He Chose Her, I Joined His Rival Team

Chapter 4: Leather and Lace

The wind whipped around Nova as the heavy motorcycle carved through the morning traffic. She pressed her face against the smooth, expensive fabric of Jax’s suit, the scent of leather, rain, and something distinctly masculine wrapping around her.

For the first time since she injured her shoulder, the crushing weight of the world felt like it was lifting.

They didn't stop until they reached an industrial sector of the city, far away from the polished university campus. Jax pulled the bike into an immense, private underground garage that looked more like a high-tech fortress. Sleek sports cars and custom motorcycles lined the pristine concrete floor, gleaming under harsh LED lights.

Jax cut the engine. The sudden silence in the cavernous space was deafening.

Nova swung her leg off the bike, wincing slightly as a jolt of pain shot up her right arm. She hid it quickly, standing tall as Jax removed his helmet and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"So," Nova started, crossing her arms. "You like k********g unemployed baseball players, or is this just a Tuesday hobby?"

Jax’s lips twitched into a slow, dangerous smile. He leaned back against the leather seat of his bike, his slate-gray eyes dragging deliberately over her from head to toe. "I only rescue queens who finally realize they've outgrown their toy castles. Besides, you needed a ride. And you need a new team."

Nova’s breath hitched. "Word travels fast."

"I have my ways." Jax stepped closer. Even without the heavy leather jacket from the night before, his physical presence was overwhelming. The tailored suit couldn't hide the dangerous, tightly-coiled energy radiating from him. "The portal just updated ten minutes ago. You're officially a free agent, Nova Hayes."

Nova looked down at her boots, a sudden wave of reality crashing over her. "Julian was right about one thing. Nobody is going to sign a pitcher with a torn rotator cuff right before the finals."

"Julian is a blind i***t who doesn't know the difference between a broken piece of glass and a real diamond," Jax said softly, his voice dropping an octave. He reached out, his warm fingers gently tracing the line of her uninjured collarbone. The touch sent an unexpected, electric shiver straight down her spine. "I know someone who wants you. Exactly as you are."

Nova’s eyes snapped up to meet his. "Who?"

"The Vipers," Jax said smoothly.

Nova’s heart practically stopped. The Vipers. They were the Wildcats' oldest, most vicious cross-state rivals. They were the team Julian hated more than anything in the world. They were aggressive, well-funded, and currently holding the number two seed, right behind the Wildcats.

"The Vipers," Nova repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "You're joking. They have a full roster. And their scouts..."

"Their scouts only look at numbers. Their owner, however, looks at raw talent," Jax interrupted. He pulled a sleek, matte black smartphone from his pocket and tapped the screen twice. "He watched the footage of your ninety-mile fastball last night. The one you threw with a shredded shoulder. He doesn't want a perfect pitcher, Nova. He wants a killer. Someone who knows how to destroy the Wildcats from the inside out."

Nova stared at him, her mind racing. Joining the Vipers wouldn't just be a transfer. It would be a declaration of war. It was exactly what she wanted.

"How do you know the owner of the Vipers?" Nova asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Last night you looked like a street racer. Today you're in a Tom Ford suit, standing in a multi-million-dollar garage, handing me a contract with the biggest team in the state."

Jax chuckled, the deep sound echoing in the concrete bunker. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in watching Julian’s little dynasty burn to the ground. And I happen to be a very generous sponsor. The contract is waiting upstairs in my office. All you have to do is sign."

He held out his hand. It wasn't a demand. It was an invitation.

Nova looked at his large, calloused palm. She thought about the shattered crystal on her apartment floor. She thought about Julian’s smug face telling her she was nothing without him.

She placed her hand in Jax’s. His fingers curled around hers, warm, strong, and incredibly grounding.

"Lead the way," she said.

Three hours later, the ink on the Vipers contract was dry. Not only had they signed her, but Jax had personally arranged for the city’s top sports orthopedic specialist to begin aggressive, state-of-the-art laser therapy on her shoulder that very afternoon.

As Nova sat in the passenger seat of Jax's sleek black Aston Martin later that evening, watching the city lights blur past, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She pulled it out. Her social media notifications were exploding.

Someone had taken a photo.

It was a perfect, high-definition snapshot of her wrapping her arms tightly around Jax’s waist as his motorcycle peeled out of the athletic building’s driveway. The tailored suit, the massive bike, her face pressed against his back—it looked like a still from a high-budget action movie.

Below the photo, the comments were a chaotic warzone.

Who is the guy in the suit?!

Did Nova Hayes just dump the captain for a billionaire biker?

RIP Julian. Bro got downgraded to the bench.

Nova’s thumb hovered over the screen as a text message popped up from Julian.

Julian: [Who the hell is that guy? You think you can make me jealous by jumping on the back of some stranger's bike? You're ruining your reputation, Nova. Call me back.]

Nova stared at the text. The Julian she knew would be pacing his apartment right now, his fragile ego splintering as thousands of people liked the photo of her with a man who was undeniably larger, richer, and more dangerous than him.

She didn't reply. She simply turned off her phone and dropped it back into her pocket.

Jax glanced at her from the driver’s seat, his hands resting easily on the leather steering wheel. "Ex-boyfriend having a meltdown?"

"Something like that," Nova said, a genuine, relaxed smile touching her lips for the first time in days.

"Good," Jax murmured, turning the car onto the highway, the engine roaring to life. "Let him burn. You have a new uniform to try on."