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[ J A X ' S P O V ]

I catch Blaire red-handed.

"You're going out to steal, are you?" I say, lowering my hand with the keys on it. Her eyes are focused on them, eager to snatch it away from me the second I let my guard down.

"So what if I am?" She says, her gaze fixated on mine. She tilts her head upwards, her tough demeanor is up, determined as hell for me to get out of her way. "Give me the keys, Jackson."

"Tell me why you're stealing," I demand.

"No."

I emit a sigh of frustration.

She. Aggravates. Me. To. No. End.

"Look, can't you just trust me?" She asks pleadingly. "I need to do this, Jackson. You can't stop me. I won't let you."

"I am not going to let what happened last time happen again." I shake my head. "You almost got caught, for fuck's sake. You think that officer is going to be the last one? This is dangerous shit, Blaire. I can't believe you're taking it so lightly."

"I'm not taking it lightly!" She snaps. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

"Then, help me understand!" My voice echoes through the house and she winces. "Help me understand, Blaire. Why are you doing this? Why can't you just let me settle whatever shit that you have to pay off-"

"No." She holds up her hand to prevent me from speaking any further. "I can't you do this. It's not-just don't. Please. I can't... I can't do anything else. Please, Jax, just give me the keys. And don't try to stop me. Because you know that that won't end well."

"You're right. It won't." I nod in agreement.

I need to do something about this. I can't let Blaire do this. But I know that if I don't let her out, she'll just find another way to creep out of the house. A wave of protectiveness washes over me. I need to protect her. She's far from being naive but if something goes wrong, if she gets caught...

I can't imagine what would happen if she gets caught.

I shake my head. I can't afford to think like that. It will just make me even more worried for her.

What is the matter with you, Jax? You actually... care for this girl?

Yes. I think without a moment's pause. Yes. And I don't deny it.

"Here," I throw her her keys and she catches it mid-air. She stares at the keys in her palm with confusion, wondering why on earth did I give her those. "Lock up behind me."

"What?"

"I said lock up behind me," I say. "I'm coming with you."

The baffled expression on her face tells me that she didn't expect those words to come out from my mouth.

"Uh, no you're not." She says, crossing her arms, like she's making a statement.

"The hell I'm not," I tell her. "I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

"You can't-"

"Why? Are there any rules? Have you ever specifically said that nobody could ever come along with you? Come on. I'm pretty damn sure you're not doing this alone too. You need someone to help you disable the cameras. You need a tech person. I'm guessing it's... Belle? Ben?"

She keeps her mouth shut, frowning when I say Ben's name.

"Ah," I say. "So it's Ben then. Kind of weird to have your fuck buddy also be your partner in crime. Regardless, I'm coming with you. Clearly he only plays a minor role in your thievery, seeing as how he couldn't save your ass the first time when you ran into that officer. So it seems like someone needs to watch your back."

"Jackson-" she starts to protest but I place my finger on her lips to keep her quiet.

"I'm coming with you. It's not open for discussion. You need someone to help you. So let me be the one to do that."

I can't believe I just offered to protect this girl.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Jackson Deneris doesn't do anything for anyone.

"You can't be serious," she says, her shoulders bobbing. "If you're caught, it's going to be a scandal. You're going to jeopardize your reputation and your father's too. I can't risk it."

"But it's my call to make, isn't it?" I fold my arms across my chest and tilt my head sideways. "I can't just sit around and worry whether you'll return back home. I don't roll that way."

"Awwww," she places her hand over her heart. "You worry for me."

"Shut up. You're my bodyguard. If you go down, nobody else is going to protect me."

"Then hire another bodyguard." She says, a huge grin on her face. Clearly, she's enjoying this way too much. I never should have admitted that I worry for her. Stupid, stupid mistake.

"It's not that simple." Fuck, I sound like a moron. Whenever I'm around Blaire, I feel utterly pathetic. I want to do things for her. I want to protect her. I want to break all my rules for her.

I like her.

Hah. No. No way am I ever entertaining that idea.

"Please don't do this." She pleads. "I'm not going to risk you getting caught too."

