Page 19 of The Auction (The Black Ledger Billionaires #4)

A nger isn’t enough to describe what’s in me right now.

This isn’t anger.

It’s the kind of fury that could burn a man’s soul to ash.

I step into the barn, flexing my fingers before curling them into fists. My body is coiled tight, ready to break something.

Ben’s holding one of the assholes back with a shovel. His pissant of a friend is on the ground, crying like a bitch with a broken arm.

I round on the one still standing, getting right in his face, chest to chest, and shove him back hard. “Get the fuck out of this barn.”

He stumbles, surges back out of control, but stays on his feet. Then the idiot charges me—grabbing me around the waist and ramming me back into the wall.

Cassidy yells my name. God help me, she better stay put.

These assholes don’t realize what they’ve just asked for. I fight for fun. This is nothing more than a fucking warm-up.

The guy’s still pushing at my midsection, trying to land punches to my ribs, but I block every one. I drive my elbow into his shoulder, putting my weight behind it. I feel the joint shift under the blow. Yeah, I know that fucking hurt, you cunt.

I bend, wrap my arms around his waist, and lift. Using every ounce of strength and momentum, I slam him to the ground with a grunt.

“My God, Jax.” I hear Cassidy’s mother. I can nearly feel the worry in her voice. I wish she wouldn’t waste it on me. I don’t need it. But these mother fuckers do.

I’m on him before he can think, busting his nose with the one punch. Blood sprays. My forearm locks on his throat, pinning him there and he knows I’ve got him.

“Why are you here?” I growl pushing harder, enjoying hearing him choke.

He struggles, trying to breathe. I wait a few seconds before I ease up just enough to tease him.

“We—bought the horses outright,” he rasps against my hold.

“What’d you pay?” I press down again to emphasize that I’m not fucking playing around.

“They’re worth more than money.” He’s trying to pull against my arm to give himself some space to breathe. His face turning from red to purple. “They’re legends.”

“I didn’t ask for your fucking opinion. How much?”

I press down more and he can’t fucking breathe at all now. His body squirms and he finally taps on my forearm in a frantic plea of surrender. I stand, grip his shirt, and haul him up—tearing the fabric—before shoving him toward the open barn door.

“How much?” I repeat, walking him backward past the three women—Cassidy kneeling beside her mother, Shanae standing like a shield in front of them. My eyes cut to Cassidy. Dirt smears her cheek. Her hair’s tangled. My hands start to shake. My eyes water with how fucking angry I am.

“No. We want the horses.”

I see a paper on the ground and snatch it up. $75 million.

“I’ll give you $150 million to forget the horses and get the fuck out of here.”

“Jaxon…” Lilly’s voice is disbelieving, but I throw a hand back, keeping her where she is. I know what I’m doing.

The man laughs. “You crazy?”

“You want me to answer, or do you want me to show you—again.” I take a step forward. “$200 million.”

He hesitates a moment thinking it over. He side-eyes his buddy and then his focus is back on me. “…Three hundred.”

“Deal. Ben—get the horse.”

The tension shifts in an instant. Like a band as snapped and is rewinding everything backward. The man glances at his friend. “You good?”

The one with the broken arm glares at me, spitting a curse that I don’t appreciate him saying in front of Mrs. Hayes.

I kneel, force the tremble out of my voice—it’s not fear, it’s fury—and make it almost a whisper. “If her mother wasn’t here watching, I would’ve fucking killed you for touching her. So shut the fuck up.”

I pull my phone, hit the contract for my finance manager. “I need an immediate wire for three hundred million to this fuckwad I’m about to hand the phone to.” I say, never taking my eyes off the man I fought inside this barn.

“Fuck you,” he spits, but he takes the phone and steps aside, answering the questions coming at him to start the transfer.

I pace between them and the women, hands on my hips, keeping myself between the threat and what’s mine.

It takes Ben a few minutes to get Dominion calmed enough to lead him off the trailer and back into his stall. “I’ll move my truck,” Ben says. I give him a short nod but keep my eyes on the assholes. My blood’s still hot and I don’t trust them for a second.

The man tosses my phone back and hauls his buddy up by his good arm. Ben joins me, both of us locked on them, not ready to breathe easy until they’re fully out.

Since Ben is here too I turn back to Cassidy—and before I can say a word, she’s on me. Practically jumping in my arms, holding on like she’ll drown if she lets go.

“Jax,” she sobs into my shoulder, squeezing me tight.

A million emotions slam into me all at once, so strong my body shakes with them. I keep replaying seeing her hit the ground, the pain on her face. The way she curled in on herself when she couldn’t breathe.

“Shhh,” I wrap her up, my arms locking around her just as fiercely. “It’s okay now,” I murmur into her hair, squeezing my eyes closed and pressing my face into her neck.

She’s trembling. So am I.

“Don’t let me go, Cass,” I tell her low, just for her. “Don’t let me go or I’ll go kill them.”

