16. Jax
16
JAX
T hat day, Jax didn’t return home after school. How could he when his future hung in the balance?
“How could Lea do this to me?” The thought ceaselessly ran through his head until he had reached his uncle’s lair.
The place didn’t seem quite as imposing as before.
Jax hated admitting he was beginning to feel at home in his uncle’s shadows. He waltzed inside without needing to talk to the guards. It was like he belonged there now… A thought that used to disgust him.
“Uncle,” Jax called out. He was already sick to his stomach, thinking about how Lea must have made it to the BPR Headquarters by now. He imagined with disdain Lea spilling black ink all over his name.
“My nephew has returned so soon! To what do I owe this pleasure?” Diesel came up from a basement area while wiping blood off his hands. Then he threw the rag into the hands of some of the men following him and reached out, placing his hand on Jax’s shoulder. “You look as white as a ghost. What happened?”
Jax licked his dry lips, breathing past the shaking fear in his chest. “We have a problem.”
Diesel’s face changed in an instant. He had never seen Jax look this frightened before. “Well, speak on it, boy.”
“Aleandra Nadir. She knows I was involved in the robbery.” Jax’s eyes burned with trepidation.
“She shouldn’t be a problem, right? Isn’t she obsessed with you? I doubt she’ll put you in harm’s way.” Diesel waved his hand, dismissing the conversation.
“That’s what I thought, but she said she would still turn me in. She’s probably on her way to report me if she’s not already there.” Jax panicked and forgot for a moment who he was talking to.
“Then we’ll have to take care of her, won’t we?” The man standing before Jax was the same person who murdered her parents in cold blood just for refusing to pay him a bit of money.
In a moment of fear and self-preservation, he might have just gotten Lea killed. He couldn’t say he ever thought twice about Lea aside from her potion-writing abilities, but having her killed seemed harsh.
Jax’s stomach felt like it was turning inside out. He didn’t even want to imagine it. Was he the kind of man that allowed something like this to happen? That would make what Lea said true. “Wait, maybe I can change her mind! I bet she hasn’t even reported me yet. After all, she is in love with me.”
Jax flashed a pearly white smile at Diesel, hoping he couldn’t see the apprehension in his eyes.
“What do you plan to do?” Diesel didn’t look convinced in the slightest.
“I’ll seduce her.” Jax was sure that was the answer.
Diesel scoffed, “And what do you plan to do with Chika?”
“I’ll still be with Chika, of course.”
“So what you would do is create a jilted lover that would have every reason to ruin you. Try again.” Diesel was growing impatient now.
Disillusionment filled Diesel’s eyes, and Jax knew he was losing faith.
“I could plant an illegal potion on her—have the authorities catch her. Once I have tarnished her name, no one will believe a word she says.” Jax reasoned with himself that it was a foolproof plan. He even convinced himself that it would be harmless.
Lea would be a first-time offender, after all. She would probably get a slap on the wrist and a few hours of communal labor. How bad could that be?
“That would be even more devious than killing her. If you insist.” Diesel shook his head with pride in his eyes before walking away.
Jax wasn’t entirely sure what Diesel meant by that, but he was too afraid to ask.
Even if she got a little jail time, so what? She should have just minded her own business and not threatened to go to BPR to report me!
Deep down, the sickness in Jax only grew stronger. He didn’t know the cause, but the more he thought about Lea, the more it gnawed at him.
J ax was waiting outside Lea’s home before school the following day. He was aware that she usually left early and wanted to catch her before they were in the presence of his peers. While waiting, Jax stared long and hard at the big sign slapped across her front door in bright red lettering. REPOSSESSED.
“Don’t you see, Lea? This is what playing by the rules will get you. You will never get ahead with the world trying to hold you back.” Jax shook his head, feeling sympathetic toward her even under these circumstances. “Perhaps a part of me holds her in some regard.”
The front door opened suddenly, and he was standing so close to it that she ran right into him when Lea rushed out.
Jax caught her from tumbling backward from the sheer and sudden force. “Holy Lunaira, Lea! Don’t you look before you walk?”
Jax shouted at her. He didn’t mean to and wasn’t particularly mad at her. It was just instinctual. He was used to jumping to violence now, thanks to his “odds and ends” jobs with his uncle. He didn’t want that to be his second nature, though.
Lea gave him a puzzled look. First, fear crossed her face, followed by annoyance. “Sorry, I don’t normally expect a six-foot-tall thief to be standing on my doorstep first thing in the morning!”
“Fair point. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He softened his voice, remembering the reason he came here in the first place.
“You didn’t.” Lea’s curtness didn’t cut Jax one bit.
He would have to care much more about Lea than he did to be injured by her cold shoulder. He watched her lock the front door and tuck the key into her pocket before marching away from him. “Hey! Wait up!”
He ran after her when she failed to stop. “What? Do you hate me now? Has this one little realization of yours changed everything?”
She stopped, snapping her head around to glare at him. “It isn’t a little realization. It was a terrible thing you did, Jax. Don’t forget that… And no. I don’t hate you.”
She kept walking, and hope lightened the weight on Jax’s chest.
“I’m glad to hear that. I would hate it if you hated me.” Jax caught up with her once more.
“What was your purpose in coming here, Jax? You wouldn’t have me believe you came here to apologize, and you’ve never been this nice to me in your entire life. So why don’t you just get it out in the open so we don’t have to keep up the charade?”
Her amber eyes blazed with rage, almost turning golden.
Jax remained silent, trying to keep his perceived “upper hand.”
Lea sighed, unwilling to waste any more time on the matter. “You came here to find out if I reported you to BPR, right? Of course, you did. Why else would you be here?”
