Keifer's POV
The air inside the restaurant still smelled faintly of the cheap lemon dish soap we used to scrub the counters and the lingering, greasy scent of the lunch rush.
The group had vanished, fleeing in a wave of pure, unadulterated humiliation toward the restrooms after Jay's little potion took effect.
The satisfaction of watching them break their cool, arrogant outer shells to literally sprint for survival was unparalleled.
The dining room was almost empty now. The chaotic energy from a few minutes ago had drained away, leaving a strange, hollow quiet.
Over at one of the corner tables near the window, Aries and Ella were huddled together, talking to Jane in low, hushed voices. Aries looked visibly annoyed, his jaw tight as he muttered something to Jane, who just listened with an expressionless nod.
Jay was across the room near the main service station, completely engrossed in arranging a stack of heavy ceramic plates with Cin. She looked focused, her small hands moving efficiently, her dark hair catching the dim overhead lighting.
Watching her always did something to my chest—a strange, tight pull that I couldn't get rid of even if I wanted to. She was dangerous, brilliant, and entirely unpredictable.
The way she had casually poisoned those idiots' drinks with laxatives without blinking an eye proved it. I couldn't help the small, smug grin that tugged at my lips just thinking about it.
Suddenly, a loud, grating sound tore through the quiet evening air.
Beep! Beeeeeeep! Beep!
A heavy motorcycle had pulled up right in front of the restaurant's large glass facade. The engine died, but the rider didn't get off. Instead, he leaned forward and began hitting the horn continuously.
Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeep!
The noise was deafening inside the quiet space. It was sharp, rhythmic, and incredibly irritating. I felt my eyebrows knit together, a sudden wave of annoyance washing over me.
"What the hell is that?" Cin muttered, dropping a stack of saucers with a loud clatter.
Across the room, Ella covered her ears, scowling deeply at the window. Even Aries shifted in his seat, glaring out at the street with an annoyed expression.
Yuri sighed heavily, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel as he stepped out from Section E. "I'll go tell whoever that is to shut up and move along," he said, already heading toward the front door with a grumpy scowl.
Before Yuri could even take three steps, Jay suddenly dropped the plate she was holding onto the counter. Her eyes were fixed on the silhouette outside.
"No, wait! I'll go," Jay said hurriedly.
Without waiting for a response, she bypassed Yuri, pushing through the heavy glass doors and rushing out into the cool evening air.
My eyes followed her instantly. I moved closer to the window, my body going rigid as I watched her approach the biker. The guy was sitting casually on a sleek, dark sports bike.
He was wearing a heavy leather jacket that made his shoulders look broad, and his helmet completely obscured his face.
Jay stopped right in front of the biker. She didn't look angry or threatened. In fact, as the man pulled off his full-face helmet and shook out his hair, Jay stepped right into his personal space.
They started talking.
I couldn't hear the words through the thick glass, but he could read the body language perfectly. It was comfortable. It was familiar. It was too close.Then, the biker raised a hand. With an easy, casual smirk, he reached out and flicked Jay right on the forehead.
My entire body went rigid. My breath caught in my throat.Jay didn't pull away. Instead, she scowled playfully, raising her fist and punching the guy right on the shoulder. It wasn't a hard hit; it was a fond, teasing gesture.
A moment later, her lips curved upwards, and she let out a genuine, bright laugh—a laugh she rarely shared so easily with anyone inside this restaurant.
A hot, violent wave of anger surged through my veins, blinding him for a split second. The cold uneasiness morphed into a roaring, possessive fury.
My fingers clamped down around the thick glass cup he had picked up to wipe. I squeezed it, my knuckles turning stark white, my forearm muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt.
Crack.
The glass fractured under the raw, sudden force of his grip."Whoa. Easy," Yuri's quiet voice hissed right beside my ear.
I blinked, snapping back to reality. I quickly dropped my hand, hiding the broken glass behind a stack of menus on the counter before anyone else could see.
My heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped beast. I took a slow, deep breath, trying to force his expression into something blank and unbothered, but his eyes never left the window.
Who the hell is that person?
The question repeated in his mind, loud and demanding, scratching at his sanity. Who was allowed to touch her like that? Who was allowed to make her laugh like that?He wasn't the only one watching.
