I had no doubt it was considerabl
SaraI pulled on my jean shorts before leaving my room and heading downstairs. I wasn't sure who else was here, but certainly, not everyone in this house needed to see my underwear. But it was too hot outside to consider wearing anything else. I took the steps a bit too quickly and was surprised I didn't fall down. I laughed quietly to myself as I made my way into the kitchen. For the first time in a long time, I just felt happy. I knew things were still a mess. My dad was still a terrible person… but Jaxon was handling that. I knew I still needed to figure things out with Jaxon but I had hope, I felt happy and positive, and I wanted to do it now. I was surprised to see the house was mostly empty. I could hear a vacuum going somewhere upstairs and two of the cooks were still in the kitchen, but most of the men who were usually standing around keeping watch–or rather, keeping watch over me–were nowhere to be found. I felt a little of my normal nervous energy come back as I wonde
SaraThe man was a good foot taller than I was, but I was pretty certain I could still do some damage. He glanced back at one of his men with a sickly laugh, and at that moment, I lifted my right knee up as hard as I could. I hit him between the legs hard enough to hurt my leg and I heard something sort of pop. His eye bulged out of his face at the same time I heard the popping sound, and I thought for a minute they might fall right out. The man caved in on himself while his face turned a deep red and then almost purple. He fell to his knees. While the other men were trying to figure out what had happened, I darted between them and headed back downstairs. I ran toward Jaxon's office. I wasn't sure how long I could hide in there, but at least I knew that door had a very secure lock. I could feel my heart thumping hard in my chest, and I forced myself to stay focused and keep going. What the f*ck was even happening? I tried to think about what Jaxon could be doing with my dad tha
JaxonI could hear my men in their car racing behind me, behind them was the sound of sirens that I had been expecting. F*cking fantastic. It sounded like at least four. If I hadn't been so focused on keeping the car straight I would have called Walt Price, the police chief, right then. I needed to keep focused. The last thing I needed was to let myself be distracted and lose time that Sara might not have. I zoomed down the road and it seemed to be stretching out forever. I felt like the faster I drove the longer the road seemed to become. The sirens were getting closer now. I glanced in the rearview mirror; there were at least four cop cars barking into their microphones, trying to get us to pull over. That wasn't likely. They'd have to completely incapacitate me if they wanted to keep me from reaching Sara. They were trying to get around my men's car, but my guys were constantly swerving in the way–keeping me in the clear. I felt a bit of gratitude, but my mind was still c
JaxonI could see Sara was still breathing, and I let some of my panic dissipate. I would make her safe again. The two men still standing were coming toward me now. At least they had the decency to look afraid, rather than their friends below, who only looked amused at my anger. I moved quicker than them and shoved my right foot into the first man's chest. I heard several significant snaps as he fell to the ground. The other one was charging me now, so I punched him hard in the jaw. He stumbled backward. I kicked him in the kneecap and snapped it back in the wrong direction. He screamed wildly and fell backward onto the ground. I moved over him and pressed my foot against his neck while he struggled to breathe. I could see the first man starting to get up again, and I pushed my foot down harder. "Who are you working for?" I demanded. I kept glancing to each of my sides, preparing for an attack. The man fought hard to breathe and tried to push my foot away, but he didn't seem
JaxonI felt uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt like my nerves were slowly boiling, and I couldn't stand still. Rationally, I knew Sara would be alright, but I couldn't help pacing while the doctor finished his physical examination. My mind was swirling with all the events of the last twenty-four hours. Daren was supposed to be out of my life.... How did he still impact so much of it? I kept pacing to keep myself from shaking. I knew she was getting the best care, but I couldn't stand waiting to hear whether she was going to be okay. She'd gone through so much. Until I knew for sure, I was barely holding it together. I could tell my incessant pacing was irritating the doctor, but I didn't care. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I moved quickly to the door. I stepped out but left it a little open so I could keep Sara in my sight. "What is it, Walt?" "I'm sorry, Jaxon. I know you wanted my men to back off, but the news crews outside your place heard gunshots. They are