"There are wounds that never show on the body that is deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."
― Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistrial's Kiss

The house was new. Very new. It looked like it had been finished last week. It looked almost too new in some strange way. It was as if it had rolled off a production line, but they had forgotten to apply the mandatory layer of color to it.

The windows were huge and seemingly inspired by something truly alien. Anyone could see into the house from an uncomfortable distance, but suprisingly, there were no other houses in sight. From here, I could see surfaces of white, glossy plastic that iced over the kitchen, granite enforced the walls in their straight, uninspired monotony.

There wasn't a single square meter of organic material in sight. Not even a comforting wallpaper that imitated warmth in some way. Not even a plank of wood.

"This is beautiful but I just wanna go to sleep," I said. "I'm just gonna go to whatever room I feel like going to."

Jax stood close as I departed from him to head to the next room I saw.

Suddenly there was a thud. "What the fuck was that?"

A woman moaning loudly soon filled my ears.

"Oh, my strawberries!" I said trying to turn the other way. "I don't even want to go to sleep now."

"Excuse me," I said knocking softly at the door. "Could you stop banging or at least be quiet?"

People these days. I turn around and let out a frustrated sigh, but soon to find Grey half naked in front of me with only boxers on.

"Oh, it's you," Grey let out a silent sigh.

Is this family blessed with eight packs or what?

"Wait a minute," I held my breath as my heart widely beat against my chest. "Didn't we see you not so long ago?"

"Yes, is that a problem?" He whispered, his voice husky.

I couldn't help but notice the gruff, rugged, and deepness in his tone. 

"And you're having that already?" I laughed bitterly.

"Who are you?" He questions, his blue eyes mesmerizing me into surrender. "The police?"

"Oh, I'll be a police if that means I have to kick your ass," I hissed.

An amusing glint danced in his eyes. "Oh, my. That sounds sexy."

"This dumb ass." I roll my eyes. "I don't fuck with fuckboys, okay?"

"But you fuck with Jax," He retorts.

"What?"

"So long Vanessa," He looked behind his shoulders at me when I didn't respond and left to go back to his room.

I wondered what the hell he meant by that? Oh well.

I walked a door down opening it. The room contained a small bed, neatly made, two straight-backed chairs, a washstand, a bureau--without any mirror--and a small table. There were no drapery curtains at the dormer windows and creative pictures on the wall.

I sneered at the luxury of it.

"This room is so adorable!" I said holding back a yawn. "Time to go to sleep."

I jumped and scrawled out onto the bed, not bothering to go under the blankets.

I closed my eyes falling asleep.

"Get up!"

"Ugh," I slowly opened my eyes to get a full view of Jax's jean pants.

I put a pillow over my head but not enough to suffocate myself.

"Get up!" Jax husky voice echoed in my ears.

"Go away!"

"Wake up!" He yelled getting closer to my bed.

I curled into a ball. "No!"

"You'll be punished," Jax smirked.

"Punished my ass," I growled.

I felt a dent in the bed behind me and his breath fanned on my neck giving me goosebumps all over my skin. My breathing was hitched and I clenched the blankets underneath me, fighting myself from spinning around and fall into his alluring trap.

He gently kissed my neck making me paralyzed. Why does he do this to me? He makes me so defenseless and weak.

I blindly moved my neck to give him more asses to kiss it and so he did. He kissed under my chin so gently and mellow.

A moan slipped from my lips when he found my sweet spot. His hands didn't move from tracing slowly down my spine and it was killing me.

I wanted him to grip my hips and pull me closer to him. He gave me a nibble on my neck.

I jumped up and spun around to him, holding my neck.

"Whoa."

His eyes were filled with lust, regret, and anger as I looked at him. I quickly picked up the small mirror and looked at the hickey on my neck.

"Damn," I said under my breath.

"Why did you let me continue to kiss you," He sighs.

"It's not my damn fault," I defended myself. "Well, partly it is but, you kissed my neck!"

He turned away from me and rubbed his temples in frustration. That's a new expression I seen from him.

He was worried.

He cringed. "Just get dressed."

"For what?" I exclaimed.

"The red carpet tonight," He muttered. "You're going and I cant trust you staying here by yourself."

"I'm sixteen."

"And so am I," He scoffed.

My mouth hung wide open.

