Jaxon sat at his desk, the early morning light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, casting long shadows across the room. The city was waking up, its constant hum a backdrop to the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. He was no stranger to pressure, to the feeling of being hunted, but this was different. This was personal.
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting out over the skyline. The calm before the storm that's what this felt like. Every instinct told him that the danger was closer than ever, but it wasn't the threats that kept him up at night. It was the thought of Ava caught in the crossfire of a world she shouldn't have to face, all because of him.
Jaxon knew he should have kept his distance, should have let her live her life without the shadow of his past hanging over her. But from the moment he met Ava, he had been drawn to her, captivated by her strength, her intelligence, her fierce independence. He had told himself he could protect her, that he could handle whatever his past threw at them. But now, as the walls seemed to be closing in, he wasn't so sure.
A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, and he straightened, pushing the darkness aside. He couldn't afford to lose focus not now. There was too much at stake.
"Come in," he called, his voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil he felt inside.
The door opened, and Ava stepped into the room, her expression calm but with a tension in her eyes that mirrored his own. She was dressed in a sleek, tailored suit, her hair pulled back into a tight bun a woman in control, at least on the surface. But Jaxon knew her well enough by now to see the strain beneath the composed exterior.
"Morning," she said, her voice soft as she crossed the room to him.
"Morning," he replied, his eyes locking onto hers. He wanted to reach out, to pull her into his arms and promise her that everything would be okay. But he knew that words weren't enough. Not anymore.
Ava perched on the edge of his desk, her gaze drifting out the window before returning to his. "I've been thinking about everything we discussed yesterday," she began, her tone measured. "About what our next steps should be."
Jaxon nodded, his focus sharpening. "We need to stay ahead of this. Whoever is coming after us won't stop until they've taken everything. We have to be ready."
Ava's eyes flickered with a mixture of determination. "I know," she said quietly. "And I'm with you, Jaxon. But there's something else we need to talk about."
Jaxon's brow furrowed slightly, sensing the shift in her tone. "What is it?"
Ava hesitated for a moment, as if weighing her words. "I've been in contact with Caleb Sterling."
The name hit Jaxon like a punch to the gut. Caleb Sterling. The steady, reliable colleague who had always been in Ava's orbit, always watching her with a quiet intensity that Jaxon couldn't ignore. He had seen the way Caleb looked at her, the way he cared for her, and it had never sat well with him. But Jaxon had pushed those feelings aside, telling himself that Ava was with him, that whatever history she had with Caleb was in the past.
But now, hearing his name again, Jaxon felt a surge of something dark and possessive twist inside him.
"Caleb?" Jaxon repeated, his voice careful, guarded.
Ava nodded, meeting his gaze head on. "He reached out to me a few days ago. He was concerned… about everything that's been happening. He knows something's wrong, Jaxon. He can see the strain I'm under, and he wants to help."
Jaxon's jaw tightened. "And what did you tell him?"
"I didn't give him any details," Ava said quickly, sensing the tension in his voice. "But I told him that things are complicated, that I'm dealing with a lot right now. He offered his support said that if I ever needed anything, he'd be there."
Jaxon stood up, needing to put some distance between them as he processed what she was saying. He paced to the window, his hands clenched at his sides. The idea of Caleb swooping in to play the hero, to be the steadying force in Ava's life, made Jaxon's blood boil. He knew he had no right to feel this way, Ava wasn't his to control. But the thought of her turning to someone else, of Caleb being the one to comfort her when things got tough, made something primal and territorial rise within him.
"And do you want him to help?" Jaxon asked, his voice low, tinged with an edge of jealousy he couldn't quite hide.
Ava sighed, standing up and moving to join him by the window. "Jaxon, I'm not trying to replace you, if that's what you're thinking. Caleb is a friend,he's always been there for me, and yes, I do trust him. But that doesn't change how I feel about you. What we have… it's real. But I'm also trying to be practical. We're in a situation that's dangerous, and if Caleb can help, then maybe we should let him."
Jaxon turned to face her, his eyes searching hers for any sign that she was pulling away from him. But all he saw was the woman he had come to care for more deeply than he ever thought possible, standing before him, torn between her feelings and her need for stability.
"I don't trust him," Jaxon admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "Not with you."
Ava's expression softened, and she reached out, placing a hand on his chest. "You don't have to. Trust me, Jaxon. I'm not going anywhere."
The intensity in her gaze, the sincerity in her voice, was enough to ease some of the tension coiled inside him. But the underlying fear, the insecurity that had taken root, didn't dissipate completely. Jaxon knew that Caleb was a good man, a man who cared about Ava. But he couldn't help but see him as a threat,a reminder of everything Jaxon wasn't, everything he couldn't give her.
"Just… be careful," Jaxon said, his voice softening as he placed his hand over hers. "We're dealing with dangerous people, Ava. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
Ava stepped closer, her hand sliding up to cup his face. "I'm stronger than you think," she whispered. "And I'm not afraid to fight for what I want."
Jaxon's heart swelled at her words, the depth of her loyalty and love cutting through the darkness that had clouded his thoughts. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a fierce, possessive kiss, pouring all of his emotions into that single moment. Ava responded in kind, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed herself against him, the tension between them igniting into a blaze of passion.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Jaxon rested his forehead against hers, his voice a low rumble. "I need you, Ava. I need you more than anything."
Ava smiled, a soft, knowing smile that made his heart ache with the intensity of his feelings for her. "And you have me," she whispered. "But we need to be smart about this. Caleb can help us, Jaxon. He has connections, resources that could make a difference. And I think it's time we brought him into the fold."
Jaxon was silent for a moment, weighing her words. He hated the idea of involving Caleb, of relying on someone else to protect what was his. But Ava was right. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and if they wanted to survive this, they needed all the help they could get.
"Fine," Jaxon finally said, his voice tight. "But I want to be there when you talk to him. No secrets, no surprises."
Ava nodded, understanding the unspoken agreement between them. "No secrets," she promised.
As they stood there, the city stretched out before them, Jaxon couldn't shake the feeling that things were shifting, that their world was about to change in ways they couldn't predict. But with Ava by his side, he knew they could face whatever came next.
"Let's get this done," Ava said, her voice filled with quiet determination. "We've got a lot of work to do."
Jaxon nodded, pulling her close for one last kiss before they turned their focus back to the battle ahead. The storm was coming, and with it, the forces that would test their bond to its limits. But Jaxon knew one thing for certain he would do whatever it took to protect Ava, to keep her by his side.
And if that meant working with Caleb Sterling, then so be it. But Jaxon would make damn sure that Caleb knew exactly where he stood.