Chapter 14

Jaxon stepped forward, grabbing Rachel from Marcus. The Wolverines tensed, fingers tightening on their triggers, but they didn’t fire.

Not yet.

The sounds of boots and shouts echoed from down the hall. Jaxon’s men coming to back him up.

The Wolverines glanced at each other, unease flickering in their eyes. They were outnumbered.

“Here are your options,” Jaxon said. “You let us all walk out of here unharmed, or my men fill this room with bullets. Your choice.”

The Wolverines scowled but didn’t protest as the rest of the Green Devils filed in, an assortment of guns and knives in their hands.

Game. Set. Match.

Jaxon smirked, pulling Rachel flush against his side. “Negotiation over.”

The leader of the Wolverines, Dom, stepped forward. “Not that easy, Jaxon. We’ll do as you say, but in exchange, you give us the west side of your territory. Everything west of Route 66, all the way to the state line.”

Jaxon tensed, his arm tightening around Rachel’s waist. Giving up that much land would weaken the Green Devils’ stronghold over the county. But if he didn’t take the deal, who knew what the Wolverines might do to Rachel before he got another chance to save her?

His heart twisted as Rachel lifted her gaze to his, her eyes soft with trust and understanding. She knew, as he did, that her safety was more important than any amount of land or power.

“Done,” Jaxon said. “Now get the hell off my territory.”

Dom bared his teeth in a vicious smile and nodded to his men. The Wolverines holding the pledges released them, shoving them toward the Green Devils.

As more of his brothers showed up to help, Jaxon knew that giving up territory might make him look weak, but most of his brothers would understand.

“The west side of our land, everything west of Route 66 to the state line, now belongs to the Wolverines,” Jaxon told his men, his arm securely around Rachel’s shoulders. “In return, they’ve released Rachel and the pledges, mostly unharmed.”

Murmurs of anger and unease rippled through the group, but no one protested. They all knew, as Jaxon did, that some things were more valuable than land or power.

“Anyone have a problem with that?” Jaxon demanded, his tone daring dissent.

No one spoke up.

Jaxon nodded. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

The Green Devils turned as one, marching out of the room with Rachel, the pledges, and their leader in the center. They’d given up territory today, but gained something far more precious: loyalty, family, love.

For Jaxon, that was a win he’d take any day.

Jaxon hustled Rachel onto his bike, settling her in before kicking the engine to life. “You okay?” Jaxon asked Rachel, raising his voice to be heard above the roar of the bikes.

She nodded, but he didn’t miss the way she flinched at every loud noise, her knuckles turning white where she gripped his arms.

He took her hands in his, gently prying her fingers loose. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

As they rode back to the clubhouse, Jaxon felt the resentment simmering within the ranks. Giving up territory to the Wolverines went against everything they stood for, and he didn’t blame his brothers for questioning his decision.

When they arrived, Jaxon cut the engine of his bike and helped Rachel dismount. Before he could say a word, one of the newer members, a troublemaker named Luke, stepped forward.

“Why’d we give up our land for a woman and a couple of kids? The prez has gone soft.” Luke sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Guess all it takes is a piece of ass to get Jaxon on his knees.”

The implication was clear. Jaxon saw red rage flooding his veins like molten lava. In two quick strides, he was in front of Luke, grabbing him by the collar of his cut and slamming him against the nearest wall.

“The only reason you’re still breathing is because you wear that patch,” Jaxon growled, face inches from Luke’s. “But if you ever disrespect Rachel again, cut or no cut, I will beat you to within an inch of your life. You got that?”

Luke sputtered, eyes wide with fear as he nodded.

“She is not a piece of ass,” Jaxon hissed. “She’s mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

Jaxon released Luke, shoving him away in disgust. His chest was heaving, rage still simmering in his veins, but one look at Rachel’s stricken face cooled his anger.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, baby,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her hair. “But no one disrespects my woman. No one.”

Rachel nodded against his chest, and Jaxon felt the tension seep from her body once more. His woman understood. She was his, just as he was hers, and he would tear the whole world apart before he let anyone hurt her.

“The next person who questions my decisions will get worse than what Luke just did,” Jaxon announced to the silent crowd. “Rachel and those pledges are family now. We protect our own.”

A chorus of “Amen” and “Yes, prez” followed his proclamation. The resentment hadn’t fully disappeared, but Jaxon’s show of force reminded them exactly who was in charge.

His gaze met Rachel’s, full of warmth and understanding and something more - love. She was worth every inch of territory, every drop of blood. Rachel was his everything, and these men would do well to remember that.