Chapter 6 A SWEET NIGHTMARE 3
Jaxon's POV
The ringing of my phone jolted me awake, my gaze falling on the face resting peacefully beside mine, still wrapped in my arms.
The memories of last night flickered in my mind-her vulnerability, her quiet surrender.
She looked so at peace, like the world couldn't touch her.
I reached out, brushing a few strands of hair from her face before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
Gently, I lay her back down and pulled on my pants, making my way to the sitting room just as the phone buzzed again.
It was Troy.
The call ended before I could answer, leaving behind forty-five missed calls and a flood of messages.
The first message made my heart stop.
Then I clicked the next... and the next.
"Why aren't you picking your calls? You need to get back as soon as you can. They have Emmy. They want you before sunset tomorrow, or they're going to kill her."
It felt like I'd been struck by lightning.
My breath caught, my body locking up as cold panic crashed over me.
Emmy.
But how the hell did they get to her?
She was with my most trusted men. I'd made sure of it.
My fingers flew to dial Troy's number.
Relief washed over me when he picked up immediately.
"Where the hell have you been? You had me worried sick!"
That was the first thing out of his mouth-but I didn't have time for that.
"What do you mean they have Emmy?" I asked, my voice tight, trying-failing-to keep the fury at bay.
There was a pause.
A deep, heavy sigh.
Then silence.
"Troy?" I growled. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I'm sorry, Jaxon," he said at last. "It seems... the boss sold us out. We handed Emmy over on a silver platter to the people who murdered her parents. Mr. Falconer's men. It was all planned. The boss only cares about his own dmn interests. And you and I both know how deep his greed runs."
His words punched the air out of me.
"She was surrounded by Falconer's men the whole time," he continued. "We didn't know. We thought we were protecting her."
My jaw clenched.
"Just get back here, already, would you? Why the hell would you leave town at a time like this? Emmy is in danger, and we need to figure out how to get her back."
I felt my blood run cold.
My chest tightened.
Every breath burned.
This was my fault.
If I hadn't left her alone... this wouldn't have happened.
"Jaxon? Jax-are you still there?" Troy's voice snapped me back.
"Tell Mr. Falconer I'll be joining him soon," I said, my voice steel. "And he better not touch even a strand of her hair, or hell will lose its peak."
"Wait-you're planning to turn yourself in?" Troy's voice rose in alarm. "That's suicide, Jax. We need to talk to the boss. If we negotiate, maybe he'll help us talk Falconer down. We've already lost too many people. We can't lose more."
But I wasn't interested in talking.
If anything happened to Emmy, they would both have me to answer to.
"See you in Brookleigh," I said, ending the call and trying to calm myself down.
My hands were trembling, my pulse too loud in my ears.
I stepped back into the bedroom, where she was still lying-still sleeping, the soft rhythm of her breath filling the quiet.
I knew I was going to regret letting things get this far.
It was sunrise, and just like I feared, regret was already creeping in.
I sat beside her, eyes drawn to her peaceful face.
What was I thinking?
Reaching out, I gently brushed my hand across her cheek.
She stirred, shifting slightly, and I quickly rose to my feet, not wanting to wake her.
She turned over, her back to me, curling deeper into sleep.
If only we had met under different circumstances.
Maybe I would've held her until she woke.
Maybe I'd have asked her name, taken her on a date, gotten to know the woman behind those eyes.
Maybe-just maybe-we could've had something real.
But those were just my bare, desperate imaginings.
I backed away, heading into the bathroom.
I stood beneath the shower, trying to calm the storm inside me-the guilt, the fury, the helplessness clawing at my chest.
But the hot water couldn't burn it out.
It couldn't make me forget.
Frustrated, I stepped out, letting the silence wrap around me like a punishment.
\---
Nancy's POV
My eyes fluttered open as sunlight hit my face, sharp and blinding.
I squeezed them shut again, groaning softly.
My head throbbed with pain-like I'd been hit hard-and the harsh light made it impossible to focus.
Pushing myself upright, I winced at the dizziness and climbed off the bed, stumbling toward the window.
I yanked the curtain shut, cutting off the sunlight, and finally took in my surroundings.
This wasn't my room.
I didn't recognize anything.
And worse-I had no idea how I got here.
My mind was a blur, like scattered puzzle pieces refusing to fit together.
Then I noticed the mess-my clothes tossed around the room, like forgotten memories.
I looked down at myself and froze.
I was wearing an oversized T-shirt... definitely not mine.
My breath hitched.
And then... the memories came crashing back.
The hospital.
The office.
The bar.
Harry's house.
Then back to the bar.
Then-him.
The stranger with the blue eyes.
His hands.
His voice.
His body pressed to mine.
As my gaze drifted back to the bed, I saw it-myself, begging him to touch me, surrendering without hesitation.
I stood frozen, jaw slack, heart racing.
What was I thinking?
I must've lost my mind.
Panic surged through me.
I scrambled to gather my clothes, the room spinning slightly around me.
But just as I grabbed my jeans, I felt it-that pull in the air, the weight of someone's presence behind me.
I turned slowly.
My heart stopped.
He was there.
The man from my memory.
Standing across the room, in nothing but his pants.
His chest bare, water dripping from his dark hair, eyes locked on me with an unreadable expression.
Watching me-silent, steady, intense.
And I couldn't move.
"Ah... hi..." I said, squeezing my eyes shut in embarrassment as my teeth sank into my lower lip.
When I opened them again, I nearly jumped-he was standing close now, his unreadable expression still fixed on me.
We stood there, eyes locked, caught in a silence that screamed louder than any words.
I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole.
I had no idea what was running through his head, and the awkwardness hung between us like a thick fog.
"Uh... about last night..." I stammered, voice shaking. "Last night was..."
"A mistake."
His words cut through me like ice.
"We were both drunk, and we weren't thinking straight. Since it was a mistake, we should treat it as one," he said flatly, his eyes never leaving mine.
Then, just like that, he walked past me toward the wardrobe, leaving me standing in the middle of the room-frozen, stunned, empty.
I don't know how long I stood there.
But when I finally looked up, he was already dressed, a backpack slung over his shoulder.
He gave me one last look.
Our eyes met briefly-something flickered in his gaze, but it disappeared before I could name it.
Then he turned and walked out.
His footsteps echoed in my ears, growing fainter with every second until all that remained was silence.
My legs gave out, and I sank onto the bed, trying to process what the hell had just happened.
That's when I saw it.
A piece of paper on the bed.
I picked it up.
A check.
A check for a million dollars.
My breath caught.
Confused, I stared at it in disbelief.
And then the anger hit me like a storm.
Who the hell did he think he was?
Was this supposed to be payment?
A parting gift?
First, he reminded me how reckless and stupid I'd been-then he left me money?
It made me feel like I was nothing but a whr.
Like I was just some girl a rich guy picked up for the night, used, and discarded.
But maybe that's exactly what I made myself into.
Hot tears blurred my vision as fury surged through me.
I tore the check into pieces, stormed into the bathroom, and flushed every last bit down the toilet.
Then I braced myself against the sink, wiping away the tears that wouldn't stop falling.
I stood there for a moment
, pulling myself together.
Then I walked out of the bathroom, forced myself into my dress, and left the building without looking back.
This didn't happen.
I won't let it define me.
This was just a bad dream-one I needed to erase from my memory, completely and forever.