Page 22 of Jaxon

He stalked into the living room, his boots heavy on the hardwood floor.The room was cozy, lined with bookshelves and family photos.He sneered at the framed picture of Harper with her daughter, Mia, their smiles captured in happier times.

“You know, Jaxon should’ve been smarter,” he mused aloud.“Leaving his girls all alone.Doesn’t seem like something a tough guy would do.”

He prowled through the dining room, then the basement, each room empty, the silence stretching.The house felt larger in its stillness, the shadows growing deeper with each step.But Clay wasn’t deterred.

If they weren’t downstairs, there was only one place they could be.He moved toward the staircase, his fingers tracing the banister as he ascended.The wood creaked beneath his weight, each step a slow, deliberate reminder of his presence.He wanted them to hear him, to know he was coming.

“Upstairs it is,” he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

His boots thudded against the stairs, each step a heartbeat pounding in the quiet.

Reaching the landing, Clay paused, his gaze sweeping the hallway.Several doors lined the corridor, all closed.The game was on.He approached the first door, his hand resting on the handle.

“Harper,” he sing-songed, twisting the knob.

The door swung open to reveal a bathroom, the space empty and brightly lit.Clay chuckled, shutting the door behind him.

Moving to the next room, he found a guest bedroom, the bed neatly made, untouched.He pushed the door open wider, stepping inside briefly before turning back to the hall.

As he approached the final door, he felt a surge of excitement, the thrill of the chase building in his chest.He could almost hear their breaths, quick and shallow, just beyond the wood.

“End of the line,” he whispered, his hand gripping the knob.He twisted, pushing the door open slowly, the hinges groaning in protest.

The room was dark, the only light spilling in from the hallway.His eyes adjusted quickly, scanning the space.He stepped inside, his ears straining for any sound or movement.The closet door caught his attention, slightly ajar, as if hastily shut.Clay moved toward it, each step slow and deliberate.He savored the tension, the fear he knew was thick in the air.

Reaching out, he placed his hand on the closet door, his fingers curling around the edge.“Found you,” he whispered, his voice a venomous caress.

He yanked the door open.

Chapter Nine

“Mommy, I’m scared,”Mia whispered, her voice trembling in the suffocating silence of the closet.

Harper knelt beside her daughter, wrapping her arms around the small, quivering body.“Shh, sweetheart,” she murmured, pressing her lips to Mia’s hair.“It’s going to be all right.I promise.”

But deep down, fear coiled around her chest like a vice, squeezing tighter with every passing second.Her mind raced, replaying her panicked call to Jaxon.It had felt like an eternity since she dialed his number, her fingers shaking so badly she could barely hit the buttons.She had choked out the words, her voice barely above a whisper.He was coming.She knew Jaxon would ride like the wind, every second bringing him closer.But what if he didn’t make it in time?

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