Page 30 of Burn of Obsidian

“The fact you have to ask means you’re not the owner.” Doug shook his head, his eyes lingering on the blade until she’d placed it back in her pocket. “So, you taking the ten?”

Bloody hell.

“Sure.” It wasn’t like she had many options.

Without another word, he disappeared behind a curtain of beads into the back, leaving her alone. Tapping her foot against the linoleum flooring, she waited. Grey’s money had come in that morning, and with the ten she had around forty-five thousand saved, which covered around half of the next round of treatment.

Gnawing on her lip, she tried to remember how much Ravyns she had hidden. If she was lucky, she’d be able to exchange them for more than they were worth.

“Say hi to your da for me.” Doug came back through the beaded curtain and handed her an envelope, and as soon as she touched it, she sent it straight to the special space in her bedroom. “Tell him he missed the last Hammers game, which means he owes us a round.”

Thea smiled. “Will do, thanks.”

The rain hadn’t let up in the time she’d been inside, forcing her to run to the bus that had luckily pulled up in perfect time. Slipping into a spare seat at the front, she watched the droplets race down the glass.

What the fuck was Doug’s reaction to a simple knife?

She was achingly aware of it in her pocket, despite being so weightless she could barely feel it. She should have moved it back with the money, but for some reason, she hadn’t. Thoughts of a certain tall, brooding man flashed across her mind, and she fought a groan. He didn’t have permission to dominate her thoughts. Not when he’d so openly broken into her flat and threatened her.

She’d seen him fight and knew he was as dangerous as he projected. She should be scared. So, why wasn’t she?

The bus jerked to a stop, the general wheeze and cough of the vehicle causing a racket. The rain had softened in the time she’d stared blankly out the window, the sun turning the sky a dark pink as it settled in the horizon. Recognising the residential street, she decided to walk the remaining ten minutes to her parents’ house. She needed to clear her head, and practice schooling her face when her mum undoubtedly asked her how her life was going. If she asked once more if Thea was going to settle down and provide her with grandbabies, she was going to scream.

The rain finally stopped, leaving behind a pleasant, earthy scent that masked the exhaust fumes of the passing cars. Turning a corner, she smiled at her childhood home. It was a mid-terrace, with the front garden enclosed by a handmade fence her father had put in when she was around five. He’d engraved each of their names in the posts, adding her siblings after each birth.

Her foot touched the bottom step, and something caused her to stop. Thea stilled, listening to the wind carry childish screams from a few houses down as well as the traffic a road over. Nothing out of the ordinary, and yet something was…

Thea looked over her shoulder, letting out a surprised hiss.

Jax watched her from across the street, his shoulder leaning against the lamppost as if he’d been there a while. He seemed to wait until she’d fully turned before straightening from his position, crossing the street toward her.

Thea simply blinked, believing her mind was playing tricks on her. Because no way would the real Jax look at her with such intense heat that she felt it kiss across her skin.

“You can’t be – ”

“Thea?” The door behind her creaked, and Thea froze at her mother’s familiar voice. “Oh, who’s this?”

“Don’t you dare,” she warned him, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Hi Mrs Hart,” he greeted, giving her mum a polite nod. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

His eyes returned to hers, daring her to argue.

Fuck.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you too.” Mum’s voice was hesitant.

Jax’s lips twitched, and Thea glared at him to stay silent while she thought of any possible excuse. “Don’t worry, he’s – ”

“Jax,” he said, because of course, he was sent to her from the devil himself. “Her boyfriend.”

Chapter 13

Thea

Thea felt like her heart was genuinely trying to break through her ribs.

“Mum, could you give us a minute?” She needed to hit him. Ideally with a closed fist, but she knew it would be pointless. Maybe she could just blast him with lightning again? Right up his…