Chapter 11
1364 Words
Jaxon
My routine every morning was pretty simple. I start with getting out of bed, of course, doing my morning workout, getting ready for the day, then heading out to the tattoo shop. On most days, we were usually booked out, except for certain days during the week, but today, we had a full day, or so I thought, until I got to the shop.
Huh? I shook the chain across the shop I'd never seen before as I took out my phone to call Tasha. "Tasha," I said the minute she picked up the call.
"Jaxon." She echoed too, sounding agitated, and I immediately became concerned.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. I got to the shop today and found the doors locked. The landlord won't tell me what is going on?"
"Where are you?"
"His house. I don't even know if he's home, because he's not responding, and he's not picking his calls either."
I took a few deep breaths, already feeling my blood boil. The f**k. "What of the clients?"
"I had to call to cancel and refund their money. I couldn't even..."
I sighed when I heard her voice crack. "Just wait for me there. I'm coming."
She sniffed and muttered an okay.
What the f**k? And this was the first time we'd ever be having a problem with this man, but closing the shop without any warning – that was pretty bad even for a first f**k-up, not to talk of the fact that he had also made us lose money.
I was mad.
****
About an hour later, I met Tasha at the location she sent to me. A fenced duplex in a pretty rich neighbourhood. "Jaxon..." she said the minute she saw me in front of the gate, her face all pouty.
"Hey, are you alright?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. Today has just been... First Jaden falls sick, then the fridge gets broken, and now... the shop."
I sighed. "Jaden is sick?" Jaden is her five-year-old son. "Yes. He worked up a temperature last night and has been unwell since."
"Where is he now?"
"With my neighbour."
"What? Have you taken him to the hospital?"
"No. Once he takes some drugs, he'll be fine."
"Are you serious? You need to take him to the hospital."
She whipped her head up and glared at me. "You think I wouldn't have done that if I could. We just... We have a lot going on right now."
"Come on." I dipped my hand into my pocket and took out my card. "I've always told you you could come to me if you need help."
"Nope. It's not that serious."
"And I'm not doing this for you. It's for Jaden." She gave me a look. "Just get him checked up. I'll take care of things here."
Silence.
"This isn't the first time this would be happening. You told me just two weeks ago that he fell ill."
After a series of convincing and reiterating that taking my help wasn't so bad, Tasha finally agreed to it and left, and I was left in front of the building, pondering how I was going to deal with this bullshit.
I figured it out the minute I saw a large stone lying idle by the sidewalk.
****
The minute the stone connected with the first-floor windows, an alarm started ringing from inside the building at a very annoyingly loud volume.
Well, that should get his attention, shouldn't it?
It did because both he and the police pulled up to the house in minutes. "Seriously?" I accosted the minute he came down from his car. "You close the shop without any warning and can't even pick up your calls?"
"You broke my windows?!"
I scoffed. "That should be the least of your problems right now." Because the next thing could be your nose.
"Gentlemen." We both turned to the police officer who approached us while his colleague inspected the damage the stone had done to the property. "What is going on? We got a noise complaint from the neighbourhood, and clearly, I'm guessing it's because of that." He pointed to the broken window. "Do you know what happened?
"Yes," I started, only for the landlord guy to step in front of me looking quite agitated.
"This is all a misunderstanding. This is my house, and, uh... I don't plan to press charges."
I scoffed. "Oh, because you know you're at fault. Well, I would like to press charges."
"Wait!" He echoed just as the cop guy looked between us, confused. "What is this about?"
"I want to press charges. This man illegally locked the shop he rented my boss and—"
"Your father threatened me!"
I froze the minute that registered in my brain. "What?"
"Your father… he told me to relay a message to you."
I turned to him fully, both confused and irritated. "My father?"
"Yes."
"Well, will you take care of the noise? You'll also have to come to the station for a report. It's a standard protocol," the cop guy interrupted before I could ask more questions.
****
By the time we finished with the whole fiasco and the landlord guy relayed to me what exactly had happened, I was beyond talking. What? I would have never guessed that this whole situation was because of me or my f**k-up father, who just can't stomach the fact that I want nothing to do with him or his perfect family.
What right does he have?
I ran a hand through my hair and stopped pacing in front of the guy. "You're going to go and unlock that shop right now or else?"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. As I told you, I was threatened. I can’t risk my businesses, especially when the solution is for you to not show your face around the shop anymore. Tasha will also be able to go back to running her business without any problems."
I scoffed, flabbergasted.
"You..."
Okay, deep breaths. I can't go to prison or get arrested again. I don't want to have to depend on that bastard to get me out.
I don't want to have to depend on him for anything. Which was why I had left and cut off all ties; then he had the nerve to go pull this?!
I kicked the couch the landlord guy was seated on and winced the minute my feet made contact.
"f**k!" I yelled.
"S-sorry, I guess."
****
I dialed Mike's number the minute I walked out of the house. He didn't... Wow, the nerve. The motherfucker didn't pick up the call, which I know is on purpose because he's never off the phone in case of emergencies for my father as my father’s assistant.
I dialed his number again, and he picked up. "Hey! Jaxon. Long time no talk."
"You fucker. How dare you interfere with my life? Are you f*****g crazy?!"
"Uhm... No. Mr Ashford was the one who ordered me to do that, as you might already know. Also, he told me to relay to you that you have two options. Either to come back home or face his wrath."
"Wasn't the other option to cut me off?! Cut me off! I don't care. I want nothing to do with him or the absurdly perfect family he had managed to paint to the public."
"He changed his mind."
I couldn't help the chuckle that left my mouth. "He changed his mind?"
"Oh, he also found out about the secret trust fund your grandmother left for you. He told me to warn you that if you don't make your decision quickly, he'll go after the bar next."
"T-the bar?"
"Pulse 27. I believe you also work there on the weekends."
"Okay. I'm going to kill you."
"Uhm... I hope not. I have to go. Your father needs my attention."
"You... Hey! Mike!"
"Arghh!!" I smashed the phone against the floor and stomped around the sidewalk for a few minutes.
How dare he do this? How dare he come after my life yet again just because I refused to be part of his f*****g family?!
- Writer
