“You should be careful with Jaxon. He’s got a thing for raven haired, blue-eyed beauties,” Gauge murmurs. “But he has a habit of… breaking the things he likes. If you get my meaning.”
I glower at him.
“It’s a friendly warning,” he says, even though his eyes are sharp and unforgiving, making his smile venomous. “I certainly wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Jaxon would never hurt me. At all. Period. He’s a good man, unlikesome,” I say pointedly while looking Gauge over. “He’s unlearned plenty of the worst things he was taught and works hard to be better every day.”
“Sure,” Gauge laughs. “Of course he does. Clearly, his track record speaks for him.”
“You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. How long has passed since you two had more than a conversation?” I demand, slipping my keys between my fingers just in case he tries something. The elevator comes to a stop. “Jaxon is a wonderful man. He’s good to me in ways you don’t deserve to know about.”
As the doors open, I quickly slip out, but his hand closes around my arm.
“Oh, everyone knows how good he is to you, Hope,” Gauge says and keeps us between the elevator doors. “How he ‘protected you’ from your dad.” He actually uses air quotes. “Oh wait, he joined in, right? He did nothing to stop Daddy fromplayingwith you.”
My blood freezes. Gauge knows what my father did…
He pulls his shirt down and turns his head to the side to show a long, jagged scar across his throat. “Do you like this? I bet you have a scar from him too.”
“Let me go,” I grit and quickly glance at my phone. Fifteen more minutes.
“He gave it to me when I tried to go to the police for you. When I saw Coach Harbaugh grab your ass once. You were so little, so scared, so empty. Knox threatened me. Dimitri backed Knox up, but Jaxon waited until we got home and gave me this. Said if I stuck out my neck for you and went against Coach, he’d take my head.”
It’s a lie. I know it’s a lie. Gauge is fucking with me, which is why there’s no remorse, no sadness, nothing but cruel, sadistic pleasure in his eyes. My panic and horror make him think I believe him, but the pieces are coming together.
“But you didn’t go,” I whisper and rip myself free, stepping into the hallway.
“What?”
“You didn’t go to the police…” No one did.
“Oh, he used to talk about how you were coming on to him. Wearing makeup, trying to go out with boys. Sneaking out in slutty clothes. We all knew where it was going, considering how excited he’d get,” Gauge says. “It was the worst-kept secret. Everyone knew, Hope. Jaxon did this.” He shows his scar again. “And he could have done it to your dad, or your dad’s cock, but he didn’t.”
I just stare at him. That’s not… no. Something’s missing.
“I guess I don’t really need to see my brother. Hopefully, you realize you don’t need him either. Bad things happen to people who don’t know when to let go of terrible people,” he says and steps back. His stare makes me shiver and the elevator doors slowly close.
My hands shake as I peel the keys from between my fingers. With a hasty pace, I walk to our apartment and let myself in.
My heart is pounding in my chest, my lungs burning against my ribs. I pour myself some water and take a seat on the couch. Iwait for the panic to spread but with every sip of cold water, the tension fades.
Jaxon arrives with five minutes left on the timer. But I can’t stop pondering over my moment with Gauge.
My fingers trail over the scars on my chest.
“Sweetheart?” Jaxon calls out.
“Call the guys, please. They need to come home,” I whisper.
DIMITRI
Hope stares straight ahead, like she’s not really in her body when Knox and I arrive. Jaxon’s trying to get her to eat, but she either doesn’t see him or is ignoring him.
“Baby?” I ask, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.
She jumps, starts to push at my hand, then sees me. She leans into me and nuzzles my neck. Knox immediately takes the other side and hugs her. Jaxon sinks down to his knees in front of her and massages her calves.
“What did I miss?” he asks. “I was gone for twenty-five minutes in total.”
