Page 18 of Entangled (Guardian Academy 2)

Jax continues to look at Layla. “Tell me what you’ve heard, Layla, or I won’t give it to you.”

Give her what, exactly?

Tons of very vivid, very succubus-like thoughts fill my mind, and I frown. The vapor clears the air as I walk up to the bar and plant my butt down on the barstool beside his. Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

“Give her what, exactly?” Dammit! I have no self-control!

Layla muses as she collects a martini glass from the rack hanging on the back wall. “I’m not really sure I’m supposed to tell you.” Her eyes glimmer deviously as she glances at Jax. “I guess you’ll have to ask Jax.”

Jax shakes his head. “She’s got a pretty creative mind. I’m sure she can figure it out on her own.”

My lips pop open in surprise. Then disgust emerges inside me. But the emotion is erased and replaced with a more unsettling, darker sensation that burns venomously in my veins. As soon as I realize what I’m feeling, I want to bitch slap myself.

Oh, my word. I’m jealous. No. That can’t be happening. And when the heck did this happen? I mean, the last time I checked on my girly, swoony, lovey-dovey feelings, they completely flatlined when I thought of Jax. Yeah, he’s smoking hot, but he’s infuriating and moody and …

I crinkle my nose. Is that what I like? Moody, brooding guys? I haven’t had a lot of crushes before, haven’t had the time.

I frown. Crap. After all that shit Jax gave me, now it turns out he was right. God, if he knew what I was thinking right now, he’d probably die from happiness.

“But, anyway.” Jax coughs into his hand, attempting to clear some of the thick tension cramming the air. “Tell me what you know about what’s going on.”

“Jax, you know I can’t tell you that kind of stuff, not when I have fey blood in my veins.” She picks up the shaker and fills the martini glass to the brim with a pink liquid. “I’m bound to keep their secrets.”

“There are ways around that if you really wanted to tell me.” He crosses his arms on the counter.

She props her elbows onto the counter and arches her back, her cleavage curving out of her top. “Who says I want to tell you?”

Shockingly, Jax’s gaze doesn’t zero in on her breasts, his eyes remaining locked on hers. “What’s the price?”

She wets her lips with her tongue. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“If that’s the way you want to play, fine.” He shoves away from the counter, standing to his feet. “Alana, wait here.” He doesn’t even look at me when he says it, and the jealousy switches to a stinging irritation.

“Why? Where are you going?” Shit! I didn’t mean to sound so hurt! God, would my mouth just stop opening?

Layla evaluates me with her heavily lined eyes. “You could always come and find out.”

“No, she can’t.” Jax winds around the counter and snags her arm. “Come on. We haven’t got all night.”

She grabs her martini before allowing him to whisk her across the room, passing the sofas and heading toward a dark red door on the far back wall near the fish tank.

“Such impatience.” She peers over her shoulder at me, grinning impishly. “Don’t worry, darling; we shouldn’t be too long unless things get really, really good.” Her lips twist into a grin. “And feel free to help yourself to whatever. Snacks. A drink.” Her smile turns malicious as she takes a sip of her martini. “I think there might be some juice boxes in the fridge.”

Flattening his palm against the door, he shoves his way into the room. Then he pulls her inside and slams the door without a second glance back.

I stare at the door, dumbstruck. Holy crazy land, did that just happen? And why the heck is this bothering me so much? It’s not like she seduced him into going in there with her. I could tell she wasn’t using her powers. He went in there under his own free will. He wanted to go.

I tap my fingers against the countertop, stewing in my confusing, conflicting emotions while obsessively staring at the door and fighting the urge to kick it down and ruin their sweaty romp in the sheets.

Eventually, I manage to regain some of my sanity and tear my attention off the door. To distract myself, I get up, wander around to the back of the bar, and search through the succubus’s cabinets. I don’t even know what I’m looking for other than a distraction as I open drawers then make my way into the adjacent kitchen. I browse through the cupboards then the fridge.

When I stumble across an unopened bottle of champagne, I pop the cork and drink a few swallows, partially to settle down the jealousy inside me and partly because the brand of champagne looks expensive, and I want to ruin it to get back at the succubus for calling me adorable a hundred times and telling me to drink a juice box. Beside, she’s the one who said I could help myself to whatever.

