6. Jax

Chapter six

Jax

" T rust me, talking to you here isn't what I wanted either. It just so happens this is where you are." I stand firm, spreading my legs and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Then why the fuck are you here and what do you have to talk to me about? Last I knew, we had no business." He glares at me with pure hatred, jaw clenched, as the corners of his mouth dip down.

"Because of Melissa," I state firmly.

His face immediately pales as his eyes dart around, zeroing in on my truck as if he's looking for her. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

"You tell me, especially because of how I found her after you left. What the fuck did you do to her?"

He charges at me, fire in his eyes, gripping my shirt so tightly his knuckles turn white. I have to step backward to keep my balance, but I don't bow down to his thug antics.

"Is this what you did to her? Is that why I found her in a crumpled heap on the floor, unable to even form a sentence as I held and comforted her for almost thirty minutes?" Earl lets out a growl, my words hitting a nerve.

"You fuckin' accusin' me of hurtin' her. You must have a fuckin' death wish." He snarls, spit spewing from his mouth, hitting me in the face.

"Dad, stop." Ashlynn's soft voice filters between us. "Let him go."

"Sweetheart, please go back inside of the house." The tone of his voice completely changes when he speaks to her. No longer the snarling rabid dog, but the sweet, loving teddy bear. What a fucking joke.

"No." She stomps her foot, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let him go. I'm not going to have a fight in my front yard."

Earl lets go of my shirt, making a huge production of smoothing it out. "We're not fightin', darlin'. Seems old Jax here has his signals crossed, makin' up shit." I roll my eyes as he lies, knocking his hand away from me.

"What I just walked up on and heard tells me something different." She then turns her focus to me. "Jax, I really hope you're not coming up to my home starting shit. My father would never hurt Melissa and if you're insinuating that, then you need to get the hell off of my property before I call my men out here to handle your ass."

Fuck me, Ashlynn is a fucking pistol.

"Ashlynn, this is between Jax and me. Please go inside." She glares at him, but turns and storms inside. I know it's not the end of it for her.

"Now, I don't take kindly to bein' accused of shit, especially violence to a woman. So I'm gonna forget you said that part this one time ‘cause I know Mel has a soft spot for you." He steps closer and I can hear his teeth grinding. "But I don't. If she was in the condition you found her in, then somethin' else happened."

The sound of feet pounding hits my ears, louder and faster the closer they get. Looking up, I see all four of Ashlynn's men, Earl's sons-in-law, heading right for us, expressions tense and nostrils flared.

Yep, Ashlynn has them all fired up.

"Jax, what brings you to our house?" Colin, the level-headed one, asks, placing his hand on Earl's shoulder in solidarity as the others fan out around him, showing me exactly where their allegiance lies.

"Boys, we're good." Earl gives me a cocky smirk, and I want to kill him. But I'll let him think he's the big bad here, even though he isn't. "Jax was just concerned about Mel and was stoppin' by to share it with me."

"Is that so? Is she okay?" Kaleb asks, stepping forward, closer to Earl's side. I find it cute seeing how he's who everyone expects to be voted in as the President of the Hellions when Earl steps down. He isn't a spring chicken anymore.

"Not sure. She was pretty upset, but wouldn't tell me what it was about. I just assumed since Earl was with her last, he might know. Seeing how he doesn't, I guess it was the guy on the phone."

"What guy?" Earl blurts.

"Don't know. He didn't tell me, and I was too focused on other things to interrogate him. Just wanted to stop by and let you know."

"Thanks for the information. Now you can leave." Earl doesn't even wait for me to respond before turning and heading back into the house. The others fall in step behind him except Kaleb. He remains.

He doesn't speak. Just stands there, staring at me, filling me with uncertainty. When the others disappear inside and we hear the thump of the door closing and a faint clicking sound, he finally breaks the silence.

"Jax, I like you man, but comin' to my house, where my wife and kid are to start shit with my Prez, my father-in-law, is a load of horseshit."

"I'm sorry about that and trust me, it wasn't going further than a conversation. But catching him here was better than the clubhouse, where his minions would try to gut me."

