CHAOS (Beneath The Secrets Book 1)

“I’ll trade you.” Fancy’s eyes are wide with excitement as she grips my arms. “The King of Chaos is here! Please, let me swap and work the party. You can have the floor.”

Despite my nerves, doubt prickles through me. “Why?”

“Have you seen him? He’s sex on a stick. I watched him win a fight in less than twenty seconds. He brought home almost half a million dollars. In twenty seconds. Do you know how much that is?” Her fingers dig into my skin.

“Five hundred thousand?” I can’t tell if she’s being serious or if it was a rhetorical question.

She blinks slowly and stares at me for a moment. “Yeah! That’s a lot! What do you think?”

I’m not sure how her telling me that there’s a rich, sexy boxer in my bachelor party is supposed to make me not want to dance for him.

“Sorry, I can’t. Gil sets the rules.” I shrug her hands off and head to the dressing room to check my makeup.

Brittney rushes in behind me. “Did you hear? The King of Chaos? Oh my god!” She bends over my shoulder to use the mirror next to me, fluffing her big blonde hair.

“We better go. Gil said they’re here and waiting on us!” She grabs my wrist and tugs me with her down the musty hall to Suite D.

I stumble into the room, and immediately, my body goes into overdrive. A rush of fire courses through my veins. The first thing that hits me is a familiar musky aftershave.

“Oh my fucking God, look who it is, Brody.” An unfamiliar voice echoes across the dim room.

I stiffen, my heart almost beating out of my chest.

Shit.

It’s like all the air has been ripped from my body.

It can’t be.

All I can hear is the sound of deep chuckles filling the room. I can’t move. I can’t see.

When I look up, I lock gazes with a familiar set of dark, brooding eyes. Almost identical to the ones I look into in my daughter’s eyes.

Jax.

I swallow down the bile rising in my throat as my cheeks burn. What the hell is he doing here?

The room goes silent. I can’t tear my focus away from him.

After all this time, I’m still drawn to him.

Another man jeers from the corner. “Only you could have your ex-wife at your bachelor party, man. What’s the fucking luck?”

Jax stiffens in his seat, playing with the rings on his tattooed fingers.

In that moment, seeing him again, I’d forgotten about his asshole of a brother. I can feel Brody’s cold stare on me. I don’t even want to give him the satisfaction of a glance.

He doesn’t deserve anything from me. I ran out of New York so quickly he didn’t even get a chance to grovel. That’s how I used some of Jax’s money–to pay for that annulment and never see Brody again.

The girls all get to work on the guys. The music pounds in my ears, yet all I can hear is my blood rushing.

Shit, am I going to pass out?

I swallow, taking a step forward. I can’t pass up on this tonight. I need the money to pay for Maeve’s treatments. She deserves better, and Brody sure as hell isn’t taking this from her.

“Hey, bro, you finally get to meet Sofia.” Brody’s deep voice cuts through the air and chills run down my spine.

I finally settle my gaze on my ex-husband and feel absolutely nothing. However, as I peer left, taking in Jax, I notice that he has only gotten more fine in the last two years. More ripped and even more rough around the edges. The way his tight black tee is hugging every bulging muscle, the black ripped jeans and boots, give him a bad boy aura that makes my knees weak.

A wave of anger washes over me. Since the last time I saw him, I’ve been struggling with bringing up our daughter on my own, and he’s been befriending Brody. Clearly, I meant nothing to him. Why else would he do that after fucking me?

He got what he wanted.

Screw them both.

I scan the room and kick my ass into gear. I can avoid those two–they have plenty of friends here I can make a chunk of cash from. I beeline in on the one I don’t recognize. Tatted, with a grin on his lips, while watching me with amusement.

He’s not like the other suited guys with Brody.

Resting my arms on his chair, I get to work, swaying my hips and biting down on my lip.

“Well, hello, gorgeous.” He winks at me. His rough fingers brush against my chest as he stuffs a bill in there.

I swear I can feel the daggers from Jax behind me. The guy leans forward, his black hair brushing against my jaw.

“This just got interesting, didn’t it?” he whispers. I nod, brushing myself against his thigh, and letting my hands slide down the front of my body. He has no idea.

“I’m just here to keep you guys happy.” I give him a broad, fake smile.

He leans back in his chair. “Turn around, then. I’m more of an ass man.”

I flick my hair over my shoulders and spin on my heel, pushing my hips out further for him. Holding back a grin, I cast my gaze over to Jax.

His jaw is tight, and his fists are clenched. So I put an extra sway in my movements, grinding on this guy’s lap with as much fake desire as I can muster.

Darkness flashes across Jax’s face as I cup my breasts. It makes me give him a pouty face and stick my tongue out towards my own nipple to tease him.

The guy clears his throat behind me, so I turn to face him. I resist eye rolling as he stares at my tits. He holds a wad of cash in his hand and gestures for me to lean closer.

As I do, his hot breath, laced with whiskey, hits against my cheek.

“Take this, go and dance for that guy.” He points behind me. I know exactly who he means.

I follow his finger and land on Jax.

It’s a lot of money.

When I turn back to him, he has a knowing smirk on his lips. Enough to tell me he wants to cause trouble.

I snatch up the wad.

“Coming to me, boo?” I recoil at Brody’s words. Like hell am I going anywhere near him.

But, Jax, I can play games with.

I can imagine he doesn’t want his brother to find out what he did.

Ignoring my irritating ex-husband, I head towards Jax.

With each step closer, my body ignites.

“It looks like she’d rather fuck your brother, man!” one of the guys calls out.

I look to Jax to see his reaction.

But he’s too busy looking at me like he wants to devour me.

Shit.