Page 66 of Risky Passion

Both men crashed to the ground in a violent tangle.

The gun was trapped between them. I couldn’t tell who had control. I couldn’t breathe.

Jaxson yanked Eddie’s arm so hard it cracked.

Eddie howled.

The gun fired.

Both men slumped to the ground. Eddie on top of Jaxson.

“No. No, no, no!” Clutching the rock, I rushed to their side. “Jaxson!” I dropped to my knees. “Oh God. Please, no. Jaxson!”

He released a faint groan, and it shattered the terror gripping me in place. “Oh, thank God.”

Jaxson’s face was pale as he gasped for breath.

I tossed the rock and shoved Eddie’s limp body off Jaxson, dragging him a few inches away.

Groaning, Jaxson sat up, resting his back against the car’s rear door.

Onyx snarled, still tearing at Eddie’s leg.

“Onyx, release,” Jaxson rasped. “Down girl.”

She backed up, tongue lolling like she expected praise.

“Jaxson,” I choked. Tears pooled in my eyes as I raced to him and threw my good arm around him. “Thank God you’re okay.”

He pulled me into his chest. I leaned into him, and his heart pounded like a drum.

As we clung to each other, gasping and shaking, Onyx edged closer, nudging Jaxson’s arm.

“It’s okay, girl. I’m okay.” He rustled the fur between her ears.

Jaxson glided his hand over my hair, threading his fingers through it like he was fascinated. “I knew you wouldn’t run,” he murmured.

A sob-laugh tore from me as I gripped his shirt tighter as though letting go might shatter me. “Bloody hell. I thought—” My voice cracked, and I eased back just enough to meet his eyes, my vision blurred with tears. “I thought he shot you. I thought . . . I thought . . .”

“Hey,” he said softly, brushing a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “I’m okay. Are you?”

His tenderness pierced through the chaos, making it almost impossible to focus on anything but the warmth in his eyes. My arm throbbed with a fiery pain that made it hard to breathe, but I couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not yet. We were still trying to process the fact that a cop tried to kill us.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a nod, easing back slightly. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

His gaze dropped to Eddie’s crumpled body on the ground, and his jaw tightened. Jaxson winced as he shifted upright, his movements slow and stiff. With a sharp motion, he kicked Eddie’s shoulder, and his heel connected with a dull thud. “Fucking hell, Eddie,” he growled. “I can’t believe you did this.”

Jaxson’s expression twisted in a tangle of rage and grief. “We’ve known each other for years.”

I shook my head, my brain struggling to process what happened. “Why did he want to kill us?”

“Fucked if I know.” Jaxson dragged a hand down his face.

Fighting my swirling emotions, I eased back from Jaxson and tried to stand. But the adrenaline that had kept me upright suddenly drained away, and my legs wobbled.

"Whoa, easy." Jaxson grabbed the car door, hauling himself upright with a grimace. As he reached for me, his eyes locked onto my bloody sleeve. "Jesus! You're bleeding."

"It's fine," I said quickly, though the burning sting screamed otherwise.

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