Chapter 64 Stepping into a tiger’s lair
JAXON’S POV
He hadn't laid emphasis on his last word, but my brain stressed it.
Because I knew clearly that it wasn't an act of mercy but came from a desire to possess, it was an attempt of his to reclaim what he believed to be his.
Nancy wasn't his, she belonged to....
I paused on that thought for about a minute.
She belonged to no one and was a person, not an object anyone could possess or own, not even me.
That thought settled in my chest, but it wasn't heavy.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I said, more to myself than to Orion.
Orion’s gaze flickered briefly, but he didn’t comment on that.
Instead, he added, "That's not all."
My gaze flicked back to him, "What else?"
I had no idea what about my look startled him, but he seemed to lean backwards, and his eyes flickered again, but this time, he seemed more nervous.
He cleared his throat then continued, "Sources also say that Mr Hudson has connections..."
"It couldn't possibly be..." Orion didn't let me finish.
"It's not the kind of connection you think, Boss, he has really strong ones."
My eyes narrowed slightly, "How strong could it possibly be?"
My mind was already drawing and coming up with different possibilities that fit into what Orion had described, but nothing I came up with counted as 'strong' to me.
“Stronger than we accounted for,” Orion clarified, and for a moment, that made me pause.
Stronger than we accounted for? It couldn't possibly be...
Orion held my gaze then explained carefully, "Mr Hudson seems to be one of the people blocking entry into New Jersey.
Silence.
It settled into the room like an invisible fog, until even the slightest movement seemed too loud.
A simple breath felt like the loud ring of a bell, and it was laced with tension that hung in the air.
I wasn't sure if that was happening because of me, but something told me it was. The expression on Orion's face suggested so.
For a fact, I could tell that my expression had not changed, but I did feel the switch in my emotions.
Slowly, I leaned back against the wall next to my desk, exhaling.
“So,” I said quietly, “If I didn't mishear you, this just became business.”
Orion inclined his head slightly. “Yes, Boss.”
"I'm not sure yet, but I think Hudson might be a part of those people, and even if he isn't, he's surely connected to them."
Slowly, my lips curled into a faint smile that held absolutely no traces of humor in it, and I let out an even unamused chuckle, "Interesting."
This matter had become twisted and interwoven with another, spreading its wings until it wasn't just about Nancy.
It wasn't just about a man chasing after a woman he believed he had ample right to possess. It encompassed something else, and even if it didn't, it wasn't to be taken lightly.
Power, territory, and authority had now fallen in love, three things men would fight to the death for, and Hudson...
He had just placed himself directly in my path, none the wiser, like a mantis stalking the cicada, blind to the hunter that had already marked it.
"Is there anything else?" I asked a short while later.
Orion shook his head. “No, boss, that will be all for now.”
"Okay."
My voice echoed in the room.
For now meant that there was more yet to come, even more unexpected situations that I wasn't a stranger to.
I pushed off the wall and walked around my desk, then past him, heading toward the open window on my right, looking out of it to the city that stretched endlessly before my eyes.
Florida was a very deceptive city, always calm on the surface, but underground, it was a whole lot of mess.
For a long while, I stared out the window, then gave my order.
"Nancy is under my roof, and that makes her my responsibility. I have a duty to look after her, but more than that, it is my obligation to make sure she remains unharmed."
I couldn't see Orion since he was far behind me, but his voice rose with reverence, "Yes, boss."
There was no need for me to say more; he had gotten the meaning behind my words already.
Having been my right-hand man for many long years, not much needed to be spoken aloud between us.
"Boss," his voice rose again a while later, "Do you want us to move her to someplace safer?"
"I think it'll be best to have her in a place where there are fewer eyes watching.
I considered for a second, then shook my head.
Nancy wasn't a bird that could be caged; she was a phoenix, destined to always break free. I could imagine what being locked up in supposedly safe locations would do to her.
“No, I'll keep an eye on her."
"If he wants to find her,” I said slowly, “he’ll have to get through me.”
A beat, then another, and then I added, "...To do that, he will have to be prepared to lay his life down.
Orion nodded once. "Got it, boss.”
I turned around slightly, then glanced over my shoulder at him before quietly instructing, "Double the security without alarming her and make sure Diana doesn't find out too."
"Understood, boss," Orion dipped his head slightly, then made to move when I stopped him.
"Orion..."
"Yes, Boss..." He paused, waiting for me to speak.
“If anyone gets close…” I let the sentence hang for a fraction of a second before finishing it plainly, “they don’t leave.”
I spat those words out without hesitation, making sure he knew the implication behind it before turning around.
His response came about a quarter of a second later, "Understood."
Soon enough, I heard his footsteps departing from the room, and then the soft click of the door
Silence resumed once more, but this time, it was heavy and thick.
A single sentence rose in my mind- 'Hudson had stepped foot into a tiger's lair.’