9. Thea

Chapter 9

Thea

T hea slammed the bathroom stall door behind her, quickly locking it.

"Fuck." She hit the cubicle, then instantly regretted it when her knuckles screamed in protest. Jax had ruined it. She'd moved venues once he'd drawn too much attention, and still she'd almost been caught. Luckily, she'd quickly made her excuse, deciding to hide like a coward in the women's bathroom rather than face any sort of consequence.

And she blamed Jax one-hundred percent for her situation. He'd thrown her off her game, his stupid bloody face stuck in her head.

‘I could bend you over the bar, right here, right now so everyone can watch you take me like a good girl.'

She was learning new things about herself, because never had she been so tempted to see whether he was all a threat. She didn't usually react so viscerally to a man she didn't really know, or particularly like. Something was clearly wrong with her.

Wild magic tickled beneath her skin, reacting to her agitation. She swatted along her arm, as if she could rub it away. If she didn't calm down, she'd have to take public transport home, or even worse, walk.

Thea glared at her heels, her feet aching. Walking home wasn't an option, so she had to wait until she'd calmed down enough so she could drift. Luckily, the bathroom was clean, the smell citrusy rather than something more unsanitary.

The stall door rattled.

"Occupied," Thea said, sitting on the toilet. She had to wait for the adrenaline of almost being caught to wear off. She loved being one of the Fae and being able to use wild magic. But even she could admit that the idea that she had to be completely serene to use said magic was stupid. She knew that wasn't even normal either, just some quirky inconvenience she personally had to deal with.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, stomach grumbling. She'd forgotten to eat – again.

The door rattled once more. "Swiper, it's me. Open up."

Reaching over, Thea unlatched the door, and Roach squeezed inside the small cubicle. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to see you almost fuck up," she whispered, closing the door behind her. "What was that about? I barely see you make the move usually, but this time it was almost clumsy."

"I was distracted." Thea reached for her bag, finding the little pocket where she'd stored Ro's necklace. "Here."

Roach checked over them carefully before nodding to herself. "You got my cut?"

"Will be sent as soon as it clears from Grey." It was a lot of money, but considering the job was offered to Roach first, it was worth it. Roach knew Thea needed not only the experience, but the reward.

"I could always use someone like you on my crew."

Thea couldn't lie and say she hadn't thought about it, but with higher rewards came the higher risk of being caught. And if she was caught, who would be left to pay for her dad's treatment? She'd do anything for Molly to get into her dream university and pursue her career. She didn't want her to sacrifice her life, not when Thea could handle it. So, she had to be careful and choose the jobs wisely, even though the continued price hikes of treatments were leaving her with little choice.

"I'll think about it."

With a wink, Ro squeezed herself back out of the cubicle. "Speak to you soon."

Still unable to get home, Thea kicked off her heels, forced to wait until her wild magic behaved. Digging in her coat pocket, she pulled out the couple wallets. Wallets and purses were definitely something she preferred not to take, especially when most people used cards rather than cash. People also noticed their wallets missing much faster than a watch or ring. Same with phones: they were something that wasn't worth the risk.

Pulling out the cash, she left the wallets with their ID and cards beside the toilet for the cleaning staff to deal with. Jax's wallet held the most money, but there was nothing in there that was personal. There were no cards or photos, just some cash and Ravyns. Even the wallet was plain. Black. Leather. Nondescript. It told her nothing of who he was as a person, and she wasn't sure why she was so disappointed. Eyeing it amongst the much more expensive ones, she picked it up with the intention of keeping it as a souvenir.

"Fuck!" An indent appeared on her palm, the area around it burning slightly. Something metal had pricked her. With a frown, she carefully unfolded Jax's wallet, finding a small hole where something had poked out. Warily opening it further, she found an invisible zip that was disguised along the stitching, and inside was a pocketknife.

Her fingers tingled as she pulled out the weapon, the foldable blade sleek in design, and barely thicker than a couple of credit cards, with the handle and the edge seamless when at its full length. She wasn't familiar with knives, or anything else sharp and stabby. But it was beautiful, if a weapon could be described as beautiful.