"That's impossible," I debated. "Your birthday is in March, Council James told me so."

"I have reasons," He replied sternly.

"Just get dressed in something," He said getting up off the bed." Don't try to stand out in front of everyone."

"Since when did I ever listen to you?" I said as he fully left the room. "Humph, I'll be the center of attention if I want to."

I walked into the bathroom and strip down as I step slowly into the tub, turning the water on high and letting it beat over my head in steamy rivulets. Closing my eyes to the water as the heat soaks into my skin, I lean against the cool tiles as my weak legs threaten to buckle.

The shower curtain is ripped back and I don't even flinch, engrossed as I was with the water cascading down my body and massaging muscles long past cramped.

After a few more minutes of lavender soap and water later I stepped out with a towel.

"Red carpet, huh?" I said. "I know the perfect dress for this!"

I searched and searched for an outfit almost like a scavenger hunt. "This heel match this dress so perfectly."

It would be so much easier if I had my friends helping out. "Oh and I should change my hair."

"Vanessa Blake is gonna knock out the whole competition." I said swinging my hair back." You are gonna be one hell of attention tonight."

A few minutes later one of the bodyguards escorted me out the house to meet Jax."I'm here!"

"I wasn't late" I exclaimed. I hopped on one foot as I slipped on my heel on my foot.

Jax tilted his head to the side and studied me for a moment.

I have never seen Jax ruffled, and today is no exception. His voice has a husky drawl and every step he takes is in slow motion compared to almost anyone else I know. His idea of hurrying is to bend his head down a little as he saunters, the pace of his footfalls not changing one iota. That's just the way the man is, born calm, can't change him, wouldn't want to.

Jax opened his mouth but nothing came out, he shook his head. "You take too long."

He patted himself off. "Just come on."

I narrowed my eyes. "Way to compliment you asshole."

We headed into the car and I quickly sat down by Jax. I looked up and Grey blue eyes were reluctantly staring at me.

"Whoa," Grey piercing blue eyes widen while he adjusted his bow tie.

Both brothers were dressed in a black and white attire with a black bow tie around their necks.

I snorted. "I know right, staring at someone you won't ever get."

"I bet I can."

I looked at him blankly. But, Jax grabbed my arm and smirked at his brother making me snap out of my glance.

"I bet you won't," Jax protested.

"Whatever," Grey subsided.

I pulled my arm away from Jax grip. "You have a girlfriend."

"She's right," Grey shoots back.

"Shut up," Jax intensely said.

There was a long silence that went on forever as the music played softly in the background. It was awkward sitting in a car without any talking.

"Oh, my strawberries!" I yelled. "Turn up the music!"

"This is my song!" I yelled foolishly.

"Change the song," Jax said quickly.

"Hey!" I shouted. "In case you don't know, you never turn down Beyonce!"

Grey cleared his throat."I have a definite fear she'll be doing the pop, lock, and drop it on the red carpet."

"Whats wrong with that?" I looked up at Grey. And was rendered speechless.

Grey rubbed his face with his hand and mumbled, "Let's get the guidelines down on how to survive a primp and proper famous party."

"Number one. Have good posture and stand up straight up like if you were balancing something on your head." He continues, "Number two. Don't dance like one of those high school parties, you only dance in four styles: Waltz, Tango, Salsa, Or slow dancing."

"Number three. The food there is just for show. People stand around it to talk only. No one eats it because they want to watch their weight."

"The cruelty." I sigh. "How could people not eat food? That should be a sin."

He lets out a frustrated sigh." Number four. When you talk to someone, pay attention even if its the most boring, it'll show disrespect if you don't show any attention."

"Number five. Always feel like watching you, like they are watching you. So in general, don't be yourself."

Jax makes a 'Hm' sound.

"I can't do it," I said relentlessly. "I think."

******

Flashes and flashes of camera's were heard as I applied another coat of red lipstick.

"Good evening everyone and today we are on the red carpet! Let's see what celebrities arrived tonight!" Sasha Parker announces.

"Alison Green. I'm surprised that Jax Hunter and her didn't break up after what happened."

"Next is Grey Hunter. He is looking hot tonight! Moving on."

"Jax Hunter and.. Who is this? Vanessa Blake! Wow. She looks amazing tonight."

