78 Chapter 78 Mercy’s Bitter Aftertaste.
Davis’s massive fist cut through the air toward Jaxon’s face–a punch that would have surely broken his jaw. But before it could connect, Eamon’s hand appeared, catching the giant’s wrist mid–swing.
The crowd gasped.
Davis blinked in confusion, as if he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. His eyes narrowed at Eamon, who stood calmly between him and Jaxon.
“Get out of my way, pretty boy,” Davis snarled, yanking his arm free. “Unless you want to be next.
Eamon didn’t flinch. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Davis’s face twisted with rage. “You just signed your own death warrant.”
I watched the scene unfold with detached interest. The outcome was already clear to me, though Davis seemed blissfully unaware of his impending humiliation.
“Eamon, don’t,” Jaxon pleaded from behind him, his voice shaking. “This is my fight. He’ll hurt you.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at Jaxon’s misplaced concern. “He’ll be fine.”
Davis’s attention snapped to me. “After I finish with your bodyguard, you’re next.”
Ashlee stood at Davis’s side, her arms crossed, a smug smile playing on her lips. She clearly expected to witness a beatdown in her honor,
“Enough talk,” Davis growled, turning back to Eamon. “Move or get moved.”
When Eamon remained firmly in place, Davis lunged forward with a roar, throwing a massive right hook aimed at Eamon’s temple.
With a slight adjustment of his stance, Eamon caught the punch in his open palm. The impact made a dull thudding sound, but Eamon didn’t budge an inch.
Davis’s eyes widened in disbelief. He followed immediately with his left, putting his full weight behind it.
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Eamon caught that one too, holding both of Davis’s fists as if they were nothing more. than children’s toys.
The giant strained, veins bulging in his neck as he tried to overpower Eamon, who remained eerily calm.
I caught Eamon’s eye and gave him a small nod. It was time to end this farce.
In a move so fluid it was almost beautiful, Eamon released Davis’s hands and delivered a perfectly placed spinning kick to the side of the giant’s head. The crack of impact echoed through the now–silent Underground Ring.
Davis’s eyes rolled back in his head before he even began to fall. His massive body crumpled to the floor like a puppet with cut strings, unconscious before he hit the ground.
The entire confrontation had lasted less than ten seconds.
Jaxon stared open–mouthed at Eamon, then at Davis’s motionless form. “How did
you…?”
Ashlee’s triumphant smile had vanished, replaced by shock as she rushed to Davis’s side. “Davis! Baby, wake up!”
Security personnel began pushing through the gathered spectators, drawn by the
commotion.
“We should go,” Aurora suggested quietly, eyeing the approaching guards.
I shook my head. “We didn’t start this. We’ll be fine.”
Jaxon was still staring at Eamon with newfound respect and fear. “Thank you,” he managed to say.
I turned my attention to Jaxon. “What do you want to do about her?” I nodded toward Ashlee, who was cradling Davis’s head in her lap, frantically trying to revive him.
Jaxon hesitated, his eyes lingering on his ex–girlfriend. Despite everything that had just happened–despite her cruelty and attempts to humiliate him–I could see the conflict in his expression. He still had feelings for her, or at least the memory of whot she had once been to him.
“Let her go,” he finally said, his voice tight with pain. “She’s not worth any more
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trouble.”
I studied him for a moment, noting the misplaced compassion in his eyes. “You understand she’ll see this as weakness, not mercy?”
Jaxon nodded wearily. “Probably. But that’s who I am. I when it would be easier”
n’t be someone I’m not, even
His words struck a chord with me. How many times had I been punished for showing mercy? How many enemies had I spared, only to have them return with greater vengeance? Yet there was something admirable in Jaxon’s refusal to abandon his principles, even when they hurt him.
“Your call,” I said with a slight shrug.
We began making our way through the crowd, security now kneeling beside the unconscious Davis. I kept Eamon close to Aurora, just in case Ashlee tried anything desperate.
We’d almost reached the exit when Ashlee’s sharp voice cut through the noise of the Underground Ring.
“All of you, stay right there!”
I turned slowly, unsurprised. Jaxon’s face fell as he saw Ashlee standing, her mascara streaked down her cheeks and her finger pointing accusingly at us.
