Page 37 of Jaxon

Stepping out, Jaxon stumbled upon the gruesome scene, his boots splashing in the puddles of crimson blood seeping into the cracked concrete. Dirk and Slick lay motionless, eyes glassy and unseeing, bullet holes marring their foreheads.

Daphne was huddled over Slick’s body, sobs wracking her petite frame. Her hands fluttered uselessly over his chest, as if she could will his heart to beat again through the sheer force of touch.

Jaxon’s stomach roiled at the sight, bile and rage churning into a toxic slurry. He’d known Dirk and Slick since they were kids running wild in the streets. They were family.

And now they were gone.

He dropped to his knees beside Daphne, pulling her into his arms. She clung to him, her tears soaking into his cut. “Shh, I got you,” he murmured. But his gaze remained fixed on Marcus’s pale, lifeless face.

The crunch of boots on gravel made him look up. Liam strode toward them, his face grim. As the new president of the Wolverines, he was the only one who could have pulled off something like this.

Jaxon gently extricated himself from Daphne’s hold and rose to his feet. Liam was the one who shot Dom. His own brother. “You better have a damn good explanation.”

Liam’s mouth twisted. “Dominic was never going to stop, and neither were you. You wanted him dead for murdering your sister. That’s done. Now, we need to move forward and put all the ambiguity between us in the past. Now that I’m the President, things will be done differently.”

Jaxon turned to Daphne. She was still huddled on the ground, her body wracked with sobs.

He reached down and grasped her elbow, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s get you home.”

She sagged against him, her tears soaking into his shirt. He held her close.

“We should get out of here.” He nodded at his bike. “Can you ride?”

Daphne nodded shakily. Jaxon helped her onto the back of Thatcher’s bike as the engine roared to life. “Let’s get you home.”

25

After everything, Rachel’s heart raced as she caught sight of Jaxon sitting alone on their usual bench at the park, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the dusk.

She quickened her pace, a tumult of emotions surging through her. Love and longing. Fear and uncertainty. But beneath it all was a deep-rooted certainty — she couldn’t imagine her life without Jaxon.

“Jaxon.” His name escaped her lips in a soft whisper as she came to a stop before him.

He looked up, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. A slow smile spread across his face and he stood, pulling her into his arms. “You came.”

“Of course I came.” She breathed in his familiar scent of leather and spice, melting into his embrace.

He cupped her chin and tilted her face up to his. “It’s been a chaos of a week for both of us, it seems.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she gazed into his eyes.

“You’ll always have me.” He brushed his lips over hers, a feather-light touch that sent sparks dancing across her skin. “We’ll get through this together, just like we get through everything else.”

She smiled, winding her arms around his neck to pull him closer. “Together,” she whispered, before claiming his mouth in a searing kiss.

She pulled away, heart pounding as she gazed into his eyes. Now was the moment of truth.

“Look,” she said, raising her arm to show him the tattoo. “I got this for you. A symbol of my love, and my commitment to facing my past so I can build a future with you.”

His eyes widened as he took in the tattoo, fingers gently tracing the ink on her skin. “Rachel,” he breathed, emotion thickening his voice. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.” She smiled up at him.

Jaxon tensed, his hand dropping from her wrist. She could see the conflict in his eyes.

“I know it’s difficult to face our pasts,” she said gently. “But we can’t move on until we do.”

He pulled her close again, enveloping her in his warmth. She could feel the tension easing from his body as he relaxed into her embrace. “You’re right. I’m ready to face him.”

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