Page 9 of Before the Fall

“You can’t think seeing you without ever being able to touch you or even just be next to you was any kind of bonus. It was killing me to be able to know what’s going on in your life without being near you.”

As hard as it is, I do believe him. I lean back on the couch and blow the air out of my lungs as I try to wrap my brain around all that’s happened tonight.

“So you never had another girlfriend, and I was in danger. Good to know.”

He turns to face me. “And I missed you. Don’t forget that part because it’s important,” he says with a sexy smile that makes my stomach do a flip.

“I missed you too,” I admit, not afraid to let him know the truth about how I felt these past twelve months. “But if I was in danger and you were keeping me safe, does this visit tonight mean I’m out of danger?”

Jaxon shakes his head as sadness fills his expression. “I wish that was the case, but no. I’m here tonight because you’re in even more danger now than last year.”

“So the year we spent apart was for nothing?” I ask on the verge of tears at hearing that all the misery I went through could have been avoided.

Gently, he sets his hands on my shoulders and pulls me to him. “No, it was necessary because I was afraid you’d be hurt. The situation has changed, and not for the better, so now the danger is even worse. But don’t worry. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you or anyone you love.”

His heart races against my cheek as his soft words filter through my brain. He won’t let anyone I love get hurt?

Leaning back, I look into his eyes. “What does that mean, no one I love? Is someone I’m close to in danger?”

He answers with a nod as he returns to frowning. “Yeah. Your father.”

I shake my head in disbelief. That’s not possible. My father is one of the kindest people I know. No one would want to hurt him.

“No. I don’t believe that. Why would he be in danger?”

Jaxon sighs like he doesn’t want to tell me the truth. “I promise I won’t let anyone hurt him, Tia. I swear.”

“You still haven’t explained why he’d be in danger. You have to be mistaken. My father is a sweet man who goes to work every day, comes home and helps my mother with dinner, and even washes the dishes sometimes. That kind of man doesn’t run into the kind of people who could put him in danger.”

When Jaxon doesn’t say anything, I jump up from the couch shaking my head. “None of this is true, is it? You just made this up so you could explain away leaving me for a year. Just go! Get out of my life and leave me alone!”

I run to my room and slam the door, but before I can lock it and him out, he walks in like he owns the place. “Tia, I didn’t make anything up. There was no other woman. I’ve never stopped loving you. I left because I thought that was the best way to keep you safe, but unfortunately, that isn’t the way it worked out. Your father got involved with some guy my uncle was partners with. He owed him some money. My uncle killed the guy, but now he plans to handle the people he was working with, like your father. I don’t know much more right now, but I drove down here to see you because I was worried. I swear to you all I’ve said tonight is the truth.”

None of this makes sense. My father wouldn’t associate with anyone who could put him in danger. What on earth is Jaxon talking about?

“I can’t believe this. What is the man’s name? What did my father do with him?”

Jaxon shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, find out because if you don’t, I won’t believe you.”

Folding my arms across my chest, I sit down hard on the bed. “If you can’t answer those questions, then you should just go.”

He begins to pace back and forth from one side of my bedroom to the other shaking his head. I’ve seen him like this before. Jaxon is the kind of man who expects people to believe him when he tells them something, and the fact that I’ve pretty much just said I don’t buy any of this bothers him.

Good. It should. No one should barge into someone’s life like he’s come into mine tonight and lay all this madness on them. It’s not right.

Suddenly, he stops in front of where I’m sitting on the bed and stares down at me with a wildness in his eyes that frightens me. “Michner. Rudolf Michner. That was the guy’s name. I don’t know what your father was doing with him, but that’s his name.”

I reach over to my nightstand and grab my phone to call my father. “Fine. I’ll ask my father about him, and if he admits to knowing him, then I’ll believe you.”

My father’s phone rings a few times, and I get ready for it to go to voicemail, but then he answers like he always does, so sweet and happy to hear from me. “Tia, honey. I didn’t expect to hear from you today. What’s up?”

“Hi, Daddy. I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me. Please, can you promise to do that?” I ask, my heart slamming into my chest because I’m so scared to hear his answer to my question.

“Sure, honey. What’s on your mind?”

“Do you know anyone named Rudolf Michner?”

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