Page 27

The thought tightens my throat. I am alone here. Forgotten.

Heavy footsteps echo in the corridor. Deliberate. Unhurried. They stop outside my door.

I sit up. My heart hammers against my ribs. The electronic lock chirps. The heavy door swings inward.

Jax fills the frame. He wears dark jeans and a black T-shirt that clings to his chest. His dark hair is damp from a recent shower. His eyes lock onto mine. A predator assessing his meal.

He steps inside and lets the door click shut. The lock engages. The small cell shrinks instantly.

I stand up. Viper training kicks in. Assess the threat. Find the exits. Look for an opening.

There are no exits. Jax leaves no openings. He radiates absolute, terrifying authority.

“You heard us.” His voice is low. A statement, not a question.

I keep my mouth shut.

“You heard her beg.” Jax takes a slow step forward. “You heard how much she loved it.”

Heat floods my face. Anger mixes with a suffocating wave of shame.

“Did you get hard listening to me fuck her, Ari?” Jax tilts his head. “Did you touch yourself?”

I want to deny it. The words lodge in my throat. My body is a dead giveaway.

He closes the distance. The scent of clean soap and expensive cologne hits me. I clench my fists. I could swing. I could aim for his throat.

“Hit me.” Jax stops inches away. “Liv pays the price tomorrow. We established those rules.”

My hands go slack. The fight drains out of me. He weaponized my own protective instincts. I cannot throw a punch without bruising her skin.

Jax lifts a hand. He traces my jawline with a thumb. I jerk my head away. His other hand snaps up and clamps around my jaw. His grip is iron.

“You look beautiful when you defy me.” He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. “I am going to enjoy breaking that spirit.”

I glare at him. A silent threat.

Jax squeezes my jaw. Pain shoots through my teeth.

“Tonight is a different lesson. You are going to learn what your body is capable of. You will take it, or Liv suffers.”

My stomach drops. The memory of her cries bleeds into the threat. I stop fighting his grip.

Jax sees the exact second my resolve cracks. A dark, satisfied smile spreads across his face. He releases my jaw and steps back.

“Strip. Everything off. Now.”

My hands shake. Every instinct screams to refuse. I look at his unblinking eyes and think of Liv.

I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head. I toss it aside. I unbuckle my belt. The leather slides through the loops with a loud hiss. I push my pants down and kick them away. I hook my thumbs under my boxers and shove them down my thighs.

I stand naked in the center of the cell.

The vulnerability crushes the air out of my lungs. I am exposed. He is fully clothed. The power imbalance suffocates me.

Jax circles me. He evaluates every inch of my skin. His gaze scorches my shoulders, my chest, my abdomen. He steps behind me. His large hands settle on my shoulders. He drags his palms down my spine. The touch claims me.

“Athletic.” His breath fans the back of my neck. “Smooth. Tense. You look better than the surveillance photos.”