CLAIMED BY THE BIKER KING

THE FLAME AND THE FUEL

JAX'S POV

I chuckled as Val’s boots clicked up the stairs, the door slamming shut behind her.

I leaned back against my XLCR, resting my elbows on the handlebars. My thumb brushed lightly across my bottom lip. The taste of her, sweet, sharp, and totally unfiltered was still lingering.

"I see why old man Cruz wanted me to look after you before he died," I muttered to myself with a quiet laugh. "You're a handful, Valentina."

A few minutes later, the door creaked open.

Val stepped out, and my chest tightened. She was wearing a fitted black leather jacket, dark leggings, and knee-high black boots that made her look like she owned the entire alley. Her hair was down, tumbling over her shoulders, messy and perfect.

"You look gorgeous as ever, Valentina," I said, eyeing her up and down as she walked toward me. "I really hope I don't have to punch a guy in the face tonight."

Val rolled her eyes, her lips pulling into a sharp line. "I don't need compliments from you, Jax."

I placed my palm flat over my heart, gasping dramatically. "Ouch. Right in the chest."

I swung my leg over the seat, kicked the stand up, and brought the engine to life with a deep, throaty rumble. Val stepped up behind me, swinging her leg over smoothly, and wrapped her arms around my waist. Her front pressed firm against my back, sending a spark straight down

my spine.

We could’ve walked, the pit was only a couple of blocks down near the industrial docks but this was a biker rally. You don't show up on foot.

Two minutes later, we pulled into the crowded lot. The place was packed.

High-rising flames from three huge oil-barrel bonfires lit up the night sky, throwing shadows over dozens of customized bikes, leather vests, and loud crowds. The smell of burning rubber, gasoline, and cheap beer filled the air.

Music was blasting from a rig nearby, and a crowd was already lined up along the strip, screaming as two bikes tore down the quarter-mile stretch for a casual drag.

I parked near the edge, keeping one eye on the crowd and both eyes on Val. She wasn't paying any attention to the people, her eyes were glowing as she scanned every modified engine, intake pipe, and custom frame in the lot. She really loved the craft.

"Riders up for the next strip!" a voice yelled through a megaphone.

Val suddenly turned to me, her chin raised. "I want to race."

Before I could answer, Nico, Rex, and the rest of our crew pushed through the crowd, holding cold drinks.

"You wanna what?" Nico asked, grinning.

I didn't hesitate. I pulled the key from the ignition and slapped it into her palm. "Go for it. Show 'em how it's done."

Val grabbed the key, her eyes flashing with pure adrenaline, and marched straight toward the starting line where the crowd was gathering.

The moment she stepped out onto the

open pavement, the loud shouting died down. A girl walking up to the strip alone drew every eye in the lot.

"Who the hell is that?" someone from the crowd yelled out. "Which club do you belong to, sweetheart?"

Val didn't even flinch. She looked right at the guy. "Who I am is none of your damn business. And I’m with Reaper’s Crest."

A tall, heavy-set guy wearing a green and yellow patch stepped out from the opposite side. Victor. The captain of the Vipers' local charter and my enemy.

Victor laughed, looking around at his crew before shouting, "Hey, Vance! Crawl out from whatever hole you're hiding in and come claim your girl!"

I pushed through the front line of the crowd, stepping onto the pavement with my hands shoved casually into my jacket pockets. "She's a member of my crew, Victor. Got a problem with that?"

Victor smirked, eyeing Jax’s XLCR behind me. "Let's make it interesting then. Put up a bet. If she loses, that pretty vintage bike of yours belongs to the Vipers. If she wins, which she obviously won't…she gets a clean pass to ride in the district."

Val’s head snapped toward Victor, her face twisting into absolute rage at being written off so fast.

I looked at Val, catching her furious eyes. I didn't care about the bike. I just wanted to see her burn up the track.

I turned back to Victor, smirking. "Deal." I looked back at Val and gave her a slow, confident wink.

Rex leaned into my ear, whispering harsh and low. "Ghost, that bet makes zero sense. Why risk the Cafe Racer if we gain nothing?"

"Don't worry about it," I said, keeping my eyes locked on Val as she strapped on her helmet. "I trust her."

The flag dropped.

It was a three-lap circuit around the industrial block. On the first turn, Victor’s rider took the lead, pushing heavy on the straightaway. But by the second turn, Val took the corner so low her footpeg practically grazed the asphalt. She sliced inside, took the lead, and held it.

By lap three, she crossed the finish line three full bike lengths ahead.

The crowd went dead silent before breaking into wild noise. I just stood there, my heart pounding with sheer pride, a massive grin spreading across my face.

Val cut the engine, hopped off, and pulled off her helmet. She marched straight up to Victor, staring him down with pure challenge.

One of Victor’s goons, a scrawny guy with tattoos on his face, stepped up aggressively, raising a heavy hand toward her shoulder. "Hey, watch your mouth, b***h…"

He didn't get to finish the sentence.

I moved before my brain could even process it. I caught his wrist in mid-air, twisted his arm back until his shoulder popped out of its socket, and slammed him face-first into the concrete pavement.

The guy shrieked. I didn't stop. I dropped my knee into his spine and cracked his jaw with a sharp right hook. Blood sprayed across the ground.

"Jax! Stop!" Val shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling with all her strength. "Let him go! We need to leave, I'm not going to be responsible if you kill someone here!"

I took a deep breath, stepping back and wiping my knuckles on my jeans. I gave Victor one last cold glare, grabbed Val by the hand, and led her back to the bike.

The ride back was dead silent.

When we pulled up to the garage, the night air was still and quiet. I cut the engine, and we both stepped off, heading toward the side door.

As we reached the exterior wall near the stairwell, a loud, shameless moan echoed through the alley.

Val froze, her eyes widening. Right against the shadows of the side wall, two people were heavy into it, gasping and making out furiously against the brickwork.

Val’s cheeks flushed dark red. She reached toward her workbench just inside the open door and grabbed a heavy-duty breaker bar, ready to march back outside.

"I'm chasing these damn intruders off my wall."

“Don't spoil their fun, now Valentina”, I caught her wrist, pulling her back inside and laughing under my breath. "Look at you turning all red, Valentina. What, are you flustered?"

"Shut up," she snapped, her voice tight. "It's annoying."

"You're totally inexperienced, aren't you?" I teased, leaning into her space, letting my eyes drop to her lips.

Val snapped. Her eyes turned to pure fire.

"I'm twenty-six, Jax. I am definitely not a virgin."

"Yeah?" I murmured, stepping closer until her back hit the cool wooden frame of the loft stairs. "Want to prove it?"

I expected her to throw a punch. I expected her to raise that wrench again.

Instead, Val looked me dead in the eye, called my bluff on the spot, and grabbed the hem of her jacket.

She ripped it off, tossed it onto the floor, and pulled her shirt over her head in one clean motion, leaving her standing right in front of me in nothing but a black lace bra, her chest heaving, her skin glowing under the dim yellow shop lights.

"Step up, muscle-head," she dared me, her voice trembling slightly with pure adrenaline. “Let me see what you've got.”

My breath caught in my throat. The cocky smile vanished from my face entirely. My heart slammed against my ribs as I looked at her, wild, beautiful, and completely out of my mind.

“Don't tell me you're getting shy now huh.”

I took one large step forward into her personal space, dropping my voice low, raw, and heavy.

"f**k it... let's do it.”