Chapter 147: Jaxon

Chapter 147: Jaxon
The second I lock the safe, I turn toward the last thing left to check—the storage box.

We have cash. We have IDs.

Now, I just need to see what kind of weapons Silas was hoarding.

I kneel in front of the metal case, working the latches loose with a quick flick of my wrist. The lid pops open, and I take in the contents with a slow, steady breath.

Guns.

Knives.

Swords?

What the actual fuck?

I grip one of the swords, pulling it out of the box slightly, the metal gleaming under the dim overhead light. It’s good quality, expensive even, but Silas never knew how to fight with this kind of weapon.

This was for show.

Status.

A flashy toy he probably kept to impress the right people.

I shove it back, fingers brushing over the handles of the other weapons. I already have three on me right now—one tucked inside my waistband, another strapped to my ankle, and a third secured against my back under my jacket.

But still, I could always use more.

I reach for a second pistol, examining the weight of it in my palm.

Then—

A small whimper.

"Jaxon?"

Paige’s voice.

And something is wrong.

I twist fast, instincts kicking in, hand reaching for my own gun—

And freeze.

Because Erin is standing behind Paige.

And she has a gun pressed to her head.

A fucking gun.

I don’t breathe.

Don’t move.

The air shifts, thick and suffocating, my pulse a quiet, lethal drumbeat in my ears.

Every nerve in my body tells me to grab my weapon, take the shot, end this.

But Erin’s grip tightens, pressing the barrel harder against Paige’s temple.

"One wrong move, and she’s done."

My jaw locks.

Slowly, I raise my hands—not in surrender, but in calculation.

"What the fuck is this, Erin?" My voice is low. Rough. Dangerous.

She shakes her head, a single tear rolling down her throat. "I’m sorry."

I don’t care if she’s sorry.

I care about the gun in her fucking hand.

She swallows hard. "I swear I didn’t want to do this. I really—really—was going to help you. Everything I said before? It was true. But… but the Black Vipers came to my home."

She lets out a shaky breath, blinking fast like she’s trying to keep from breaking completely. "They asked what I knew about Silas’ death. They threatened me. I—I didn’t have a choice. They forced me to talk, and when they found out I was helping you, they told me…"

She looks at me, desperate, terrified.

"They told me I had to bring you in. Alive."

Rage slams through me, sharp and unforgiving.

The Black Vipers.

Of course.

I should’ve seen this coming.

I knew it was only a matter of time before they came looking, before they tried to claim revenge for their fallen heir.

But what pisses me off the most?

The fact that I let this happen.

That I trusted the wrong person.

"If it’s me they want," I say, voice deadly calm, "then let Paige go."

Erin lets out a painful, broken sound, shaking her head violently.

"I can’t. I wish I could, but I can’t. They said the only way to make sure you don’t run is if I hold Paige hostage until they get here."

I clench my fists. My mind races.

"You don’t understand what you’re doing," I grit out. "When they get here, they’ll kill her too. And that blood is going to be on your hands."

Erin flinches.

For a split second, I see the guilt flood her expression.

The hesitation.

The fear.

I can use that.

I take a step forward—

Then Paige lets out a soft wince.

I snap my eyes to her.

She shifts slightly, her arms trembling.

One of her crutches falls to the ground.

She sways, her balance shaky, her breathing uneven.

"I can’t…" she whispers.

Her voice is tight, strained. She looks like she’s about to collapse.

"Paige, don’t move," Erin warns, but there’s panic in her tone now.

Paige gasps, her body tilting forward.

My heart seizes.

She’s falling.

Shit. She’s actually falling.

Erin tries to steady her—

But at the last second, Paige whips around and swings her crutch directly into Erin’s face.

A sickening crack echoes through the unit as Erin yelps, staggering back.

And that’s all I need.

I lunge.

I grab Erin’s wrist before she can recover, twisting it hard enough to make her drop the gun.

It clatters to the ground, and before she can react, I slam my fist into her jaw.

She crumples.

I don’t know if she’s out cold or just too dazed to move, and I don’t give a shit.

I’m already moving, already grabbing the duffel bag, already reaching for Paige—

She’s struggling to get up, her face tight with pain.

"Jaxon—"

"I got you," I say, pulling her against me.

Her body is tense, shaking, her breathing unsteady. But we don’t have time to stop.

We need to go.

Now

I grab her waist, hooking her arm over my shoulder, supporting her weight as I start moving toward the door—

But then—

A flash of movement catches my eye.

Through the storage unit’s small, dirty window, I see it.

Headlights.

Engines.

Black SUVs pulling up in front of the building.

My pulse spikes.

I grit my teeth.

"Jaxon?" Paige’s voice is quiet, shaking slightly.

I tighten my grip around her.

"They’re here."