Page 1 of Furious
Prologue
JAX
Jaxlovedhislife,but not so much this morning because he had a brutal hangover and his leg was bothering him again. For fuck’s sake, he was in his last semester of culinary school; he should be thinking about the menus he had to put together instead of partying with his friends.
But he had a genuine excuse for last night, his favorite DJ had done a surprise Boiler Room set. Luckily, Mae had all the connections, and she’d gotten him on the guest list for the experience of a lifetime. Jax recalled dancing, sweating, doing whatever shots came his way, and freaking out because the DJ had pointed at him, but everything after that was hazy. It didn’t matter. If he couldn’t remember the party, then he’d definitely had fun.
He sat up, trying to swallow, but his mouth felt like a desert. He needed water, a shower, and caffeine.
Limping into the kitchen, he filled a glass at the sink and gulped it all down. When he finally stopped to breathe, he shook out his leg, stretching it with a grimace as pain shot down the center of the limb. Going to the gym in the mornings, class in the afternoons, and dancing all night was beginning to catch up to him. Even at twenty-two, his body could only do so much.
Sighing, he vowed to take a break for schoolandhis health.
After a shower so hot it could be classified as lava, he downed two cups of the strongest tea he had, feeling leagues better. He even managed an afternoon of work on his menus before his phone chirped.
Saving the document, he checked his lock screen.
Guess what? Tonight is ROUND TWO.
Below it was a picture of Mae standing next to the DJ, but that didn’t surprise him. A stunning triple-Pisces, Mae could be flaky with a touch of main character syndrome, but she leveraged her pretty privilege wherever they went, getting them into all the VIP rooms.
Closing his laptop, Jax decided on a final night before he took his break.
Two hours later, he stood outside the epitome of an abandoned warehouse, complete with half-broken windows. All it needed was a sign that said, “The Best Place To Be Murdered.”
Hands in his pockets, he glanced around, his pulse higher than it should be. Why couldn’t DJs find something well-lit?
Shaking his leg, Jax stretched again, solidifying his vow that this was the last night out until graduation. While he loved being on the dance floor, moving his body to a beat that pounded through him and feeling so free it was almost spiritual, he had to shift priorities. He’d been working his ass off for years in class and in kitchens to afford school, and he didn’t want to waste his efforts. He’d even left his latest job for the final semester, intending to focus on his degree, but he’d been spending that extra time at festivals and clubs.
Was that such a bad thing? Sure, he had to think about his future, but life could change in the blink of an eye; maybe he should enjoy his youth while it lasted.
Jax jumped as the metal door next to him swung open.
“Jaxon!” Mae dashed outside, hugging him. Recovering from his fright, he patted her shoulder, glad that he hadn’t screamed because she would’ve laughed at him all night.
“What’s up? Other than you sending me directions to my death. I thought someone was going to chop me up into little pieces right here.” He stepped back, the chains on his torn pants jingling. “You look nice.” Actually, she looked too thin, but Jax knew she’d be angry if he mentioned it.
“Of course I do. And you look veryApocalypse Now.” She gestured at his outfit.
“Mae, that movie is not about the apocalypse,” he said, adjusting the mini gas mask around his neck.
“Then it shouldn’t be called that!” She rolled her eyes, grabbing him bythe wrist and tugging him inside. The door banged shut behind them, and she led him down a creepy hallway to an even creepier concrete stairwell.
“Are yousurewe’re not going to die here?” Jax’s voice echoed off the walls as the fluorescent lights above them flickered.
Mae tossed her head back and cackled.
“Yeah, this is sketchy as hell, but listen…” Tilting her head, she went quiet, and as silence draped around them, Jax could hear the unmistakable sound of bass in the distance.
Smiling, he hopped in excitement, and his leg throbbed again.
“This is going to be sick,” he said, shaking it out, the chains on his pants giving him away.
“You okay?” Mae glanced at him.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine.” He waved his hand at her like it was no big deal.
“You’re getting old, Jaxon,” she winked before heading down.