I didn't let the opportunity past so I said my greetings to how many people I could remember from my hometown. Jax grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

"That was something out of the ordinary," Sasha said awkwardly.

It was time for us to enter the ballroom and I couldn't believe my eyes. "Wow."

It was beyond beautiful as the eye can see, chandeliers hung above our heads and there were sparkly dresses everywhere that shined through them making streaks of colors appear.

"Please. Just act," He pauses. "Not you."

"Begging doesn't look good for you, Jax," I said. "But we still need to talk."

Jax let out a sigh. "About what?"

"You never told me what the file said," I whispered.

He loosens his bow tie as he pulled me away from the crowd of people and into an elevator.

He presses the elevator button for us to get in.

"Where are we going?" I said suspiciously.

He looks at me blankly. "Privacy."

"Why don't you just tell me now?"

"Privacy."

His eyes glanced at something above my head. I turned around and looked at the camera that was looking down at us. "Oh."

"Let me tell you this," He began. "You're not gonna like it."

"How bad could it possibly be?" I sputtered.

He tucked his tongue in his cheeks. "Something unexpected."

The elevator bell rang and it was finally time for us to head out.

Jax directed me to a strange door, and he tried picking at it. "People could be in there and you're just unlocking the door?"

"This is my dad's hotel," Jax deemed. "I have the right to."

He focused on the picking at the lock until it was opened and he walked inside." This is my dad's hotel. I have the right to," I mocked.

I walked inside following behind him.

"The bed looks so bouncy," I said in a intrigued way.

I was about to run and jump onto it but Jax grabbed my arm and spun me around. "You're not gonna be a monkey."

"Fine," I sighed. "Are you gonna tell me now?"

He paused. "You're being put in a plan to fall in love with someone."

"What?"

"I don't know what else but it seems very serious with the steps to kill someone if someone intrudes with the plan," Jax's eyes darken.

"This sounds stupid."

"But it's not," He retorts. "Did you ever know what your parents been through?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom was nearly killed, and she had multiple kidnappings." He continues," And your dad was nearly killed multiple times."

"What?" I took a step back and I looked at Jax in disbelief.

"I asked for information on your parents from-"

I cut him off." You asked?"

"Shush," He took a deep breath. "I asked for information on your parents and that's how I know this."

"The same person who was messing with your mom could be after you but." He paused.

"But what?" I said wanting to know more.

"It could be someone else."

"As in?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know."

Chastised I fell quiet. "Okay, this is crazy."

"That's why my dad is always strict about letting me go out later or by myself."

"And my mom went through all of that?" I gulped. "No wonder she always avoided talking about her scars when I asked, and that she wouldn't let me get too sincere with guys."

"This is too much to take in," I walked around the room panicking.

"One more thing," Jax said making me stop in my tracks.

"The reason that we brought you to Oak West was to protect you."

"Wait you actually care about me?" I blushed.

"I didn't say that."

"You care for me," I narrowed my eyebrows knowing that I was right.

"Let's just get back to the banquet," Jax replied stiffly.

"I thought you said this was a red carpet event?"

"It's a formal occasion right?" He responded.

"Yeah."

"Then it has a banquet, smart one," He said as he left the room.

"I can't stand when you get sarcastic but at the same time, it turns me on."

I followed behind him closing the door in the process.

"I don't wanna act like someone I'm not," I whispered behind him.

"You're doing it," He demanded.

"Since when did I ever listen to you?" I scoffed.

He turned around and looked at me for a bit before a smirk crawled onto his face. "I know you will."

"That's why, I dare you to act like a good girl for tonight," Jax says sternly.

He walks off. "He did not just pull the dare card on me!"

"That's foul play!"

I hope he chock's on Nutella.

"Let's go," He insisted.

"I'm coming," I sighed.

This is torture already.

I followed Jax into a grand entrance as an older guy walked towards us.

His dad was older but he still looked a bit young. The lush, mother lode-gold hair he groomed so carefully had a rippling quality. His aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way.

"Son you came."

His father's eyes looked down at me -yes, from how low class I am- before he looked back at Jax.

Tiny prickles of fear climbed up my throat.

"You brought the girl that you slept with here?" Jax father whispered.

I felt euphoric, exhilarated. My chest felt full like it was about to burst at what Jax' father said.

