“He’s got a gun,” I hiss, warning him as he pushes his way inside the office. He lunges at Ryan, wrapping his arms around his neck as he struggles to gain control of the weapon. I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to watch as they struggle.
“Give it up, Ryan. It’s over,” Jaxon says. He now holds the gun and is pointing it at Ryan.
“What are you going to do, shoot me?” He laughs. “You don’t have it in you because you’re a weak pussy.”
“I’m not going to shoot you,” Jaxon says, his voice remarkably calm. “I’ll let these guys decide what to do with you.” He nods toward the door, where four uniformed policemen are standing. “Attempted murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit fraud, accessory to murder…I’d say you’re going away for a long time.”
“You called the cops on me?” he asks in disbelief. “You have no proof I’m involved in any of that.”
“Oh, but I do,” I say with a grin. I toss Jaxon my phone. “Your little confession to Brynne right before you thought you were going to kill her? I recorded the whole thing.” I wink at Ryan as his face clouds with anger.
“You stupid little bitch. You still think he’s worth it? You don’t think he’s going to drop you like a sack of shit now that he has what he wants? Or now that she’s back in the picture?” he snarls. He curses as two officers cuff him and lead him out of the office. I bite back a response, refusing to let him see that he’s gotten under my skin. Because Brynne doesn’t appear to be over Jaxon, as far as I can tell.
Jaxon talks to the other two officers for a moment before walking over to me. I glance around for Brynne and realize she’s gone. Probably wanted to disappear before the cops started talking to her. No doubt she’s in a lot of trouble too.
I smile
at Jaxon, glad it’s all over but still buzzing with adrenaline.
“How did you get here so fast?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“Because I’ve been following you,” he says, his eyes flashing. He’s angry at me? Why the hell is he angry? God knows what’s going through his mind right now. “I knew you were keeping something from me. I just didn’t realize it would be her.”
Oh shit. “Let me explain—”
“Explain what?” he says with a laugh. I wince at the hate behind each word. He’s so angry. “That you’ve betrayed me again? You’re as bad as her, Charlotte. I trusted you and this is how you repay me?”
“Jaxon, please—”
“No,” he growls. He shrugs me off as I reach out for his arm. “I’m done listening to your lies.”
“Jax—”
“For God’s sake, Charlotte, just stop,” he cuts in, his eyes dark with anger. I shudder, knowing there’s no way I’ll make him see the truth. “I promised you a story and you’ll get it, but that’s all. I’m done with this.”
Chapter 27
Jaxon
My phone rings for the ninth time this evening. I hesitate but pick it up, even though I’m sure it’s Charlotte again. As much as I don’t want to speak to her, I ache to hear her voice. Sure enough, her name flashes on my screen. Hurling it across the room, I watch as it bounces off the wall. I laugh as it continues to ring.
I feel like such a fucking fool. I reach forward and grab the half-full bottle of vodka I’m consoling myself with. I should’ve known Ryan was involved in Brynne’s disappearance, but that Charlotte knew her too? That’s just too much.
The doorbell rings and I sigh. How the fuck did anyone get past the gate? Angry, I drag myself up from the chair and stumble to the door. I swing it open and laugh.
“What makes you think I want to listen to anything you have to say?” I grumble. Brynne winces but holds her ground, insisting she’s come to explain. In the end I leave the door open and head back to my drink.
“You look like shit,” she comments as I sink back into my seat. I glare at her. Seriously? “I’m sorry, but you do. I know you’re angry at me, and you have every right to be, but I don’t think you’re being fair to Charlotte.”
“It’s none of your business,” I retort. “My life stopped being your problem when you took money from Ryan to fuck the hell off.”
“What I did was wrong, Jaxon, I can admit that, but I’m not the only one who fucked up our relationship,” she says, her green eyes narrowing.
I laugh. Typical. The nerve of her. “You’re going to try to turn this around on me? In what fucking world was this any fault of mine?”
“Because you’re a stubborn asshole who refuses to let anyone in,” she fires back. “There was no trust in our relationship long before I did this. We both put other things before our relationship. When Ryan tried to blackmail me, I thought, What the hell? Eventually you were going to leave me, so I might as well make some money.”
“I loved you,” I reply, my voice hoarse.