I glanced sideways and noticed that even Aries had stopped talking to Jane. Aries was staring out the window, his eyebrows raised in genuine curiosity, watching Jay and the biker with intense interest.
Inside the restaurant, Jane shook her head, looking concerned. "I'm going to go see what's going on," she murmured, turning around to walk toward the exit.
But before Jane could even reach the handle, a sharp cry echoed from the floor.
"Ah! My leg! Oh my god, it hurts!"
We all whipped around. Ava was suddenly on the floor near the kitchen entrance, clutching her ankle and groaning dramatically. Her face was twisted in mock agony, her hands tightly gripping her shin.
Jane gasped, completely distracted, and came running over to her. "Ava! What happened? Are you okay?"
"I think I twisted it!" Ava wailed, blinking rapidly as she rocked back and forth on the floor. "It just snapped when I turned around! Oh, the pain is unbearable!"
I watched the performance with a flat, unamused stare. I looked at the angle of Ava's foot, then at the overly dramatic tears in her eyes. I knew Ava. I knew how her brain worked. She wasn't hurt at all. She was pretending. She was creating a massive distraction to keep Jane—and everyone else—inside the restaurant.
Just then, the glass door pushed open, and Jay walked back inside. The cool air followed her, along with the distant sound of the motorcycle engine roaring to life and speeding away down the street.
Right on cue, the glass doors swung open again. Jay walked back into the restaurant, the cool night air clinging to her clothes.The moment she stepped inside, her sharp eyes scanned the room, immediately landing on Ava rolling around on the floor. Jay stopped, her expression completely blank.
Ava paused her fake crying for a fraction of a second, peeking through her fingers to look directly at Jay.Then, Ava gave Jay a quick, deliberate blink.Jay stared at her for a beat, understanding instantly. She gave Ava a subtle, barely perceptible nod.
My chest burned. Jay knew. Jay was in on whatever this secret was. The mystery man outside was someone important enough that Ava felt the need to cover for her. The jealousy inside me doubled, turning into a heavy, suffocating weight that made it hard to breathe.
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Jay's POV
A few minutes earlier, the annoying, repetitive sound of a motorcycle horn had broken my concentration. I was at the service station, carefully stacking the clean porcelain plates with Cin, trying to clear my head after the chaos of dealing with Aries and his disgusting friends.
Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeep!
The sound was relentless, echoing off the walls of the restaurant.
"Ugh, whoever that is needs to get a life," Cin grumbled, tossing a rag onto the counter.
I turned my head toward the large glass window, intending to just glare at the nuisance, but my eyes caught the sharp, metallic gleam of the motorcycle parked right outside. My breath hitched slightly as my gaze drifted down to the license plate.
I recognized those numbers instantly.
"No, wait! I'll go," I called out, cutting off Yuri before he could open the door.
I hurried past him, pulling the heavy glass door open and stepping out into the cool evening breeze. The horn stopped the moment I approached the bike. The rider pulled off his heavy black helmet, revealing a messy mop of hair and a pair of familiar, teasing eyes.
It was Kian. My brother
"Why the hell are you here making a scene?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at him, though a wave of relief washed over me just seeing his stupid face.
Kian laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. Before I could move away, he reached out and flicked the center of my forehead with his finger. "Of course, baby. You forgot, didn't you?"
"Ow!" I rubbed my forehead, scowling up at him, though I couldn't stop the small smile tugging at my lips. I punched his leather-clad shoulder in retaliation. "I didn't forget. I remember perfectly well. Tomorrow is Zoe's birthday."
Kian's smile softened, turning a bit more serious, though a nervous energy hovered around him. "Yeah. And I'm planning to officially propose to her tomorrow."
I let out a sudden, sharp laugh, shaking my head. "Seriously? Just like last time? The time she proposed to you, and you literally ran away into the street instead of giving her an answer?"
Kian's face flushed a deep crimson, and he looked away defensively, clearing his throat. "Hey! That was different. It was just... I remembered something really important right at that exact second."
I leaned against the side of his bike, giving him a flat, highly skeptical look. "Really, Kian? An important errand right in the middle of a marriage proposal?"
"Leave it," he muttered, waving his hand dismissively to hide his embarrassment. He cleared his throat again, his tone turning firm. "Tomorrow. 3:00 PM at the Royal Pub. Don't be late, Jay."
