Chapter 10: The Ultimatum
The tension in the mountain air crackled like dry brush before a lightning strike. Rico’s hand twitched toward his belt, his eyes darting briefly to the young boy sitting on Jax’s motorcycle. Buck saw the movement and instantly raised a gloved hand, stepping firmly between Rico and Jax.
"Hold on, Rico," Buck commanded, his voice carrying the hardened authority of a veteran road captain. He turned his gaze back to Jax, studying the tense lines of his friend’s face and the fierce, protective posture he held. Buck had known Jax through prison bids, midnight brawls, and bloody club wars; he knew when a man was fighting for survival versus fighting for something sacred.
"Is this the kid?" Buck asked quietly, nodding his head slightly toward Leo.
Jax didn't blink. "Yeah."
Buck let out a slow, heavy breath, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his vest pocket and offering one to Jax out of habit before remembering the situation. He stuffed the pack back away. "Clara Vance’s boy?"
"You knew?" Jax asked, a flicker of surprise breaking through his hardened facade.
"Everybody knew she stayed up in the hills after you took the fall in '04," Buck said, shaking his head slowly. "Most of us figured she went south when the county cleared out the valley. Didn't know there was a kid left behind."
"She kept him hidden to keep him safe from our world," Jax said grimly. "And she was right. That world is poison. I'm not going back, Buck. Tell the president whatever he needs to hear to write me off the books. I've got nothing left for the Vultures."
Rico scowled, spitting a stream of tobacco juice onto the gravel. "You can't just walk away clean, Jax. The club owns a piece of you, whether you like it or not."
"The club owns nothing of mine except the iron in the garage," Jax growled, taking another slow step forward. "And if you test me today, Rico, you're going to find out real quick what happens when a man has nothing left to lose."
Buck raised his hand again, silencing Rico with a sharp, warning glare. The road captain looked long and hard at Jax, weighing the risks, the loyalty, and the unwritten code of the brotherhood. Finally, Buck nodded once—a slow, definitive movement that settled the score.
"The president won't like it," Buck said quietly. "He’ll mark you as a ghost. No backup, no protection, no brotherhood when things go south."
"I never needed their protection," Jax replied.
"Ride safe, brother," Buck said softly, turning back toward his chopper. He threw a brief, solemn glance toward Leo, tipping his head in a silent gesture of respect before kicking his engine to life.
Within moments, the two bikes roared down the mountain pass, their exhaust notes fading into the distance until the absolute silence of the canyon returned. Jax stood motionless for a long moment, listening to the wind whisper through the pine trees. He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he’d been holding, his shoulders dropping an inch as the immediate threat dissolved.
He walked back to his motorcycle and looked up at Leo. The boy’s hazel eyes were wide with awe and a profound, unshakable trust.
"Are we safe now?" Leo whispered.
May you like
Jax reached out and gently ruffled the boy’s messy brown hair, offering a rare, genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Yeah, kid. We're safe. Let's find us a home."
***
