They were hand in hand. He had already lived through one loss when it came to a woman he loved. And there was no way in hell she was going to let that happen to him ever again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ready to move, Jax held Lena close when Brutus briefly blocked their way and starting clicking his fingers into the air.
“Let’s get a couple of ground rules straight first.”
Lena returned Jax to the edge of the bed and kept his hands in hers as they waited in silence for Brutus to lay down the law.
“If either one of you makes a move that smells like a setup, we end this right here and now.”
“But you said that---”
“That I bought the story?” Brutus challenged Jax. “Sure as shit I did. But then she’s like right here?”
He sneered at Lena and pulled a smoke from his pack.
“Maybe you’re like Stiles’ new side piece,” he smirked. “How was it? You two – or should I say you three – cook this up to get a piece on our action?”
Jax longed to add to the scars crossing the man’s face, but he held back as Lena steadied him at her side.
“We did no such thing,” Lena swore.
“Sweetheart, I ain’t talking to you now. This is a matter for men. Now how about you just sit there and try to look pretty.”
Jax felt his heart race up his throat. Would Brutus break code and lay hands on her simply because she was there? No way he could do that to his mother. Or at least without Milo’s approval. But Lena should have stayed put. He almost had this in hand. Would she pay the price for making a move without his consent?
“Boy,” Brutus continued, “you better make a real good case for why we don’t throw you to the wolves. Say the wrong thing, and I don’t care whose kid you are or what might have happened to this one here.”
Seething as he nodded, Jax promised to do nothing but listen and speak when he was spoken to.
“Then we’re all good!” Brutus boomed as he blew a puff of smoke into the air and slapped his thigh. “Man in charge is waiting. Let’s see how well you kids can dance.”
Brutus left the room, and Jax painfully shifted to his feet.
“Easy,” Lena whispered. “I have you.”
“And that’s all you need do now,” he whispered through clenched teeth. The stunned expression on her face tugged at his heart, and Jax wished for ways and time to make it up to her. But that was not this moment, and even as he leaned on her, Jax kept his eyes fixed on the way ahead.
“Let me handle this, Lena. They’re already suspicious. Last thing we need is for you to add to that.”
His soul cracked as he heard a light whimper leave her lips, and he lacked the strength to look into her eyes. He still kept her close, her body suddenly hard against his side as they moved from the room and passed a horde of Silver Horses. For a split second, every man was Eric Stiles, laughing at him and ready to mount Lena at the first chance. He longed for his gun and a way to just get her out. Find his bike. Or just take Artie’s.
“Kid…”
Artie nursed a beer, and his mother kept watch as she softly shook her head. Aggie knew the score. She’d played the game for far longer than Jax had even lived. Daring to look at Lena out of the corner of his eye, he tried to tell himself that this was new to her. Of course she would come when she thought he was in danger.
But now that one word equaled her presence.
“They’re here.”
Milo turned in his chair, a cigar dangling from his mouth as he looked briefly at Lena before turning all of his focus to Jax.
“So, Jackson,” he stared, the sound of his voice causing Jax’s skin to crawl. But even that was nothing compared to the feel of Lena stepping away from him. He shot a furtive glance over his shoulder and saw her hugging herself close, her head lolling towards her chest as her cheeks flushed crimson and a stray tear welled in her bright blue eyes.
“Look front, boy!”
Jax snapped back to attention under Brutus’ order and waited for Milo to finish his thought.
“Good old Aggie here says we should ride to your rescue.”
Looking to his mother, Jax bowed his head in way of thanks and curved his eyes back to Milo.
“And do you share her feelings?” he carefully asked. “Already told you the bastard needs to burn. Give me the chance, and I’ll be the one to light the match.”
Milo snuffed out his cigar and swiveled away from his chair. Stepping from behind his desk, his gaze shifted from Jax to Lena.
“Any man would I suppose,” Milo said. “You better not be fucking with us.”
“No way I would do that.”
“And you gave us the whole story.”
“The long and short of it.”
Milo glanced to Artie for some kind of confirmation, and the bald man’s face spoke volumes even as he didn’t utter a word.
“You buy this?” Milo asked Brutus.
“I did for a hot second”
“No more, man?”
“I’ll plead the fifth for now.”
Milo’s eyes pierced Jax’s, and a strange smile spread over his beard.
“To hear Aggie tell it, man’s an animal.”
“I know it,” Jax confirmed. “Lived with it for far too long.”
“But you only broke away when you thought she was at risk.”
Ignoring the sudden stiffness of her body, Jax pulled Lena under his arm and held her to his side.
