The message came late at night.
Jay was half-asleep, curled up on the couch with a blanket, Keifer nearby reviewing something quietly on his tablet. Her phone buzzed once.
She ignored it.
Then it buzzed again.
Something in her chest tightened.
She checked the screen—and froze.
Jax: You shouldn't have spoken to us like that.
Jax: You don't know what you're risking.
Jax: Come back. Or someone you care about might get hurt.
Jay's hands went cold.
The room felt suddenly too quiet.
Keifer noticed immediately. "Jay?"
She didn't answer. She just stared at the phone, breath shallow.
He was beside her in seconds. "What happened?"
She handed him the phone without a word.
Keifer read the messages once.
Then again.
His jaw tightened—not in anger, but in control. The kind of control that came from knowing panic wouldn't help her right now.
"He threatened you," Jay whispered. "He knows… he knows you."
Keifer looked at her fully now, voice low and steady. "Listen to me."
She nodded, barely breathing.
"This is not your fault," he said. "And you are not going back. Ever."
"What if he does something?" Her voice shook. "What if—"
Keifer took her face gently in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "He doesn't get power over you through fear."
Jay swallowed hard. "I don't want you in danger."
A softness crossed his expression. "Jay, I've handled worse than empty threats."
She shook her head. "You don't understand. He's desperate."
"And desperate people get stopped," Keifer replied calmly.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her firmly this time—not fragile, not unsure. Protective. Certain.
"You trusted me with your broken pieces," he said quietly. "Trust me with this too."
Her breath hitched. "I'm scared."
"I know," he murmured, resting his chin against her hair. "And you don't have to be brave alone."
Jay clutched his shirt, tears finally spilling. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted peace."
Keifer's arms tightened around her. "And you'll have it. I promise."
He reached for his phone, already thinking steps ahead—not rash, not emotional. Just prepared.
Jay looked up at him. "You're not leaving me, right?"
He met her gaze without hesitation. "Not for a second."
She nodded slowly, letting his steadiness anchor her.
For the first time since the message arrived, the fear loosened its grip—not because the threat was gone, but because she wasn't facing it alone.
And Jax, wherever he was, had made one fatal mistake—
He'd threatened someone Keifer loved.
And Keifer never let fear win.