The air in the compound shifted. Jax felt it the second his boots hit the floor the next morning. There was a hum of movement, a rhythm in the walls—men moving with purpose, mechanics already at work in the garage, laughter drifting from the kitchen. The calm before the next storm. He stood at the window of his office, sipping coffee that Taylor had silently handed him just minutes ago, still warm from her skin. She hadn’t spoken much after last night, hadn’t needed to. The way she curled into him afterward said enough. But the fire was back in him now. And the club was at his back. He turned when he heard the door creak open. Kellan stepped inside, jaw tight, a clipboard in his hand. “We got movement.” Jax set the mug down and faced him fully. “From?” “Vance’s old allies. The ones

