Anger coursed through me with insane speed, devouring all rational thought. I put both my palms against his chest and pushed him away. Surprised by my strength, he stumbled back.

"Do not invade my personal space." I said through my teeth. "Not even when you're accusing me of being a liar."

Jax blinked and his expression softened, like he just realised what he had done. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we were alone in the alley. If he killed me now, there'd be no one to witness it.

"I'm sorry." He raised his hands. "I did a background check on you."

I arched my eyebrow, "Do you check on every girl you hook up with in a club?"

"No." Jax put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "Only those who are frenemies with Dorian Darascu."

"I'm not friends with Dorian!"

"I said frenemies."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. Thoughts ran through my head. I could lie again, but he would see right through me. Or I could explain that my relationship with Dorian did not have a cute nickname. It was only hatred. Livid, burning hatred.

"Tell me the truth, Odette." Jax's lips twisted downwards.

I took in a deep breath and separated myself from the wall. Sweat gathered around my neck, right under the coat's collar. I swallowed my heartbeat and pursed my lips.

"Take me somewhere nice." I said. "And I'll tell you the truth."

To this, Jax's lips spread into a grin, "And where is somewhere nice?"

Memories of the other night flashed in my mind; his hands on my body, his lips on my neck, and the way he kissed me, like he wanted to devour me.

"Somewhere." I shrugged. "There's gotta be something here at this hour."

"At 4AM in Bronx?" Jax raised his eyebrow. "Wanna go to a strip club?"

I squinted.

Jax laughed, "Come on, I know where we can go."

As I followed him out of the alley, I thought whether this was a good idea. Although I was pretty sure he had no idea I was a vampire, the idea of being alone with him still terrified me. It also sent strong sharp shivers down my spine, which settled right between my legs.

We moved down the street quickly. Dirty yellow fog lingered in the air and the dew drops shone on the asphalt. The smell of gasoline and winter mixed around us. The night was cold and moist, almost like some invisible snow fell from the orange skies. I held the bag tightly, irrationally fearing a blood bag would slip out and ruin my life.

"Where are we going?" I hopped after Jax, my hair bouncing off my shoulders.

"Somewhere nice." He answered with amusement in his voice.

When he stopped in front of a motorbike, I almost cursed out loud. But he paid no mind to my protests and instead pushed a helmet into my hands and hopped on. Something stirred in me, rebellious and excited. Twenty-three years of balls, and expensive jewellery, and limousines made me crave the simplicity of a motorbike. Two years of poverty stripped me of the opportunity to own one.

"You're not going to kidnap me, are you?" I asked, squinting.

Jax laughed, "The first night we met you asked me if I was gonna poison you. Now you're asking me if I'm gonna kidnap you. Who do you think I am?"

A vampire hunter.

"A dark mysterious stranger in the night." I offered a coy smile. "My mama taught me better."

Jax looked at me, "I'm better than guys like Darascu, you can tell that to your mama."

"He's a thorn in your side, isn't he?"

Jax relaxed his forearms over the worn-out handlebars, "I need one answer."

"Shoot."

"Were you lovers?"

No one's ever asked me that outright. I guess they speculated, wondering what happened, what went wrong, but no one's had the guts to ask.

"Worse." I said. "Friends."

"Shit." Jax let out a short laugh. "Care to share?"

"Over a bottle of wine, maybe."

"How about a bottle of cheap whiskey and even cheaper cigars?"

"Even better."

"Hop on, then."

For his sake, I put on the helmet, even though he needed it more than I. If my head smashed against the pavement at the speed we were driving, I might live. He would most certainly die. But he had the motorbike under complete control, even when he made turns so sharp I could drag my hand against the asphalt. Thrill pumped through my veins, numbing the voice of reason telling me to turn around and go home. Lucia needed me, my brain screamed, I told her I'd only get the blood bags and come straight home. But I've been babysitting her for thirteen months. I needed this. I needed fun and carelessness and recklessness.

Jax parked in front of a shabby building, took my hand and dragged me up the stairs. When we reached the top floor, he wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me in for an unexpected kiss.

