Payce's Passions Read Free

Damien’s voice from the bedroom giving out our address to the authorities.
    As I reach the steps, I see him. It’s fucking Aaron in our goddamned house. I scale the steps, three at a time, until I’m five feet from him.
    “Boy, you just messed with the wrong-mother-fucker.” I reach for him.
    He turns on me, his hair slipping through my fingers. I take one step and swing, my right fist nails him in the side of the head. Aaron stumbles, but remains standing. He swings back and I side step him, the lamp teeters and falls off of the table, shattering all over the tile.
    “Dax?” Damien yells from the top step.
    When I turn and look up to him, Aaron forearm tackles me, pushing me a few steps back then catches me behind one knee. Damien hits the upstairs light switch, just as Aaron flips me backwards. The crush of the granite table splinters under my back, before I hit the ceramic tile.
    “Dax!” Damien wails out, and comes racing down the stairs.
    Aaron straddles across me and swings at my face, making contact. I flip him over on his back and ball my hand into a fist. I punch, hearing the bones crunch, and blood splatters out like a rogue paint sprayer.
    With my legs I push to standing position and take him up with me by his shirt. Holding him in place, I raise to swing again, when I feel his weight in my arms. Aaron’s not unconscious, but my last hit came close.
    “Dax, don’t! You’re going to kill him,” Damien yells from the middle of the stairs on his way down.
    I lower my hand. “Damien, get the hell out of here, goddammit. I told you to stay fucking put.” I don’t need him coming close to me right now. I look back to Aaron who looks up at me. “You won’t come near him again.”
    I let him go and he drops to the floor, taking several crawls away from me. I wind my hand inside his hair, drag Aaron back up, and walk him toward the front door. Twisting the knob, the door flings wide open so hard it bends the spring doorstop and the knob punches a hole into the sheetrock.
    “Dax,” Aaron says my name.
    “You’re still talking? Not for long.” I raise him up with one arm. My other hand clamps into a tight fist and I draw back. Then I feel a hand grab me. All I can see is red right now and instincts kick in. I drop Aaron and round on whoever has a hold of me. I’m amped up on pure rage, my fist launched and ready to destroy someone beyond the realm of senseless.
    “DAX!” Damien’s fingers wrap around my hand in mid-air, not pushing, not punching, but holding it in place. “Baby, please. It’s enough.”
    All it takes is the smoothness in his voice, reality snakes in through my veins.
    “There you go, Dax.” He lowers my hand to my side. I don’t fight him on it. “Breathe, baby, in and out. Come on.” Damien inhales and then exhales.
    I do as he does, calming myself as the adrenaline buzz begins to wear off.
    He caresses my cheeks. “Come in the house with me, he’s not going anywhere.” 
    I hear Aaron coughing, he’s on his hands and knees, moaning and holding his ribs. Bastard! Damien pulls me by the hand walking me inside the doorway. I squat down in the entry way, unbalanced, things are spinning. I’m dizzy, yet a sudden surge of relief sweeps over me. Damien kneels in front of me, his back to the door, never taking his eyes off of me.
    “You’re okay, you’re going to be fine, Dax. You scared the hell out of me though. I’ve never seen anyone…never mind. Come here.” He cradles me inside his arms.
    My focus is on his touches and his voice. His fingers sweep through my hair as he sits down on the floor, pulling me forward with him. I’m tucked against him. Hearing his heart beat through his chest is soothing, and my breathing finally becomes normal, matching his.
    “Dax, I’m so sorry about this. I knew Aaron was crazy, but not like this. I didn’t think he’d actually go this far. I’m sorry you are involved in any of this.” He kisses the top of my head.
    “It’s