Fingers protesting, she carefully folded the blade back up and put it in her coat pocket. The feeling immediately stopped once she no longer had contact, which told her nothing other than it was a type of metal. She was grateful her intolerance to metal wasn't as high as other Fae. It didn't hurt, more annoying than anything. Like she was constantly aware of something touching her skin. It must be frustrating to be so sensitive to a material found in pretty much everything.

Returning her attention to the money, she began counting.

Two hundred and thirty pounds, plus a few Imp Ravyns. It wasn't bad for a few hours of work, but she had to see what the watches and jewellery were worth before celebrating.

She hoped she'd have enough to pay for her father's treatment that month. Nothing had been working, and it wasn't until he'd started the trial did they see an improvement in his health. She'd find the money one way or another. Even if she had to beg Roach, or upset certain men with growly issues.

Jax was a complication, one she'd simply ignore until he went away.

She'd spent her entire life in the city, and not once had she run into him. It couldn't be that hard. Tonight had been a coincidence, that was all .

Gathering her coat and shoes, she closed her eyes and envisioned her bedroom. Okay, considering her flat was open plan, it was more a corner of a larger room with a bed in. It had taken her years not to puke after a drift, and now she'd mastered it enough that she barely stumbled. One second she was in the tight cubicle, and the next her feet landed on familiar, soft carpet.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she'd had nothing but a liquid diet all night. Luckily, she had a few takeout boxes still in her fridge, just asking to be reheated. Throwing her heels and coat onto the foot of her bed, she froze, eyeing the sunflower placed neatly on her pillow. She knew for a fact it hadn't been there earlier, so how…

She blamed her hunger for not immediately sensing she wasn't alone.

Turning, she found Jax lounging casually on the sofa, her latest book open in his large hand. He didn't look up, even when she made a pretty embarrassing startled sound. He just kept reading. Silence, other than the sound of his fingers against the paper, and Reaper purring happily beside him.

The man was unhinged. So was her cat.

Pulse thumping, Thea raced to the kitchen corner, her feet slipping on the sudden change of carpet to tile beneath her feet. She managed to open a drawer, hand wrapping around a knife before he was on her. She screamed when his hand locked around her wrist, hard enough the knife slipped from her fingers.

He grunted when her fist caught his jaw, only for him to pin her against the wall with such ease it was an embarrassment. Something cold pressed against her throat, the blade kissing the skin. It wasn't hard, but enough for her to feel it – for the metal to ache .

Jax held her gaze with an intensity that electrified the air between them.

The knife pressure eased, and Thea flinched when he sunk the blade into the wall beside her head.

"Was that really necessary?" she hissed, annoyed at him. Looks like she wasn't getting her deposit back.

"No." With that, he stepped back, never taking his eyes from hers.

"What are you even doing here?"

"Finishing our conversation." Reaper took that time to enter, bouncing on his paws as he rubbed his body against Jax's calves.

Thea glared at her cat, the traitorous arsehole.

"How did you know where I lived? I'm not even on the lease."

Jax remained quiet, lips pressed into a thin line.

She went to say something else, but her stomach decided that was the perfect moment to grumble.

Jax raised a single brow, and without a word he returned to the sofa, Reaper following him out with a meow. Thea stood there, wild magic wreaking havoc beneath her skin. She was sure her aura was glittering with how unsettled he made her.

Fuck.

Unable to eat, she found Jax, legs spread, with her book resting on his thigh. "So, you like aliens with two cocks?"

She snatched the book back, her page lost. "It's a romance. There's a plot along with the two cocks."

How long had he been there?

Bloody hell, how much had he read?

Jax stretched his arms over the back of her sofa, essentially swallowing the entire thing. "You can't really call that reading material." If he was trying to look relaxed, it wasn't working. Not with eyes like a predator, tracking every movement she made. "Why romance?"

"Is that a trick question?" When he didn't respond, she answered anyway. "I like to believe there's someone out there for everyone. Reading about love gives me hope."

"So, you're looking for an alien with two cocks?"

"If such a god exists." She placed the paperback on her shelf along with the several hundred already there. "I've found men in real life to be utterly disappointing."

"Hmm." Jax turned to watch her, but didn't move from his position. "You're hungry."

"I'll survive."

"Go eat something. I can wait."

"How considerate." Thea choked on her laugh. "You're wasting your time; I don't have whatever you think I have."

