Jax (A Neveah Short Story) (4 page)

“Oh, I've done many things to her. I've
taught her how to behave. As to her whereabouts, I don't see how
that's any of your business. We will be announcing our engagement
tonight, so you see, I can't have you in the way. She may have
doubts about me if you're still around. No, she can't have doubts.
That's why I came here James. Not for this friendly talk, which has
been wonderful, but I really must be going so let's get on with
this,” Jax said before offering a wide smile that showed the red
fluid swimming around in his mouth, covering his white teeth.

James lunged first, swinging wildly, trying
to do as much damage as possible with his fists. Jax let the man
have his fun for a little while. It was amusing to see the triumph
he wore when he looked at Jax, bloody and spread out on the floor.
He let his guard down thinking he'd beaten Jax. He was wrong.

Jax flew up from the floor and landed a jab
on James' face, and both men could hear his bones crush. Jax
reveled in the fear the brave James now showed. Finally, the idiot
saw what he was dealing with. Jax was not just a regular man. No,
he was a force. He continued the beating until James looked
defeated, ready to give up. Then he began the torture.

James was bruised, broken, and bloody but
those wounds would heal. His body would recover, and he would go
on. Jax couldn't have that. He also couldn't have James just
walking around Neveah, waiting for Annika. He lifted James'
lifeless body into a chair and slapped him repeatedly until he
regained consciousness. “Wake up you fool,” he taunted and when
James' eyes fluttered open Jax leaned in real close to him. “Are
you awake, James, really awake? I need you fully aware of the words
I'm about to tell you. If you so much as move a muscle I will kill
you. Is that clear?” James allowed his head to fall forward before
using all of his strength to pull it back up in response.

“I'm going to tell you what I did to Annika
but remember I did it because I love her and knowing your hands and
your dick touched her made me ill. I couldn't control myself. You
tainted her, dirtied her. I was supposed to be her first and only
and you took that away from us, from me. She had to be punished. I
had to make her understand that she is mine, her body is mine.” He
paused, making sure his one man audience was listening,
understanding.

“So I took her to my place in The Dark Forest
and I showed her that only my body will ever connect with her body.
I hurt her, my friend. I hit her. I pinched her nipples and I bit
her until she bled. I pounded into her until her weak body could
take no more and she fell into unconsciousness. When she wakes she
will see my note telling her of your death at my hands. She will be
angry, sure, but she will not cross me. I've taught her it's best
not to cross me.” He paused again and was pleased to see the horror
in James' eyes.

“You're a sick man, Jax. How could you hurt
her like that? You say you love her but you.” He couldn't say the
words. Jax saw the disgust in the man's eyes. He saw James' throat
move as he swallowed hard, trying to find the words. “You will pay
for this. I will make you pay,” was all he could manage.

“No, you will go away. This is the deal. I
promise not to kill you as long as you disappear. Never contact
Annie again. She will believe you are dead as will your family and
friends. If you try to cross me I will kill her and not think twice
about it. Is that clear? It's not you I will kill, well maybe I
will, but it will be Annika first. You'll have to feel the pain I
felt when I heard of your trespassing in my territory. Don't cross
me you foolish man. You have until sun fall to be away from
Neveah.”

“I can't leave her here Jax. I love her and I
will not let you hurt her. I can't leave her here with you. Kill me
if you must but I'm not leaving Annika,” James responded before
spitting bloodied spit at Jax.

“Well, killing you is tempting but I can't.
Not yet. If I can't convince you maybe Annika can.” Jax laughed as
James' eyes flew wide open. Jax undid the rope around his waist,
using it to tie James to the chair, thankful that he was still too
beaten and weak to put up a fight.

“You wait here dear friend. I'll bring Annika
to you and the two of you can say your goodbyes. See, isn't that
kind of me? I'm not all bad. Now you wait here.”

He was almost to the door when he heard James
whisper, “I'll go.” Jax turned toward the beaten man, a smile
spread across his face. He felt a surge of pride at the blood
splattered around the room that was his handiwork. He approached
James slowly, pleased with the defeat the man wore so clearly.

