Page 72 of Relentless Sinner
Jaxon clears his throat. “She was never available to you.”
Levka gives him an uncanny smile. “Maybe so.” He looks back at me. “I do hope we’ll get to see more of you in the near future and that Jaxon doesn’t keep you hidden away.”
“I suppose that will depend on what we’re doing.” I don’t like him. He’s the kind of guy who seems pushy. Like he doesn’t care for boundaries.
“You can let go of her hand now,” Jaxon cuts in, interrupting Levka’s next words.
“Of course.” He releases my hand and gives us a stiff smile. “Enjoy the evening.”
He and Yuri glance at each other then continue walking down the hallway.
Jaxon waits until they’re out of earshot before pulling me closer. “Don’t ever be alone with either of them.”
I look around at him. “But they’re your cousins.”
“You hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you.”
“If they touch you I’ll kill them.”
My eyes widen at the harshness in his words and his tone.
He looks back at them while walking on and I realize he’s as serious as he was the other night when he said he’d kill anyone who manhandled me.
“I’m guessing they’re not very nice,” I say, pulling his attention back to me.
“Not one bit. Don’t be fooled by their smiles and fake charm. They’re not the kind of people you want to know or be around.” His arm slips from my waist and he takes my hand instead, pulling me along.
Holding his hand feels closer in a different way. More like a couple and like the version of us I’m trying to run from.
God… why is this feeling harder and harder? Right when I have a choice.
The first night we met I would have run from him and never stopped. Shit, I ran from him before I even met him, so I should be glad that I now have a plan to break myself free of this madness.
Logic and reasoning are both there screaming at me, telling me that I can’t stay with Jaxon no matter how close we feel. But maybe my heart has warmed to him because he’s managed to unlock a part of me I never knew existed.
It’s a dangerous thought because I can’t trust him. Apart from Cora I can’t trust anyone but myself.
I glance at him and he looks at me, too. I look away and try to school my thoughts, reminding myself to play the game.
Jaxon leads me to one of the private rooms. Once we’re inside we meet a small group of people. Among them is a man in a wheelchair. The moment he looks at me I can tell straight away that he’s Jaxon’s father.
Most of the people smile on seeing us. He does not. There’s a coldness about him that I don’t think I’ve felt even from my father, who’s king of the Arctic.
Eve told me that Jaxon’s father has a brain tumor and that he only has months to live. I was glad she gave me some background so I’d know what to expect and how to act. I figured that maybe Jaxon told Eve to bring me up to speed on things I needed to know. So everything I don’t know yet must be stuff about his life he either didn’t want to share with me or didn’tthink I needed to know. It’s also possible that he didn’t want to talk about certain things with me. I imagine that no matter how horrible his father was to him while he was growing up he can’t feel good knowing that his father has months to live.
Jaxon introduces me to everyone and his father barely acknowledges us. All he does is watch us while Eric talks enthusiastically about the wedding and Jaxon. You’d thinkhewas his father from the pride with which he speaks.
Everyone is nice enough but it’s quite clear that Jaxon’s father’s attitude has dulled the mood.
I would be quick to think he didn’t like me if I didn’t know he was sick. Thankfully we don’t stay long. But when we leave I become very aware that I’m yet to see my father.
We take more pictures and speak to more people who approach us with their congratulatory wishes, two of whom are Cora and Joey. When Cora hugs me she holds me for just a little longer, giving me the support and strength I need. I soak it up but don’t miss the curious look Jaxon gives her.
At that moment my paranoia goes through the roof and I pray he doesn’t suspect anything. When they leave he starts talking about the rest of the evening, so my nerves subside.
The party almost feels like a party at one point, until I spot my father walking down the wide staircase of the lounge. In his black suit and with that dark aura surrounding his presence, he reminds me of the Grim Reaper.