I nodded once, my expression softening. "I'll be there."
Suddenly, a sharp, dramatic wail pierced through the thick glass of the restaurant behind me.
"Ah! My leg! Oh my god, it hurts!"
I stiffened, recognizing Ava's loud, exaggerated voice instantly. I glanced back through the glass window. The entire group, along with Jane, was crowding around Ava, who was rolling on the floor. But my eyes shifted slightly to the left, and my heart skipped a beat.
Keifer was standing near the window. He wasn't looking at Ava. His eyes were locked entirely on me, his gaze dark, intense, and absolutely furious. His posture was completely rigid, like a predator ready to spring.
I realized immediately what was happening. Ava was creating a distraction because she knew the others were watching me through the window.
"I have to go now," I told Kian hurriedly, shifting my weight away from the bike.
"Alright, alright. See you tomorrow," Kian said, leaning forward to wrap his broad arms around me in a quick, tight hug.
I hugged him back briefly before pulling away and rushing back inside the restaurant. The moment I stepped through the door, the warmth of the interior hit my face. I walked over to the group on the floor.
Ava was still groaning, but the moment I drew near, she looked up over Jane's shoulder and gave me a sharp, knowing blink.
I nodded back quietly, letting her know I caught the signal.
Jane looked up from the floor, wiping her hands on her apron. "Jay, who was that out there? Everything okay?"
I didn't hesitate. My voice was cool and even. "It was Kian."
Jane's face instantly softened into an expression of realization. She nodded her head, the concern completely vanishing from her eyes. "Oh, Kian. Right. Is he leaving already?"
"Yeah," I replied shortly.
I shifted my apron, feeling a sudden, heavy exhaustion settle deep into my bones after the long day. "Jane, I will come back in some time. I have to go somewhere right now." I needed to head home, change, and mentally prepare for tomorrow.
Before Jane could answer, a deep, cold voice cut through the air.
"I will drop you."
I turned my head to look at Keifer. He was standing a few feet away, his hands buried deep in his pockets. His face was a mask of absolute calm, but his eyes were burning with an intensity that made the small hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There was a strange, dark undercurrent in his emotion—something sharp, possessive, and entirely controlled. His look pierced right through me.
I hesitated for a fraction of a second. I was incredibly tired, and the thought of walking or diving transit felt unbearable.
"Fine," I agreed softly. "Let's go."
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Keifer's POV
The air inside the car was thick, heavy, and completely suffocating.
I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my leather driving gloves groaned against the material. My jaw was locked, a muscle ticking violently in my cheek. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was that bastard's hands on her. I saw him flicking her forehead. I heard her laughing—a sound that belonged to me, a sound she rarely gave away so easily. And then, the final straw: the way he had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against his chest.
And she had let him. She had hugged him back.
A dark, monstrous wave of jealousy was clawing at the inside of my ribs, tearing through my sanity. She hadn't introduced him. She hadn't said a word about who he was. She had just accepted my offer for a ride, her face pale and exhausted, completely oblivious to the storm raging right next to her.
I shifted gears violently, slamming my foot down on the gas pedal. The engine roared to life, the car leaping forward as the speedometer climbed rapidly. The streetlights outside blurred into long, distorted lines of yellow and white against the dark glass.
Jay shifted in the passenger seat, her head snapping toward me. She looked out the window at the empty, dark roads we were suddenly speeding down, far away from her usual route home.
"Where are we going, Keifer?" she asked, her voice tight with a sudden edge of alertness.
I didn't answer. I kept my eyes glued to the dark road ahead, my foot pressing harder on the accelerator. The wind howled against the chassis of the car.
"Keifer, answer me. Where are we going?" she demanded louder, her small hand reaching out to grip the dashboard as the car swerved sharply around a deserted bend.
Silence. I couldn't speak. If I opened my mouth, the raw, unhinged fury inside me would tear everything apart. I needed to stop. I needed to claim what was mine before the jealousy completely consumed my mind.
With a violent jerk of the wheel, I pulled the car over to the side of the completely empty, pitch-black road. The tires screeched against the gravel, kicking up a cloud of dust before the vehicle slammed to a sudden, jarring halt.
