“But only dominant men can rule,” Jaxon said softly.
“This man who led Barria to its sexual diversity was a beta, Jaxon. Like you.” He patted Jaxon’s arm. “Jarvis and the elders know you can lead and both sides fear the changes you will effect.”
Shaking at the thought of the weight placed upon him he wanted to throw in the towel and the others fight it out. “It’s a lot of pressure, and it’ll take a long time to make positive change.”
“Lasting change, yes,” Logan murmured. “Nonetheless, change is coming. You’re lucky to have two strong men at your back. Zier is steady, man of intellect and Kel is a healer. Combined, the three of you will make a difference if you’re strong enough to fight.” The older man tipped his head in a nod and strode away.
Jaxon stared after him wondering if the man was right. Could he really make real and lasting change among a people that had been separated by beliefs and cultures for decades?
* * * *
Jaxon headed out to his car an hour later carrying a couple of books on family law. The parking lot was empty, but the hollow sound of footfalls behind him had him turning quickly.
A man wearing a black ski mask came running up to him. Jaxon felt his power rise but before he could get off a shot he was knocked backward. The books clattered to the ground and he was kicked.
“You’re a threat to everything we stand for,” the man said in a harsh voice. “We won’t let you win.”
The man stepped back from him and tossed something at him. Jaxon’s eyes widened, and he quickly rolled out of the way. Concrete rippled, cracked and then exploded around him. He covered his face to keep the sharp bits from his eyes.
“Shit!” Travis’s voice filled the air. “Did you see who did this?” He helped Jaxon to his feet.
Jaxon brushed debris from his shirt. “No.”
“Let’s get you back inside while I call for help,” Travis said.
“My car.” Jaxon just stared across the lot at his car. The windows had been smashed and the word “death” had been painted on his driver’s side door in big black letters.
“I’ll call Dade,” Travis said. “What the hell are they trying to prove?” He whipped out his cell phone.
Jaxon peered into front seat of his car wondering why they were toying with him. That blast wouldn’t have killed him but it would have broken several bones. He found a white box lying on the seat that had been slashed. He reached inside and pulled the box out amid protests from Travis.
“Do not open that,” Travis ordered.
He set the box on the hood of his car and tugged the lid up anyway.
Travis let out a yelp and Jaxon blinked, paling beneath his dark skin. Jaxon put a hand on his chest and Travis gagged and turned away to vomit.
The blood alone was a sickening smell, the rancid scent of dead flowers only added to it. The maggots crawled all over what appeared to be a tongue that had been cut and mangled. Next to it was an eyeball splattered with what looked like brain matter. A note was neatly tucked above the brain.
Jaxon grabbed it despite the way his stomach lurched. “Walk away or the flowers will be for your grave next time.” He swallowed tightly, hands shaking. Jaxon closed his eyes as he broke into a cold sweat.
“That is nasty,” Travis quickly put the top on the box. “Damn. Someone really has a hard-on for you.”
“Yeah.” Jaxon bit his cheek and forced himself not to show any emotion despite the fear ranging around inside him.
“I need some water,” Travis said. “Be right back.”
Dade arrived minutes after Travis left him. With him was a crime scene tech with short blond hair and brown eyes. Angie, Sue’s close friend.
“Hi, Jaxon,” she said, her eyes snapping with irritation. “Assholes.” Her gaze was on his car. “I’ll get to work boss.”
“Thanks, Angie.”
“Uh, Jaxon?” Angie looked to the vomit.
“Travis,” he said and pointed to the box.
“Angie, give me a pair of gloves from your kit.” He pointed to the black case she had in one hand. Dade didn’t ask what was in it as he pulled on the gloves. He found out moments later and sighed. “Shit this is probably Daniel’s stuff.”
“Oh fuck,” Angie said, low.
“Make sure you test it back at the lab,” he said.
“Right,” Angie answered and then got to work on the car while Dade took Jaxon’s arm and led him several steps away.
“You want me to call your grandfather to come get you?” he asked.
Jaxon shook his head. “Can you just give me a ride home?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Did you touch anything other than the box?”
“The note.” He held out the note he still had between his fingers.
Dade took it and quickly read it. “You need protection. You should stay with your family, or I’ll place you in protective custody”
He turned his gaze from Dade’s hard expression and the sun washed over him, warming him slightly. He saw Travis striding toward them in the nearly empty parking lot. He was about to agree to protective custody when the judge’s words whispered across his mind.
“It’s about power, strength, and integrity. It’s about who has them and who’s willing to go the distance. You’ll earn the respect of the people of this town if you show them you’re willing to lead them.”
Everybody expected him to run and hide. No one thought he was dominant enough to do this job, but he was a force to be dealt with into court room. There he was steady, strong, and always tenacious but not many residents had seen him that way.
“I don’t need protective custody,” he said, lifting his chin as his decision rolled over him. “I’ll be fine without it.”