Cocking his head, he reached into a back pocket and pulled out a phone. After a few clicks, he held it out, his arm unwavering.

"You need to leave." She bit her lip, fighting the curiosity building. Jax remained silent, waiting patiently for her to take it.

A tremor vibrated his chest, not so dissimilar to Reaper's purr, but deeper. It forced her attention up to his beautiful eyes, even if they were cold. They edged silver, slowly shimmering until the blue had morphed entirely into liquid metal. They were fascinating, even if they were a silent threat.

With a mumbled curse, she grabbed the phone, looking down to find the CCTV of her walking through the museum. She was about to deny it, because clearly the person wearing black with a large nose and small eyes wasn't her. But then the video changed, showing her walking into an alley and removing the charms.

Fuck .

Reckless. Stupid. She couldn't help her family if she was in prison. Or worse, dead.

Thea tossed his phone on the cushion beside him. "This proves nothing."

Jax stood, and Thea tensed as he closed the distance between them. She was tall at five foot ten, but without her heels, she was still forced to look up at him. She very rarely had to look up at anyone. It should piss her off more if she wasn't trying to scramble an excuse out of thin air.

"Someone dangerous is after the document you stole." There was barely any Jax left in his eyes, his voice taking more of a gravelly tone.

"Dangerous like you?" Thea took a small step back, but Jax followed.

"You have no idea." His hand brushed against her cheek, moving down until he loosely collared her throat. "Give it to me, Thea, otherwise I'll have to take it."

Thea swallowed, and his thumb stroked against her pulse. "Are you threatening me?"

"Warning you."

On instinct, she reached out and placed her palm over his heart. She wasn't sure what made her do it, but immediately his chest vibrated like before. The silver in his eyes retreated, and once again, she was met with frosted sapphires.

"I don't have it."

His thumb pressed harder against her pulse, but there was no pain. He seemed to just be holding her, his fingers stroking rather than constricting. "Then take me to the person who has it."

"I can't." Her heart felt like it was trying to break through her ribs. "They'll never work with me again."She'd known Grey for years, and she would never risk the relationship. Especially considering she'd just completed the museum job, and was still owed the money.

"Thea."

She pressed both her hands against him, concentrating the wild magic to her palms. It was almost impossible to command sentient magic, but for once it obeyed her silent pleading.

"You have three seconds to leave." She dug her nails in. "And just so we're clear, it's a threat, not a warning."

It was like lightning from her fingertips, the energy strong enough to launch a normal man across the room. Jax barely grunted.

Fuck.

She tried to see if she could make more lightning, but the wild magic passed as quickly as it surged. Absolutely fucking useless.

"Jax," she whispered when he just remained rigid before her. If she'd hurt him, he hadn't shown it. "Get out, or I'll call Sythe." He was the only mutual person they shared other than Harper, and Thea didn't think her gentle friend could do much against him.

"You think my brother can stop me?" She was sure his eyes glittered with amusement, or it could be her imagination because no way he had the emotional spectrum.

"I don't have the document, and I can't tell you where it is."

Jax's fingers continued to stroke her throat and jaw. It took her a moment to realise her palms were still flat against his chest, so she pulled them back as if she'd been burned.

"Can't, or won't?"

"Does it matter?" Her stomach growled louder, but she ignored it.

With a sudden inhale, he turned, reaching over to get her smutty alien book. He flipped through the pages, stopping about halfway before shoving it into her hands. Thea caught it automatically, cradling it safely against her breasts.

"Remember how easy it was for me to find you," he said, moving towards the front door. "It would be wise to work with me, otherwise my next visit won't be as friendly."

"Wait, this was friendly?" Thea eyed the knife still sticking out of the wall between her living room and kitchen.

With a nod, he opened her front door, Reaper screaming in protest by his feet. "Don't forget to eat something." He slammed the door closed, leaving her alone with her sulking cat.

Thea frowned down at the pages he'd left open, recognising the chapter where she'd stopped reading earlier that morning. She was relieved, until she noticed the masculine scrawl at the top of the page.

Call me.

Followed by a number.

Thea didn't know what made her more angry. The fact he'd broken into her home, or the fact he'd vandalised her book.