Relentless (Relentless #1)

by Alyson Reynolds

  I had dressed carefully for the day. My black oversized sweater was comfortable and stylish as well as being concealing. I had on beautiful grey calfskin knee-high boots that completed my look. Even pregnant, I planned on bringing my A-game style wise. Our days of hiding my pregnancy were coming to an end.

  After Stephen found my wedding ring, Jaxon and I quit bothering to take the rings off in public. The first time happened by accident and I freaked out when Jax didn’t take it off and it was mentioned by the media. We made it a point to make sure we weren’t photographed together often.

  Jaxon paused before opening the door to the small cafe. Looking over at me he said, “I’ve been thinking, what do you think about planting the story of the marriage and pregnancy? We could use my mom’s visit as an excuse? They see the rings, family together, and a few good shots of me rubbing the bump,” he trailed off. A smiled covered his face as he stopped his hand from reaching out to touch my stomach. We continued into the shop, moving towards the back table where Sophia sat waiting for us.

  “We won’t confirm or deny anything. It’ll make life interesting for our publicists,” I said smirking. “I like it.”

  Sophia waved to us and I walked over to sit down while Jaxon ordered. We chatted for a few minutes before Alice, Jaxon, and Conner walked up to the table together. Standing up, I expected her to hug Jax or Sophia first; instead she pushed Connor out of the way and wrapped me up in a huge hug. He grumbled something about being replaced and I laughed. My arms wrapped around her. She covertly rubbed my bump, keeping her actions away from prying eyes. The woman was a natural at hiding things from the press.

  Through the window I noticed a man on the sidewalk pulling out a camera. Connor walked back to the table from picking up our orders. The second he caught a glimpse of the man he turned away from the window.

  “We make quite the cozy group. You two saw what’s going on outside?” he asked inclining his head towards the man outside.

  “We did,” Jax said taking my hand in his.

  “It’s about damn time,” Connor smirked.

  “Quit pestering them. You and Sophia kept your little secret a lot longer than they did.”

  Connor looked sheepish at his mother’s chiding. “I’m sorry for giving you shit.”

  I laughed at his weak attempt at an apology. Jaxon smiled and shook his head at his brother. We talked for a few more minutes before the boys gathered their drinks and kissed us goodbye. Jaxon’s kiss lingered and he rubbed my bump as he got ready to leave. The camera clicked away, capturing every touch.

  Alice and Sophia were great company. We lingered over our coffee for a long time. Sophia shared stories about her marriage to Connor that had me rolling. For years Sophia had been a lingerie model. She had been terrified that Alice wouldn’t like her, or approve of their relationship because of what she did for a living. To make matters worse, they flew to Vegas for a friend’s wedding and ended up married themselves.

  Alice told me stories about the boys growing up. We laughed about Jaxon’s inability to carry a tune or find a beat while Connor was musically talented. I hadn’t heard Jax sing, but I planned on making him try soon. Their stories helped keep my mind off all the things going on and I was thankful for the distraction.

  We gathered our things and said goodbye, talking about dinner at the beach house tomorrow evening. Alice kissed my cheek and wrapped me up in a huge hug. It was exactly what I needed. Being pregnant made me emotional, and I missed my mother. Not because she had ever been a good mom, but because I needed someone there for me to ask questions. Without a doubt, I knew Alice had become that person for me.

  The rumor about our wedding and the baby were viral within an hour of me leaving the coffee shop. Neither Jaxon nor I said anything to confirm or deny the claims. For us, posting a picture of him kissing my bump on Instagram was a good enough announcement. Other than that, we planned to stay radio silent.

  My suggestion that I arrive later than Jaxon at his premiere went over like a lead balloon. I wanted the attention to be on him and his co-stars, and if we showed up together there was no way that would happen. He fought me on the idea, but in the end it didn’t matter. Jaxon was out of the state until a few hours before the premiere.

