Under his protections

CHAPTER FOUR

Anastasia POV

The third gunshot made me duck. Jaxon moved before I could even react. One second, I was standing behind him; the next, his arm was around my waist, pulling me against his chest as he moved us away from the windows.

“Down.”

I didn’t argue. I went behind the heavy table with Maisie while Rafe was already shouting orders.

“Lock the gates!”

Men rushed through the room. Someone reached beneath the table and pulled out a weapon while another man hurried toward the back entrance. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

“What’s happening?” I whispered.

Maisie glanced at me, her face tense. “I don’t know.”

That frightened me more. I looked toward Jaxon. He stood near the window, his entire body rigid, one hand pressed against his side where a gun had appeared as if he’d been carrying it there all along. He wasn’t afraid or  angry.

Rafe hurried over. “Three shots from the tree line.”

“Has anyone been hit?”

“No.”

“Find where they came from.” Rafe nodded and disappeared through the doorway. Jaxon turned toward me. “Stay here.”

“Where are you going? You can’t just leave me here?” I asked 

“Stay put. I’m going out to find who just fired at my compound.”.”

His eyes hardened as he came toward me. “I’m not leaving you. You’re staying with Maisie.” He continued. 

I pushed myself to my feet, frustration quickly replacing some of the fear.

“And there it is.”

His brows pulled together. “What?”

“The ordering.” I stared at him. “You keep telling me what I can do, where I can go and who I can stay with.”

“Because someone just fired three bullets at the place you’re staying.”

“And whose fault is that?”

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. His expression turned cold. He stepped closer. “You think this is happening because of me?. 

“That’s the problem.” His voice dropped. “You don’t know anything yet.”

He studied me for a moment, and some of the hardness in his face faded. His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth. For one strange second, neither of us moved. Then he stepped back.

“You’re under my protection.”

“I never asked for it.”

“No.” His eyes stayed on mine. “But your mother did.”

That shut me up. He turned away. “Stay inside.” He continued.

Then he was gone. I watched him disappear through the door, still trying to process everything that had just happened and Maisie came to stand beside me.

“You two are going to be a problem.”

I looked at her. “What?”

She shrugged. “Nothing.”

I frowned, but she only smiled.

“Come on.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere you can breathe.”

She led me upstairs. My legs still felt weak by the time we reached the bedroom, and I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself.

“Who would shoot at this place?”

Maisie leaned against the door. “People who want Jaxon dead.”

My stomach tightened.

“Are there many?” 

She gave a humorless laugh. “Enough.”

I stared at her. “Why does everyone here act like this is normal?”

“It isn’t normal.”

“It seems normal to you.”

“That’s because I’ve been around it for years.”

She came over and sat beside me. “Listen, Anna. Whatever is happening around you, you didn’t ask for it.”

I looked down at my hands. “Then why do I feel like I’m the reason everyone is in danger?”

“Because you care.”

I looked at her.

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“No.” She gave me a faint smile. “But around people like Jaxon, caring can become dangerous.”

I didn’t understand what she meant. Before I could ask, the bedroom door opened and Rafe walked in, his expression serious.

“Jaxon wants to see you. He found something.” Rafe said as he glanced at Maisie before looking back at me.

“A car. It was parked on the road outside the compound. They left it.” Rafe’s eyes darkened. Why would they do that. 

“Because they wanted us to find it.” Rafe said like he read my mind. A cold feeling spread through me.

“What was inside?” He hesitated before answering.

“Your photograph.” I stared at him. “My what?”

“Your photograph.” Rafe pulled a small plastic evidence bag from his pocket. Inside was a photograph. My photograph. I moved closer, staring at it. I’d never seen it before.

“Where did they get that?”

“We don’t know.”

“That’s not possible.”

Rafe didn’t answer. I looked at the photograph again. It showed me standing outside my kindergarten classroom, smiling while a group of children stood behind me. It looked very recent. My fingers went cold.

“Someone has been watching me.”

Rafe nodded. “For a while.”

I looked at him. My throat tightened. “Then why haven’t they killed me?”

