Chapter 40 My brother's burden
Sage's POV
I cornered Jaxon the next morning before he could disappear into his office for a million and one meetings.
"We need to talk."
He looked up from the coffee he was pouring. "About what?"
"About why you were going through Dad's phone records in the middle of the night."
His face went through several emotions in quick succession. Surprise that I knew about it. Anger that someone told me. Then resignation, like he'd been expecting this conversation eventually.
"Who told you?"
"Does it matter?"
He put down the coffee pot harder than necessary. "I was looking for clues. I was trying to piece together Dad's last days and figure out who he met with and why."
"In the middle of the night? Alone? Without telling anyone what you were doing?"
"I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up until I found something concrete."
"Or you didn't want anyone to know what you were looking for." I crossed my arms. "What are you hiding, Jax?"
"I'm not hiding anything. I'm trying to find out who killed our father." His voice was raw, almost desperate. "I need to know who did this. I need to understand what happened."
But something in his tone felt off. He sounded less like a son seeking justice and more like someone carrying a terrible secret.
"Why didn't you know about the marriage contract?" I pressed. "If you and Dad were so close, if he told you everything about club business, why would he hide something that big?"
Jaxon's expression changed. He looked away and I saw pain flash across his face.
"Dad kept a lot of things from me. Especially near the end." He gripped the counter. "We fought about club direction and about his decisions. He said I was too soft, that I didn't understand what it took to keep everyone safe."
"What did he mean?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't explain. He just kept making these decisions without consulting me, like I was still some prospect instead of his VP." Jaxon's voice sounded annoyed. "Maybe he was right. Maybe I am too soft. Maybe that's why I can't figure out who killed him."
The vulnerability in my brother's voice softened my suspicion. I hardly ever saw him like this, so lost and uncertain. The Jaxon I knew was confident, commanding and always in control.
"You're doing everything you can," I said quietly.
"It's not enough."
We didn't talk about it again the rest of the day. Jaxon went to his office to handle club business and I went back to reviewing the vendor contracts and looking for more hidden shell corporations or suspicious payments.
But that night, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the look on Jaxon's face when he talked about Dad keeping secrets from him. About the guilt and pain I saw on his face.
I got up for water around midnight and heard voices coming from my dad's office. One of them was Jaxon. He was inside the same office he had forbidden me from entering.
I moved quietly down the hall and stopped just outside the door. It was cracked open enough that I could hear everything.
"I don't care what it takes," Jaxon said, his voice low and urgent. "Find out what the PI knows before he reports back. I need to see it first."
There was silence while whoever he was talking to responded.
"And make sure those phone records stay buried," Jaxon continued. "Nobody can know what was in them. Especially not Sage. Nobody must find out. Do you understand?"
More silence.
"Good. Call me when it's done."
I heard him moving in the office and I tried stepping back into the shadows. But I wasn't fast enough.
The office door opened fully and Jaxon stepped out. He froze when he saw me standing there.
"Sage." His face went pale. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough." I stepped forward right into his face. "Who were you talking to?"
"Nobody. Just club business."
"Jax, I heard what you said. You're trying to hide what a private investigator found. You're burying phone records." My voice shook. "What are you covering up?"
"I'm not covering anything up. I'm protecting the family."
"From what?"
"From the truth." The words came out harsh and broken. "From things you don't need to know."
"Things about Dad's murder?"
He didn't answer. He just looked at me with so much guilt in his eyes that I felt confused.
"Oh my god." I backed away from him. "You know something. You know who killed him or why it happened, and you're hiding it."
"Sage, it's not that simple."
"Then explain it to me. Make me understand why you're lying to everyone who's trying to find out what happened."
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"Both." Jaxon's hands clenched into fists. "There are things about Dad's business, about the choices he made, that are better left buried. Trust me on this."
"How can I trust you when you're actively hiding evidence?"
"Because I'm trying to protect you!" His voice rose. "Everything I'm doing, every secret I'm keeping, it's to keep you safe from the same things that got Dad killed."
"I don't want to be protected. I want the truth."
"The truth will destroy you." Jaxon's eyes were desperate now. "It'll destroy all of us. So please, just let this go. Stop digging, stop asking questions, and let me handle it."
"I can't do that."
"Then I can't help you."
He walked past me down the hall, his shoulders heavy with whatever burden he was carrying. I stood there in the darkness trying to process what just happened.
He knew something, something big enough that he was willing to obstruct the investigation he himself had ordered.
The guilt in his eyes confirmed it. And whatever it was, it was big enough to tear the two of us apart.