Unknown Darkness (Dominions Book 2)

Chapter 16: Jayden

She was just there.

One minute they were sitting in the Mayweather's living room talking about how Elle was a total badass winning her trial today, and the next Selena stood before them in a green dress. She looked stunning. Not what Jayden would expect to see if he was looking at someone who had been a prisoner the last couple of weeks.

She was confused at first. The look on her face when she saw them on the couch let them know that she didn't know this was coming.

"Please don't let him take me-" she pleaded before she disappeared again.

And then all hell broke loose.

"Selena?!" Judah screamed as he ran forward to the spot she originally appeared. He searched around the living room. He flipped over the coffee table, the recliner, and the couch as if she would magically appear under one of them. "Selena!" Judah screamed.

He shouted over and over again. Jayden's heart began to beat quickly. Anxiety rose in his chest. He imagined a tea kettle on the stove finally reaching the boiling point. Judah's screams were the same as that high-pitched whistle.

"Stop it," Jayden whispered.

Judah continued to frantically scream Selena's name and fell to the floor. He pounded the ground with his fist. "She was right there!" He screamed. "I felt her! I held her!"

"Stop it," Jayden said louder.

Asher looked over at his friend and gave him a confused look. Why was Jayden always the one who had to hold himself together? Why was he surrounded by people who constantly made stupid mistakes? Between Asher's impulsivity, and Judah and Elle's illicit affair, Jayden was left alone to be the one who made sure everyone kept themselves afloat. He was tired of it.

This was not what he signed up for.

"Stop it!" Jayden finally screamed.

The room went silent and everyone stared at Jayden. He bit his lip and turned around to face the back wall of the living room. Everything seemed to spin at that moment, and a line of sweat appeared on his forehead.

3, 2, 1. You got this Jayden.

He turned back around and looked at everyone in the room who was still staring at him. The living room was destroyed. Couch cushions scattered, and the coffee table flipped, Jayden was surprised he stopped Judah in time that he didn't try to flip the entertainment cabinet.

"Look at yourself," Jayden said to Judah. "Look at this place! This isn't even your place."

Shame fell over Judah's face as he curled up into a ball. His wild mass of hair covered his face as he quietly shook with sobs on the ground.

"Get up," Jayden said as he walked over to Judah and grabbed him by the arm. Judah resisted and shook Jayden off. He felt his temper rise as he reached down again and grabbed Judah by the shirt. He lifted him off the ground and sat him in a kneeling position. "I said get up! It's time for you to get a grip."

Jayden turned to talk to Elle and Asher when he felt a strong force slammed into the right side of his jaw. Jayden felt his mouth shift to the left, he felt spit leave his lips, but most of all he felt shocked as he turned to Judah. "Did you just sucker punch me?" Jayden asked him. He grabbed his jaw and shook it from side to side. He wasn't sure if that was what you were supposed to do, but he always saw people in the movies do that. "Did you just fucking sucker punch me?"

Judah wound back his arm and swung at Jayden again, but this time Jayden was ready for him. He stepped to the side and let Judah fall forward. Jayden shoved him in the back and Judah collapsed on the floor.