“You can’t just walk away after what you did!”
“What we did?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend attacked first. We defended ourselves.”
“Bullshit!” she shrieked. “You nearly killed him!”
The security guards were looking between us now, clearly trying to piece together what had happened.
“He’s fine,” Eamon said calmly. “Just unconscious. He’ll wake up with a headache, nothing more”
Ashlee’s face contorted with rage. “You think this ends here? Do you know who Davis is? His father owns half the buildings in this city! He’s connected!”
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I felt my patience wearing thin. “Are you threatening us?”
“It’s not a threat, it’s a promise,” she spat. “Davis will destroy all of you, especially you, Jaxon. Whatever pathetic life you’ve managed to build since I left you? It’s over.”
Jaxon paled beside me.
“Your mercy seems to have backfired, I murmured to him.
The security guards were moving toward us now, their expressions serious. The last thing I needed was police involvement–too many questions, too much visibility.
“Did you really think I’d just let you walk away?” Ashlee continued, her voice rising hysterically. “After what you did to me?”
Jaxon finally found his voice. “What I did to you? You cheated on me, Ashlee! You broke my heart!”
“Because you were never man enough for me!” she screamed back. “Look at you, hiding behind your friends because you can’t fight your own battles!”
The crowd was drinking in the drama, phones recording the spectacle. This was getting out of hand quickly.
“Miss,” one of the security guards said to Ashlee, “we need to get your friend medical attention. Can you tell us what happened?”
Ashlee turned to the guard, tears streaking down her face in what I recognized as a masterful performance. “These men attacked us unprovoked. That one,” she pointed at Eamon, “nearly killed my boyfriend.”
“That’s not what happened,” Aurora interjected, stepping forward. “Your boyfriend. tried to attack our friend. We defended ourselves.”
Ashlee’s eyes narrowed at Aurora. “No one asked you, bitch.”
“I saw the whole thing” a voice called from the crowd. A man in a leather jacket stepped forward. “The big guy started it. These folks were just defending themselves.”
A few other spectators nodded in agreement.
Ashlee’s performance faltered momentarily before she doubled down. “They provoked him! They were insulting me, making disgusting comments-
78 Chapter 78 – Mercy’s Bitter Aftertasto
“Also not true,” another bystander called out.
The security guard looked between Ashlee and us, clearly trying to assess the
situation. Finally, he sighed.
“Ma’am, we’ve called medical assistance for your friend. Based on witness accounts, it sounds like he initiated the physical confrontation.”
“This is ridiculous!” Ashlee screeched. “You can’t just-”
“I suggest you focus on your friend right now,” the guard interrupted firmly. “He needs medical attention.”
Ashlee’s gaze snapped back to us, her eyes filled with pure hatred. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” She jabbed a finger at Jaxon. “And you–you think you’ve won? You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your pathetic life.”
I stepped forward, placing myself between her and Jaxon. “I think we’re done here.”
“Done?” she laughed bitterly. “We’re just getting started. Hope you enjoy
unemployment, Jaxon. By Monday, you won’t have a job to go back to. Davis’s father sits on the board of your company.”
I felt Jaxon stiffen beside me.
“And you,” she continued, glaring at me. “Davis has friends in places you can’t imagine. Dangerous friends. Sleep well.”
The threat hung in the air as paramedics arrived, pushing through the crowd toward Davis’s still–unconscious form.
I turned to Jaxon, whose face had gone ashen. “Is what she’s saying about your job
true?”
He nodded numbly. “Walter Brady is a major investor. If he wanted to, he could probably have me fired with one phone call.”
“I see. I considered this new information carefully. “Then we’ll need to act quickly.”
“Act? What can we possibly do?” Jaxon asked, his voice hollow with defeat.
I smiled slightly. “Quite a bit, actually. But first, let’s get out of here.”
As we finally exited the Underground Ring, leaving the chaos behind us, I couldn’t help
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but think about the lesson Jaxon had just learned. Mercy, while noble, often came with a bitter aftertaste. Sometimes, the kindest act toward oneself was showing strength, not compassion, to one’s enemies.
Jaxon would need to learn that lesson quickly if he wanted to survive the storm that was surely coming.
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