Jax chuckles. “A punishment, more like it. I’ve been exiled. Being a criminal is in my blood, darling. My father’s business has two sides, like a coin. The front is the shipyards where he builds the majority of Emera’s ships, for the council and other merchants. He also transports goods to and from Emera. These businesses alone make him very rich and very influential. But then there’s the other side of the coin. The shady side of his tradeempire. He dabbles in black-market goods, using his ships. That business makes him a very dangerous man.”
“He’s crooked?” I shake my head. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after everything I’ve learned about Caligos here in Ekios.”
Jax shrugs.
I’m not sure how open he’s willing to be. But I’m eager to find out.
“So, that explains the fighting skills, and your talent at attracting trouble.” Jax cracks a smile at that. “Your father. He taught you to fight and to scheme?”
“Nah, he doesn’t fight. He outsources that to his personal bodyguards. My oldest sister is quite a fighter. She trained me.”
“Wait. You have an older sister?”
He smiles. “I havethreeolder sisters. I’m the youngest child and the only boy.”
I chuckle. “Ah. That explains everything.”
He arches an eyebrow, as if challenging me. I only smirk in response.
“No, don’t keep it to yourself, darling. Do tell.”
“Well, you’re clearly a ladies man. You’ve had to learn somewhere how to be good with women. I always wondered where. Now I know.”
Jax looks down at the flame, and his smile turns sad. “Actually, I learned to charm ladies from the number of nannies I had. Growing up, Father kept me away from my sisters. I only met them when I was twelve.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard,” I say softly. Jax purses his lips and shrugs. “I grew up with my two triplets and I can’t imagine not doing that.”
Jax meets my gaze. It melts something inside me. “Yeah. Were your sisters as fierce as you?”
It’s an unexpected turn of the conversation. I’m taken aback by the question. Emotions I’ve pushed down for so long surge to the front. The backs of my eyes burn. I blink because the last thing I want is to cry in front of Jax.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he says, voice gentle.
That damn bond.
I clear my throat. “No, it’s okay. It’s just…I haven’t spoken about them to anyone since…since they passed away.”
Surprise passes over his features. But he has the decency not to comment. Why haven’t I talked about my sisters? My family? Good question.
“They were fierce in protecting those they loved,” I say quietly. “But we were very different. Fane was the fun, loud, and larger-than-life personality in the family, and Quint was the soft, artistic kind. I was the stubborn troublemaker.” I smile. “When we were together, we worked well because we complemented each other. What one lacked, the other had.” My smile drops. “Since I’ve lost them, it feels like I’ve lost two large parts of me. Without them, only the stubborn fighter is left.”
Words tumble off my lips with ease, despite the heavy heart. And to my surprise, I feel lighter after this confession.
“You’re more than that, Nix,” Jax says and I look at him again. “So much more.”
The moment between us stretches, loaded with tension and words better left unsaid.
I glance down at the fire and chuckle. “Anyway. Tell me about your other sisters. One’s a fighter. Is she a soldier of sorts?”
“All of my sisters are working in the family business, in some capacity. My oldest sister, Maeve, knows how to fight because she’s the Underboss, Father’s right hand. The middle sister, Petra, she’s a…freelancer. And the youngest one, Lyra. Well, she’s a poisoner. Father’s favorite.”
“Damn. Your sisters are not the kind of women you want to mess with.”
Jax chuckles. “Yeah. Definitely not. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.”
“What? No way!”
He nods, smiling wide. “Yeah. When I was fourteen, I stole Lyra’s ring.” He raises his left hand where on the pinky finger rests a gold signet ring. “It was part of my training with Petra. Obviously, Lyra found out about it. So, she poisoned my breakfast. I was paralyzed from head to toe for twenty-four hours straight!”
