Chapter 5
The quiet intimacy of their conversation was abruptly shattered as the diner door swung open with a loud bang. A blast of dry desert wind swept inside, carrying the roar of engines and the raucous laughter of a half-dozen bikers who had just pulled off the highway. They were members of the Iron Skulls, a rival club that had been sharing uneasy turf with Jax’s crew all weekend. Leading them was a hulking brute named Vance, a man with a jagged scar running from his ear down to his collarbone and eyes that radiated malice.
Vance scanned the diner, his gaze landing immediately on Jax sitting at the counter with a pale, scruffy kid in an oversized jacket. A cruel, yellow-toothed grin spread across Vance’s face as he swaggered toward the counter, his heavy boots thudding rhythmically against the linoleum.
“Well, look who we have here,” Vance sneered, his voice loud enough to command the attention of everyone in the room. “Our lone wolf playing babysitter. What’s the matter, Jax? Forget how to ride with the pack, or did you finally find someone small enough to push around?”
Jax didn't turn around immediately. He slowly picked up his coffee mug, took a measured sip of the bitter liquid, and set it back down. The restraint in his posture was palpable; every muscle in his massive frame was coiled like a steel spring. He knew Vance was looking for a fight, trying to provoke him in front of the local crowd to assert dominance during the rally weekend.
“Back off, Vance,” Jax said quietly, not raising his voice, yet carrying an undertone of suppressed violence that made even the burly biker pause for a fraction of a second. “This isn’t your concern. Keep walking.”
Vance chuckled darkly, stepping closer until he was standing right behind Leo. The boy instinctively shrank back against Jax’s side, his small hand gripping the fabric of the biker’s leather vest for safety. Jax felt the tiny tug, and the protective instinct that had been dormant for fifteen years roared to life with terrifying clarity.
“That a stray you picked off the highway?” Vance taunted, reaching out a large, dirty hand toward Leo’s shoulder. “Looks like a rat. Maybe we should—”
May you like
Before Vance’s fingers could graze the boy’s jacket, Jax moved with blinding, unnatural speed. He slid off the stool, stepping between Vance and his son in a single fluid motion. His massive hand shot out, grabbing Vance by the throat with a grip like a vise, slamming the larger man back against a vacant booth with a deafening crash that rattled the salt and pepper shakers across the room.
The diner went dead silent. The jukebox hummed softly in the corner, the only sound accompanying the sudden, breathless tension hanging in the air.
