Chapter 4
1136 Words
Jax
The desert swallowed the sound of the engines fast. Only the wind and the low growl of my Harley filled the silence as we sped away from the burning compound.
Layla held onto me tight, her hands trembling against my jacket. I could feel her breath through the back of my neck — sharp, scared, but steady enough to remind me she was still alive.
Behind us, smoke rose black against the dawn. My home, my men, my whole damn operation — all under attack because of her.
No. Not because of her. Because of me.
Viper wanted a war, and he’d just started one.
We rode for miles until the sun sat high and cruel in the sky. Heat shimmered off the road, and my head was pounding from the adrenaline and the noise.
Finally, I turned off onto a narrow dirt path that cut through the hills. The road ended at an old warehouse — one of our safehouses. Half-hidden, half-forgotten.
I killed the engine and let the silence stretch.
Layla pulled off the helmet, hair a mess, eyes red and wild. “Where are we?”
“Safehouse,” I said, sliding off the bike.
She looked around — nothing but sand, rocks, and that metal building sitting in the middle of nowhere. “This is your idea of safe?”
I smirked, lighting a smoke. “No neighbors, no cops, no Viper. It’s safer than anywhere else right now.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she followed me inside anyway. The warehouse smelled like dust and gasoline. I hit the switch, and the lights flicked to life — a couple of old couches, a fridge, a rack of guns on the far wall.
She stopped when she saw the weapons. “Wow. Real cozy.”
I ignored the sarcasm. “Sit down. You need water.”
“I need answers,” she snapped. “What the hell was that, Jax? Who were those men? Why are they after me?”
Her voice cracked on that last word, and it did something to me. I took a slow breath.
“They’re not just after you, Layla. They’re after me. You’re just the easiest way to get to me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why? What did you do to them?”
“Exist,” I said simply. “Viper’s been gunning for me for years. Territory, money, blood — doesn’t matter. He just wants to wipe me off the map. And now he thinks using you’ll do it faster.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t even know me.”
“He knows your father,” I said.
That made her freeze.
“What?” she whispered.
I dropped the smoke and crushed it out with my boot. “Your dad’s not just some broke gambler, Layla. He’s been playing both sides for years. He owed me money once. Then he owed Viper. Then he started selling information to whoever paid more.”
She looked pale. “You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
Her voice rose, trembling. “My dad’s a mess, but he’s not evil!”
I met her eyes. “He sold you.”
That shut her up. She turned away, pressing her hands to her face. Her shoulders shook, but she didn’t cry — not yet. She just stood there, breathing hard.
“I don’t believe you,” she said quietly.
“You don’t have to,” I said. “You’ll see soon enough.”
She spun around, anger replacing the hurt. “You could’ve told me all this before! You could’ve explained instead of dragging me around like I’m property!”
“I tried to tell you,” I said, my voice rising. “You wouldn’t listen!”
She took a step closer. “Then make me listen now. Tell me everything.”
I stared at her for a long second. The truth was heavy on my tongue — everything Frank did, how he blackmailed me ten years ago, how he threatened to kill her if I didn’t leave town.
But if I said it out loud, it’d break her.
And I wasn’t ready to watch her heart shatter again.
“Not yet,” I said finally.
Her jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Layla, you need rest. Food. Your head’s not clear right now.”
She laughed, bitter and tired. “You sound like every man who ever told me to shut up and sit pretty.”
“Damn it, that’s not what I mean.”
“Well, it sure sounds like it.”
She stormed past me and sat down on the couch, arms crossed, eyes blazing. I turned away before I said something I’d regret.
After a while, I grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her. She took it but didn’t thank me.
“You said my dad’s been playing both sides,” she said after a long pause. “What does that mean exactly?”
“It means he’s been feeding info to both me and Viper. He played us against each other — until he ran out of lies.”
She frowned. “Why would Viper even trust him?”
“Because Frank’s got something everyone wants,” I said.
She gave me a look. “And what’s that?”
“Access,” I said. “He knows names. Bank accounts. Deals. The kind of information that could ruin both of us.”
She stared at me. “You think my dad’s still alive, don’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
The truth was, I didn’t know. Frank Evans had a way of surviving when everyone else got buried.
She stood, walking toward me slowly. “Tell me the truth, Jax. Did you ever… hurt him?”
I looked her dead in the eye. “If I had, none of this would be happening.”
She studied me for a second, like she was trying to figure out if she could believe me. I could tell she wanted to — but didn’t.
“Fine,” she said finally. “Then what now?”
“Now,” I said, “we wait.”
“For what?”
“For Viper to make his next move.”
She frowned. “You’re just gonna sit here and wait for that psycho to find us?”
“Not us. Me,” I said. “He wants me. You’re bait.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re disgusting.”
“Maybe,” I said quietly. “But I’m also the only reason you’re still breathing.”
That hit her hard. She turned away again, and this time I saw her wipe her eyes. She thought I didn’t notice — but I saw every tear.
- Writer
