16. Jax

Chapter sixteen

Jax

" M el, I don't understand. Why are you upset? You should be happy that the scumbag is dead. And as of three years ago, so is his shitty ass father. You're free and clear," Earl pleads as she faces him down like a pissed off Doberman. With the way she's glaring at him, I firmly believe if she had fangs, she'd rip his throat out.

"Earl, I said get out and I mean it. Because of you and your secrets, I've been kept from my son."

Fuck, this isn't going well. While it may be in my favor to have Melissa all to myself, this isn't the way I want it to happen. Earl stares at her, eyes wide, like a little lost puppy who's had his tail stepped on. He doesn't say anything in response, just turns and leaves.

I'm stuck, not sure what to do. What to say. How to handle this fucked up situation.

"Can you fucking believe him, thinking I should be so happy about what he did? Fuck him." She drops back down to where she was sitting, oblivious to the fact that I'm still standing before her as she continues to mutter under her breath.

I clear my throat, and her eyes fly up, shooting daggers into me.

"Why are you still here? I told you to leave, too."

"First, I wasn't sure if you meant that, but if you want me to, I will and give you some space and time to think." My tone is even and unhurried as I try to give her a quiet reassurance that the anger she feels in the moment will pass, but she may regret the words she spoke to Earl. For two people who love and care for each other, they sure know how to use the right words to cut deeply into the other.

"Then why are you still here?" I know it's her anger and the emotions speaking. This isn't the Melissa I know, the woman I love. This is a hurt soul lashing out in the only way she can to protect herself.

"Because I know you're upset, but you're being a hypocrite. It was you who kept the secret from Earl when you found out who Ashlynn was. He didn't know you had a child, but he made sure that the man who made your life a living hell could never hurt you again. Maybe you should think about that before being so judgemental of him."

I don't wait for her to answer. Instead, I leave, shutting the door behind me. There's someone I need to talk to, and he just left. Thankfully, I don't have to go far to find him. He's still here, sitting on his bike, looking down, furiously typing on his phone.

"She was wrong about what she said, and I made sure to tell her."

"Why'd you do that? Figured you'd be eatin' it up that she's pissed at me." He has a witty comeback but I can hear the defeat in his tone.

"Let's go get a drink. She's going to calm down and regret what she said. While she's doing that, we can get to know each other seeing how we're going to be hole buddies." For the first time since he made his confession to Mels, he lets out a belly laugh. Maybe I've broken through his rough exterior and we can find a balance between us. Civilized and, well, not so civilized.

"Sure, let's head over to Hell's Desire."

I head over to my truck and climb inside. Earl revs the engine on his bike before backing out of the driveway and taking off. I follow behind, not too closely just in case he needs to make a sudden stop. I've seen too many bikers killed from cars too close on their asses. Lord knows if I run over the fucker, all chances with Mels are tossed out the window.

I watch as Earl effortlessly weaves through traffic and I long to have a bike of my own. Not to be part of his my little pony pack, but to feel the wind in my face as I speed down the highway with Mels sitting behind me, arms wrapped around my waist.

Earl pulls into the parking lot of the strip club, an odd choice to have a drink at, but who am I to complain? The drinks will be free and the view appealing, though none of the women inside hold a candle to the beauty of Mels.

He pulls right up front, while I take a moment to find a spot. Judging from the full parking lot, there's a crowd inside.

When I finally get parked, I assume Earl's already disappeared inside, but when I see him leaning against the wall of the building, I'm thoroughly shocked.

"Took you long enough." His deep voice cuts through the night air.

"Well, it seems like you have a lucrative business going on here," I reply as he pushes off the wall, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt that I got a dancer that all the men salivate over. Well, for as long as her men let her dance here. Don't tell anyone, but I think she holds their balls in a firm grip."

We both laugh as we head toward the entrance. See, we can play nice together.

"Hey Prez, holy shit, did hell freeze over?" The man perched on a stool by the door has his eyes locked on me as I follow closely behind Earl.

"Fuck you Hank." Earl opens the door and steps inside, the deep bass filling the air. I glance over at the main stage and see a dark-haired girl dancing, but it's not Arizona. This girl I've seen around, but I'm not familiar with her name.

Earl nods at people as he makes his way to the bar, heading straight behind it and picking up two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Guess we're really going to drink.

"We can go up to the office. That way, we ain't got to deal with anyone and we can talk."

"Sounds good. We got a lot of shit to discuss, anyway."

I follow him up the stairs just as a bunch of shouting overpowers the music as the next dancer is announced.

Earl pulls his key out of his pocket and unlocks the door, but when he steps inside, it's not empty. Ryker and Mack are sitting there grinning back at us with a bottle of tequila in front of them.

"What are the two of you doin' up here? Shouldn't you be on the floor?" Earl growls at them as Ryker vacates the seat behind the desk so Earl can sit down.

"That's what we hire people for. Besides, Dad messaged and said you'd probably be on your way here."

"Your dad has a big mouth. Did he tell you everything?"

Ryker and Mack just look at each other before he nods his head.

"He just said that she's pissed at you now. Guess you spilled some beans about something from the past. We just wanted to make sure you're okay plus we've been ordered by our wife to not let you get on your bike and drive drunk, especially if you want to babysit Jacey this weekend."

"Fine. I'll call one of you knuckleheads, or a prospect, or I'll sleep on the couch. Now get outta here. Me and fancy pants need to talk."

"Okay. We'll see you on Friday. Nice seeing you again, Jax." Ryker gives me a fist bump before heading to the door with Mack on his heels. I envy the kinship between them and how easily they maneuver all the relationships within their unit. Never once have I seen any jealousy between them.

Earl sits quietly, waiting for them to leave before speaking again. "Do we want the whiskey or go straight for the tequila?"

Fuck, that's a decision.

"Let's have a shot to start with," I offer. "Then we can hit the whiskey. We need to keep at least a little bit of wits about ourselves."

"Sounds like a plan. Thoughts on handlin' this relationship between the three of us if Mel forgives me?" Earl asks while he pours two shots.

I reach forward, taking the glass with the tequila in it from him, and lift it to my lips, swallowing it down in one gulp.

"That's got some bite." I barely get the words out between coughs.

"Come on now, Pillsbury dough boy, don't be a pussy on me." Earl laughs, and I can't help but join him.

I set my empty glass on the table and Earl fills it with whiskey, pushing it closer to me when he's done.

"Okay, Ponyboy, Mels is going to forgive you. I do think we need to look for her son and make sure his intentions with wanting to meet her are sincere. If he's just coming at her to be a prick for giving him up, then we'll need to set him in his place."

Earl lifts his glass, giving it a tilt in my direction before taking a large swallow of the bitter brown liquid.

"Bash is already lookin' into that. So we gonna pick a night we each go out with her, then do group dates too?"

"If that's what she wants. Eventually, when this progresses, we'll have to discuss what it'll be like living together. Do we each get our own room? Sleep in one big bed? Alternate nights we sleep with her? What do the boys do with Ashlynn?"

Earl lifts his glass, drinking the remaining liquid in it and then pours another shot of tequila and knocks it back.

"I don't even want to think of them boys defiling my sweet girl or their sleeping arrangements. Yeah I know I sent them away to make me another grandbaby, but I still don't want to know the details. I can tell ya, I'm not ready to have my cock accidentally rubbing against yours in bed." I can't help but laugh, because I'll be damned if I don't feel the same way.

"Likewise, but I got to admit, I think it would be a turn on to watch you get Mels off."

"So you're a kinky bastard? Hey at least that's something I like about you." We both burst out laughing as we got to know each other a little better. The biker isn't as bad as I thought.