Page 129 of The Never List
Jax.
He’s doing this to him.
Jax takes a step back, shaking his head and tsking Turner, who stands there in a puddle of his own filth. “You should know better than to touch anyone in the way you were,” Jax says. “Especially what’smine.” Jax glances over his shoulder at me, those indigo eyes hard as gemstones as he looks me over, seeing something on my face that makes him flinch. “Shall I kill him?” he asks me like he’s inquiring what I want to drink.
I hesitate, shocked by the blunt question, especially in front of so many people.
So many ofhispeople.
I have no mercy in my heart for Turner—not after the way he’s threatened me, forced himself on me, and tortured me emotionally.
But Jax?
I haveallsorts of feelings for Jax. The last thing I want is blood on his hands because of me.
I shake my head, and Jax turns back around to face Turner. “You should be on your knees thanking her,” he says. “She’s the only reason your heart is allowed to keep beating tonight. But just so you remember your place…” Jax tilts his head again.
Turner whimpers, another terror-laced cry escaping his lips, and the sound of his bowels releasing follows seconds after.
And then Jax is laughing. That cold, sardonic laugh that sends shivers along my skin. That quickly, Turner starts to laugh, too, like he can’t help himself.
Jax snaps his fingers, and Turner’s laughs die, the fear leaking out of his eyes and shifting to utter mortification.
The rest of the crowd follows the lead of their prince and laughs at the soiled, blubbering mess that is Turner.
His head jerks around, glaring at all the laughing onlookers before looking murderously at Jax for all of two seconds before he bows again. “Thank you, your highness,” he says through chattering teeth.
“Run,” Jax commands.
Turner races down the stairs like a wounded animal.
If he wasn’t such an evil piece of shit, I might have found it in my heart to feel pity for him. Sadistic asshole that he is, I feel nothing.
Nothing but confusion at Jax’s territorial display.
He stands with his back to me, his hands still in his pockets. Every instinct begs me to reach out for him, but the way he told me toget outkeeps me frozen in place. Even as some people who work at Lust arrive to clean up the mess, the rest of the crowd’s laughter dying off as they get back to their gambling, I still don’t move.
Not until Jax turns around, still smiling coldly. His eyes snag on my cheeks, no doubt riddled with smeared makeup and the evidence of my tears.
“Jax—”
He spans the distance between us, interlacing our fingers and tugging me in the opposite direction, my heart in my throat as the Nightmare leads me away from the crowd.
39
Jax
I keep firm hold of Rylee’s hand as I tug her outside the room and up the set of stairs to the third level.
Mylevel.
No one is allowed up here, and right now, we need to be where no one can see us.
I’m not sure which I want to do more, scare her or fuck some sense into her. And I’m still undecided when I lead her into my private chambers, depositing her near my desk as I pace the area.
I’m shaking, my power rising like a tidal wave.
That piece of shit touched what’smine.
