Page 106 of Shadows of Obsession

"Jaxon," the note began, the handwriting jagged and harsh, nothing like Anna's neat script. "Unless you want a repeat of what happened with your fiancée, you will give me the money. And not just what I owe from past debts, but the money you got when they killed Nikki too."

The room spun.

My vision tunneled until all I could see were those words, burned into my mind like a brand.

What they earned for killing Nikki.

A cold sweat broke out along my hairline, trickling down my temple despite the heat of the kitchen. The implications sank in slowly, horribly, each realization worse than the last.

The drug dealers Jared had been mixed up with—they were behind Nikki's murder.

They killed her. Not some random robbery. They killed her looking for money.

Bile rose in my throat at the thought of them believing they'd earned something by taking an innocent life. By destroying everything I had. By murdering the woman I loved in cold blood while searching for cash that wasn't even there.

And now Anna was tangled up in this nightmare too.

All because of my mistakes. Because I turned my back on Jared.

The note crumpled in my fist as a litany of curses spilled from my lips, each one more vicious than the last. I sprinted up the stairs to the guest room, taking them three at a time, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I never should've brushed Jared off. Should've helped him. Should've seen this coming.

Ripping open the closet door with enough force to nearly tear it from its hinges, I dragged out my old Marine duffel and tore into it. My fingers closed around the familiar hard plastic of my pistol case, and I flipped it open with practiced ease.

I checked that my Colt .45 was loaded, magazine full with one in the chamber, then strapped on my thigh holster. The familiar weight settled against my leg like an old friend. Cold comfort for what I was about to do.

I knew I couldn't just go in guns blazing; that'll get her killed.

I couldn't just roar in with the Jeep, engine revving and weapon drawn. That would put Anna at even greater risk, would give them a reason to hurt her before I could reach her. I needed a plan. A strategy. The same cool, calculating mindset that had kept me alive through two tours.

Assess. Plan. Execute.

My eyes narrowed with focus as I jogged down the stairs and out the front door, my mind already racing through tactical options. The afternoon sun beat down on me, but I barely felt it, every thought funneled into one purpose.

Get Anna back. Whatever it takes.

A distant whinny split the still air, pulling me up short. Then, like a spark catching dry tinder, an idea flared to life.

The back way. Through the woods.

I changed direction immediately, heading for Anna's barn as I pulled out my phone to call the sheriff. My fingers moved on instinct, guided by muscle memory from too many emergency calls overseas.

"Sheriff's Department," the dispatcher answered.

"This is Jaxon Mercer. I need units at my cabin off Route 19, north side. I've got a hostage situation." My tone came out clipped, military-precise despite the panic clawing at my chest. "I'm going in. Send backup."

I didn't wait for the dispatcher's response before hanging up and breaking into a jog again.

Backup would be at least forty-five minutes out, but I couldn't afford to wait. Every second Anna stayed in their hands was one too many. Every heartbeat was a chance for them to hurt her, to do to her what they'd done to Nikki.

Not again. I won't lose her too.

I strode into the barn, my boots hitting the concrete with steady, deliberate thuds. The sharp scent of hay and leather filled the air. Choco nickered softly from his stall, his ears flicking forward as he sensed my agitation. Animals always knew. They could smell the adrenaline and fear buried beneath fury.

"Come on, boy," I murmured, voice rough with emotion as I slipped the bridle over his head. My hands stayed steady despite the chaos inside me. "Let's go get our girl."

Choco's dark eyes met mine, intelligent and steady. He shifted his weight, ready, already feeling the urgency thrumming through me.

My jaw clenched as I led him from the barn, cold fury pooling low in my gut. It was a familiar burn, one I hadn't felt since my last firefight overseas, that icy calm that came when the chaos hit, when there was no room for fear, only action.