Jax continues to look at Layla. “Tell me what you’ve heard, Layla, or I won’t give it to you.”
Give her what, exactly?
Tons of very vivid, very succubus-like thoughts fill my mind, and I frown. The vapor clears the air as I walk up to the bar and plant my butt down on the barstool beside his. Don’t ask. Don’t ask.
“Give her what, exactly?” Dammit! I have no self-control!
Layla muses as she collects a martini glass from the rack hanging on the back wall. “I’m not really sure I’m supposed to tell you.” Her eyes glimmer deviously as she glances at Jax. “I guess you’ll have to ask Jax.”
Jax shakes his head. “She’s got a pretty creative mind. I’m sure she can figure it out on her own.”
My lips pop open in surprise. Then disgust emerges inside me. But the emotion is erased and replaced with a more unsettling, darker sensation that burns venomously in my veins. As soon as I realize what I’m feeling, I want to bitch slap myself.
Oh, my word. I’m jealous. No. That can’t be happening. And when the heck did this happen? I mean, the last time I checked on my girly, swoony, lovey-dovey feelings, they completely flatlined when I thought of Jax. Yeah, he’s smoking hot, but he’s infuriating and moody and …
I crinkle my nose. Is that what I like? Moody, brooding guys? I haven’t had a lot of crushes before, haven’t had the time.
I frown. Crap. After all that shit Jax gave me, now it turns out he was right. God, if he knew what I was thinking right now, he’d probably die from happiness.
“But, anyway.” Jax coughs into his hand, attempting to clear some of the thick tension cramming the air. “Tell me what you know about what’s going on.”
“Jax, you know I can’t tell you that kind of stuff, not when I have fey blood in my veins.” She picks up the shaker and fills the martini glass to the brim with a pink liquid. “I’m bound to keep their secrets.”
“There are ways around that if you really wanted to tell me.” He crosses his arms on the counter.
She props her elbows onto the counter and arches her back, her cleavage curving out of her top. “Who says I want to tell you?”
Shockingly, Jax’s gaze doesn’t zero in on her breasts, his eyes remaining locked on hers. “What’s the price?”
She wets her lips with her tongue. “I think you know the answer to that.”
“If that’s the way you want to play, fine.” He shoves away from the counter, standing to his feet. “Alana, wait here.” He doesn’t even look at me when he says it, and the jealousy switches to a stinging irritation.
“Why? Where are you going?” Shit! I didn’t mean to sound so hurt! God, would my mouth just stop opening?
Layla evaluates me with her heavily lined eyes. “You could always come and find out.”
“No, she can’t.” Jax winds around the counter and snags her arm. “Come on. We haven’t got all night.”
She grabs her martini before allowing him to whisk her across the room, passing the sofas and heading toward a dark red door on the far back wall near the fish tank.
“Such impatience.” She peers over her shoulder at me, grinning impishly. “Don’t worry, darling; we shouldn’t be too long unless things get really, really good.” Her lips twist into a grin. “And feel free to help yourself to whatever. Snacks. A drink.” Her smile turns malicious as she takes a sip of her martini. “I think there might be some juice boxes in the fridge.”
Flattening his palm against the door, he shoves his way into the room. Then he pulls her inside and slams the door without a second glance back.
I stare at the door, dumbstruck. Holy crazy land, did that just happen? And why the heck is this bothering me so much? It’s not like she seduced him into going in there with her. I could tell she wasn’t using her powers. He went in there under his own free will. He wanted to go.
I tap my fingers against the countertop, stewing in my confusing, conflicting emotions while obsessively staring at the door and fighting the urge to kick it down and ruin their sweaty romp in the sheets.
Eventually, I manage to regain some of my sanity and tear my attention off the door. To distract myself, I get up, wander around to the back of the bar, and search through the succubus’s cabinets. I don’t even know what I’m looking for other than a distraction as I open drawers then make my way into the adjacent kitchen. I browse through the cupboards then the fridge.
When I stumble across an unopened bottle of champagne, I pop the cork and drink a few swallows, partially to settle down the jealousy inside me and partly because the brand of champagne looks expensive, and I want to ruin it to get back at the succubus for calling me adorable a hundred times and telling me to drink a juice box. Beside, she’s the one who said I could help myself to whatever.
I’ve only drunk a handful of times at the few rare parties I attended and the couple of times Jayse and I stole wine and beer out of our parents’ stash. By the time I move on to snooping around her living room, my walk has a slight sway to it.
Debating where to start, my gaze skims the room and targets in on a large wooden trunk, hand carved with leafy patterns. It seems out of place with the rest of her swanky furniture and decorative wall furnishings.
“Hmmm … What could you be keeping in there?” Casting a quick glance over my shoulder, I tiptoe over to the trunk, flip the latch, and open the lid. My eyes widen as bright, radiating light illuminates my face. I can’t see past the brightness to tell what’s inside, but whatever’s in there is calling to me, begging me to come to it, use the magic inside of me to find it.
“Just do it,” a tiny voice says through a giggle. “You’ll like it. I promise.”
“Really?” I ask, knowing I should be scared, but the warmth of the glow erases the uneasiness. “What’s in there?”