Before the engine could even finish idling, I reached across the center console.
My fingers found the release button of her seatbelt, snapping it open with a loud, metallic click.
"Keifer, what the hell are you—"
I didn't let her finish. I grabbed her by her waist, my hands sinking deep into her skin, and violently pulled her across the console and directly onto my lap.
Jay let out a sharp gasp, her hands instantly flying up to plant themselves against my chest for balance. Her eyes were wide, a mixture of shock and sudden breathlessness flitting across her features.
Without saying a single word, I leaned forward and slammed my lips against hers.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was an absolute devastation. I was drowning in the scent of her, the dark, toxic jealousy inside me driving every movement of my mouth.
I locked my left hand around both of her wrists, pinning them securely against her lower back so she couldn't pull away, while my right hand tangled fiercely into her dark hair, tilting her head back to deepen the angle.
I devoured her. I kissed her with a feral, desperate intensity, taking her breath, taking her sighs, taking everything she had to give. I needed to wipe away the memory of that other man. I needed to burn my presence so deeply into her mind that she would never look at anyone else again.
Jay gasped into the kiss, her body shivering violently against mine. For a second, she tried to pull back, her trapped hands twisting against my grip, but as the kiss prolonged, her resistance melted. A soft, breathless whimper escaped her throat, and she began to respond, her lips parting under mine, meeting my frantic, possessive heat with her own.
The realization that she was responding only fueled the fire in my chest.
When I finally pulled my mouth away to let her breathe, we were both panting heavily, the air inside the car hot and charged with static electricity. Her lips were swollen, a beautiful, deep red, and her eyes were dark and completely dazed.
"Keifer—" she choked out, her voice trembling
"Jay..."
I didn't let her speak. The sound of her voice only drove me over the edge. I leaned down, burying my face in the crook of her neck, and bit the soft, sensitive skin right above her collarbone.
"Ahh! Keif... umm," Jay moaned, her head dropping back against my arm as a violent shiver ran through her entire frame.
I ignored her weak protest, moving my lips up her jawline, leaving sharp, dark marks against her pale skin. My right hand released her hair, sliding down her neck, over her shoulder, and tracing the curve of her body. I let my hand wander inside the fabric of her dress, my rough palm making direct contact with the warm, bare skin of her waist.
I squeezed her waist hard, my fingers digging into her soft skin.
"Ah!" she gasped, her fingers tightening reflexively against my leather jacket.
I pulled back just enough to look directly into her eyes. Her pupils were completely dilated, her chest heaving as she stared up at me.
My hand didn't stop. It slid lower, finding the hem of her dress, and slipped underneath, my fingers pressing against the smooth, warm skin of her thigh. I started moving my hand upward, slow and deliberate, the friction of my palm sending visible ripples of tremors through her body.
"What are... you... doing?" Jay whispered, her voice shivering, her hands weakly pushing against my shoulders now.
In response, I pressed my hand hard against her inner thigh, anchoring her firmly against my lap.
"Ummm," Jay whimpered, her eyes fluttering shut for a second as her body went completely soft against mine.
"Look at me, Jasper Jean," I growled, my voice deep, rough, and completely stripped of any playfulness.
She opened her eyes, her gaze trembling as she looked up into my face. The absolute determination and the dark, unhinged intensity in my expression made her freeze. A flicker of genuine shock, mixed with a tiny hint of fear, crossed her beautiful face.
"I love Jasper Jean," I said, my voice vibrating with a terrifying, heavy weight. "I fucking love you so much."
I leaned down until my lips were brushing against her ear, my grip on her thigh tightening until it was almost bruising.
"So don't you dare talk to other men," I whispered darkly, the words a cold, absolute promise. "You are mine. Do you understand me? You are completely mine. Or the next time I see someone else's hands on you, I will fuck you right there until you can't even walk, baby."
I moved my mouth back to her neck, pressing a hard, biting kiss against her skin. "I will cover you in my marks so completely that no man will ever dare to look at you again."
Jay stayed absolutely still in my lap, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She looked at me, her chest rising and falling rapidly, completely stunned and silent under the terrifying weight of my devotion. She didn't say a word, her wide eyes locked onto mine, completely captured by the darkness she had finally unleashed inside me.