“What was that dear friend? I didn't hear
you,” Jax taunted, holding his hand to his ear.

“I'll go, just leave Annika alone. Don't hurt
her please. I'll go and never come back but you have to promise me
that you will never hurt her.” James choked on his last words, and
Jax thought he heard a sob break through. What a stupid, weak man,
Jax thought. To be able to walk away from Annika so easily, without
a real fight. Sure, Jax beat him bloody but wasn't she worth more?
Wasn't Annika Levannah worth fighting to the death for? In that
moment, Jax convinced himself that he was doing right by Annika.
Her pathetic little man wouldn't even stand and fight for her.

He shrugged away his thoughts, happy that
James agreed to go without actually having to kill him. Yes, Jax
had always known deep down inside he was rotten, evil, it wasn't
until he listened to Annika talk about James Mender that the
fragile string holding back that evil snapped, allowing it flow
through every vein in his body. It was consuming, freeing but still
raw. He wasn't sure he was ready to murder yet. Some day, just not
yet.

He untied the rope holding James in place and
bowed before the man. “You are free to go and never come back. It
has been a pleasure James.” He leaned in close enough to smell the
blood that adorned the fair skinned pussy. “If you even think about
her I will know my friend and I will hunt you down and stop your
beating heart. Don't cross me. Are we clear?”

James shook his head. “Yes, we are clear. I
leave Neveah and never contact Annika again and you agree to never
lay a hand on her because if you do I will know and it will be my
hands that stop your beating heart. Clear?”

Jax laughed wildly again. This guy was either
braver than Jax thought or an idiot, but he had to respect that
little bit of fight he had left in him.

“Nightfall my friend,” Jax said before
straightening and patting James on his shoulder, causing him to
wince in pain. He left the broken man behind, sure he would be far
away from Neveah as promised. Jax walked with a new sense of
authority. He was going to get the girl, his girl. He whistled a
sad tune as he walked in the direction of home and found it ironic,
the sad deathly tune actually made him happy.

Later that night he and his parents joined
Annika and her family at their home. Jax was ready to announce
Annika and his engagement. He had washed the blood from his hands,
literally and found it easy to dismiss and even forget what he had
done not only to James but to Annika. His reasons were founded, he
told himself. Annika had to be put in her place, made to understand
and James, well he was useless and Neveah would be better off
without him.

Jax noticed Adair Levannah in the corner. He
wore a look of worry on his face, and Jax couldn't help but wonder
why. This night was going to be perfect. The Levannah manor was
decorated beautifully, and all of their family and friends were in
attendance. The night couldn't be more perfect, well it would be
when Annika finally arrived and agreed to be his forever, but he
was a patient man. He was sure she was taking her time getting
ready, after all she knew what the night was for, and she'd want to
look her best. However, he couldn't help the nagging feeling that
something was wrong, and her father's face didn't help to calm Jax
down.

He joined the older man in the corner of the
Great Room and asked, “Is everything alright, you look troubled
sir?” Jax laid the concern on thick. He was so charming when he
needed to be and the Levannah family loved Jax as their own. Lord
Levannah laughed nervously, his eyes darting around the room.
“Nothing to concern yourself with son. This is a big night for you
and my daughter. Memorable.”

“Yes, sir it will be memorable.”

“You will take good care of my little girl,
won't you Jax?” Adair said, and Jax thought he may have heard a
slight accusatory tone in his voice. Jax pushed the thought away.
There is no way the old man knew what he's done to Annika, unless
she told him. Suddenly, Jax felt nervous and he didn't like feeling
nervous. The man's ice blue eyes bore into him, and Jax visibly
shivered. Adair Levannah may be the only man alive that intimidated
Jax.

“Of course I will. I love her, you know
that.” The old man just shook his head and looked away, the look of
worry still there.

“Um, where is Annika?” Jax asked but
something deep inside him told him something was terribly wrong.
Had he killed her? She was breathing when he left her. She had been
alive. No, he still felt her inside of him. If she were dead he
would know it. Where the hell was she? He turned to go look for her
when he saw her brother, Denali coming at him.

