Chapter 4

Every inch of my body craves his touch, just like it's always been. There's something about Jaxon that never fails to make me forget everything.

How angry I am at him. How much on paper we don't work. How we're as different as night and day.

None of it matters when he's near me.

"So there was never another woman? Do you know how much that hurt thinking you met someone else and didn't care about me anymore?"

He nods, frowning as he acknowledges what he did. "I was trying to do something good, for once, Tia. I never wanted to leave you, but things just got too dangerous and I wanted to protect you. That's the God's honest truth."

I want to believe him. I truly do. Nobody in the world has ever made me happier than Jaxon, but if he was trying to keep me safe, why is he here today?"

"Why did you come back? Is it that I'm not in danger anymore? By the way, as much as I love the knight in shining armor thing you were doing, I think it would have been much better if you had given me some clue as to what I should have been worried about. It's not like you were here watching me day and night to make sure I was safe."

Jaxon sighs and sits down on the couch. "I didn't want to upset you."

"Be honest. You didn't want me to be able to say that once again your job is a problem. At least admit that so we can be truthful with one another now."

He gives me a smile and pats the cushion next to him. "Fair enough. I know how you feel about my job. That wasn't it, though. I made sure you were safe by not being around you. If I was with you, then you could be a target to hurt me. But I did check on you."

I sit down next to him and shake my head. "So you got to see me, but I didn't get that little bonus."

"You can't think seeing you without ever being able to touch you or even just be next to you was any kind of bonus. It was killing me to be able to know what's going on in your life without being near you."

As hard as it is, I do believe him. I lean back on the couch and blow the air out of my lungs as I try to wrap my brain around all that's happened tonight.

"So you never had another girlfriend, and I was in danger. Good to know."

He turns to face me. "And I missed you. Don't forget that part because it's important," he says with a sexy smile that makes my stomach do a flip.

"I missed you too," I admit, not afraid to let him know the truth about how I felt these past twelve months. "But if I was in danger and you were keeping me safe, does this visit tonight mean I'm out of danger?"

Jaxon shakes his head as sadness fills his expression. "I wish that was the case, but no. I'm here tonight because you're in even more danger now than last year."

"So the year we spent apart was for nothing?" I ask on the verge of tears at hearing that all the misery I went through could have been avoided.

Gently, he sets his hands on my shoulders and pulls me to him. "No, it was necessary because I was afraid you'd be hurt. The situation has changed, and not for the better, so now the danger is even worse. But don't worry. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you or anyone you love."

His heart races against my cheek as his soft words filter through my brain. He won't let anyone I love get hurt?

Leaning back, I look into his eyes. "What does that mean, no one I love? Is someone I'm close to in danger?"

He answers with a nod as he returns to frowning. "Yeah. Your father."

I shake my head in disbelief. That's not possible. My father is one of the kindest people I know. No one would want to hurt him.

"No. I don't believe that. Why would he be in danger?"

Jaxon sighs like he doesn't want to tell me the truth. "I promise I won't let anyone hurt him, Tia. I swear."

"You still haven't explained why he'd be in danger. You have to be mistaken. My father is a sweet man who goes to work every day, comes home and helps my mother with dinner, and even washes the dishes sometimes. That kind of man doesn't run into the kind of people who could put him in danger."

When Jaxon doesn't say anything, I jump up from the couch shaking my head. "None of this is true, is it? You just made this up so you could explain away leaving me for a year. Just go! Get out of my life and leave me alone!"

I run to my room and slam the door, but before I can lock it and him out, he walks in like he owns the place. "Tia, I didn't make anything up. There was no other woman. I've never stopped loving you. I left because I thought that was the best way to keep you safe, but unfortunately, that isn't the way it worked out. Your father got involved with some guy my uncle was partners with. He owed him some money. My uncle killed the guy, but now he plans to handle the people he was working with like your father. I don't know much more right now, but I drove down here to see you because I was worried. I swear to you all I've said tonight is the truth."

None of this makes sense. My father wouldn't associate with anyone who could put him in danger. What on earth is Jaxon talking about?

"I can't believe this. What is the man's name? What did my father do with him?"

