Bad Intentions

2. Packaged Deal

Jaxson

"Are you sure you want to do this?"  Shawn asks me for the third time today. "I need to talk to him Shawn. I need to know if she's okay." "What if he doesn't tell you?" "There's always a plan B" I tell him. I don't even understand why he was so nervous, it's not like he knew Avas' dad was abusive. Maybe he does by the way he was acting. "What do you think about her dad?" I ask him buttoning up my shirt. He shrugs sitting down on the couch. "I don't like him" he says. "Why?" "At the meetings your dad use to have with him he was always so rude to Ava. The stuff he said was just concerning I guess. You know, your dad thought he was hitting Ava at home. But I didn't think so, I never saw any bruises on her plus she didn't act like she was getting abused she was always happy" he says. My dad was honestly a smart man. Maybe if he didn't die he could've saved Ava from this situation. I never told Shawn about Avas' dad since it isn't my story to tell, but I feel like he needs to know the truth. "He did" I say "Hmm?" he says not knowing what I'm getting at. "He does abuse her" I tell him. He sits up "You're telling me that your father was right?" I nod my head. "She came home with bruises all the time but never admitted it until I answered her phone and he was rambling about her not showing up to a meeting." I tell him remembering every time she came home and tried to hide her new scars. "There's no way!" He says looking down at the floor. "We should've helped her" he says. He looks as if he wants to cry. "I tried, she started working at home and she was going to leave their company." I tell him. He shakes his head again. "Jaxson, it's been six months. What if she's not even alive anymore?" His whole question catches me off guard. I never thought about her being dead. "Don't say that!" "His company is still increasing, he's not doing that by himself." I say giving both of us a little hope. "You have to go talk him" he says wiping his eyes. I nod. "As soon as Penelope gets here we're leaving."

I walk into the building leaving Shawn in the car. I've only been here a few times but it all felt too familiar. I get on the elevator I used multiple times to come with Ava to pick up paper work just to make sure she came home untouched. I hit the 5th floor button and wait. I'm hoping her dad will cooperate with me today. As soon as I reach the floor Cedric jumps up. "Jaxson!" He says, for some reason he sounds scared. "Cedric" I say holding out my hand trying to be professional. I can't stand this guy even though, I don't even know him. "What brings you by?"  "I need to talk to Mr. Hudson." I say going to walk pass him. He stops me by slightly pushing me back. "You don't have an appointment scheduled." I move his hand from my shoulder."I don't need one." I say this time actually walking pass him. I was trying to be nice. I knock on Mr. Hudsons door. He yells come in and I open the door. He doesn't look up from his cellphone until I sit down. "Oh,  Mr. Anderson. How may I help you?" he asks. He looks nervous. "Do you know where Ava is?" I ask getting straight to the point. He pauses, he definitely knows something. "No, I've been trying to get in contact with her myself."  I sit up in my chair. "You're telling me you haven't heard from your daughter in 6 months and yet you're still sitting here working? Sounds like a bunch of bullshit." I tell him. He didn't expect that to be my reaction. "Do not forget who you're talking to Mr. Anderson." He says sitting his hands on top of the desk. "No I know who I'm talking to. You see I have absolutely no respect for you at all and once the world sees what an actual piece of shit you are, they won't either. Now where is Ava?" "I think it's time for you to leave." He says before standing up. I stand up and he goes to open the door. "One more thing." I say and as soon as he turns around I punch him. Something I've been wanting to do since the first time I learned he was hitting Ava. He almost falls back before catching himself. "You messed up." He says charging at me. I didn't care that I was about to fight someone more than twice my age, he deserves it.

He misses by an inch when I step to the side. I was thankful for the defense classes I took in Europe. I only took them to impress a girl but I was still thankful. I grab his arm and twist it making him fall to his knees. I could easy snap his arm in half if I wanted to, but I hold out on doing that knowing I wanted so badly to punch him again. I push him to where he's laying on the ground. He holds his shoulder while panting. "Your father would be disappointed" he says. "Trust me, I think my father would even be happy if I killed you" I tell him. My father taught me how to be a man and take care of myself and my family like he did. I'd already let Bella down by not being there the first four years of her life, I wasn't going to continue. "Where's Ava?" I ask him hovering over him. "I don't know" he says through gritted teeth. I knew that whatever I did to him he wasn't going to tell me. The door flies open and Cedric walks in looking at me standing over his boss. I punch him one last time "Don't you ever lay a hand on Ava or any other women again" I say leaving. Cedric stares after me not knowing if he should stop me or if he should help Avas' dad. I didn't care, I know there's a possibility I could get in trouble but he deserves it.

When I get in the car I look over my hand. It was covered in blood and throbbing with pain. "Oh my god Jaxson! What happened?" Shawn asks from the passenger seat. "He didn't tell me where she was... or if she's okay." I lean back in my seat and let out a long sigh. "I think she's in trouble, just by the way he acts you can tell he knows where she is" I continue. "What are we going to do?" "I don't know. Should we go to the police?" I ask and Shawn shakes his head no. "That might just make things worse for her if she isn't already..." he cuts himself off. I'm not the type of person to just cry, but I do. I cry sitting here in the car with Shawn in the parking lot. Why'd I wait? God, I'm so stupid. No one just leaves their child and life for six months. Of course something is wrong. I could've saved her. I punch the steering wheel. She can't be dead. She just can't. "What am I going to tell Bella?" I ask out loud. "Nothing... we have to find her first. She could be fine Jaxson that's always a possibility." I realize he's crying too.

I get back home and act like everything is fine. "You came back" Bella says running up to me. Every time I leave her she says that. I get on a knee to match her height. "I'll always come back for you. We're a packaged deal now okay" I tell her. "What does that mean?" she asks holding her tiny hands up indicating that she was confused. I chuckle "It means that I'll never leave you. You and I will always be together."