Well, to an extent. I’m sure that after some yelling and swearing, Carter would understand why I broke his hands, jaw, nose...
You haven’t touched him yet.
I’m fast-forwarding.
A glowing number five appears on the screen, the doors slide open and I hear a loudcrash.
“This again?” Jax’s baritone filters through, growing louder with every rushed step I take.“Aren’t you fucking tired of fighting?”
Another crash, followed by a dull thud.
“Fuck! Stop fidgeting and calm down!” he snaps, then groans, “Great, just what I need right now.”
My hand curls into a fist, ready to pound against the door or rip it off its fucking hinges. I don’t know which, but before I can try either, Jax wrenches it open. His shirt is wrinkled, untucked, two buttons at the top undone andgone.Torn off. Long, angry lines mark his cheek.
“What is it?” he heaves, red-faced.
I don’t answer, my vision focused over his shoulder on Leilani. She’s pressed against the far wall, breathing heavily, a wine glass clenched like a weapon between her fingers.
There’s madness in her features, but once her gaze meets mine, they collapse into a plea. A silent, brokenpleathat sends my inhibitions flying out the window.
“Koby,” Jax prompts. “Why are you here? Has Carter made his mind up?”
Behind him, Leilani’s wide brown eyes are still on mine, chin trembling. Her lips part on a shaky exhale. Ever so slowly, she tucks the curtain of hair obscuring her face behind her ear.
My view narrows until all I see is fuckingred.
A bruise blooms across her face, from her cheekbone down to her jaw. Her eyes are bloodshot, red-rimmed with unshed tears. She’s shaking, clutching the wine glass so hard I’m afraid it’ll shatter and cut her.
“What the fuck are you—” Jax starts and promptly chokes on the end of his question.
My hand shoots out on its own, fingers squeezing his throat, some biblical wrath flooding my system. His eyes go wide, panic sinking in as his face turns pink, red, purple.
He’ll be blue next, then ashen.
“You... fucking...idiot...” he chokes out.
Leilani gasps, equal parts fear and alarm. My grip tightens. I feel Jax’s tendons straining beneath my fingers, the fragile column of bones begging to be crushed.
“Pack a bag,” I tell her, upping the pressure on Jax’s neck.
He claws at my wrist, tries swinging at my face, but he can’t reach, and I don’t budge. He fights harder, depleting his energy levels faster than the oxygen leaves his lungs. He’s gulping for air, nails biting into my skin.
I barely feel it... I want him dead.
God, Iwantit.
I could end him. It wouldn’t take much effort to snap his windpipe. I could fucking do it. I’ve done it before. I could close my fist, jerk my hand...
Can’t kill him, remember?the idiotic voice of reason chants in my head.Can’t kill him. Not yet. He’s still useful.
I grit my teeth, every ounce of willpower funneled into restraining myself. Then I shove Jax down so hard he folds, wheezing like he’s been underwater so long he nearly didn’t get another breath.
Come to think of it, that’s pretty accurate.
I step into the room, shutting the door with my foot. “Not so fun against someone bigger, huh?” I grit out, my eyes raking briefly over Leilani. “I saidpack a bag.”
She flinches, staring at me like I’m here to finish what Jax started.