“Like that isn’t a good reason?” he challenged.
“No, it’s cause. That’s for damn sure. But I still have to wonder…”
Jax tried to follow his line of thought as Milo’s voice trailed off, and before he could draw another breath, Milo plucked his gun from his side.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jax asked as he pressed his hands to the air. Lena shuddered against him, and Jax swallowed hard, forcing himself to ignore her trembling as he stepped forward.
“Put that fucking piece down,” Jax demanded. “No one threatens Lena.”
“And there it is!” Milo exclaimed. “See, I do buy that this one has a hold on you. But what happens when it all goes south?”
“You need to make sure that it doesn’t come to that,” Jax said.
“But if you’re with us, you have to be ready for sacrifices.”
He cocked the trigger and took aim at Lena.
“Could you let her go if push came to shove?”
“Milo, don’t!”
Aggie charged forward, Brutus blocking her way. But Aggie would not be swayed, her chin jutting forward as she glared at Milo and spoke fast.
“You gave me your word!” she wailed. “Told me you’d stick up for my son.”
“Planning on doing just that, Aggie,” he assured her. “But what will he do if it’s a choice between the club and this piece of tail?”
Jax’s heart pounded furiously in his chest. Of course he would choose Lena, only and always Lena. But even thinking that meant he would lose their support before he even had it. Again Jax thought of running, of just trying to bust Lena out, when she stepped forward as she pressed her hand to his chest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
It didn’t seem possible. Not after all they had shared and how she had fought to all common sense just so she could touch him again. He’d said he would kill for her. Something in that made Lena love him even more. But then, right before her eyes, he dismissed her like a burden he had to drag into this meeting. So what if he was finally here because of her? Lena still felt like she was clothed in a second thought and wanted to scream at the top of her lungs to just leave. Silver stallions or skulls with wings, each and every one of them were the same, flapping their dicks and marking their turf. That’s all she was to him, and Jax was only enraged because she’d compromised his precious position.
Lived with it for far too long.
In some ways that was true. He’d dwelled in Eric Stiles’ house and had to call him father. But the rape? What was the k
nowledge of that to him? A few days suffering at most?
And now he had to tell them she would go back to being nothing if Eric breached this threshold.
Thinking of nothing but putting Milo in his place and Jax too by way of nearness if nothing else, Lena took a breath. If he couldn’t stand up for her, be the man she wanted, then what was the point?
Moving past him, she felt his hands encircle hers, and his heart thudded against her palm. Jax stayed silent, but as soon as Lena met his eyes, her heart softened. Maybe his tongue was tied, but his gaze and his pulse told her more than she wanted to know. Because Milo had asked the wrong question, or at least was bound to get the answer he wanted least.
“Jax…”
He would always choose her; Lena knew that in her bones. Not for one second did she regret coming back for him. But was there a way to stay put, get all he wanted and then some?
And still keep him close?
“I… Sir?”
Lena endured Milo’s laughter and felt Jax’s fingers pressing into her arm as he tried to drag her back into the shadows.
“Stop,” she insisted. Jax demurred as the room erupted into laughter, but Lena turned back to Milo and narrowed her gaze.
“Fine then,” she said. “Milo.”
The bearded man seemed to bristle at the sound of his name leaving her lips, but Lena shrugged the chuckles and Aggie off as she stepped closer.
“If we’re a problem for you,” she started. “We’ll be on our way. No harm, no foul, right?”
Lena bit down on her lip and hoped that it was the right step when Milo laughed and shook his head.
“And just wait for another surprise?” he asked. “All three of you have already exposed us. Maybe I can save Aggie and her boy if you go quietly.”
Again he raised his gun, and Lena tensed as she waited for what felt like the end. But instead of the crack of a bullet leaving the chamber and everything going dark, there was nothing but Jax at her side.
“I won’t let you hurt her!” he bellowed.
Lena felt Jax’s arms surrounding her waist. Wanting nothing more than to sink into his chest, Lena knew even Milo’s pardon would not mean freedom. Eric was coming. Who knew what moves he was making even now? Not knowing how far they could make it on their own, she pushed away from Jax and sank to her knees.
“Lena! What do you think you’re doing?”
Aggie kept her son at bay as Lena’s fingers surrounded the barrel of Jax’s gun, and she helped him guide the piece towards her brow, her eyes growing wide as she spoke slowly.
“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to go and never see you again,” she started. “But you would really make him choose?”
“Price of my protection,” Milo said. “I need to know where his loyalties lie.”
“With her!” Jax insisted.