Something changed in Rafe’s expression.

“That is exactly what we’re trying to figure out.”

He took the photograph back and slipped it away.

“Jaxon wants you downstairs.”

I followed him. When I reached the main room, Jaxon was standing over the table with several men gathered around him. Maps, photographs and phones covered the surface. He looked up as soon as I entered. His eyes found mine.

“Come here.”

I walked over, and he pulled a chair out for me.

“Sit.”

I sat, and he placed the photograph in front of me.

“Do you recognize this?”

I stared at it. “Yes.”

“Where was it taken and when?”

“Last week, Outside my school.”

His gaze remained fixed on me. “Did anyone strange come near you?”

I thought for a moment before answering. “No.”

“Anyone watching you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think.” He said with a firm voice. His voice was firm enough to make me close my eyes and search through my memory. Then something came back to me.i think I noticed something. 

“Uhmmm…I think I saw a man.” Jaxon leaned closer. “I saw him outside the school like uhmm, I think 3 days ago.”

“What did he look like, think harder.” He asked, looking straight inside my eyes. I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Anastasia.”

“I don’t remember!” My voice cracked, and the room fell silent.I lowered my head. “I’m sorry.” Jaxon crouched in front of me. The movement surprised me. He was so much larger than me that seeing him at eye level felt strange.

“Don’t apologize.”

I looked at him.

“You’re doing fine.” His voice was quieter now. “Tell me what you remember.”

I swallowed. “He was standing across the road. I think he was wearing a dark coat .”

“Do you get to see his face””. He questioned 

I shook my head. “He disappeared before I could see.”

Jaxon stood and looked toward Rafe.

“Get the school footage.”

Rafe nodded. Jaxon turned back to me. “You’re not going back there. Not until I know watching you.”My eyes widened. “What?”I have a job. I can’t just disappear.”

“You had a job Anastasia.”

“No.” I stood, refusing to back down. “You don’t get to decide that.”

“No.” His voice remained calm. “But until we know who’s after you, I’m asking you to stay here.” I stared at him.“That’s different from ordering me?”

“Because I’m giving you a choice.” I hadn’t expected that. He held my gaze. “Stay here willingly.”

“And if I don’t?”

His jaw tightened. “I’ll still protect you.” Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten. I looked away. “I need time.”

Then my eyes landed on the photograph again. My picture. Taken without my knowledge. Someone had been watching me before I ever met Jaxon before I knew about the Black Vipers before I knew my mother had secrets. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Jaxon?”

He looked at me. “What?”

“What if this has nothing to do with you?“What if they were watching me before you came?” His expression changed. “You’ve thought about that too,” I whispered but he didn’t answer.

“Jaxon,  why did you come for me that night?” He remained silent for several seconds before finally answering.

“Annalise,” he said quietly, “your mother didn’t spend her whole life hiding your past from you because she was ashamed of it.” I held my breath. “She was hiding you from someone.”

“Who?”

Jaxon didn’t answer. He simply looked at me. And I knew whatever the answer was, it was worse than anything I had imagined.Then his phone rang and he answered immediately.

“What?”

He listened, and within seconds, his expression changed. His eyes lifted to mine.

“Say that again.”

He listened for another moment.

“Are you sure?”He ended the call. I stared at him. “What happened?”

Jaxon didn’t speak.

“Jaxon?” He walked toward me, his face hard again. But his eyes weren’t.

“Your apartment was searched again.” My blood ran cold.

“But nobody was there and they didn’t take anything.” Jaxon’s gaze locked onto mine.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver key. My breath caught and I recognized it immediately. It belonged to the old wooden box beneath my mother’s bed, the same box I had mentioned to him. My mother’s box. Jaxon held the key. 

“Where did you find that because the box is gone?” I asked, looking at him. 

“Exactly. On the floor beneath your mother’s bed.” Jaxon closed his fingers around the key. “Whoever took the box knew what they were looking for.”

My voice came out barely above a whisper.

“Then what’s inside it?”

Jaxon’s eyes darkened.

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”