Another high-pitched giggle. “Come and find out. Just close your eyes and give me your hand. I’ll pull you in.”
I nod robotically and stick my hand inside—
“Don’t touch it,” a woman hisses.
Seconds later, a hand appears in my line of vision and slams the lid closed.
I jerk back, landing on my butt on the tile floor and bumping my elbow against the wall. But the pull remains inside me, pleading with me to open the trunk.
“Don’t even think about it.” Layla appears in front of me with her arms crossed, her mouth set in a firm line. “Do you have any idea what’s in there?”
I shake my head, rubbing my tender elbow. “No.”
She glances at the trunk then back at me. “Then why would you open it?”
“I don’t know. I was bored.” I rise to my feet. Without her heels on, I’m taller than her, and she has to angle her chin up to look at me. “And if you were worried about me going through your stuff, then you shouldn’t have told me to help myself to whatever.” A giggle suddenly bursts from my lips, and I slap my hand over my mouth and shake my head. “I’m sorry … I don’t know why I just did that.” I lower my hand, choking back the laughter bubbling in the back of my throat.
She purses her lips and taps her bare foot against the floor. “Jax, could you come in here? We have a situation on our hands.”
“What’s wrong?” Jax calls out. I hear the shuffling of light footsteps moving up behind me. “What did she do now?”
Giggles threaten to burst from my chest as I lie down on the floor and stare up at an upside down version of him. He looks too good right now, content, with his fauxhawk hair a mess and his tattooed arms hanging to his sides.
I frown, realizing why he looks so calm.
Because he just had sex … with Layla.
“I drank some of her champagne and opened the trunk with the giggling sprite in it,” I admit through a squeaky laugh. I cover my mouth with my hand and shake my head in horror. “Jax, I think there might be something wrong with me.”
“How the hell did you know it was a sprite in there?” Layla asks me with suspicion. Then her attention zones in on Jax. ?
??What is she?”
Jax massages the back of his neck tensely. “I already told you she’s a Guardian.”
“Don’t lie to me,” she snaps, inching around me toward Jax. “If she knew there was a sprite in there, then she can hear the fey realm, which means she’s at least a descendant of some fey bloodline.” She gets in Jax’s face and pokes him in the chest. “Why would you bring her here with everything going on? Why are you really here?” She aims a shaky finger at me. “Is she a rogue?”
He gapes at her. “A rogue? What? No, she’s just a Guardian.”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” She pokes him in the chest again, more roughly this time, and he stumbles back. “I know you have a rogue currently hiding in your school right now. You know what they are.”
“Layla, I swear to God, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He sounds calm, but his curled fist and stiffened stance reveal he’s nervous. “I’ve never heard of a rogue before.”
She rolls her eyes in disbelief. “Rogues are creatures who escaped those stupid experimental facilities we just talked about.” She inches toward him. “They live among us, but they’re not with us. They’re only observing.”
“Observing what?” His nervousness shifts to curiosity. “What are they looking for?”
She shrugs. “I have no idea. Nor do I care.” Her eyes narrow to slits as she zeroes in on me. “But that doesn’t mean I trust them.”
He blows out a gradual breath and places his hands on Layla’s shoulders. “Look, Alana’s not a rogue or a faerie. I can promise you that.”
The muscles in her jawline spasm as she sucks in a breath through her nose and steps away from Jax, causing his hands to fall from her shoulders. “Fine, I believe you. But I want her out of here right now. The last thing I need is some strange creature trying to get into the fey realm through my entrance.”
“Of course,” Jax says with a nod. Then he crouches down beside me. “Let’s get you out of this house so your head can clear.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” I agree with an exaggerated head bob. “But why’s my head not clear?”
“Because you just tried to dive head first into the fey realm, and you’re running on a magic high right now.” He slips his arms underneath me and scoops me up. “Plus, you drank champagne for God knows what reason.”
“Because I was irritated,” I divulge as he carries me toward the front door.
He maneuvers the door open without putting me down. “With what?”
A cool night breeze kisses my flushed skin as we step outside, and I shiver. “Like you already don’t know the answer.” When he doesn’t deny it, I glare at him. “Wait. Was this all part of your revenge plan? To go have gross sex with a succubus just to make me jealous?”
His boots lightly thud against the steps as he descends the stairs. “How do you know it was gross? Have you had sex with a succubus before?”
“No,” I say indignantly. “But I bet it was gross … with her pretty eyes and her perfect body … Wait, what was my point again?”
He chuckles under his breath. “Before you say anything else, why don’t you give yourself a few minutes to get some fresh air?”
“That’s a very smart idea.” I reach up and gently pat his cheek. “How come you’re so smart?”
He shakes his head, fighting back a laugh. I don’t know why, though. What does he think is so funny?
After five minutes of driving in the car with the window down, I start to understand.
“Oh, my God.” I lower my head into my hands and slump back in the passenger seat. “I feel like the biggest idiot.” I shake my head from side to side. “Why did I have to drink that champagne and open the trunk? What’s wrong with me?”
“Why did you open the trunk?” Jax asks as he drives toward the center of town.