“Jackson, don’t,” Aggie cautioned.
“What else can I say? If he doesn’t want to believe it…”
And he wouldn’t. Milo would always put his club first. Just like Jax would her. How to spin it? How could she make him…?
“Who is she?”
The girl with the short dark hair cowered in the corner, and Milo waved her forward, Artie looking up and down her legs as Milo pressed the girl under his arm.
“This is Viv,” Milo said. “My sister. We take care of what’s worthy around here.”
Lena looked hard into the girl’s eyes and forced herself to remember.
“So it’ll go down like this,” she said. “Eric Stiles will come. And he’ll lie that Jax was a bad seed. He’ll apologize for any inconvenience.”
Feeling exposed, Lena ran her fingers through her hair and lowered her voice.
“And once he makes like he’s on your side, he’ll take a long hard look at Viv here.”
“You leave my sister out of this.”
“Then it will be him asking for a taste to seal your new deal.”
“I would never let him touch her,” Milo insisted.
“But by then it won’t be your choice anymore,” Lena continued. “He’ll strip her down and push her to a floor.”
It killed her where she knelt, but Lena had no choice but to stare at Viv.
“It will hurt. You’ll cry. And you’ll plead for him to stop.”
A hand was at her shoulder, but Lena couldn’t bring herself to meet Jax’s eyes.
“Take it from me, he won’t, not until you’re shredded, not until you just wish you could die.”
As Lena shifted to her feet, and a strange calm washed over her. With no way of knowing how many other moments she had at her disposal, she was still standing now, and she turned, expecting to see Jax.
“I…”
The eyes were his, but not the form.
“You don’t have to say another word,” Aggie said. “Milo, come on now.”
He eased his sister away and looked at Lena, his eyes burrowing into her blood. Lena took some satisfaction in the fact that she was no longer trembling, and Aggie’s hands at her shoulders helped her stand taller still
“Prick did all that to you,” Milo started. “Lots of other girls wouldn’t be so strong as to bounce back and stand toe-toe with the consequences.”
She didn’t feel so strong, but it was something to get it all out in front of so many and see, feel, that it didn’t kill her where she stood.
“We’d all be stronger if you just said yes,” Lena dared.
Milo seemed to ponder the possibilities, and he smiled softly as he patted his sister’s hand and held her at his back.
“Still thinking it over,” he said. “But I’m almost on your wavelength.”
She heard Brutus grunt as Aggie passed her back into Jax’s arms and touched her son’s cheek.
“Now you can get a good night’s sleep,” she promised. “It’ll all make sense in the morning.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Once they were back in the bedroom and hidden away from the club, Lena’s body hit the closed door, and she released a long sigh as she lowered her eyes. Hard as the telling was, she had proven a point. Milo still needed his time? Fine. But he shouldn’t take too long. There was no more evidence to give when it came to Eric Stiles, and as she lifted her lids and reached her fingers into the air, she expected to find Jax right there, anxious for her touch.
But he had already slumped to the bed, his head heavy against his chest as she stared at him.
“Jax?”
He parted his lips to speak, but his words seemed to stick in his throat as she started to step towards him. She spoke his name again when he groaned and turned his head away.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered
Lena instinctively went for his hand but suddenly drew back and winded her hands before her chest.
“I shouldn’t have done what?” she asked.
“You know, Lena.”
He fumbled for the bedside table and searched through the drawers. Sighing at the sight of a pack of stale smokes, he struck a match again the table’s legs. Lena’s mouth watered and her lungs burned when he pulled another stick from the box and lit the butt with his flaming tip.
“Here.”
Jax passed her the cigarette without looking, and Lena hungrily accepted. She took a drag and let the smoke waft through the air as she faced him.
“I needed this,” she started. “Talk to me, Jax.”
The Silver Horses rumbled from behind the closed door, but Lena kept her eyes on Jax’s face as he smoked and looked at his feet.
“I need you to not think about it anymore,” he muttered.
As he stood, Lena smoked again as she watched his body push to the glass.
“But it happened, Jax,” she said softly. “Better that they know now and get the stakes.”
He formed a fist with his free hand and pounded his curled fingers in to the wall.
“They knew, Lena,” he said. “You shouldn’t have had to prove anything.”
She sn
atched his arm, her eyes watering as his cigarette hung between his lips. Lena took a final drag and stamped out her smoke as she rested her fingers to his cheeks.
“I lived it, Jax,” she said. “And I’m not ashamed anymore. Are you?”
This Savage Love: A Bad Boy Romance Boxed Set Page 17