"I didn't sleep with her," Jax cuts in.

I kept quiet, trying to hear what Jax and his father had to say.

"So the news is wrong?" Jax father deemed.

"Obviously," Jax said.

I felt a shiver but surely wasn't because I was getting cold.

I could tell they both were on the verge of having a fist fight by the way Jax's eyebrows were furrowed along with his father. Freddy and my dad don't act like this.

I wonder what happened in their family to make them not get along.

"Jax, These are some people who would like to speak to you," Jax father said quickly changing the subject.

"I'd rather not go."

Jax father narrowed his eyes. "You're going whether you like it or not."

Jax father walks off followed by Jax but then stops and says, "Forget about what I said about being nice for tonight."

"I'm sorry but I can't do such rude and disrespectful thin-"

"I dare you to be yourself for tonight," Jax cuts me off.

"I'm back baby!" I yelled while throwing my hands up.

Jax leaves and I pat myself off. "The primp and proper acting made me want some strawberry and Nutella cupcakes."

I glanced around the fancy area to find food." I have no idea where the food is."

"Well. Well. Well," A girl said walking up to me. "Look what we have here."

Her eyes, like the indigo ocean, were pools of iridescent blue, sculpted upon her creamy face like dazzling jewels. Strands of molten gold tumbled out of her scalp, cascading down her back like a waterfall. Cherry lips, crystal white teeth: she truly was a beautiful sight to behold.

But there was one problem I didn't like her.

"Fresh meat," She said glancing over her shoulders at her friend behind her.

"Yeah. Fresh meat."

"I'm not meat because I'm a vegetarian," I retort. "Not really I just needed a comeback."

"Like I care," The girl crossed her arms. "I don't know why a poor whore like you would come to Oak West."

"Yeah. Poor whore," The girl beside her repeats.

She puts her hand in front of my face.

I really don't like when someone puts their hand in my face in a disrespectful way.

Strike one.

"Why don't you just run back to wherever you came from?"

She pushed my shoulders.

Strike two.

"Yeah. Run back to wherever you came from."

"Alice," The girl rolled her eyes in a response of her friend copying her.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," She says rudely. "Anyway, you don't belong here Vanessa."

"Your gonna be an outcast of outcasts." She smirks.

Strike three.

"You done fucked up now!" I yelled.

A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout my body. my stomach ached, and my arms lost tension as I began to punch the girl, her legs began to weaken. She dropped to the ground and her tongue was soaked in the taste of blood. Bruised and winded, with a leg in agony, I grabbed the foot of the girl and pulled her to the ground. I tried to grab her hair and drag her along the floor. I bought a fist to the girl's face, snapping her nose into a grotesqueness.

There was now a group of nosey people staring at the gruesome fight.

"Vanessa!" A voice calls out making me jump back, stopping me from what I was doing.

I cleared my throat.

"Hey, Jax," I said innocently.

"Ugh," Alison said rudely with her perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed. "I can't believe you kissed her, she's a troublemaker with no sense of class."

"I'll kick your ass too!" I deemed, ready with clenched fists.

Jax walks closer to me leaving Alison.

"Hmph," She said muffling her cursed words under her breath.

Jax soon pulls my hand away from the crowd and guided me onto the terrace.

"I'm sorry," I began.

I gripped my phone in my left hand, tapping my polished fingernails against the smooth borders of the terrace with my right. I glanced down at them. They were midnight black with glitter at the tips the color of crispy red. I did them to match my outfit, a strapless cocktail red dress made of a silky fabric. It shimmered the same color of my nail polish if the light hit it a certain way. My black hair fell in perfect curls on my olive shoulders and my soft, brown eyes glanced around, waiting for him to say something. My heels were too tall and my dress was too short; I was freezing outside in the cold.

Jax walks closer and my face automatically turned hot along with the rest of my body. "Please don't kill me!"

He pats himself quietly still no sounds coming out his mouth.

"She put her hand in front of my face and I don't like when people put their hand in my fa-" I scoffed but got cut off by Jax.

"Shortcake."

"Yeah?"

He lifted up my chin with his finger and his thumb traced my bottom lip. My heart was racing as I looked back up at him. His eyes flickered down to my lips and he began to lean closer to me.

To be continued.