Chapter 3: The Unbroken Silence
Martha brought over two hot meals—a tall plate of pancakes for Leo and a fresh mug of coffee for Jax. For several minutes, the only sound between them was the clatter of silverware. Jax watched the boy eat with a quiet intensity, recognizing the subtle details: the way Leo held his fork, the faint furrow in his brow when he concentrated.
"Why didn't she call me?" Jax asked quietly, breaking the silence.
Leo wiped his mouth with a napkin. "She lost your phone number a long time ago. But she kept the photo. She told me you were a protector, even if you were lost."
A protector. Jax closed his eyes briefly. He had spent years riding with the road crew, fixing engines, breaking up bar fights, and living day to day. He was a mechanic, a rider, a survivor—but he had never been a protector to the people who mattered most.
"I'm not who she thought I was, Leo," Jax said, staring at his coffee. "I left. That makes me something else entirely."
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Leo looked up, his hazel eyes locking onto Jax's dark ones. "She said people make mistakes when they're scared. Are you still scared?"
The question hung in the air, simple and devastatingly direct. Jax looked at the boy, seeing no anger in his face—only a quiet demand for truth.
