Chapter 24
JAXON
“I’m so proud of you, Son.” Dad chuckled, his green eyes that looked just like mine, sparking with so much pride that had me smiling back at him.
No!
“Oh come on, Rodney, you sound as if you are the only one who’s proud of him. I’m proud of you too, Son.” Mom glanced at me through the rearview mirror. I smiled at her, teary-eyed, toying with my unknotted tie.
“My son is a man now! Goodbye high school!” Dad yelled with so much excitement.
No! No!
“He’s still going to be my baby,” Mom grinned.
No!
I tossed in my sleep, turning to my side, my head moving to the sides as I struggled to open my eyes, but I failed miserably at it.
“Mom, I’m eighteen now,” I grumbled and she chuckled.
“I love__”
No! No!
She barely had a chance to complete her words, when she screamed out my dad’s name so hard.
“Rodney!!!” Mom screamed.
I looked up from my phone, to see a truck heading over our way. My dad was trying to swerve to the side, in a bid to avoid running into the truck, but the brakes had failed.
“Mom!”
No! No!
The truck ran into our car, shattering the windscreen that broke into pieces, splattering everywhere, with some shards piercing my face. The car somersaulted really hard, tumbling to the floor with an ear-shattering sound.
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Agonizing screams.
More screams___ I watched my mom that had blood gushing out of her head so badly as she tried to speak to me, but the words weren’t forming. I watched my parents struggle to hold on to their life that was slowly slipping away from them. I couldn’t save them…
No!
No!
I thrashed around in my bed, my hands flailing, my breath completely punched out of my lungs as I struggled to hold on to any ounce of it that was left. My eyes were filled with tears. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t breathe.
“No!” I screamed so hard, when I finally found my voice, jolting upright with a start, and utterly drenched in my sweat. My breath came out in short pants, loud and uneven, sounding so bruised and punched. My heart pummeled loudly against my chest with my chest constricting in pain that made it so hard to breathe. My eyes moved around my dark room with nothing in sight. I tried to locate my bedside lamp with my hands and when I found the switch, I flicked it on.
How the fuck did I fall asleep?
It was able to illuminate the room to an extent. I kept my eyes fixed on the white walls, trying to control my erratic breathing. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, and then I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my hair. I turned to my nightstand, bringing my wristwatch to my face. The time read 5 am.
It’s about damn time I got up anyways.
I had a meeting early this morning. I got up from my king-sized bed that was soaked with sweat, ambling to where the light switch was located. I switched it on and the bright lights came on, illuminating my room. I got out of my clothes and headed for the shower.
I stood under the hot scalding water that burned my skin, not in the least eliciting the slightest emotions from me. Instead, it left my heightened nerves calm. I was out of the shower in no time with my towel wrapped securely around my waist. I picked up my phone from the nightstand and dialed Duncan’s number. He picked up at once.
“And where the hell are you?!” I growled into the phone.
“I’m outside the compound, boss,” he answered.
“Get here in two minutes and I swear to God, I will blow your fucking balls off if you are one second late.” I barked and hung up. I took off my towel and went into my walk-in closet to get dressed. I settled for a crisp white shirt and a pair of black slacks, pairing them with some jewelry.
By the time I was out of my closet, Duncan was already waiting in my room with his head bowed.
“Good morning, boss.” He greeted me.
“Good morning, Duncan,” I answered curtly, buttoning up my shirt and spraying my cologne.
“The Limousine is all prepped and ready downstairs boss.” He spoke, his voice holding no emotion in it. I nodded and tucked my gun into the back of my trousers, picking up my phone. I walked past him and left the room.
The living room was bustling with maids going to and fro about their morning business. They stopped what they were doing when I set foot into the living room. The air was thick with so much tension and their heads bowed in respect. I didn’t bat so much as an eyelid in their direction because I wasn’t fazed by their greetings. I turned to my left and found Alberta waiting with my coffee.
My eyes softened a little on seeing her. I took the cup from her and took a sip.
“Good morning, Alberta. Did you sleep well?” I asked her and she gave me a motherly smile that was filled with so much warmth, eliciting a tight-lipped smile from me.
“Good morning, Mr. Gray, and yes, I slept well.” She answered with an unending smile. I tend to wonder why she smiles so much. There wasn’t anything peculiar to smile about every time, but then, it was Alberta. Smiling was a reflex action of hers.
“I’ll see you in the evening.” I gave her a curt nod and spun on my heels, heading out of the house. True to Duncan’s words, the Limousine was already in the compound, the door widely opened by one of my guards. I stepped in and Duncan followed behind, shutting the door.
“Where to, Boss?” The driver inquired.
“To the Warehouse,” I answered coldly.