Denali's usually gentle and kind face was
twisted and angry. His soft blue eyes were hard and focused on Jax.
“Hey Denali,” Jax tried, his smile in place and his hand
outstretched. Instead of taking his hand though, Denali pulled back
before rushing forward, his fist pounding into Jax's face.

“Where is she Jax? Where's Annika? Where's my
sister?” He screamed as the two manor guards, Renny and Diallo
pulled him away from Jax.

“What are you talking about Denali? She's
supposed to be here. I've been waiting for her,” Jax replied trying
his best to sound naïve to what Denali was saying. How did he know?
Did she tell him? She couldn't have. Jax was sure he wouldn't be
standing there talking about her if she had. No, Denali didn't know
the half of what had happened with Annika, but the look on his face
told Jax that he would figure it out before long. Where the hell
was Annika?

“You're a liar! You did something to her.
What did you do to my sister, Jax?” Denali struggled against the
men holding him though judging by their expressions Jax guessed
they were as willing to kill him as Denali was. Of course, everyone
loved Annika.

“What are you talking about son? Why would
Jax know where your sister is?” Lord Levannah said, trying to calm
his son and convince himself that his own fears were not real.

“Did you know that Annika was in love with
another man? She didn't want to marry Jax,” Denali began and Jax
shrank back. She'd told her brother. Of course, she had. The only
man who had ever come before Jax was Denali, until James that is.
She loved her brother more than anything. Of course, she'd told
him.

“Yes, she told me this afternoon,” Adair said
sadly. “What does that have to do with Jax and you accusing him
of... I don't know. What are you saying Denali?”

“Yes Denali, what exactly are you trying to
say?” Jax said, his patience wearing thin and his cool demeanor
threatening to crumble. He looked over at his parents and for a
split second, he felt remorse. He loved his mother endlessly, and
his father had been a good father. They would be heartbroken if
Denali spilled his secrets. They would blame themselves and nothing
Jax could say would change their minds about their fault in his
blackness. That was his one regret, his parents, but he couldn't
change what he was inside. He'd tried to hide it, deny it, his
entire life. He can't deny it any longer. He prepared himself for
Denali's words but wondered briefly what he would do once they were
spoken.

“She went to Jax today. She went to tell him
that she loved James Mender and that she couldn't marry him. He
grew angry and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her toward The
Dark Forest. Now, she's missing and so is James Mender.” The room
was silent, allowing Denali's words to penetrate.

“I have no idea what you're talking about
Denali. I don't know where Annika is. Surely you have been given
false information. Maybe she ran away with James Mender,” Jax
tried.

“Oh, no Jax. My information is not false. You
took her to The Dark Forest and you hurt her! You hurt her badly
then you went to James and you killed him. You must have disposed
of his body because he's nowhere to be found but his house is
covered in his blood. Now for the last time Jax, where is my
sister?”

Jax cleared his throat and risked a glance at
his mother. Her face was broken, and her eyes told him that she
knew. She's always known something inside of Jax was just a little
off. She tried to raise him a good boy. Hoped her love would
suppress the darkness forever. She was wrong and the pain and
defeat she reflected nearly broke Jax's heart. Would have broken it
if Annika hadn't already shattered it. Yes, his one regret was
hurting his parents but what choice did he have. As black as his
soul might be, he wouldn't bring his parents into his darkness.
They were good through and through. He wondered what happened to
him. Why did he have to carry the burden of evil? If only he'd been
born with light.

He looked around the room, everyone waiting
for his response. His mother included and damn it he just couldn't
admit the truth with her there. He saw the tears pooling in her
innocent eyes and felt some of his own trickle down his face. He
gave her a look that told her he was sorry, please forgive him, and
he saw her intake a large breath of air, readying herself for his
next move. “I love you mama. Everything you hear about me is true
but please know you are not responsible for me. I made my own
decisions and I'm not sorry for them but I love you mama. Please go
on and be happy. Forget you ever had a son.”