Beneath the Fire
Chapter Two: The Warning
Tension snapped through the air like an exposed wire.
Lily stood rigid, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, eyes burning with pure hatred as she glared at Jax.
"What. The. Hell. Are you doing here?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom.
Jax didn't seem the least bit bothered by her rage. In fact, he smirked, tilting his beer bottle toward her in a mock toast. "Nice to see you too, Lil."
Lily's jaw tightened. "I told you to stay away."
Serena shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting between them. She'd never seen Lily this furious before—sure, she'd heard her talk about Jax with nothing but contempt, but seeing the two of them face-to-face? It was like watching a lit match hover over gasoline.
"I don't answer to you," Jax said lazily, taking a slow sip of his beer. "Besides, I was invited."
"By who?" Lily demanded.
Jax's smirk widened, and he tipped his chin toward the kitchen. "Brady."
Lily made a disgusted noise. Brady Carter—Ryan's older brother—was an even bigger asshole than Ryan himself. Of course, Jax would be friends with him.
"You're pathetic," Lily snapped. "Still clinging to the same lowlifes, still trying to prove something."
Jax's smirk flickered—just for a second. But Serena caught it.
His fingers flexed around his beer bottle, and when he spoke again, his voice was colder. "Funny, I don't remember asking for your opinion."
Lily looked like she was ready to punch him, and honestly, Serena wouldn't have been surprised if she did.
This was bad.
Serena needed to get Lily away before things exploded.
"Lily, let's just go," she murmured, grabbing her arm. "Ethan's probably about to do something stupid anyway."
Lily exhaled sharply through her nose, eyes still locked on Jax.
He just smiled lazily, like he knew he was getting under her skin. "Run along, Lil. Wouldn't want you to ruin your perfect reputation by being seen with me."
Lily jerked back like he'd slapped her.
For a second, she looked—hurt.
But then her mask snapped back into place, and she glared at Serena.
"Stay the hell away from him," she said, her voice tight. "I mean it."
Then she stormed off into the crowd, leaving Serena standing there, heart pounding.
Jax let out a low whistle. "Damn. She really hates me."
Serena crossed her arms. "Can you blame her?"
Jax raised an eyebrow. "You always this judgmental, or just when Lily's watching?"
Her stomach twisted. He wasn't wrong.
Lily had drilled it into her head for years—Jax was bad news. A liar. A heartbreaker. Someone who would ruin anyone stupid enough to care about him.
But as she looked at him now, something about the way he held himself—the tension in his jaw, the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes—made her hesitate.
"I should go," she muttered.
Jax stepped closer, and her breath hitched.
He was too close.
Close enough for her to see the tiny scar above his eyebrow, the shadow of stubble along his sharp jawline, the way his dark eyes studied her like he was trying to figure her out.
"You always do what Lily tells you?" he asked, voice low.
She swallowed.
No.
But this was different.
"I don't know you," she said instead.
His smirk softened, just slightly. "Maybe you should."
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
This was dangerous.
And yet, as she turned to walk away, she could still feel his eyes on her, burning like fire.
And the worst part?
A part of her wanted to turn back.