Jax’s POV
The heavy THUNKS of the bolts locking shut were the only sounds that mattered. For a second, the roar of the fight outside was just TV noise. Then it all came back—the muffled booms, the shouts, the ringing in my own ears.
The panic room was cool and smelled like concrete dust and stale air. It was crowded. My men—Grizz, Spider, Chains, Rook, Bullseye, Riley—were breathing hard, checking their gear, their eyes on me. Chloe was a ball of nerves in the corner. And Layla… Layla stood in the middle of it all like a calm spot in a hurricane.
She lifted her hand and touched my face. Her fingers were cool. The touch was soft, but it burned right through the grit and the adrenaline. It was a question. Are you still in there?
I closed my eyes for one heartbeat. Let myself feel it. The