"I wanted to call you." He said against my lips, his hands roaming underneath my coat, pulling it down. "But I found out you lied-"

"I'm sorry." I whispered, taking in his scent and his touch. "I-"

"Shh." He crushed me against his chest, the lower part of his body leaning against mine with need. "I don't want excuses. Only truth."

"Fair enough."

Jax peeled himself off me to unlock the door to what turned out to be his apartment. Following a vampire hunter to his apartment? Not my brightest idea. I figured I had the upper hand either way. At least I knew he was a vampire hunter. If he knew I was a vampire and still brought me to his apartment, he was an idiot.

We entered the open empty space. There wasn't much furniture inside. A shabby kitchen with a few cabinets and a rusty fridge, an unmade king-sized bed, a table with a laptop on, and a separate room, presumably a bathroom. However, his apartment had something mine didn't.

The double glass sliding door led to the terrace that overlooked the city.

Jax opened the door, "Are you gonna be cold?"

"I'm rarely cold." I shrugged my coat off and approached the door.

The bricked terrace was half the size of his apartment, but still big enough to fit two chaise lounges and a small wooden table between them. Jax's building wasn't nearly as tall as the NYC skyscrapers, but it still offered a great view of the city. Lights shone underneath us and the muffled sounds of car engines and music reached my ears. The sky was still cloudy and orange, and even though I'd prefer to make love under the stars, I could make it underneath the smog as well.

As I watched the city, Jax stood behind me and handed me a glass of whiskey. His smell, the smell of whiskey and the faint crisp smell of ozone hit me with some sort of clarity, like I had been drunk up until now, like I've just taken a line of cocaine.

Jax grabbed my chin from behind and turned my head around. His lips came down on mine roughly, his teeth dragging across my skin, and his stubble scratching my skin. I sighed into his mouth, melting under his touch, surrendering to the sheer danger.

"The truth, Zaleria." His hands slid to my hips and held them in place.

Electricity coursed through me as I felt him against my behind, long and hard.

"What do you want to know?" My eyes fluttered and I brought the glass to my lips, irrationally expecting whiskey to sober me up.

And I was drunk. On need.

"Why did you lie?" Jax asked, his cold fingers sliding underneath my shirt, dragging across my bare midriff.

"Because I'm not a Zaleria." I whispered, leaning into the touch. "Not anymore."

"What does that mean?" While his left hand remained on my midriff, his right hand brushed my hair aside, and his lips descended on the nape of my neck.

"It means that my family disowned me."

His lips stopped moving on my neck and I felt his body stiffen behind me. I used the opportunity to take a sip of whiskey and put the glass back on the retaining brick wall.

"I disagreed with them over some things." I took in a mouthful of chilly air, and was glad I faced the city instead of Jax – the last thing I wanted was to cry in front of a vampire hunter.

He traced circles across my bare stomach and placed another kiss on my neck, as if encouraging me to say more.

"Their views. Their business." I continued, trying to tell the truth even though every word I uttered severely lacked context. "But that's the thing with my family, once you're out, you're out. No second chances, no lenience."

"And I thought you were a Manhattan princess." Jax said.

"I used to be." I leaned my head against his shoulder, suddenly needing to be held. "But I'm both out of their will and their way now."

"Did you know that would happen?" Jax asked, his hand leaving my stomach and resting next to mine on the retaining wall.

I found myself staring at his hands: short, clipped nails, strong, thick fingers, and tattoos peeking through the long sleeves of his black shirt.

"I hoped it wouldn't, but I suspected it."

"That's courageous." He said.

My laugh sounded hoarse, "Yeah, it's real damn brave. Turns out I'm nothing without my father's connections and influence."

"The rest of us can only dream of connections."

"I know." A sigh left my lips.

"It's still brave." Jax said, his warm breath caressing my neck.

"I walk the line between brave and dumb."

In more ways than one. Like right now, for example.

"What were you doing in the Lion's Den, then?" He asked. "Were you truly looking for a job?"

"Begging for money is more like it."

Something I'd still have to do, despite my dignity.

