Page 114 of Shadows of Obsession

Oh, Jaxon.

I shifted closer despite the protests of my aching body, reaching up with my free hand to touch his face. "You tried. You tried to help him, and he made his choices. This isn't on you."

"I know," he whispered, leaning into my touch. "In my head, I know that. But my heart..."

"Your heart loved your brother," I finished softly. "And that's not a weakness. That's what makes you who you are."

He turned his face to press a kiss to my palm, and I saw the tears finally spill over, tracking down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. You're the one who got hurt, and here I am—"

"Stop," I interrupted gently. "You're allowed to grieve. You lost your brother today, even if he's still alive. That's real loss, Jaxon. And I'm here. We lean on each other, remember?"

He pulled me carefully into his arms, mindful of my injuries, and we held each other as the first tears he'd allowed himself to shed since Nikki's death finally came. I felt them soak into my hospital gown, felt his body shake with silent sobs, and I held him astightly as I dared.

CHAPTER 31

Anna

When we finally made it back to Connor's house, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. Denny was waiting at the door. His weathered face had gone ashen, the color draining as he took in the sight of us. My bruised and swollen face, Jaxon's cuts and exhaustion, both of us moving like we'd aged twenty years overnight.

"Jesus Christ," he breathed, his voice rough with emotion. "I heard what happened. Miss Anna, your face—"

"I'm okay," I lied automatically, even though every word sent pain radiating through my jaw.

Denny's hands clenched into fists at his sides, but his voice stayed gentle. "You two get inside. Rest. Me and the guys will handle everything today. The horses, the chores, all of it. You focus on recovering, you hear?"

Jaxon's arm tightened around my waist, his throat working as he swallowed hard. "Thanks, Denny. That… means a lot."

A look of silent understanding passed between them, years of friendship and loyalty communicated in a single glance. Denny nodded once, squeezed Jaxon's shoulder, and headed back toward the barns.

Inside, the house felt too quiet, too normal after everything. The familiar surroundings seemed wrong somehow, like they belonged to a different life, a different version of us that existed before last night.

Jaxon guided me to the couch, and we sat in heavy silence. His jaw worked, his hands flexing and unflexing like he was trying to summon the courage to speak.

"We need to call Connor," he said finally, his voice rough. "Tell him what happened."

My stomach churned at the thought of reliving the nightmare. "Can't we wait? Until morning, or—"

"It's almost morning now," Jaxon said gently. "And he deserves to know. But…" He took my hand, thumb tracing small circles on my palm. "It's your choice, Anna. If you need more time—"

"No." I cut him off, the word sharper than I intended. "You're right. We should tell him. Get it over with."

I wanted to rip off the bandage quickly.

Jaxon pulled out his phone, and I watched his hand tremble slightly as he found Connor's contact. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.

"Jax? Everything okay?" Connor's voice came through, alert despite the early hour. There was an edge to his tone, as if he already suspected something was wrong.

"Connor, I—" Jaxon's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Something happened. Anna and I are okay, but—"

"What happened?" Connor's voice sharpened. "Is Anna hurt?"

I reached for the phone, and Jaxon handed it over, eyes full of gratitude.

"Connor, it's me." My voice was thick, slurred from the swelling. "I'm okay. We both are. But last night, Jared and a drug dealer broke into the house and took me."

The silence on the other end was deafening until he finally spoke.