“You need protection,” Travis insisted. “You can’t stay on your own. The person who did this isn’t playing around.”
“I know that, Travis,” he said firmly. “I’m the one that grenade was thrown at.” He told Dade about the attack that came before finding the box.
“You can’t handle this on your own,” Dade told him. “We have no clues who killed Daniel and only supposition about why. The two cases could be connected, but I doubt they are since Kel is my prime person of interest in Daniel’s murder.”
“He was upset, but he didn’t kill Daniel,” he said. “Daniel threatened to expose us for being together. Did you find the footage?”
“No,” Dade said. “We didn’t find any of the pictures he might have taken at the club, and his boss is certain he had something he was hot to flash.”
“Then, maybe the cases are connected,” Travis said. “Maybe whoever Daniel was working with double-crossed him. Maybe their agendas are the same but only to a point.”
“He could be right,” Angie said. “Maybe Daniel was a threat to his killer’s real plans. I mean, people can see a war is coming, Dade. No one wants to fight or see the feds come in here. They think Jaxon is the lesser of the rising evils.”
Dade sighed. “Under your supposition, this is all one conspiracy with multiple players and agendas that lead to one place. Getting rid of you, Jaxon.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” she said. “That concrete wasn’t torn up by an incendiary device, but a concrete bender ring.”
“I went back out to the site of your attack and found a shell casing,” Dade admitted. “Part of the site was similar to this mess.” He motioned to the concrete. “Rhys suspects a concrete bender relic was used as well. So, I’m checking around to see if I can find anyone with a light ring as well as the concrete bender. It’s possible Beets family still have some of the relics he took from people.”
“Jarvis,” Travis said.
“Yeah, and I’ve questioned him, but nothing so far,” Dade told them. “So, you need protection.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jaxon murmured. “I just need a ride home. I have some work to finish.” He needed to go over the file the judge had given him and then finish the bill of rights.
Dade sighed. “I’ll drop you. Angie, can you finish up?”
“I’ve got it,” she called.
“I’ll check in with you later,” he told her. “Travis, go back inside.”
“Right. I’ll see you later.” Travis gave them a wave and headed back to the library.
“I’ll help you with your books, and then I’ll drop you off,” Dade said to Jaxon. “I’ll send a car around to check on your every two hours.”
“Thanks.” He said. “Dade, what really did happen to Beets and—”
“Barrian law,” he said coldly and walked away to retrieve the books that had slide across the parking lot in the attack.
Chapter Ten
Jaxon spent the rest of the afternoon going through the sections of the law books that were important to him, and then he worked until 5:30 and took a shower. He had the bill of rights finished and the constitution along with it. He was pleased with the finished product and sent a copy ahead to the council members for advance viewing before leaving.
His parents lived in a two-story Victorian style home only five minutes from him. They’d expanded the porch and the driveway so it curved in front of the house. He pulled in next to his brother’s car and drove ahead so he would have to wait to leave. He wasn’t going to be here all night no matter what they thought.
His dad, Johnson, six foot one, let him in with a welcoming smile. Jaxon returned it, realizing as he always did that he had his father’s rich brown sugar coloring and his smile. He didn’t get his height though which didn’t bother him. He thought he stood just tall enough so Kel didn’t have to bend down too far to kiss him.
“I’m glad you came,” Adria Dillon said with a smile.
His parents had taken human names to fit in like several pure-bloods in town. “Hi, Mom.” She was an attractive woman in her early hundreds with glossy black hair that hung down her back and warm chocolate skin. Her long-lashed violet eyes were filled with love as she reached for him pulling him into a hug.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” She looked up at him, and her eyes clouded with worry. “What about this thing this afternoon?”
News traveled fast in a small town. “It was nothing,” he said. “My car was just vandalized. I’ll be able to get it back in a few days. The crime scene techs are going over it for evidence.”
“That’s good,” she said and gave him another kiss on his cheek. “You go ahead into the living room with your father while I finish dinner.”
He followed his parents through the entry and his dad led him to his study where Myles, Jaxon’s grandfather was seated on the couch pushed up against the wall near the door. Myles was his father’s father, and had the same coloring and eyes as Johnson. Myles was a little thinner with gray hair, but his eyes sparked with intelligence.
“Hello, Grandfather,” Jaxon greeted him with a smile.
“I wanted to speak to you before dinner,” he said.
“What is it?” Jaxon asked and took the chair adjacent to the couch in the room lit by recessed lights that brought the dark colors into sharp focus.
“How are the bill of rights and constitution coming?” Myles asked.
“I finished them both today,” he admitted. “I’ve sent copies to the council.”
“They’ve already called a meeting,” Myles said with a nod. “Now that that’s done, it’s time for you to begin courting the right girl. It’s important that you present the right image. Voting will begin in two weeks, and I want the image the voters have of you to be one of a strong man. A man who loves women and has the best interests of the town in mind.”