"What for?"

I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell someone. This burden was so heavy it dragged me down. If I didn't share it with someone, it would disable me from moving.

"My... friend is pregnant." Tears burned in my eyes. "The father is out of the picture. And she has a complicated pregnancy, she can't work. Doctors are expensive for someone without health insurance."

Jax stepped away. The lack of his warmth made me feel cold for the first time in a while. I faced him, surprised at the sudden pullback. His expression turned difficult to read; a mixture of worry, sadness, and something else, something like regret or disappointment. Perhaps it was too much for him. Perhaps he wanted something casual and I just dumped all of my issues onto him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"I'm sorry." He cut in. "For not being able to help."

My mouth remained open, stuck between words. Jax walked to one of the chaise lounges and sat down, leaning against his knees, eyes darting. I took my glass and joined him.

"I assume you need the cash now." Jax looked at me. "I might be able to get something in a month or two-"

"Jax."

It was the first time I called him by his name. The simple syllable sheared me in half. The ease with which it rolled off my tongue terrified me. Our eyes met, and I realised he didn't regret me oversharing – he regretted not being able to help.

"It's too much money." I sighed. "The kind you can't get overnight."

Jax's laugh was short and full of tension, "That's one expensive doctor."

The kind that didn't only charge his service, but his silence too.

I closed my eyes for a second, "She's an immigrant."

"Shit." A sharp intake of breath followed the curse.

"So, those are my secrets." I let out a laugh, but it felt rough against my throat.

"Listen." He took my hands in his, causing a very dumb and naive flutter in my stomach. "I might not be able to get you the kind of money you need, but if there's anything else – anything, I'll help you."

Heaviness settled in my gut. I could hear the cruel gods of fate laughing in my face, and I cursed the hands I'd been dealt for leading me to this moment, to this man. Feelings stirred in my stomach, futile and stupid, but they stirred nonetheless, and I wished I could strike them down, cut their roots. But I'd been lonely – so lonely, and I clung to every chance at love I could get.

"I have to go." I pulled my hands from his and stood up.

"Odette?" Jax grabbed my forearm. "Wait a second, what happened?"

"I'm sorry." I shook him off and snatched the bag from the floor. "I just- it's late, and I need to go."

"What did I do?" His voice cracked. "Odette?"

"It's nothing." I entered the apartment, grabbed my coat from the floor and threw it over my shoulders. "I have to-"

"Stop, please." Jax followed me inside. "Please, stay. No pressure, okay? I- I didn't mean anything by what I said. It's nothing, we can keep it casual. Just... don't leave like this."

I was about to walk out of the apartment when my phone rang, displaying one of two people who still talked to me on a regular basis. Doctor Martin.

"Fuck." Tears fell down my cheeks, heavy and full of repressed emotions.

"What happened?" Jax put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. "Odette, what's wrong?"

I couldn't contain the tears that welled up and spilled like a fountain.

"It's- it's an emergency." With shaky hands, I wiped the tears off, fully aware I now looked like a racoon, or a crack whore.

Jax's expression softened, "Let me call you a cab, okay? You're not going back to Brooklyn alone at this hour."

A hoarse laugh left my lips. If only he knew that I was the danger roaming in the darkness.

"Please." Jax whispered. "Don't leave like this again."

Clarity washed over me, and I remembered I stormed out of the club in a similar manner, leaving him alone and confused, probably wondering if he's done something wrong. But if I continued, I'd end up breaking his and my heart in the process.

"It's Lucia." I admitted, my tears drying on their own. "Something happened."

"I'm calling a cab."

He ended up walking me to the cab, as if making sure I'd make it downstairs safely, then kissed me on the cheek and promised to call tomorrow. A date, he said. We'd go on a proper date.

By the time I reached Brooklyn, it had already dawned. Once again, I dragged my sorry ass to the apartment like I was a teenager sneaking in late.

My choice, I reminded myself. Helping Lucia, pushing my entire family away, getting involved with a vampire hunter – those were all my choices.

Andinstead of feeling good for standing by them, they broke me piece by piece.