"Awwww," I mimic her, placing my own hand over my chest. "You worry for me."

"Shut up. I just don't want you to go to jail because of me." She rolls her eyes like it's so obvious. But I know it's much more than that.

"Don't care." I shrug. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not."

"If I can't stop you from doing this, I'm following you." I tell her, even more adamant this time. I clench my jaw, my eyes tracing hers. "You either get me, or you aren't going out at all."

"You can't stop me from leaving," she seethes.

"You really underestimate me, darling." I let out a breathy chuckle. "I can be very persuasive when I want to."

For a while, her eyes grow wide, her breathing hitched. I think she's imagining all the things that I can do to persuade her to stay here. Oh, I wish she would entertain the idea. I would very much like to hold her captive here in this mansion for the night. Biting her lips... kissing her neck... my hands roaming around her body... her sweet pussy wrapped around my cock...

"Fine." She sighs. For a split second, I feel a little bit disappointed. But I quickly gathered my shit together and got serious. If I can't fuck her tonight, at least I can ensure that she's safe when she's out unleashing hell on everyone. "Fine. You can follow me. But you can't distract me from my plans, alright?"

"You got it, darling." I wink at her.

     She rolls her eyes. I merely grin at her.

     "Hold on, let me grab a shirt." I quickly dash to my room and slip into a T-shirt, then run back down as fast as I can. Surprisingly, Blaire is still waiting for me downstairs. 

I open the door for her, letting her walk out. I chuckle when I hear her mutter under her breath. "This is going to be a fucking disaster."

I can't agree more.

☸☸☸☸☸☸

The sky is already pitch-black; the stars are visible, speckling the sky with light. The moon is low tonight, but it's full and bright, enough to cast some light on the road stretched out in front of us.

The sky tonight reminds me of a fond memory of mine. Back when I was still a kid, Baxton used to take me out for rides in his old truck. The roof was already torn open after a storm and he didn't want to fix it because he thought it was a great platform to look at the stars. And he was right. With the air conditioner blasted on, my dad and I would huddle together in the car wrapped in our blankets, our faces tilted upwards so that we can see the explosion of night.

It's one of my favorite things to do with dad. The last time we did it was the day he left for LA.

After that, I never did it again.

Not with my mom; not with anybody; not even alone.

It just didn't feel the same.

But now, walking under those stars with Blaire, I never wanted anything more. To just wrap my arms around her and embrace her as we watch the stars.

What the fuck are you thinking, Jax? You can't have these thoughts. This warped fantasy of yours is never going to happen. She doesn't even like you. And you can't like her. You can't even love. You don't even have that ability so stop trying to believe that you can.

My fucked up mind is fucked up.

I escape from my head and fall back to reality. Blaire is a couple of steps in front of me so I jog a little, finally falling into pace with her. She doesn't even look at me when she waits for Ben to answer her call.

"You guys don't have... I don't know... walkie-talkies or something?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.

She turns to me, finally acknowledging my presence, then shakes her head. "We used to have mouthpieces but it didn't work out well with the rain. And I don't want to get more. It's stupid and it costs money."

"Well, that's no fun."

"Jackson, this is not the movies." She tells me, sighing. "That shit isn't really important."

"If we're thieves, we should look like them."

"I do look like a thief. Kinda." She stares down at my hoodie that she's wearing. Although I'm pissed at the fact that she stole my hoodie, I quite like it on her. Knowing that she's wearing my clothes makes me feel... a little bit happy. Possessive. Knowing that she belongs to me. "You, on the other hand, look more like an axe-murderer."

I don't see what's wrong with my choice of clothing. "What's so wrong with this?" I gesture to my clothes. "I'm wearing all black. This is what WikiHow told me to wear."

She chokes on her own laugh. "WikiHow? Really?"

"Yes, really. That website's the bomb." I say. "And are we there yet?" A groan tears out of me. "I'm bored as fuck. I thought this would be way more fun."

"Hey, I warned you that this isn't going to be like in the movies. This is serious shit." She warns me, her pupils dilating. "If you think this is boring, then you should probably leave."