She then balled up her fists and turned away from Jax for a moment, taking a deep breath before turning back to him. “No, Jax. I couldn’t bring myself to report you, to begin with. While I disagree with why you did it, I understand your point of view. Besides, I don’t think the punishment you would receive there would equal your crime. That place was… Horrific.”
Just the mere thought of the BPR headquarters gave shivers down the spine.
“Thank you… I appreciate you looking out for me, even though I didn’t deserve it.” Jax smiled prematurely, feeling as if he had already won. “Is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?”
“Yeah, stay out of trouble, and when you do become rich and famous, don’t end up like all of these assholes. Create a better world than the one we had to grow up in.” Lea watched as the smile fell from Jax’s face.
For the first time, he wondered if he could change the world like that. He had never considered that. He focused only on playing by whatever rules he had to to get ahead, even if it meant stepping over good people to get there. He nodded, unsure of himself.
They started walking again with nothing but silence between them. That was until Jax remembered his purpose in coming here.
“You really don’t think I’ve been nice to you?” He turned his head but kept up with her at the same pace.
“Nicer than most… But never this nice,” she explained, refusing to meet his eyes again.
“I’m sorry you feel that way because I really like being nice to you.” Jax moved closer to Lea, causing her shoulders to tense up.
She couldn’t help but turn her head and look now. “Is there something else on your mind, Jax?”
“I know my recent actions might have turned you away from the idea, but I do like you, Lea. I think you’re incredibly gifted, and I find it difficult not being around you now,” Jax lied. He was so good at it, too, almost like it was second nature.
His eyes scanned Lea up and down, finding she wasn’t unattractive by any stretch of the imagination.
He could even understand why his best friend, Zane, had a thing for her.
She was no Chika, but she was beautiful in her own right. That would make what Jax had to do next much more bearable—bordering on enjoyable.
“Did I knock the sense out of you this morning? What are you saying?” Lea couldn’t fathom it, even with all the dots he had laid out for her to connect.
“I want to be with you, Lea. Please don’t tell me that I’m too late.” His eyes glimmered with what he hoped to appear as honesty.
“What about Chika?” She was barely speaking now. Her brows furrowed deeply as she tried to comprehend the situation still.
“She isn’t you.” Jax knew she needed more convincing. Without giving it a second thought, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, pressing her against himself. He could feel her whole body shiver excitedly, making him flash her a toothy grin.
“Jax, have you thought this through?” The way her voice trembled only fed his ego.
“Much more than you’ll ever know,” He breathed out in a whisper before grabbing the back of her head and pulling her into a kiss.
In an instant, she was his.
Her body melted, and she was clay in his hands, ready to be shaped and molded in whatever way pleased him.
Jax was surprised at the tiny flicker of pleasure he derived from the kiss. He had kissed many girls before and felt nothing.
Chika was the only one who was able to give him any sort of reaction.
This feeling wasn’t anything like Chika, but it rivaled all the rest.
“What a shame,” he thought. “We might have had something one day. Perhaps she could have eased the lonely night, but after I’m done with her, I doubt she’ll want anything to do with me.”
That didn’t matter to Jax. His eyes only looked for status, and he was ready to crush anyone he had to to get it. He pulled away, brushing Leia’s hair behind her ear. “You and I will take on the world together, Lea. With my ambition and your potion writing skills, There won’t be anything we can’t conquer.”
“How do you propose we do that? More lying and stealing?” The serenity on her face crumbled into a heavy grimace. Her opinion of him had changed, possibly forever, but it wasn’t enough to kill the feeling she held for him.
“Look, I found a person who works for the Federation of Setas. He said he would be willing to sponsor us as our Potions Agent. We would only need money to pay for us to portal there. Once I’ve made back the money, I will happily give back whatever I had taken. This might be our only shot to get out of here.” Jax pleaded, feigning innocence in his eyes.
Lea couldn’t deny him, even with all the integrity instilled in her. “Fine, but I’m going to make sure you give that money back as soon as you have it.”
“Of course! You have my word.” Jax placed his hand over his heart, a smile spreading across his face. He continued walking with her, even holding her hand up until they were in view of the school. He then dropped her hand quickly and stepped away.
Lea watched this, puzzled and disheartened.
“I haven’t spoken with Chika yet. I just need some time. How about we meet tonight in the woods behind your house? We can go for a run. It’s a full Lunair, after all.” He winked at her, and her face turned bright red.
She nodded slowly before he turned around and disappeared into the crowd of students.
Jax felt like he was on top of the world at that moment. Not only had he successfully swindled Lea, but she didn’t suspect a thing. He felt like the future he wanted was so close he could reach out and touch it.
“My new life begins tomorrow. Tonight will be the last hurrah.”
“Hey, Jax!” Zane’s voice tore through the crowd of students greeting each other.
Jax’s good mood was instantly sullied when he realized he would have to explain to his best friend where he got the money so they could go to the portal.
Zane wasn’t going to be nearly as easy to fool. He had already worked with Jax’s uncle prior and knew that Jax would have had to do something huge to come about the money that he did in one night.
Jax kept walking, hoping that Zane would lose him in the crowd, but after feeling a firm hand grab his shoulder, He knew he was busted. Jax turned to Zane and gave him a wiry smile. “There you are, man. I’ve been looking for you.”
“You didn’t just hear me call you?” Zane was quick to question him. He was sharp as a tack, making it difficult to lie to him.
“No, sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind. I have really great news!” He pulled Zane aside so that no one could overhear their conversation. “I figured out a way to get us both out of here… Well, all three of us, including Chika.”
“What about Lea?” Zane looked wounded that Jax didn’t include her.
That was when Jax remembered one very important detail. His best friend was deeply in love with Lea.
Jax frowned.
A pain stabbed through his chest like a dagger.
Jax’s lip went tight as he tried to hide the guilt in his eyes. “Yes, of course, and Lea too. How could I forget her?”