“I do have the best interests of the town in mind,” he said demurely.
“Good. The important points in the documents are women’s rights and gays. If you gave them rights to hold high office such as a mayor or police chief, take it out tonight. That can’t happen.”
“I’m leaving that up to the voters,” he said. “I would never presume to decide whether a gay man is emotionally capable of holding any office. Not only that, killing gay men because they’re not seen as masculine will be a crime.”
“Gay men should stay in the closet.”
“I’m not instituting any don’t ask, don’t tell policies once I win,” Jaxon told him. “Gay and bisexual men have rights like all men. In this town, they are equal, and are allowed to marry whomever they want. I won’t act against that.”
“Date, yes, but marry, no,” Myles said coldly. “That was unnatural to me on Barria and I share the human belief that it is now. As a judge I’d never sanction gay marriage being legal.”
“I don’t share your belief, and I’ll fight against it tooth and nail.” Jaxon shrugged. “This is about me making a difference, not about me doing the elders’ bidding.”
“Do you think we’ll support you if we don’t like what we see?” Myles asked. “We won’t allow a weak mayor to hold office.”
“Dad, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Johnson said in a warning tone. “We’re talking about my son.”
“If he’s not willing to uphold the laws as they ought to be then he’s not welcome in this family,” Myles said. “You and Trek will have to choose which side you’ll support, but if we don’t support him, they will tear him apart. We will let them.”
Jaxon glared at his grandfather. “You’d let Jarvis and his pals kill me to prove what point?”
“To prove you’re too weak to lead this town into its future,” Myles answered in a hard tone. “I bet you bottom like a good little woman.”
Jaxon got to his feet anger sizzling through him. “I’m glad I know where I stand.”
“You don’t but you will,” Myles said, staring up at him. “You can fall in line or get run over.”
He’d had no idea how ruthless his grandfather or any of the Southern elders were until now.
“I think we should have dinner and give Jaxon a chance to show us what he’s made of,” Johnson said.
“There is going to be a war, this town is going to be reshaped in our image of life or it will perish,” Myles said, getting to his feet as well. “There is no halfway, son. You and your family can stand with us or against us.” He crossed his arms over his chest impassively.
Jaxon’s gaze swung to his father’s. “Jaxon,” Johnson said. “This is where you make a decision.”
He studied both men. There was a time when he’d never dare to challenge them. They were his family, his tribe. They were on his side. He wasn’t so sure now.
“This man who led Barria to its sexual diversity was a beta, Jaxon. Like you.” He patted Jaxon’s arm. “Jarvis and the elders know you can lead and both sides fear the changes you will effect.”
He recalled his conversation with Judge Logan and knew his father was right. This was where he made his decision. “You leave me no choice then,” he said and strode from the room.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Trek said. “What did Grandpa want to talk about?”
“Shit hitting the fan,” he muttered as he continued to the front door.
“What? Wait.” Trek grabbed his arm to stop him. “What are you talking about?” he demanded.
Jaxon gave him the short version before staying, “I’m not for destroying this town but they’re going to.”
“A war is coming,” Trek told him firmly. “Jarvis and his people have already made that clear.”
“I’m getting that, but I’m not for screwing everyone else over,” Jaxon said. “They can take me or leave me.”
“And they’ll leave you if you don’t let Grandpa shape your image,” Trek said, a fierce glare in his eyes. “Just listen to reason instead of playing the goddamned martyr.”
“I’m not a martyr,” Jaxon told him angrily. Electricity cycled through him, hot, acidic. It rolled down his arms and pooled on his fingertips. “I’m not a victim either.” His power slipped its leash and flared bright hitting the ceiling.
“You’re a loser,” Myles said from behind him. “Get out.”
* * * *
“The cats are getting poised for a fight,” Zier told Kel as they sat having a beer in Kel’s den. “They think the Southern elders are going to try to take over soon and Jaxon was just the vehicle.”
“Keyos was saying that earlier,” Kel answered quietly. He hated the thought of Jaxon having been put in this position.
“What do you think he’ll do if you bring it up to him?” Zier asked. “My father thinks they’re going to kill him whether he wins or not unless he plays along with their plans.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Then, you have to get him back if you haven’t,” Zier told him quietly. “That’s the only way to protect him from them.”
“I know,” Kel replied, and a knock at the door had him getting to his feet. “It’s too soon to be Jax. I’ll be right back.”
“If it’s him, I think you should talk to him tonight.”
“We’ll see.” He headed to the door his thoughts on how he was going to help his lover out of this mess with his family. He would not allow anyone to kill him.
Kel pulled open the front door to find his lover standing there looking as if he’d lost his best friend. His stomach knotted and he knew something was wrong. “Jax?” He reached for him and tugged Jax inside. “What’s wrong?”
Jax shook his head.
“What happened?” Kel demanded. “Were you attacked again?”
Passion's Fire [Alien Passions 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) Page 7
