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“No, it was… years ago. Back when I was running with Eric and his people. I wanted them to like me, and he said he needed dirt on you, so I got it. I went through your things and I sent him pictures. I’d hoped he’d never use them, but now he’s blackmailing me because he has something of Teagan’s as well. And he said if I let him use the documents of yours, he’d forget about Teagan’s stuff. I wanted to figure out a way to get them both back, but I can’t… I can’t… let him hurt Teagan, sir. But I knew I had to tell you because I also couldn’t let him reveal your secrets without warning you first. I’m so sorry, I’ve mucked everything up and I… and I…”
Owen’s hand came out to clasp his shoulder. “First things first. You need to breathe.”
Jaxon tried, but every breath came out raspy and harsh. “I-”
“That’s a lot, Jaxon.”
“I know it is, and-”
“No, relax. Let me finish. That’s a lot to have been carrying with you all these years. Do you at least feel better that it’s out now?”
“No,” he whispered. “No, because I know that you-”
“You don’t know either. Because if you did know, you’d feel better.”
“I don’t,” he reiterated. “I don’t, because you helped me. And I fucked you over. I have no excuse for accepting your help when I’d done what I’d done. I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to apologize to you… or Dave… or to Brad… or Teagan… fuck… I…” He couldn’t breathe. He brought both hands up to his face and inhaled, but that only released a sob that shook and ached through his whole body like he was sucking air over a sore tooth.
Owen’s hand squeezed his shoulder, and he shifted to circle his arm around both of them, squeezing again.
“First things first, to assuage your guilt and worry that this is going to be my ruin. It’s not true. Dave’s not my son.”
Jaxon frowned, shaking his head as his hands dropped. “But I saw the documents. I took pictures of it.”
“What you saw was the adoption paperwork. I adopted Dave when his mother died. His mother was my sister, so it’s true what we’ve been presenting all these years. Dave’s my nephew. But I legally adopted him.”
“Then… why does Mrs. Madden hate him so much?”
Owen chuckled and shook his head. “Cassandra doesn’t hate him. She just… doesn’t like him. Dave looks like his mother- my sister. And Cassandra and Lily never got along. Cassandra’s also needlessly worried that I would forgo my own flesh and blood for him. Which I’ve never done. I’ve treated them all equally.”
Jaxon swallowed thickly. “Okay, but even if it’s not true, it doesn’t change matters that Eric’s going to use it against you.”
“Let him,” Owen said with a shrug. “If you can be heroic for Teagan, so can I.”
Jaxon shook his head. “I’m hardly a hero. I could have come out with this before and then…”
“And then Eric would have no reasonnotto leak those pictures he has of Teagan.” Owen set his jaw. “Pictures, I was assured, were destroyed. I will be having words with Joshua.”
“I don’t even know how Eric ended up with them,” Jaxon said slowly.
“I’ll never know how that little snot ends up with half of what he has, but I know we need to act fast and keep him from sharing those. Not that I would ever think less of Teagan, but it’d kill her to have that time dredged up again.”
“I know it would,” Jaxon whispered, a lump rising in his throat. “She already knows Eric has the pictures, I think. He said he saw her today. I assume he went to Barclay’s to see her.”
“You don’t know?” Owen asked.
“No, I got this email from Eric and then came to you straight away.”
Owen squeezed Jaxon’s shoulder. “You should talk to her.”
“I know,” his voice cracked because he was fairly certain this was the end.
“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, Jaxon.”
“I don’t dare hope to be,” he replied.
“She cares about you. I doubt this would make her stop.”
Jaxon didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to go back inside. “You’ll excuse us from dinner for a few minutes? Or as long as it takes?”