Kaleb chuckles at my choice of words, but I know it pisses him off to be looped into that category as well.

"You may be right about that. We're loyal to him, to our brother, but we're not fucking yellow minions."

"Sure." I beg to differ on that, but we can respectfully disagree.

"Thank you for letting him know about Melissa. Whatever has her upset, we'll find out. She's stubborn, but she'll talk when she's ready. But never accuse Earl of hurting her again, or it'll be me you'll deal with." With those parting words, he turns and makes his way back onto the porch, entering the house, and shutting the door behind him.

When I'm left alone in the dark night, I turn and head back to my truck. It takes a moment for the conversation with Earl to seep in and I pound my palms on the steering wheel as I let out a shallow scream of frustration. Wouldn't want the posse in the house to come stampeding out for causing a raucous in their driveway.

As much as I loathe Earl, in my gut I know he's telling the truth. While I don't know his and Mels' history, I do know that he loves her. It's evident in how he looks at her and treats her.

Turning the key, I put the truck in reverse and back out of the driveway, heading to my next stop—a house I don't plan to enter, but watch.

It takes thirty minutes to get there and I pull across the street, parking diagonally, just barely obscured by trees with still enough visibility to have eyes on the house. It's dark but a lone shimmering light from the living room. A lamp, maybe a television.

I turn my truck off and spread my legs, trying to get comfortable as I set in to watch my woman, like a lovesick puppy. The occasional flickering of a light leads me to lean more toward a TV now, as a dark silhouette passes in front of the sheer curtains. She's home and she's safe. I let out a sigh of relief and a wave of ease flows through me.

But there's still a burning question that I need an answer to. Well, two questions. Why was she that upset? And who was the dick on the phone?

My head rests against the seat as my arms relax in my lap, my fingertips tapping out a beat reminiscent of morse code on the steering wheel.

If it wasn't Earl who upset her, then it was him. Whatever he said to her made her a broken mess.

My phone buzzes in the console, and I pick it up.

Unknown: Don't ever show up at my daughter's house again.

I let out a snort. Fucker.

Me: I won't. But I needed to talk to you and it couldn't wait.

Then, just to push his buttons, I type another message.

Me: Unlike you though I didn't need my boys to have my back or my daughter to fight my battles.

There's nothing for a moment. But I know he's not going to let it go.

Tiny bubbles begin to dance up and down on the screen, disappearing and reappearing before doing the same rhythmic up and down. I know he's pissed and I'm loving it. Anything to get under his skin is a win. I quickly save his contact number in my phone.

Bikerpussy: I'm gonna let that comment slide. This time.

Bikerpussy: Do it again and you're pig food.

Bikerpussy: Now about Mel, well we need to talk. I want to know who was on the phone and what exactly happened.

Me: Seems we can agree on Mels.

Bikerpussy: Tomorrow, noon at the garage.

I drop the phone into the console and start up my truck. Mels is home, and I know she's okay. Now I need to find out who the fuck was calling her.

I turn on my lights. Their beams dance across the sleek, polished chrome of the Harley parked down the street from me. Should have known after I told him how Mels was, he'd have one of his little groupies following her. His club brothers, as they call them, have drank one-to-many cups of his Kool-Aid.

I nod my head in acknowledgment as I pass. A trickle of amusement races through my mind about how long it took him to let Earl know I was sitting there.

The road stretches before me and I run my hand through my short hair, pulling at the ends as I head home. I pick up my phone and hit the one button that I only use in emergencies.

The ringing through the speaker fills my cab.

"Jaxton, my man, long time no talk. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to get cell phone records for me. I need to know who a call came from between two and three this afternoon. Can you do that?"

"When have I not been able to do what you need? Do you need anything other than the number?"

"Information on who it belongs to. I'll text you the information you need and send the funds to the usual account upon completion."

I don't say anything else or wait for his response before ending the call. He'll do what I ask and I'll have the information before tomorrow.

The only question is, do I want to share it with Earl?