  The car pulled up, and I took a deep breath. An attendant opened the door, and reached in to assist me onto the red carpet. I felt confident in my dress, unlike any other time I was forced to hide behind my clothes. The dress was a beautiful white, long-sleeved concoction with a loose mermaid train trailing behind. It was also completely backless. The dress perfectly showcased my baby bump; there was no hiding anything in the form-fitting silhouette.

  I warned Jaxon that I wanted to wear the dress after Sophia bought it for me. He was just happy that I finally wanted to show off my bump instead of hiding it. My long hair was in an up-do that looked like it would go tumbling down my back at any second. When I stepped out of the car, the cameras caught the look Sophia had meticulously put together for me.

  Jaxon turned and his jaw went slack as he took me in. He stopped talking mid-sentence to the reporter standing next to him. To my surprise, Jax walked away without another word and swept me up in a passionate kiss. It had been a week since I kissed my husband and my response was just as fierce as his. His hand cradled my bump, and he whispered in my ear how amazing I looked.

  Jaxon Garrett was deadly in a suit. Someone behind us cleared their throat, and I remembered where we were. The first thing I saw when I pulled back was Connor smirking at me. He tugged me away from Jax and wrapped me up in a huge hug. Sophia stood behind him with tears shimmering in her eyes. Jax growled at his brother to put me down, but he couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face.

  Pulling me back over to him, Jaxon tucked my arm under his and walked towards the entrance to the theater. We spoke with reporters as we passed, but only a select few. I spotted Silver talking to a reporter and it was difficult, but I kept my expression blank. Her body language couldn’t have been more obvious. She was pissed that we had stolen the attention from her.

  I showed up at the last possible second, but even that wasn’t enough for her. As we walked I noticed an odd murmur going up throughout the crowd. They all seemed to be looking at their phones and showing something to one another. Connor grabbed my arm and pulled me back to murmur in my ear.

  “Don’t panic.”

  “What the hell, Connor. You can’t tell me not to panic. What’s going on?”

  He pulled his phone from his pocked and showed me a picture of Jaxon and Silver kissing. The awful picture was on the front page of one of the most notorious gossip columns. Connor carefully shielded my reactions from the cameras, which I was thankful for, because I wasn’t able to keep the emotions off my face. My heart shattered into pieces in my chest. While I didn’t change my outward appearance towards Jaxon, my eyes were hard and shut off.

  Jax tried to make eye contact with me, but all I would do was continue to smile at the press and answer questions about the baby. The reporters kept asking about the picture, but I tried to ignore them. It got harder to hold my emotions in check the longer I had to stand there. From several feet away Silver’s annoying titter of laughter sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard.

  “Oh no! I can’t believe that is even being reported. How did anyone get that picture?”

  I pulled Connor towards me and said manically, “If you don’t shut that bitch up, I will.”

  Connor immediately went to go do damage control. Sophia grasped my arm, and I tried to smile at her, but it came out more of a grimace. Jaxon placed his hand on the small of my back to lead us into the theater and I tensed at his touch. Our small group walked into a green room off the side of the theater. As soon as the door closed I lost it.

  “How could you fucking do this to me?” I hissed. “You made a fool of me! Did you want to be with her, but I got knocked up so you chose me? We never discussed the rumors floating around about you two.”

  T
he venom in my voice left him speechless. He opened and shut his mouth several times trying to form a response.

  “Violet, I didn’t—“

  Fuck this.

  I wasn’t going to wait for answers. I ripped open the door and pushed back into the crowd of people. A sharp pain ripped through my abdomen causing me to take in a sharp breath. My fingers gripped the railing beside me and I cried out as another excruciating pain went through me. The stairs I was trying to reach seemed so far away. Connor and Jaxon called out from behind me, but I didn’t stop.

  My body doubled over and I tried not to collapse. As I looked back, Silver stood behind Jaxon with a look that could only be described as evil. She was trying to ruin me, but I had no clue why. Another pain tore through me, and this time it brought me to my knees. My head hit the banister as I fell forward and the metallic tang of blood filled the air. Jaxon yelled out as my body lurched towards the stairs. For the second time in my pregnancy blackness overtook me.