"Fuck no." I say immediately. "And leave you with the hands of Benny-Boy? I don't trust him."

"You haven't even met him."

"He's fucked you. So I don't trust him." I say quietly.

"You're unbelievable." She huffs. "He's a nice guy, really."

"But can he protect you?" I prod. "I mean... just look at me."

"Someone's jealous," she teases.

God, I hate it. Because she's right. I'm a fucking green-eyed monster when it comes to her. Just the thought of Ben's hands on her drives me fucking insane.

"Besides, he's going to be in his house all night, right?" I ask and she nods. "He can't help you if you're in trouble."

"Then I guess it's up to you to save the day," she murmurs. "But just so you know, I can handle myself pretty damn well without you."

"Sure. The situation with the police officer last week proved otherwise," I say sarcastically.

"Okay, that was not my fault." She stops at her tracks and turns to face me. "Technically, I was successful in robbing Wright's house. I got his wife's jewelry."

"Fake jewelry." I correct her. "If you got real ones, you wouldn't be here again, wanting to steal more shit."

She pauses for a while, processing my words, then she scowls at me and storms off.

God, she's so fucking hot when she's mad at me.

I should get her mad more often.

"Wait up!" I call, chasing after her again. It seems as if I've been doing a lot of that lately. Chasing. Yet another thing I never do. I don't chase girls. Girls chase after me. The first time I met Sienna, I got under her skin so bad that she was following me around like a love sick puppy. It was cute. But that was before I found out that that puppy had claws-huge ones.

"We're here." She comes to a stop so suddenly that I bump into her. She glares at me, and I smile sheepishly as an apology. I slowly follow her gaze to the house in front of us. It's not a biggest I've ever seen but it is definitely the biggest out of this entire neighborhood.

"Ben is really close to the Jenkins family," Blaire tells me. "Apparently, Mr. Jenkins is out on a business trip as we speak and his wife has brought the kids to North Carolina to visit her parents. So we're clear."

It can't be that easy.

"Maid's gone," she says, typing on her phone, no doubt texting Ben. "Nobody's in the house. And Ben just texted me that he shut down all the security cameras and trigger alarms. We have five minutes. Here." She hands me a black pull-over mask. I eye is suspiciously. "Wear it. Better safe than sorry. I've already learnt my lesson."

"Okay, fine," I nod, reluctantly putting on the mask. I watch her as she let her hoodie fall back and she tugs the mask on. "What do I do?"

"Stay here." She demands, her voice muffled by the mask.

"No. I'm going in that house with you."

"The hell you are!" She sneers. "You want to protect me, right? Then, guard my back!"

"I can guard your back while we're both inside. And Ben will alert us if there's anyone coming right?" I point to the house opposite from the Jenkins' house. One of the windows are open, allowing the curtains to drift. The light is on. "I'm guessing that's him?"

Blaire glares at me. "Fucking hell, Jackson. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Ain't gonna happen, darling." I drawl.

She looks like she's about to argue with me some more but she makes a sound of frustration instead. "I don't have time to argue with you about this."

"Then don't!" I hiss. "Lead the fucking way, Blaire."

"Fine," she snaps, thrusting her finger straight at my chest. Her grey eyes are hooded, but I can see the sharpness in them. "But you better not fuck this up. Or I swear to God, Jackson, I will-"

"You will what?" I challenge her. "You can't do anything to me that I can't do to you ten times faster and better."

Wow. That sounded really wrong. And that's probably the first time I wasn't trying to make a sexual innuendo.

"Just.... whatever," she mutters, then points to the door. "Get in. Don't make a sound. One wrong move and you're dead."

"Okay. That means no hands stuff. Got it."

The glare she sends me is a deadly one. I feel like she's mentally stabbing me with a dagger repeatedly.

"I'm joking," I say, extending my hand. "You seriously need to learn how to take a joke, Blaire."

"I know how to take a joke. I just hate whatever that comes out from your mouth." She glances at her watch, then frowns. "Three minutes and thirty seconds. I'm sprinting up to the get the shit and we're out. Please, stay here."

