Chapter 70 Old
JAXON’S POV
My jaw clenched after she spoke. I knew that look of hers; it was a look I had seen women wear, women who had been stripped and denied their freedom.
I had also seen men like Hudson my entire life, too, men who weren’t just possessive but also predatory.
“I just…” Nancy paused, then swallowed thickly, “I just didn’t want that to be my life, and I didn’t want to be tied to a man like him forever.”
What kind of man do you want to be tied to?
I almost asked that question, almost, but I stopped myself just in time.
Despite that, my mind betrayed me.
She probably wanted a younger man at the very least. I guess that was why she had only agreed to this kind of relationship with me, because she wanted nothing more from me.
My hands curled even tighter.
I didn’t like that thought one bit, but my mind seemed intent on punishing me.
Before my mind could run even wilder, I evicted that thought.
It didn’t matter how she felt about me. From the start, we were never supposed to be anything more.
Frankly, we made a mistake that should never have happened.
I straightened slightly then forced my expression back into a neutral one.
“You did the right thing.”
I didn’t say it, but I was impressed that she had been able to make such a difficult decision, leaving all that she knew behind to start a new life somewhere else.
It solidified my belief that she wasn’t a weak woman.
She, however, must have thought differently because she lifted her head, looking at me with uncertainty written in her gaze, “Did I?”
It somehow also felt like she had been waiting for someone to say that all along.
“Yes,” I responded, voice devoid of the uncertainty that hers held.
Her eyes lit up briefly.
I went on. “Running away from something like that isn’t weakness, it’s survival. You were protecting yourself.”
She stared at me for a moment longer and then nodded slowly. Her shoulders relaxed significantly, too.
A couple of minutes later, she said, “I know you are older and all that, but how do you know all of these things? “
“You sound like you’ve been through a lot that normal people haven’t.”
My eyes narrowed briefly. She wasn’t wrong.
I really wasn’t a normal person like every other person, I was a man who was a part of a danger-ridden world, a world where spilling blood was considered more normal than taking a dump.
My mind trailed, and I began to wonder what she would think if she ever found out about the whole other life I had hidden away.
“Maybe,” I muttered.
Her face scrunched, like she had expected me to say more.
I didn’t; I stepped closer to her instead, distracted by a stray hair that had slipped from her bun to fall over her face.
Led by impulse, I reached out and pushed it back, tucking it behind her ears.
She stiffened, then stared searching at my face for a second before taking a step back away from me. I felt a little bit of disappointment, but I didn’t show it and just took a step back as well, putting more space between us.
My hands dropped by my side, and I fisted them again, then gave a soft exhale, “Don’t worry, he won’t get to you.”
Her breath hitched slightly. I gazed at her, “You are safe here.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
I really hoped she understood that.
With every resource I could expend, I would make sure to do that. I wanted her mind to be at peace, and I couldn’t even explain to myself why I felt the need to ensure that.
Something in her expression changed. I couldn’t tell what it was, but her eyes softened.
She gave me a soft, barely noticeable smile, “Okay.”
She believed me.
That trust…
It settled heavily in my chest. She had no idea what it actually meant or what I was capable of doing to keep that promise to her. Neither did she know what I had already started for her sake.
I held her gaze for a second longer than I should have, then stepped backwards, creating even more distance than I felt was necessary.
“You should get some rest,” I said.
She nodded, but her gaze didn't lift. It made me think she wanted to say something else, but didn’t.
Good.
Whatever it was, I didn’t want to hear it.
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the door of my room, letting my hand pause on the handle for a fraction of a second.
Then, I opened it and went in, closing it quietly behind me.
The moment I stepped into my room, the air felt colder. I exhaled slowly and dragged a hand over my face.
Old.
The word came back again, unwelcome and persistent.
I let out a dry chuckle under my breath, disbelieving the fact that I was still hung up on that word.
“Ridiculous.” I chuckled more than stopped abruptly.
Pushing the thought aside, my expression hardened again.
Back to what mattered.
Hudson.
And whoever thought they could make a move on me. They had just made a very expensive mistake.
My gaze darkened as I stepped into my bathroom. I peeled off my clothes and then turned on the shower.
The cold water ran down my head, soothing my nerves and cooling my head.
I didn’t step out of the shower for a long time, and when I did, it was because of the ring of my phone that cut through the sound of the water running from the shower.
Drying my hands, I ruffled another towel over my head quickly, then stepped out and picked my phone up from my bed, where I dropped it.
“Hello?” I said into the receiver after picking it up.
“Boss, the Bold groove has been contacted. Should we proceed?”
I paused for a second, then muttered, “Proceed.”