Chapter 13
Bull laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed off the granite cliffs rising behind the cabin. He took a few steps forward, planting his heavy boots in the dirt at the base of the porch stairs, looking up at Jax with an expression of pure contempt.
"We didn't come out here for a sightseeing tour, old man," Bull sneered, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "Word around the rally is you've gone soft. Picking up strays off the highway, playing nursemaid to a brat that isn't even yours. The club doesn't like loose ends, Jax. And you running around the hills with a kid who knows your real name is a liability we can't afford to ignore."
"My business with the club ended ten years ago, Bull," Jax said, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous register that demanded absolute attention. "I handed over my patch, I signed the papers, and I walked away. What I do out here, and who I share my roof with, is none of your damn business."
"Everything in these hills is our business," Ray chimed in from behind Bull, stepping forward with a malicious grin playing across his tattooed face. He reached down to his belt, resting his hand casually near a heavy chain wrapped in black electrical tape. "Especially when an old brother starts forgetting the code. You think you can just walk out on fifteen years of history and play suburban dad? We're taking the kid back to town, Jax. Let the state social workers deal with him. You belong to the asphalt, and you know it."
Jax's hand twitched toward his waistband where the heavy wrench rested, but before he could draw it, the front door of the cabin clicked open behind him.
Jax didn't turn around, but his blood ran cold. "I told you to stay inside, Leo."
"I'm not hiding anymore," Leo’s clear, steady voice rang out from the doorway. The boy stepped out onto the porch, standing right beside Jax’s massive shoulder, clutching the faded photograph in his small hand as if it were a shield. He looked down at Bull and Ray with an absolute lack of fear that caught both hardened bikers completely off guard.
May you like
Bull’s eyes darted from Jax to the boy, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Well, look at that. Has a lot of mouth for a little guy, doesn't he? Come here, kid. Your new dad doesn't know how to take care of you. We'll give you a real ride."
Bull took a heavy step toward the stairs, reaching out a thick, calloused hand to grab the porch railing.