I make a noise of protest when she leaves me without another word.

A string of curse words escape my mouth. I can't believe she just left me here. Like some kind of dog she can just order around. I peer through the window out of boredom, watching the gate just in case anything happens. I'm not so convinced that nobody's at home. I spot a red convertible parked outside the house, a couple blocks away. Could be a coincidence. Could be not.

But something doesn't really seem right.

I wander through the living room, then find myself at the kitchen. I round the marble counter slowly, looking for anything out of place. For a while, it seems like I'm just being paranoid. I'm about to go back to my original post when I see it.

The half-empty wine glasses on the dining table. The bottle of Pinot Noir sitting beside them like someone had just opened it not too long ago.

I sprint out of the kitchen. Fuuuuuuck. We're so screwed. I need to warn Blaire now-

I hear a loud scream echo from upstairs and I run up the stairs, eager to get Blaire out of there. If she's caught, fuck, if she's caught, I don't know what I'll do. The thought terrifies me so much my mind is spinning around, threatening to pull me down to the ground. I refuse to let that get it me, and push my way up the last flight of stairs.

I hear voices-a conversation-and Blaire speaking-

What the fuck?

"Don't hurt us-dammit, I'll give you anything not to let this get out-" The voice is definitely not Blaire's and I'm suddenly terrified for her life.

There are more murmurs, words that I cannot comprehend, but I hear shuffling of footsteps and more conversation, this time, much softer than before. I hear Blaire talking-talking to whoever is up there-and she laughs-

She laughs?

Jesus. What the fuck is going on?

I wait a few more seconds before deciding that it would be a good and stupid idea to head straight into the room myself when I feel a hand grab me. Blaire's cold eyes fix on mine and she nudges me down the stairs quickly, tugging at my hand.

"Come on!" She hisses.

"What the fuck just happened-?"

"Not enough time!" She whispers, dragging me out of the house. "Let's go, Jax! Come on!"

I don't even hesitate.

I grab her hand tight and we don't stop running.

☸☸☸☸☸☸

A/N: And then the house exploded. BOOM!

Nah. Just kidding. But seriously though. If that ever happened, can u just picture it? Motherfucking BADASS.

Dedicated to trousseau because she's such an awesome person to talk to and one of my greatest supporters. Love you to the moon and back!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING PERFECT ADDICTION WIN THE WATTYS! I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH! IT'S SUCH A DREAM COME TRUE AND IT ONLY HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU MADE IT HAPPEN!

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! I know ya'll are probably confused as to what is happening but the next chapter will explain it. (;

Also, I would like to tell you all that I will be updating ONCE a week, which is every Friday. I know it sucks that you have to wait every week for one update, and it sucks for me too because I really want to update for you guys but I simply can't. And I'm going to tell you the reasons why.

2 R E A S O N S W H Y I A M U P D A T I N G O N C E A W E E K :

i. I am too busy - If you don't know this already, I will be studying in the UK as of next January, which means I am preparing for my move there. This consists of having to renew my passport, make my visa, buying winter clothes (because Malaysia doesn't experience four seasons) and packing all my stuff. I am constantly on my feet and I don't even have time to catch a breath. So you can imagine the little time I have to write.

ii. I am saving up chapters as drafts - I know this may seem unfair considering the fact that I already have several premade chapters done, but I like to keep it that way so I can be consistent with my updates. I don't feel very pressured when I'm demanded to update. Also, I'm saving up these chapters because I'm afraid when college starts, I don't have time to write. At least I'll have several chapters to post for you guys when I'm busy with school next year.

So yeah. It ain't easy for me and it's probably going to get worse. I love all of you to death and I will try my VERY best to produce chapters for you guys. For now, updating schedule is only once a week, but who knows - it may improve during the month of December. Do keep that in mind.

Please don't pester me for updates! An author doesn't like it when they are demanded to update. It won't end well, trust me on that.

Next update: Friday (duh!)

Meanwhile, KEEP CALM AND LOVE JAX!

Love, Claudia.