  I heard the beep of a monitor, but I couldn’t open my eyes. Lexi and Jaxon’s voices filled the room. I tried to focus on what they were saying, but my head hurt. The throbbing only got worse with each passing second I was conscious.

  “You’re lucky, Jaxon. She would have fallen down the stairs if Stephen hadn’t caught her. I know you can’t see any bad from Silver, but I think she planted that story.”

  “You think I don’t get that I almost lost her? I’m fucking out of my mind here, Alexis. Is she going to be okay? How’s the baby doing?” I could imagine him running his hands through his hair and tugging on the ends as he spoke. “I see exactly what Silver did. I wanted to talk to Violet about everything, but there wasn’t time.”

  I wanted to hear if the baby would be okay, but I wanted the darkness to consume me and make me numb more. The pain in my head, the pain of my husband cheating on me, and the fear that my marriage was over was too much for me to deal with right now. I recognized Stephen’s calm voice before the blackness claimed me again.

  When I woke up the second time, Jaxon was still there. His choked sob filled the room and I fought to open my eyes.

  “Why isn’t she waking up, Lexi?”

  “I’m not sure,” she mumbled. “Everything looks okay on her tests, but maybe I missed something. I should call Adam for a consult.”

  My eyes slowly opened, and Jax’s beautiful emerald gaze met mine. His sharp breath brought Lexi running.

  “Oh thank God.”

  “Water?” I croaked

  Jax reached next to him and grabbed a few ice chips. I gratefully took them.

  “Is the baby—“

  “The baby is fine, Vi,” Lexi interrupted. “You scared the hell out of us because you’ve been out for over twenty-four hours.”

  I stared at her dumbfounded. Had I really lost an entire day? As I looked over at Jaxon, he was still in his white dress shirt. His bowtie hung loosely from his neck and a healthy amount of stubble covered his jaw. For a few glorious minutes, I didn’t remember the hell that was my life, but now the memories were back.

  “Why are you here, Jaxon? Shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend?” I spat at him.

  “I’ve never once been with Silver or anyone else. The picture is fake. When you’re better we can talk about it, but right now I just want you to rest and start healing.”

  I turned away from him and sent Lexi a pleading look. My voice was still hoarse from the tears I was holding back or from not using my voice, I didn’t know. But I managed to get out, “Can you tell Taylor I’m awake?”

  “I’ll take care of Taylor,” Jaxon muttered.

  He stood up and bent down to kiss my cheek. I turned my head away and closed my eyes. The pain in his eyes physically hurt me, but I wasn’t ready to be around him. When I opened my eyes I saw Lexi staring at me. Her eyes showed concern and something else. Something I didn’t want to analyze too closely, because I was afraid it might be pity.

  I told Jax I needed time to think about everything. Using the excuse that he had obligations for the movie, I sent him away. He protested, but eventually gave in because he knew sooner or later he would have to leave. The production company would make him honor his contract. Everything in his face said he wanted to talk about the picture before he left, but I turned over and pretended to go to sleep. Jaxon looked as crestfallen as I felt, but I couldn’t open myself up to someone who could cut me so deep. Never again.

  When the door to my room clicked shut, I wept fat, ugly, mad tears. They scalded my face as they fell. My marriage was over before it even began. It hurt that another man had found me wanting and moved on to another woman.

  Are any men faithful?

  I thought Jaxon was the one man I could trust, but after seeing the awful evidence, I was proven wrong. Again. So fucking wrong. I laid in the uncomfortable hospital bed trying to resist pulling up the tabloid websites to see what they were saying.

  How could he do this to the baby?

  I thought he loved me.

  Connor stopped by and wanted to talk, but I begged Lexi to tell him I was sleeping. I couldn’t deal with any more Garrett men today, and I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say about his cheating brother.

