Page 80 of Shadows of Obsession

"I saw you two in town one day, and I thought maybe you could help me out this one time. Get them off my back. So, I came here."

He had been watching us, following us. The realization sent a chill down my spine. That first day in town with Jaxon, he'd been there. Watching.

Jaxon's expression hardened into a mask of disbelief. "You think I'd bail you out after you showed up at Connor's, threatened Anna, and came back here drunk?" The contempt in his voice was palpable. "You've got a hell of a lot of nerve, Jared."

Jared's shoulders slumped, his cocky façade crumbling. "I didn't have a choice," he muttered defensively. "They'll come after me if I don't pay up. You don't know these guys, Jax. They're ruthless."

In two long strides, Jaxon closed the distance between them, his height and solid frame radiating menace. "You made your choices, Jared," he growled, leaning down. "Now you're dealing with the consequences. You threaten anyone here again, especially Anna, and I won't hesitate to deal with you myself."

His voice was as cold and unyielding as ice, and I believed every word. So did Jared, judging by the way he paled slightly. The emphasis onespecially Annamade something warm bloom in my chest despite the fear.

Jared glared up at Jaxon, shaking his head with a dismissive sneer. "Whatever. I knew it was a mistake coming here and asking for your help." A bitter laugh escaped him. "You never gave a shit before, so why start now?"

I could see Jaxon fighting to keep his expression impassive, his jaw tightening as he ground his teeth. "I don't give a shit because you brought this on yourself," he shot back, his tone level but laced with disgust. "You're not my responsibility. You made your bed, now lie in it."

He paused. "How the hell did you even get here, anyway?"

"Took a cab," Jared replied with a hint of smugness. "It's probably still waiting outside for me. I told the driver you'd cover the fare, so they're gonna sit tight until we're done here."

Of course he did that.

Jaxon's jaw clenched, and then he grabbed Jared by the arm, hauling him to his feet. I pressed myself against the wall as theypassed, watching as Jaxon frog-marched his brother toward the front door. Through the window, I could see a cab idling at the edge of the property, the driver looking impatient behind the wheel.

Jaxon pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took out all the cash he had, every bill, before shoving it into Jared's hands. His movements were controlled, but his eyes burned with restrained fury.

"This is the only money you'll get from me," he said, his voice low and steely as he propelled Jared down the front steps. "Don't come back here. If you've got problems with those people, take it up with the cops. I'm not a piggy bank, and paying them won't fix this for you."

I moved closer to the door, watching through the screen as Jared stumbled toward the cab. He paused with one hand on the car's roof, turning back to face Jaxon. Whatever smugness he'd worn before had melted away, replaced by something darker.

"They're going to kill me if I don't pay up," Jared said, his voice hollow, and my blood ran cold. "And then they'll still want their money. When they don't get it from me…"

His gaze shifted toward me, visible through the screen door, then back to Jaxon.

"They'll come to take it from you."

My breath caught in my throat. Was that a threat? A warning? It felt like both.

Jaxon's anger rose visibly. I saw it in the tension of his arms, the clench of his jaw, his fists curled so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Is that a threat?" he snapped, his voice a lethal growl. "If they come after me, it's because you opened your lying mouth."

Jared let out a hollow chuckle that made my skin crawl. "Keep denying it all you want, big brother. But deep down, we both know you're lying to yourself."

"Leave. Now." Jaxon ground the words out through gritted teeth, his arms folding across his chest.

I watched as Jared shoved the crumpled bills through the driver's window before collapsing into the back seat. As the cab pulled away, taillights disappearing into the darkness, Jaxon spun on his heel and stormed back inside.

The front door slammed with such force that I jumped, the walls shuddering from the impact. His boots pounded across the hardwoodas he stalked toward the den, shoulders tight, fists still balled with barely restrained fury.

I followed at a distance, my own heartbeat still racing, my wrist throbbing. When he reached the den, he collapsed onto the sofa with a grunt, leaning back to stare blankly at the ceiling.

The anger radiated off him in waves, and I stood in the doorway, uncertain. Part of me wanted to go to him, to offer comfort. Jaxon looked like a man battered by the weight of the world, anger and exhaustion etched into the hard lines of his face. I could tell he was barely holding it together.

Cautiously, I crossed to the couch and perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of him, leaning forward to rest my hands lightly on his denim-clad knees. The fabric was warm beneath my palms, the tension in his muscles thrumming beneath my touch.

At the gentle contact, Jaxon's eyes slipped open, finding mine. The guarded look softened as he met my gaze, the hard edges blurring. His eyes drifted down to my wrist, and a furrow creased his brow, his jaw tightening as he studied the faint red imprint of Jared's fingers.

I gave his knee a gentle squeeze, drawing his focus back up. "I'm okay," I murmured softly.

Jaxon nodded, but the turmoil in his eyes told me the battle still raged inside. I could see the shadows of doubt and fury flickering through those blue depths, chasing away the calm that had briefly existed before his brother's arrival.