Liv’s eyes flick to mine, a flash of something—shame? Fear? Something else? —before dropping again.
When Jax guides her hand to the front of his trousers, she doesn’t resist.
My stomach churns. “What did you put in the water?” I demand suddenly.
Jax turns to me, smiling while his hand remains on Olivia’s. “Just something to help you both sleep deeply. Very deeply.”
The implication hits me like ice water. Sleep deeply—deeply enough that we wouldn’t know if he came in during the night. Wouldn’t know what he did to us while we were unconscious.
“You drugged me again?”
“Consider it a courtesy,” Jax replies smoothly. “The human mind needs rest, especially in stressful circumstances.”
“You’re a monster,” I whisper.
“I never claimed to be anything but a monster, Aurora.” Jax’s voice carries no shame. “Your mistake was assuming your Hunter is any different.”
He turns back to Liv, his fingers threading through her blonde hair, tilting her head to expose the pale curve of her neck. When his lips touch her skin, my stomach twists into a knot of revulsion.
But what happens next freezes my blood.
Liv moans.
Not a whimper of fear or a cry of distress, but a sound I recognize from my own sounds I make with Hunter—pleasure. Her eyes flutter closed, body arching toward Jax as his mouth works its way down her throat.
Is this real? My mind races through possibilities. Is Liv playing him—pretending to respond to gain his trust? It would align with the strategy she mentioned days ago, using his attraction to find an escape opportunity.
But the flush spreading across her cheeks looks genuine. The way her fingers curl into the fabric of his suit jacket seems instinctive. She’s either a very good fucking actress or…
I search her face for some sign—a flicker of revulsion behind her eyelids, a moment of eye contact to reassure me this is all an act—but find nothing. If she’s playing a role, she’s committed to it completely.
Or maybe...maybe she truly responds to him. Stockholm syndrome? The drugs in our water? Or a darkness in my sister I’ve never recognized before?
I want to scream, to pull her away from him, but I’m frozen in place, watching this nightmare unfold with no way to determine if my sister is a victim or a willing participant in her own corruption.
Jax’s hand slides up along her thigh. The sight makes me physically ill. He leans in, his lips brushing against her ear, but his eyes remain fixed on me—watching my reaction.
“Tonight,” he whispers, loud enough for me to hear every syllable, “when the drugs take effect, and you’re deep asleep, I’mgoing to come back in here and eat your perfect little pussy until you come in your sleep. Would you like that, Olivia?”
“Fuck off,” I spit, lunging forward before remembering the armed guards at the door. “Don’t even think about touching her, you psychopath.”
Liv’s reaction stops me cold. Instead of revulsion or fear, her pupils dilate, lips parting slightly. A flush creeps up her neck as she gazes at Jax through half-lidded eyes. She looks... aroused.
Who is this woman? The sister I grew up with, shared secrets with, comforted through breakups, and celebrated achievements with—she’s become a stranger in five days. Or maybe she was always a stranger, and I just never saw it.
Liv suddenly reaches up, grabs Jax’s face between her hands, and crushes her lips against his. The move clearly takes him by surprise—his eyes widen before he recovers, gripping her waist and deepening the kiss.
“What the fuck, Liv?” I gasp, unable to process what I’m seeing. “What about Ari?”
Jax immediately stiffens, breaking away from Olivia. His hand remains possessively on her thigh.
“Ari?” His voice drops dangerously. “What do you mean?”
The temperature in the room seems to plummet. I realize I’ve said something significant, something that matters to Jax in ways I don’t understand. But I press forward, desperate for any advantage.
“She was dating Ari. Ari Carter. Before all this.”
Jax’s eyes darken as he turns to Liv. “Is that what you like? A nice pretty boy who would look perfect on his hands and knees sucking cock?” He grabs her chin roughly. “Not a real man?”