  Taylor placed a cup of tea in my hands and wrapped a lightweight shawl over my shoulders. The tide was coming in as I stood on the deck looking out into the ocean. It seemed like all I did was work or stare out at the water. I smiled up at her gratefully, but she could still see the sadness hidden in my eyes. The past three months had been rough and I’m not sure I would have made it through if it wasn’t for her.

  My hand rested on my stomach as I tried to make sense of everything again. I couldn’t stay in a marriage where my husband treated me with such disregard. Been there, done that. Even if I was having his baby, I had too much self respect to be miserable in a marriage ever again. When I told Jaxon I didn’t want to get married because of the baby, I meant it. Stupid me went against my head and followed my heart.

  Jaxon called every night. We talked about the baby and the pregnancy, but nothing else. As soon as he tried to talk about Silver, or what had happened, I immediately shut him down. I didn’t trust him, or myself, and I wasn’t ready to listen to anything he had to say. If he hadn’t been having an affair why would there be anything for Silver to use against him? I wanted nothing more than to love and trust him, but too much had happened between us. The idea of opening myself up again scared me. Everyone tried to defend Jax, but I wouldn’t listen to anyone.

  After three long months of sleepless nights, I had finally decided what to do. In a few hours, Jaxon would know my decision too. I just hoped that he would respect it. While he was travelling, I kept him updated on the pregnancy, but anytime the conversation turned personal I cut it off. It would have been too hard to hear how he was doing. He didn’t get to ask anything of me right now. Maybe I was being unreasonable, but I didn’t care.

  Jaxon was presenting at a charity gala tonight. We both agreed to go months in advance and I hated to cancel last minute. I was sure they would have excused my absence, but I couldn’t do that. The cause was close to my heart, so I wanted to go. If I cancelled the media would speculate. Again. I just couldn’t go through it.

  Instead, I got dressed to go. My dress was a beautiful light pink, empire waist gown. The embroidery was delicate and it flattered my rounding stomach. I curled my long hair and let it cascade down my back. Tonight I wouldn’t be walking any red carpets, but I would show up looking my best and do my part even as my life went up in flames around me.

  Before I left for the evening, I slid my wedding band and engagement rings off my finger. My hands shook as I put my rings on top of our wedding license on the dresser. The message would be loud and clear to Jaxon when he came home. He had called to tell me what time his flight came in, but I planned to be long gone by then. I looked back one last time from the door, trying to reassure myself I was making the right decision.

  My heart hurt, but it was what I
needed to do. Our baby couldn’t be the only reason we stayed together. I would never cut Jax out of his or her life, but I also didn’t want them to see their parents grow to hate each other. This kid was my only priority.

  After an hour of pretending to smile and laugh, I was ready to leave. I hated making small talk and avoiding being gawked at like some kind of circus freak sucked. My feet throbbed from my heels, and my back ached. I promised Alexis that I would rest; somehow I knew this wasn’t her idea of taking it easy. Vowing to myself, I would only stay long enough to look like the dutiful wife, I waited impatiently for the speeches to start.

  Stephen and Taylor were standing outside the door to the ballroom as I walked by to go to the bathroom. Taylor grabbed my arm before I passed. As I looked into their faces, I understood something was horribly wrong.

  “Jaxon?” I choked out, panic filling me.

  “He’s fine,” Stephen said quickly. Tears streamed down Taylor’s cheeks, and I had never seen Stephen look so lost. He looked up at me, “Violet, we need to go home.”

  They aren’t talking about the beach house.

  “Now?”

  “Yes, honey, it’s your dad,” Stephen said. I grabbed for Taylor’s hand and she clutched mine tight. “Taylor packed you a bag and I’ve chartered a jet.”

  “He’s gone.”

  It wasn’t a question. I already knew the answer, but I didn’t want them to answer me. I wanted those last few seconds of denial. Stephen nodded his head once, pulling me to him as my tears fell down my face. Everything from the past three months hit me. It wasn’t just the past three months; it was the past three years. I thought my life would get better after I left Aaron, but I was so wrong.

  Stephen’s body tensed before he spoke. “What the fuck do you want, Jax?” he spat.