Jackass Boss [COMPLETED]

Protection

When Jay was about to speak, Mr. Holden stepped out of the shop, his expression tight.

"Mr. Erickson, we found Parker," he announced, his tone grim.

"W—Wait a minute..." I blinked in shock. "As far as I know, I just told Jay about him. How can—" I turned to face Jay, who simply shrugged, that unreadable face of his betraying nothing.

"Damn, what are you? A telepathy user or something?" I asked, half-exasperated, half-incredulous.

Jay didn't say a word. He just smirked.

"Jessy... everyone inside could hear you clearly," Mr. Holden said dryly.

My jaw dropped. "E-Everything? You mean... m-my confession too?"

He nodded slowly. Jay burst into a laugh, a low, almost evil sound that only made my embarrassment worse.

"Oh, shit!" I groaned, covering my face with both hands. Then I turned and stomped on his foot. "Shut up, Jay!"

"Ow—damn, that hurts, woman!" he hissed, lifting his leg in pain.

But the laughter faded quickly once we got in the car. Jay, despite my protests, allowed me to tag along. I wanted—needed—to see Parker face-to-face. And what I saw nearly made my stomach turn. He was bruised, bloodied, sitting slumped in a basement chair. He looked pathetic. Not a monster, not even a man—just a broken coward.

"I warned you," Jay said coldly, signaling to one of the guards.

The guard slammed a fist into Parker's face. Blood poured from his nose. He cried out, slumping even lower.

"P-Please... l-let me go..." Parker whimpered. "I won't d-do it again, I swear..."

"I can't take that risk," Jay growled. "Letting you walk free would be like digging my own grave. Sorry—not sorry. You laid your hands on my girl. You don't get to beg for mercy now."

My heart jumped. My girl. Even in the heat of his fury, those words fluttered inside me.

"Let's go, Jessy." Jay grabbed my hand and turned to leave.

"Wait! Please wait!" Parker shouted, voice cracking. "It... it wasn't just me. Someone asked me to kill her!"

Jay and I froze.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jay demanded, spinning back around.

"I'm serious! I—I didn't plan it alone. A woman approached me. I don't know who she is, but she... she knew everything. A few days ago, I found a package outside my house. No sender listed. It had a gun, money, and a phone."

I swallowed, bile rising in my throat.

"When the phone rang, I answered. It was a woman. Cold voice. She told me she knew all about me—about how you humiliated me, about my past. She knew how badly I wanted revenge. And she said if I did what she wanted, I'd be rewarded."

"Keep talking," Jay snapped, fists clenched at his sides.

"She said... hurting Jessy wasn't enough last time. She wanted her to suffer. That was the word she used. Suffer."

Jay's jaw clenched. I felt the heat rising in my face, not from embarrassment—but from rage.

"She wired me money," Parker continued. "Then gave me my first job—kill the kid."

My blood ran cold.

"W-What...?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"Kill... Julissa?" Jay asked, his tone dangerously low.

"Yes. At the park," Parker admitted, his eyes filled with shame. "You were all there, laughing. The kids were playing. When the ball rolled toward the road and that little girl ran after it, I... I sped up my car, trying to hit her. But Jay... you pulled her back."

Jay didn't speak. His whole body was trembling—not from fear, but from barely restrained fury.

"She was furious I failed. Screamed at me. But the next day, she changed her tone. She said she enjoyed seeing Jessy scared... broken. Then she gave me a new order—kill Jessy. At the park. That same spot."

"Who is she?" Jay asked through gritted teeth. "Tell me."

"I don't know her name. She's smart, careful. But once, I overheard someone calling her from behind... I think her name started with a T. Maybe... Tania? Tamara? No, wait—Tanya. Tanya! That's it!"

I blinked rapidly, too stunned to process it.

That bitch... Tanya. I should've known.

That woman—who smiled so sweetly while twisting knives into my back. I clenched my fists. How dare she try to hurt my child? What did I do to deserve this kind of wrath?

Jay didn't respond at first. He turned to his guard and nodded. "Take him to the police station. Let the law deal with him. He's not worth my time anymore."

The guard nodded, dragging Parker away.

Back in the car, the silence was heavy. Mr. Holden drove without a word, and Jay sat beside me, eyes fixed on the horizon. His expression was unreadable, but his hand gently gripped mine.

I slowly leaned my head onto his shoulder. Jay opened his arm, pulling me close against his chest. His warmth seeped into me, grounding me.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded. But the truth was, I wasn't sure anymore.

Because this wasn't over.

Tanya had declared war.

And I was done playing nice.