Her arms tighten, her face tucking against my neck like mine is to hers. I shift us just enough to keep them in sight.

“Okay,” she whispers back. “Don’t leave me.”

I exhale hard and hold her tighter. I don’t fucking plan on it, Cricket.

Their doors slam. The truck roars to life and pulls away. Ben trails after them, making sure they’re gone.

The tension starts to bleed out of me, but I’m nowhere near calm.

I palm the back of her head, threading my fingers into her dark hair and breathing her in like it’s the first clean air I’ve had all day.

Two thoughts stick in my mind and won’t leave.

I’m never leaving her alone again.

And I need to have a talk with my friend.

C ass checks on the horses, running her hands over their necks like she needs to feel for herself that they’re still here.

Dominion’s still edgy, ears flicking back, but he’s breathing easier now.

Saving Grace noses at her pocket, searching for treats, and Cass rubs her velvety muzzle, whispering something I can’t hear.

I scoop her mom up without a second thought. She’s light—too light—and I can feel the way she leans into me like the last hour drained her completely. There’s no way she could walk all the way back to the house.

As we’re crossing the yard, she pats my cheek weakly. “Thank you, Jackie. You’ve always been brave.”

I glance down at her. “Not sure brave is the right word for what I just did.”

She smiles faintly. “It is. You were always like that—even when you were a boy. Remember that awful goose you saved me from at the county fair?”

A short laugh escapes me. “I’ve never met a goose that could best me.”

That earns me the smallest chuckle, which is good—her color’s still pale. Cass trails beside us, watching her mom like she’s afraid she might shatter if she blinks too long.

By the time we get back to the house, her eyes are half-closed. I lower her onto the her bed gently. “Should we make her something to eat?” I whisper, glancing over my shoulder at Cassidy.

She smirks, and it’s the first real sign of her usual self since all hell broke loose. “Might be safer if we don’t. You almost burning your penthouse down trying to make eggs.”

I huff out a laugh. “That was a one-time thing.”

“Mm-hm,” she says, clearly not buying it. “She’ll want to sleep. We can just go.”

Shanae gives her a hug and reassurance her mom will be okay with a little rest, but I can see how guilty she feels leaving.

Outside, she hesitates at her car, looking toward the barn where my bike is still laying on its side. “I’ll meet you at your penthouse or should I follow you?”

“Neither,” I say, holding my hand out. “I’ll drive your car. I’ll send for my bike later.”

Her eyes narrow playfully as she drops the keys into my palm. “Okay, but this is not your McLaren. You can’t drive it like a demon.”

“Aww, come on,” I grin, heading for the door. “Let me open her up just a little.”

Cass rolls her eyes, but I can see the corner of her mouth twitching, even if it is still a little sad over tonight’s events.

Big Ben hollers that he’ll stash my bike in the stables and Cassidy glares at me when I rev her cars quiet little engine.

T he ride is quiet. I can feel her staring out the window, lost in whatever’s running through her head. I can’t stop replaying it all—the way she answered the phone. How that prick threw her to the ground, the sound she made when she hit.

My hands tighten on the wheel.

And under all of it is the question I can’t shake: Why the hell would her brother sell those horses?

Even I know what they’re worth. Dominion and Saving Grace aren’t just valuable—they’re legendary. A Triple Crown Winner. Champions. Mated. A bloodline people would kill to get. They’re priceless.

In the penthouse, she disappears down the hall, mumbling something about a shower and clean clothes. I can’t sit still, so I order dinner while she’s gone.

When she comes back, damp hair curling at the ends, I lean against the counter. “You up for a surprise?”

Her brows pull together. “That depends.”

“Trust me,” I say, taking her hand.

I lead her to the largest of my extra rooms—the one I’ve been working in all week. The door’s still shut and I stop her there. “Open it.”

She pushes it open and freezes.

It’s an artist’s dream in here—everything she’s ever had in her own studio, and more. Giant canvases leaning against the wall. Sketchbooks—her favorite kind—stacked high. Jars of brushes. Paints lined in neat rows.

She turns to me, eyes glassy. “Jax… I?—”

She looks around again, swallowing hard. I know what she’s thinking. That this is temporary.

Why do all this if she’ll only be here a few more weeks.

Yeah. About that…

“You can take it all with you when you leave,” I lie to her before she can say she fight me on it. “At least now you don’t have to go home every time you want to paint.”

She steps into me, hugging me around the waist with a whispered thank you . Then again, tighter this time. “And thank you for earlier. For the horses. I’ll?—”

I cut her off and tilt her face up to mine with a finger under her chin. “If you say you’ll pay me back, I’m wiring those assholes another three hundred million.”

Her lips press together, swallowing something I can’t read before she nods.

I pull back just a bit and hold her stare, willing her to answer my question. “Why would your brother sell them?”

She exhales hard, looking away. “You don’t know the same Jonathan that I do.” And that’s it. No more. She walks away before I can press her.

The service bell rings with our dinner, so I drop it—for now.

But I’m going to find out what the fuck that means.