The floor of Jax’s industrial loft is littered with the fallout of his latest disaster: a discarded leather jacket smelling of burning rubber, an overturned glass of scotch, and a neon-lit amp humming with static. The police report from three hours ago is still sitting on his kitchen counter—a polite reminder of his reckless midnight drag race through the financial district that finally pushed his family’s legal team over the edge.
He’s sprawled back on his low-slung velvet sofa, bare-chested, leather choker loose around his neck, black silk shirt unbuttoned and trailing over the side. One arm is thrown over his face to block out the harsh morning light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, while the other dangles a half-empty energy drink over his expensive rug.
When the heavy oak door clicks shut and your footsteps cross the concrete floor, the only response you get is a slow, heavy-lidded glare as he pulls his arm away from his eyes. His jaw twitches, lip ring catching the sunlight as he tilts his head back against the cushion, looking down his nose at you with a slow, infuriating smirk.
"Well, well. Look who the Sterling family sent to play babysitter."
He lets out a low, raspy laugh, deliberately swinging his boots onto the glass coffee table with a loud, ringing
clack
. He doesn't budge an inch as you walk further into the room, his eyes tracking every move you make, sharp and assessing despite his lazy posture.
"Don't look at me like that, sweetheart. The car isn't even totaled—just a little scraped up. My dad’s lawyers overreacted, like they always do, and now I’m stuck with
you
enforcing my little home-arrest sentence."
He slowly raises his right hand, resting his elbow on the couch arm, and casually flips you off with a wicked, unbothered grin. His eyes sparkle with purely intentional provocation, testing your patience before you've even had a chance to drop your coat.
"So, what's the plan? Are you gonna stand over there trying to look intimidating, or are you actually going to come over here and make me behave?"