I’ve only drunk a handful of times at the few rare parties I attended and the couple of times Jayse and I stole wine and beer out of our parents’ stash. By the time I move on to snooping around her living room, my walk has a slight sway to it.

Debating where to start, my gaze skims the room and targets in on a large wooden trunk, hand carved with leafy patterns. It seems out of place with the rest of her swanky furniture and decorative wall furnishings.

“Hmmm … What could you be keeping in there?” Casting a quick glance over my shoulder, I tiptoe over to the trunk, flip the latch, and open the lid. My eyes widen as bright, radiating light illuminates my face. I can’t see past the brightness to tell what’s inside, but whatever’s in there is calling to me, begging me to come to it, use the magic inside of me to find it.

“Just do it,” a tiny voice says through a giggle. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

“Really?” I ask, knowing I should be scared, but the warmth of the glow erases the uneasiness. “What’s in there?”

Another high-pitched giggle. “Come and find out. Just close your eyes and give me your hand. I’ll pull you in.”

I nod robotically and stick my hand inside—

“Don’t touch it,” a woman hisses.

Seconds later, a hand appears in my line of vision and slams the lid closed.

I jerk back, landing on my butt on the tile floor and bumping my elbow against the wall. But the pull remains inside me, pleading with me to open the trunk.

“Don’t even think about it.” Layla appears in front of me with her arms crossed, her mouth set in a firm line. “Do you have any idea what’s in there?”

I shake my head, rubbing my tender elbow. “No.”

She glances at the trunk then back at me. “Then why would you open it?”

“I don’t know. I was bored.” I rise to my feet. Without her heels on, I’m taller than her, and she has to angle her chin up to look at me. “And if you were worried about me going through your stuff, then you shouldn’t have told me to help myself to whatever.” A giggle suddenly bursts from my lips, and I slap my hand over my mouth and shake my head. “I’m sorry … I don’t know why I just did that.” I lower my hand, choking back the laughter bubbling in the back of my throat.

She purses her lips and taps her bare foot against the floor. “Jax, could you come in here? We have a situation on our hands.”

“What’s wrong?” Jax calls out. I hear the shuffling of light footsteps moving up behind me. “What did she do now?”

Giggles threaten to burst from my chest as I lie down on the floor and stare up at an upside down version of him. He looks too good right now, content, with his fauxhawk hair a mess and his tattooed arms hanging to his sides.

I frown, realizing why he looks so calm.

Because he just had sex … with Layla.

“I drank some of her champagne and opened the trunk with the giggling sprite in it,” I admit through a squeaky laugh. I cover my mouth with my hand and shake my head in horror. “Jax, I think there might be something wrong with me.”

“How the hell did you know it was a sprite in there?” Layla asks me with suspicion. Then her attention zones in on Jax. ?

??What is she?”

Jax massages the back of his neck tensely. “I already told you she’s a Guardian.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she snaps, inching around me toward Jax. “If she knew there was a sprite in there, then she can hear the fey realm, which means she’s at least a descendant of some fey bloodline.” She gets in Jax’s face and pokes him in the chest. “Why would you bring her here with everything going on? Why are you really here?” She aims a shaky finger at me. “Is she a rogue?”

He gapes at her. “A rogue? What? No, she’s just a Guardian.”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” She pokes him in the chest again, more roughly this time, and he stumbles back. “I know you have a rogue currently hiding in your school right now. You know what they are.”

“Layla, I swear to God, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He sounds calm, but his curled fist and stiffened stance reveal he’s nervous. “I’ve never heard of a rogue before.”

She rolls her eyes in disbelief. “Rogues are creatures who escaped those stupid experimental facilities we just talked about.” She inches toward him. “They live among us, but they’re not with us. They’re only observing.”

“Observing what?” His nervousness shifts to curiosity. “What are they looking for?”

She shrugs. “I have no idea. Nor do I care.” Her eyes narrow to slits as she zeroes in on me. “But that doesn’t mean I trust them.”

He blows out a gradual breath and places his hands on Layla’s shoulders. “Look, Alana’s not a rogue or a faerie. I can promise you that.”

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