Page 5 of Jax & Knox

"Okay," I say quietly. "Just for tonight."

Tessa grins. "Good. Let's get the hell out of here."

I ride in the truck with Lucy and Tessa. Owen falls asleep in Lucy's arms, his little body finally relaxed. Jax and Knox follow on their bikes, the rumble of their engines a constant presence behind us.

"So," Tessa says, glancing at me from the driver's seat. "You got a name?"

"Ainsley."

"Ainsley. Pretty. I'm Tessa. This is Lucy. We're part of the Old Lady Mafia."

I blink. "The what?"

Lucy laughs softly. "It's what we call ourselves. The wives and girlfriends of the Iron Reapers. We look out for each other. And we look out for women who need help."

"I don't need⁠⁠—"

"Yeah, yeah," Tessa interrupts. "You don't need help. We get it. But you're getting it anyway, so deal with it."

I should be annoyed. I should tell her to fuck off. But instead, I feel something I haven't felt in a long time.

Safe.

It's a lie, of course. Safety is an illusion. But for tonight, I'll take it.

"Thank you," I whisper.

Tessa glances at me in the rearview mirror and smiles. "Don't mention it, babe. We've all been where you are. One way or another."

I don't ask what she means. I don't want to know. I just close my eyes and let the rumble of the engine lull me into something that almost feels like peace.

TWO

JAX CARTER

I can't stop thinking about her. That's the problem. I'm standing at the bar in Perdition, nursing a whiskey I don't really want, watching the door like some lovesick idiot. She's already inside. Somewhere in the backrooms. With her kid. Safe.

Lucy and Tessa brought her back here hours ago, got her settled, made sure she had everything she needed. Knox checked the locks on her door twice, I watched him test the deadbolt, check the window latch, scan the hallway like he was expecting an army to come through. We're both fucked.

"You gonna drink that or just stare at it all night?" Steele's voice cuts through my thoughts. He's leaning against the bar next to me, arms crossed, smirk firmly in place. He's got that look, the one that says he knows exactly what's going on in my head and he's going to give me shit about it.

"Fuck off," I mutter, taking a sip just to prove I can.

"That's what I thought." He laughs, low and rough. "You've been standing here for twenty minutes, man. Just staring at that door."

"She's got a kid," I say flatly. "She's not walking out here."

"Exactly." Steele claps me on the shoulder. "So why are you standing here like a guard dog?"

I don't have an answer for that. Or maybe I do, but I'm not ready to say it out loud.

Knox appears at my other side, silent as always. He doesn't say anything, just stands there with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the same door I've been watching. We're a matched set tonight.

"Jesus Christ," Cole says from across the bar. He's pouring himself a beer, shaking his head like we're the saddest thing he's ever seen. "You two look like someone kicked your dog."

"Shut up, Cole," Knox growls.

"Nah, man. This is too good." Cole grins, wide and shit-eating. "The Carter brothers. Legendary playboys. Can't keep a woman longer than a weekend. And now you're both standing here like someone just handed you the meaning of life wrapped up in a bruised, terrified package."