Page 13 of Burn of Obsidian

Fucking was simply a release for them both. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“I jumped the rope when Barker’s back was turned,” she said, pulling her wrist back from his iron grip. “I’d thought you’d have missed me.”

Jax mentally noted he needed to reprimand Barker for his inability to do his job. “Go back to your friends, Yas.”

Yasmin let out a sound of annoyance, and when Jax turned to face her, she flinched.

And there it was: fear. And he hadn’t even done anything to warrant the response.

Yet that fear only turned Yas on harder, her pink tongue coming out to lick along her bottom lip. Jax wasn’t a fool. He was well aware the women who sought him out for sex wanted to tame the big, bad, ‘barbarian.’ He had a reputation of being dangerous, and it wasn’t something he disputed. He was dangerous. His face and body just emphasised the point.

Yasmin dropped to her knees, looking up at him expectantly. Jax hauled her to her feet as carefully as he could. She squeaked, staggering on her heels.

Releasing her, he simply returned his attention to the dancers. Yasmin waited a second, likely hoping he’d change his mind. When he didn’t bother acknowledging her any further, she disappeared back into the throngs below.

He hadn’t slept with any of his usuals, not since he’d found his mate. It was making his beast itchy, wanting to see his rainbow girl. He knew where she was, already checking his phone to see she was at another bar on the other side of the city.

The table scraped across the floor as he stood, his decision made. He was at the top of the stairs before he noticed Titus pushing through the crowd, his laptop beneath his arm. Titus jerked his chin toward the office when their eyes met, and Jax followed the instruction without question.

“You get it?” he asked before Titus even had a chance to close the door.

Titus shot him a glare as he set his laptop down on the table. With a few clicks, he brought up the CCTV of the museum. “It looks like someone walked right into the side room. Timestamp makes it ten minutes before you.”

Jax watched as a shadowed figure walked into the exhibit, purposely turning their back to every camera.

“A professional hit. They knew the security routes,” Titus continued, clicking through the footage.

“How did they get in?”

Titus pointed to the screen. “You wouldn’t believe how easy those key cards are to replicate.”

Jax grunted, frustration growing. The CCTV was of decent quality, but each angle showed nothing but an oversized hoodie over jeans – the same figure that had caught his attention that morning.

“This is what I wanted to show you.” Titus pressed along the keyboard, the footage quality dropping when he changed the screen. It showed the streets outside the museum, the figure walking away at an unhurried pace. Another few clicks, the footage tracking the culprit down a few different streets before they turned into a slim alley behind a set of shops. That was where the figure pulled off the hoodie, and then removed what looked like a necklace.

Jax hummed, anticipation thrumming through his blood. “You show Harper the footage?” he asked, meeting Ti’s amused expression. Honestly, sometimes Jax missed when Titus was a brooding arsehole. Since he’d mated, he’d become intolerable.

“She’s already ID’d our thief as Thea Hart, which happens to be the same name you gave me a few months ago.”

Jax remained silent. He had given Titus her name, his brother was able to track anyone with a digital footprint down with enough patience. So, he’d asked him to find everything he could about her, including her address, her number, and even her fucking shoe size.

“She’s just been geotagged at Nectar thirty minutes ago. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Titus eyed him, seeming to wait for a response. Jax wouldn’t deny it was the same person, but he wouldn’t confirm anything, either.

“Riley’s been made aware?” he asked instead. He’d had no intention of revealing his presence to her anytime soon, not when danger lurked so close to him and his brothers. But it seemed she’d forced his hand.

“No.” Titus snapped his laptop closed. “I thought you’d want to deal with her yourself.”

Chapter 7

Thea

Swirling the paper straw with her tongue, Thea forced a smile. Not that it mattered, not when Mr Expensive Suit was currently having a full conversation with her breasts. She should be offended, but she’d purposely worn the bra that really gave the girls the lift they deserved.

If the men she was talking to were too busy looking at her boobs, then they were less likely to notice her stealing their wallets. Which was the whole reason why she’d dressed up in her most revealing outfit: make up, heels, perky tits, and all.

“Is that your natural hair colour?” he asked.