Jaxon shakes his head. "I don't know."

"Well, find out because if you don't, I won't believe you."

Folding my arms across my chest, I sit down hard on the bed. "If you can't answer those questions, then you should just go."

He begins to pace back and forth from one side of my bedroom to the other shaking his head. I've seen him like this before. Jaxon is the kind of man who expects people to believe him when he tells them something, and the fact that I've pretty much just said I don't buy any of this bothers him.

Good. It should. No one should come into someone's life like he has mine tonight and lay all this madness on them. It's not right.

Suddenly, he stops in front of where I'm sitting on the bed and stares down at me with a wildness in his eyes that frightens me. "Michner. Rudolf Michner. That was the guy's name. I don't know what your father was doing with him, but that's his name."

I reach over to my nightstand and grab my phone to call my father. "Fine. I'll ask my father about him, and if he admits to knowing him, then I'll believe you."

My father's phone rings a few times, and I get ready for it to go to voicemail, but then he answers like he always does, so sweet and happy to hear from me. "Tia, honey. What's up?"

"Hi, Dad. I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me. Please, can you promise to do that?" I ask, my heart slamming into my chest because I'm so scared to hear his answer to my question.

"Sure, honey. What's on your mind?"

"Dad, do you know anyone named Rudolf Michner?"

I expect him to answer immediately, but the phone falls silent. Why isn't he answering?

"Did you hear me?" I ask, hoping the phone call simply dropped or went out for a second there.

"Yes, honey. I heard you. Where did you hear that name?" my father asks, avoiding answering my question.

"Please, Dad. Just tell me yes or no. Do you know a man named Rudolf Michner?"

My hand shakes as I hold the phone to my ear and await his answer. Why isn't he simply answering me?

"Yes, I do, honey. He's dead now, though, but I did know him. Why do you ask?" my father answers in a low voice.

"How did you know him?" I ask and look up at Jaxon as he waits to hear what I'm hearing.

"It's a long story, honey. Maybe someday I'll tell you, but not now."

"Yes, now!" I say, practically sobbing. "I need to know, Dad. How did you know that man?"

Again, the phone falls silent, but I don't wonder if the call dropped this time. I know what's happening. I've seen this before when my parents fight. When my father's in the wrong, he hesitates to say what needs to be said.

Finally, he answers, "I had to borrow money off him. After what happened to you, I wanted to take you and your mother on that trip. Do you remember how much fun we had when we went to Spain for those two weeks? Well, I didn't have the money to pay for all of it, so I borrowed some. It's okay, though, because I paid it all back."

My heart sinks as I listen to his explanation. He needed that money because of me and what I was going through. He's in trouble because of me.

"Okay, Dad," I say with so much sadness it practically drips off every word. "Thank you for being honest. I have to go now. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Are you feeling sick or something, honey? You don't sound right tonight."

"I'm fine. I'll talk to you later."

My heart feels like it's going to break after hearing the answer I dreaded. Setting my phone back on the nightstand, I lie back on to the bed as I try not to cry.

"What did he say?" Jaxon asks, but I turn my back to him.

When I don't answer, he climbs onto the bed and wraps his arms around me. "It's going to be okay, Tia. I promise I'm going to take care of it."

Something about the way he says that makes me want to scream. I turn in his hold and stare into his dark eyes as rage fills me.

"My father had to borrow money to take my family on a trip. And do you know why he felt like he wanted to take my mother and me on a damn trip, Jaxon? Because I was a fucking mess after that week you kept me out at that house. My father is in trouble because of you, and now you say you're going to take care of it? Why don't you just leave me alone? Just go and let me and my family live in peace."

He stares at me in horror for a few moments but says nothing. Fine. I doubt he'd be able to say anything that I'd want to hear anyway.

Rolling over, I turn my back to him again and say in a low voice into the pillow, "Leave, Jaxon. You've done enough damage."

I don't know how long he stays with me, but at some point, I feel the mattress dip and then he leaves without another word. Maybe it's unfair to blame everything on him. I don't know.

All I know is I thought I was getting over him, and now I'm a mess again after seeing him.