Chapter 3: Leaving the Bridge
The interior of the black SUV was impeccably clean, smelling faintly of leather and expensive cologne. It was a jarring contrast to the muddy riverbank just outside the tinted windows. Leo sat quietly on the plush backseat, his bare legs feeling out of place against the upholstery. He kept his wet sneakers tucked neatly beneath him, trying not to leave a mess, though large clumps of dried clay were already flaking off his soles onto the floor mat.
Jax sat beside him, having shrugged off his ruined suit jacket to reveal a sweat-stained white dress shirt. The gold chain necklace was tucked securely inside his collar, and the heavy gold watch ticked rhythmically as his hand rested on his knee. He was quiet, staring intently at a secure tablet one of the guards handed him through the partition. His jaw was clenched tight, a muscle ticking rhythmically near his short beard.
The SUV smoothly merged into the mid-afternoon traffic, leaving the concrete bridge far behind. Leo stared out the window, watching the familiar neighborhood streets blur past. He realized with a sudden pang of anxiety that he was supposed to be home an hour ago. His mother would be looking for him.
"I need to go home," Leo said quietly, breaking the silence in the cabin. His voice was steady, though his fingers twisted nervously into the hem of his tan shirt.
Jax looked up from the tablet. The harsh blue light of the screen reflected in his dark, calculating eyes. He didn't answer right away, processing the variables. A kid who knew too much, living in the exact wrong zip code. Dropping him off randomly could be dangerous, but keeping him longer was worse.
"Where do you live, Leo?" Jax asked, his tone softening just a fraction.
Leo pointed vaguely toward a cluster of faded apartment buildings three blocks away. "Near the laundry mat. On Maple Street."
Jax tapped the glass partition. The driver nodded without turning around. "Take the scenic route, Miller. Let's make sure nobody is tailing us before we drop our young rescuer off."
"Are people chasing you?" Leo asked bluntly. Children possessed an unfiltered honesty that often caught adults off guard.
Jax looked at the boy, offering a faint, weary smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Let's just say I have a lot of aggressive competitors in my line of work, Leo. People who don't like playing by the rules. And today, one of them decided to accelerate the timeline."
"My dad said bad guys always lose in the end," Leo said softly, his big hazel eyes searching Jax's face for confirmation.
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The man’s expression darkened slightly. He remembered things from his own past that sharply contradicted the boy's innocent belief. But looking at Leo, he didn't have the heart to shatter that illusion.
"Your dad sounds like a smart man," Jax murmured, turning his gaze back to the tinted window as the SUV slowed down near Maple Street.
