Page 31 of Light in Your Eyes
"Listen to me," he cuts me off. "I don't care about the money. You don't even have to return it should anything happen before the contract ends."
Jaxon sounds pissed, and it makes me think twice before crossing him again.
"My brother has been in agony since he lost his eyesight," Jaxon says. "And the surrounding environment—that fucking house—is not good enough for him to heal. There are only a few people I can trust there, and they cannot give him the help that I want."
I listen intently, sensing that what he's about to say is going to be important.
"Kellan is constantly angry with everything, but mostly with what happened to him. I don't think that he'll ever accept the fact that he's blind," Jaxon says heartbreakingly, I can almost feel the pain myself. "He's angry that he can't be normal. He thinks that he's incapable, which is far from the truth. I always knew that he had a protective nature since he was a kid, so I taught him martial arts. It helped him a lot. He learned so hard. I taught him, and I taught him, until he became even better than I was."
Jaxon sounds like he's speaking through gritted teeth, like it hurts him to the core that his brother is suffering.
"Right now, he can fight better than me, and I can't be prouder of that. But it's not enough."
I swallow, waiting for him to say more.
"He doesn't let go of the grudge inside him, and he always thinks less of himself. Waiting for him to fall apart is like a ticking time bomb. I don't want to lose my brother," he emphasizes every word of the last sentence.
I hear the sound of a gunshot from the other side of the line, and my heart almost stops. Shouts are ringing, and someone tells Jaxon to leave the place.
"Shit," Jaxon curses in a low voice.
It sounds like chaos over there. People are screaming. Someone is crying. More gunshot sounds are heard.
"I have to go," Jaxon says. "Please stay with Kellan. Help him see that he's not the person he thinks he is. You have a family who went through a similar experience, and you fucking know how I feel. Just bring his light back. Bring my brother back." Another curse, and just like that, the call abruptly ends.
My heart is racing, and I realize that I've been panting. I don't know what is happening with Jaxon right now, but I hope that he makes it out alive. He's the only one who can help me out of this place.
While I'm trying to compose myself, I ball my fist tightly. I can't back down now. I have a family that I have to return to, so I'm going to nail this job, whatever happens.
Because Jaxon Romero doesn't want me to give up on his brother.
Chapter 12
Layla
Thankfully, the call with Nana and Archer went smoothly. I just wanted to let them know that I was doing okay and to make sure that they were doing all right without me. In their minds, I was studying at Texas Tech University, and luckily, I could answer their questions about my living flat, my studies, and my roommate without having to make it suspicious.
I transferred a portion of the money that I got from Jaxon to them. I lied to them, telling them that it was excess money from the loan added to my salary from my previous part-time job. What they didn't know yet was that I was going to transfer more money.
A knock on the door echoes, and I get off the bed. I walk toward the door and open it. A big smile spreads across my face when I see Zoe again.
Just like before, she writes on her notes to speak to me.
I’m going to bring you to my place so that you can meet my father. He will tell you moreabout Black Wings.
I nod, agreeing with her. I need to know more about Black Wings and this place. I also want to know more about Jaxon and his mission in Italy.
I step out of Kellan’s room. Zoe takes my hand, and she leads the way. We walk down the hallway toward the basement.
It's not the same basement where they have the boxing ring, so I guess that it's the one where Zoe and her father live.
She pushes the door open, and I'm greeted by a tattoo studio.
I travel my eyes around with awe. The room is dimly lit, but I can clearly see how artistic it is. The walls are lined with dark paintings, and most of the furniture is dark wood. But strangely, it still feels comfortable enough for a living space. It even feels cozy.
I see two doors leading to different bedrooms and another door that I guess would lead to the bathroom. Just when I land my gaze on it, someone opens it from the other side.
I watch as a tall and broad-shouldered middle-aged man walks to us with a big smile on his face.
