Chapter 5 CHA

"I didn't think you had the stomach to wander into a lion's den alone, little thief."

The voice was a serrated blade scraping against my spine. I froze, my fingers hovering a mere inch over the glowing console of the private server. My heart slammed against my ribs, a frantic, trapped bird desperate for air. A cold sweat broke out across my brow, a slick sheen that made the shadows of Jaxson's inner sanctum feel even heavier.

"I'm just looking for the bathroom, Silas," I whispered.

I forced myself to turn slowly. Silas, Jaxson's Enforcer, stood in the doorway-a mountain of scarred leather and cold intent. The air in the room was thick, tasting of ozone and the metallic tang of high-end hardware. My palms were damp, the silk of my dress clinging to my skin as if trying to restrain me.

"The bathroom is two hallways back," Silas growled.

He stepped into the room, his heavy boots thudding against the polished floor. Each step echoed in the silence, a rhythmic countdown to my ruin. My stomach twisted into a sharp, acidic knot. Silas was close enough now that I could smell the stale tobacco and grease on his jacket. He lunged, and I ducked, my heart leaping into my throat. The wind from his movement whistled past my ear. I scrambled back, my breath coming in short, jagged gasps. I felt like a cornered animal, my pulse thrumming in my neck with a violent, visible rhythm.

"Stay still," Silas hissed. He grabbed my arm, his fingers like iron bands. I cried out as a white-hot flash of pain radiated from my wrist to my shoulder. My vision swam, dark spots dancing in the dim light of the server racks.

"Let go of her, Silas."

The voice didn't come from the door. It came from the shadows behind the desk.

Jaxson stepped into the light. He looked like a storm given human form. His eyes were obsidian fire, burning with a cold, terrifying intensity. The silver scar on his eyebrow was a jagged line of defiance against his tanned skin. The air in the room shifted instantly, the pressure rising until I felt the weight of his presence like a physical blow.

"Boss," Silas said, his grip loosening. "She was at the console. She's a rat."

"I know what she is," Jaxson said. He moved with the grace of a panther, silent and absolute. He didn't look at Silas; he looked at me. The weight of his gaze pinned me in place more effectively than any hand. I felt a wave of heat wash over me, a flush that had nothing to do with fear.

"Get out," Jaxson commanded.

"But Boss-"

"Out."

Silas backed away, his heavy boots fading into the distance. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the hum of the servers and the frantic, uneven rhythm of my own breathing. Jaxson walked toward me. Each step felt like a hammer blow to my resolve. I backed up until the edge of the mahogany desk bit into the small of my back. My heart was a drum, filling the cavern of my chest.

"Are you looking for the files, or are you looking for me?" he asked.

His voice was a low, gravelly vibration that settled deep in my bones. He placed his hands on the desk on either side of my hips, trapping me. The heat radiating from his chest was overwhelming, a wall of fire that made my skin prickle.

"I was just-"

"Don't lie to me again, Elena," he whispered. He leaned in, his face inches from mine. I could see the fine lines of fatigue around his eyes, the slight stubble on his jaw. The scent of him-bourbon, cold air, and that dangerous spice-hit me like a narcotic. My head spun, a dizzying mix of terror and a hunger so sharp it felt like a knife wound.

"I need to know what's on those servers, Jaxson," I breathed.

"You need to know if I'm the man you think I am," he countered. He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw with a touch that was almost tender, yet agonizingly firm. My skin buzzed where he touched me, a trail of electricity igniting every nerve ending.

"I know exactly who you are," I said, a desperate edge of defiance in my voice. "You're a man who keeps secrets. A man who lets his son grow up in shadows."

Jaxson's eyes darkened. His jaw tightened, the muscle jumping with a rhythmic, controlled anger. I felt the pressure of his body against mine, the hard line of his chest pressing against me. My heart was a frantic, bruised thing.

"And you're the woman who thinks she can walk into my life, steal my secrets, and leave without paying the price," he growled.

"I've paid the price for five years, Jaxson!" The outburst was a raw, jagged thing. My throat felt like it was closing, my eyes stinging. I felt the weight of every night spent wondering if he was looking for me.

"You think I didn't pay?" he hissed. He grabbed my waist, his large, calloused hands squeezing until I gasped. The air left my lungs in a rush. I looked up at him, and for a second, the mask of the CEO cracked. I saw the hollow, aching loss in his eyes.

"You had everything," I whispered.

"I had nothing," he replied. "Until you came back."

The silence between us was a living thing. I could hear the rhythmic ticking of the clock, the sound of the wind howling outside. My heart was beating in sync with his now, a heavy, desperate tempo.

"Jaxson..."

"Shut up, Elena."

He crashed his mouth against mine. It wasn't a kiss of love; it was a kiss of rage, of five years of silence, and of a betrayal that had never healed. It tasted of fire and desperation. My head snapped back against the desk, a sharp jolt of pain drowned out by the overwhelming sensation of him. I didn't push him away. My hands flew to his shoulders, my fingers digging into his leather vest. I was drowning in him, and for the first time, I didn't want to swim to the surface.

Every nerve ending was screaming. The scratch of his stubble, the pressure of his tongue-it was a sensory overload. I felt the small, cold weight of the wire-tap hidden in my necklace. It was transmitting every gasp, every ragged breath, directly to Thorne. The realization hit me like ice water, but the hunger in Jaxson's kiss was a wildfire.

He pulled back just an inch, his eyes wild. "Tell me you don't feel it," he commanded. "Tell me you don't want to burn with me."

"I hate you," I whispered, the words a lie that broke in my throat.

"I know," he said, a dark, triumphant growl. He moved his mouth to my neck, his teeth grazing the pulse point. I let out a low, broken sound. I felt a sudden vibration in the small of my back. My burner phone. A message from Thorne: I hear everything, Elena. Now, get the codes.

I looked up at Jaxson, my vision blurred. He was looking at me with a sudden, sharp suspicion.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice returning to a predatory edge.

"Nothing," I lied.

He pulled away, the loss of his heat a physical blow. He watched me with a gaze that felt like it was stripping away my skin. "You're a terrible liar, Elena," he said. He pulled out a small device-a frequency jammer. It flared to life with a jagged, rhythmic line pulsing with every sound. "It just picked up a transmission from your necklace. Who's on the other end, Elena? Who are you selling me to this time?"

I couldn't speak. I backed away, trapped against the desk. Then, the baby monitor crackled to life.

"Mama?" Leo's voice was small, filled with terror. "Mama, there's someone in my room!" The sound of a door being kicked open echoed, followed by a muffled shout and a struggle.

Jaxson didn't hesitate. He grabbed the brass lamp and smashed the server console, a shower of sparks illuminating the room in flickering blue.

"Leo!" I screamed.

Jaxson grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it would leave a bruise. "The transmission," he hissed. "They used it to bypass the security grid." He shoved a silver key into my hand. "Go to the basement. There's a tunnel. Don't stop until you reach the river."

"What about you? What about Leo?"

Jaxson reached for the combat knife in his boot. "I'm going to finish what you started."

As he turned to run, my phone buzzed one last time: Thanks for the access, Elena. The boy is with us now. If you want him back, bring me Jaxson's head.