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
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
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