Page 95 of Undisputed Player
"It's pretty cool," I agreed, watching Jax ruffle Leo's hair with such natural affection it made my chest tight.
Jax locked the door behind us, checked the windows with methodical precision, then finally let himself relax. His eyes never strayed far from me, his body positioned between us and any potential threat.
I wasn't alone anymore. Jax was here, all controlled power and deadly intent, and he was ours. We were his.
It felt like finally being able to breathe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Estelle
The afternoon melted into night, shadows growing long across the apartment floor. We tucked Leo in for bed after practically prying the tablet Jax had “borrowed” from Avery from his small hands. Though given the way it gleamed, I was sure it was brand new.
I sat at the kitchen table, laptop open, a file of essays waiting for me. Grading let me keep the lights on and Leo fed, but I barely saw the words tonight.
Jax hadn’t left. Jax had ordered dinner and been prowling the apartment, checking windows and locks.
Now he sat across from me, legs stretched out, his blue eyes fixed on me over the rim of his coffee mug that he was pretending to drink. The air between us was thick and charged.
Every time I glanced up, he was already watching me.
His chair scraped against the floor as he stood, moving around the rickety table. Then he was behind me, large hands settling on my shoulders, thumbs working at the knots of tension there.
His fingers found a particularly tight spot, and I couldn't suppressthe soft sound that escaped. He hummed in approval, working deeper, and I felt myself melting under his touch again.
"Better?" His lips brushed my temple, so light I might have imagined it.
I nodded.
"Good girl." The praise sent heat spiraling through me. "Now tell me about those men."
The spell broke, and my stomach sank. I straightened, trying to pull away, but his hands tightened on my shoulders—not painful, but immovable.
"Just some guys. It's nothing."
“Don’t lie to me.” The words were soft, but landed hard. “They knew your name. They mentioned a judge. And they scared the hell out of you, Estelle. That’s not nothing.”
I sighed, pushing the laptop away, my hands trembling just slightly. There was no point lying to him, not after what he’d seen, not after he’d put himself between me and danger without hesitation.
“They work for Damon. Leo’s father.”
Jax's hands stilled on my shoulders. In the reflection of my laptop screen, I watched his expression go arctic again, his beautiful face transforming into something lethal.
"The same father who's never been in the picture?"
I nodded, picking at the cashmere sleeve he dressed me in, so soft and expensive it felt like wearing clouds. "He's not interested in Leo. He's interested in what Leo could do for him.”
“Explain.” It was a low command, but he wasn’t being rough with me.
I hesitated, feeling the terrible ache bloom in my chest. “Leo’s mother, my sister, Giselle, was involved with Damon for a while. He’s part of a drug ring, rich, but not like…”
I gestured vaguely at him, at the Easton name that might as well have been stamped on his forehead. “Not like you. But enough. When she got pregnant, he kept her around with gifts.”
Jax's reflection showed white knuckles, jaw carved from granite. "And now?"
“Now Giselle’s gone.” My voice cracked, blinking hard to fight off dull grief. “She overdosed three years ago. She was addicted, and Damon left her to spiral after she gave birth. But she made sure Leo would be with me if anything happened. She named me his guardian.”
His hands moved from my shoulders to frame my face, tilting my head back until I met his eyes. They burned with something that made my throat tighten even more.