“I don’t know. At first, I was just curious, but then I felt like it was … calling to me or something.” I peek through my fingers, trying to assess him. Soft light from the lamppost lining the road outside filters into the cab and emphasizes the sheer glee in his eyes. “You’re so enjoying this, aren’t you?”
He wavers. “Honestly, yes and no.” A small smile pulls at his lips. “I mean, it was great to hear you were jealous.” His smile evaporates. “But I hate what happened with the trunk. And now Layla probably doesn’t trust me.” I don’t know what kind of expression crosses my face, but it makes Jax react with a pleased grin. “And, for the record, I didn’t sleep with her.”
I eye him over, trying to tell if he’s lying or not while I lie to myself, pretending it doesn’t really matter.
“Then what were you doing in the bedroom for twenty minutes?”
He gives a nonchalant shrug. “Looking at that photo and debugging your phone.”
“Then why did Layla make it seem like you were going into that room to have sex?”
He fiddles with the keychain hanging from the keys in the ignition. “She was playing along with me, mostly for her own benefit. She loves stirring up trouble.”
“Oh.” I feel ridiculously silly, but maybe something good can come out of it. I twist the end of my braid around on my finger. “So now that we’re even, can we just let this whole revenge thing go and try to be friends?”
He looks at me, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. “Friends, huh?”
I raise my hands in front of me. “Or you can just remain the trainer, and I’ll be your trainee if that’s what you want.”
He releases his lip from his teeth. “No, we can be friends.”
“And that puts your friend quota up to what? Three?” I aim for a light joke to ease any remaining tension.
He struggles not to grin. “Actually, it’s four if I include myself.”
“Aw, you’re friends with yourself.” I press my hand to my heart. “That’s so adorable.”
Trying not to smile, he digs a stale fry out of the carton and chucks it at me. I try to do what he did earlier and catch it in my mouth, but the fry ends up nailing me in the nose.
Jax snorts a laugh. “That was attractive.”
I grin. “Thanks. I tried my best.”
We exchange a smile, but then any amount of humor in his eyes goes kerplunk.
“We need to talk about what I found out.” He reaches into his pocket to retrieve my phone. “Whoever bugged your phone did a damn good job, and Layla couldn’t trace it. But she did put an anti-charm encryption on it, so whoever was listening shouldn’t be able to listen anymore.”
I take the phone from him. “Good. That’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
“Don’t get too excited yet.” He pulls out onto the main road and steers the car toward the center of town. “Layla was able to translate some of the code in the painted mark.”
My fingers fold tightly around the phone. “And what did it say?”
Worry overflows from his eyes as he looks at me. “It’s says they’ll be watching you until it’s time, and then they’ll come for you.”
Chapter 15
I clutch the phone so tightly I nearly pop the back off. “What are they waiting for, exactly?”
“I don’t know.” He swallows hard. “But I think we need to keep this thing going on with you a secret for now … until we know for sure.”
“I wasn’t planning on telling anyone.” I drop the phone onto my lap before I end up breaking it. “The last thing I want to do is put someone’s life at risk. I probably shouldn’t have even told you.”
“Yes, you should’ve,” he replies firmly. “You need to tell me everything. I can’t protect you if you don’t.” His silver eyes smolder. “Promise me you will. Promise me that, no matter what, you’ll tell me what’s going on with you.”
A shaky exhale fumbles from my lips. “All right,” I agree. “But only if you promise me to do the same with me.”
He nods then focuses on the road. “I just wish I knew why they’re sending out their experimental subjects into the real world. This wh
ole time, I thought they were killing all of them. I mean, why kill some and let others go?”
“They’re not really letting them go, though,” I point out. “They’re using them to watch for something, at least according to Layla. And it sounds like they brainwashed those vampires into killing the fey. Maybe that’s the difference. Maybe some are useful and others aren’t. Maybe some experiments are failures, and those are the ones they kill.”
He looks at me with pride in his eyes. “You’re getting good at this.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “I guess I must have a good teacher.”
He starts to smile at me, but the look vanishes as he makes a left turn into a gravel parking lot crammed with old cars and motorcycles. The area appears vacant except for a few guys loitering in front of a brick building with a neon sign that reads: Try our special. It’s to die for. I’m sure most of the people wander in there, thinking they’re going to get some amazing drink. Little do they know that they are the special drink.
Jax parks toward the back near a row of motorcycles, silences the engine, and takes the keys from the ignition. “I want to start here. I know a lot of vampires hang out here. Maybe we’ll stumble across one from the territory clan. Or, if all else fails, we can pry some information out of one of them.”
“Now you’re speaking my language,” I say, stuffing my phone into the pocket of my plaid jacket that is still tied around my waist.
He points a finger at me. “I want you to be careful. No doing anything irrational.”
I laugh wickedly. “Ha, me? Irrational? Never.”
Jax wears his infamous annoyed expression. “Alana—”
“I was just kidding,” I interrupt the lecture I know he’s about to give me. “I promise I’ll behave and won’t get into any fights.”
“Don’t overdo it,” he says. “You can protect yourself if you need to. Just don’t do anything without a cause.”
I nod, reaching for the door. “That, I can do.” I open the door and duck my head to get out.