Chapter 3
THREE
JAX
The roar of the bike fades as I pull into the small driveway in front of her place. I kill the engine and glance back at her, watching as Bella hesitates before sliding off the seat. Her hands linger on my vest for a second longer than necessary, like she’s grounding herself. Damn, she’s got this look about her—half shaken, half trying to hold it together—and it’s hitting me right in the chest.
I swing off my bike, my boots crunching against the gravel as I steady it. Holding out a hand, I wait for her to take it.
She does—hesitantly—and climbs off the bike, moving awkwardly. Yeah, this chick has never been on the back of a bike in her life. And I love knowing I was the one who got to pop this cherry.
I squeeze her hand lightly before letting go. “I’ll walk you to your door,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument.
She raises her eyebrows, looking like she’s about to argue, but then she shrugs. “Okay. Thanks.”
She leads the way up the short path to her porch, her arms crossed tightly against the cold. I follow close behind, scanning the shadows like that asshole Mike’s going to pop out of nowhere. My gut is still burning from the idea of her being in the car with him—drunk, unpredictable, and clearly dangerous.
When we reach the door, she fumbles with her keys, letting out a nervous laugh. “You don’t have to worry. I’m fine, really.”
I cross my arms over my chest, leaning against the porch railing. “Fine’s not good enough,” I say, my voice gruff. “That guy was drunk, and he was ready to hit you. What if I hadn’t been there?”
She pauses, her keys halfway to the lock, and looks up at me. “You were there, though. And I’m home now. It’s over.”
I shake my head, the thought of her brushing this off twisting something deep inside me. “You don’t get it. Guys like that? They don’t just walk away. He’s angry and embarrassed. That makes him dangerous. What if he decides to show up here?”
Bella blinks, her eyes wide, and for a second, I feel bad for being so blunt. But she needs to understand the risk. “Jax,” she says softly, “I don’t think he’ll come back.”
“You don’t think,” I echo, my voice low. “That’s not good enough.”
She exhales, looking like she’s about to argue again, but I cut her off before she can.
“Here.” I pull my phone from my pocket and unlock it. “Give me your number.”
“What?” she asks, her brow furrowing.
“In case he shows up,” I explain, holding the phone out to her. “You call me. Doesn’t matter what time it is.”
She hesitates, her gaze flicking between me and the phone. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I do,” I say firmly. “It’s not up for debate.”
She stares at me for a moment longer before sighing and taking the phone. She punches in her number and hands it back to me, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
“You’re pretty intense, you know that?” she says, her tone light.
I grunt, saving her number. “Better than being careless.”
Bella shakes her head, letting out a small laugh as she finally unlocks the door. She pauses in the doorway, turning back to me. “Thanks again, Jax. For everything.”
I nod, my eyes meeting hers. “Stay safe, Bella. And remember—if he comes back, you call me. No hesitation.”
She smiles, but it’s softer this time, more genuine. “I will.”
As she steps inside and closes the door, I stand there for a moment, staring at the wooden frame. My chest is tight, my mind spinning with everything that’s happened tonight.
I shouldn’t care this much. Hell, I barely know her. But as I walk back to my bike and fire up the engine, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the last time Bella’s going to turn my world upside down. And honestly? I don’t think I’d mind if she did.
The wind bites at my face as I ride back to the carnival, the roar of the bike filling the space in my head that would otherwise be looping over tonight’s chaos. Bella. That guy. It’s been a long time since someone’s made me feel like that and even longer since I’ve let myself think about it.
When I pull back into the gravel lot near the carnival, the familiar sounds of laughter, music, and the occasional scream from the rides greet me. I park my bike and exhale slowly, trying to shift back into work mode.
I shouldn’t have left. I know better. But hell, what kind of man sees someone in trouble and just walks away?
I head toward our post near the edge of the fairgrounds, where Rev and Blade are leaning against the fence, scanning the crowd. The second they spot me, Blade breaks into a shit-eating grin.
“Look who finally decided to rejoin the team,” Blade calls out, lifting his beer in mock celebration. “How was your little rescue mission?”
Rev shakes his head, smirking as he crosses his arms. “Yeah, man. You never leave your post, and then suddenly, you’re playing knight in shining armor? What gives?”
I stop in front of them, crossing my arms. “Had to make sure she got home safe.”
Blade snorts. “Oh, we know. We were the ones dragging that asshole away while you went all hero mode on her.” He tips his head at me. “So, what, you two ride off into the night together?”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the small smirk tugging at my lips. “You jealous?”
Blade shrugs. “A little. You could’ve at least introduced us first before swooping in.”
Rev chuckles but gives me a knowing look. “She seemed shaken up. She okay now?”
“I think so,” I exhale, running a hand over my head. “That guy was a problem. I wasn’t about to let her deal with it alone.”
Blade tilts his head, his grin dimming slightly. “Yeah, well… good thing you were there.”
Rev nods, his expression serious now. “You did the right thing, Jax.”
I nod back, the tension in my chest easing slightly. These guys might give me shit, but when it matters, they get it.
“So,” Blade says, his grin returning, “you going to tell us what happened after you rode off with her?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Nothing to tell. Got her home safe, made sure she was okay, and came back.”
“Uh-huh,” Blade says, dragging out the word. “And the fact that you’re still smiling like an idiot has nothing to do with her?”
“I’m not smiling like an idiot,” I reply, but I can feel the corners of my mouth twitching.
Rev laughs, clapping me on the shoulder. “Don’t let him get to you, Jax. You did the right thing. Just let us know next time you’re going to play hero so we’re not left wondering where the hell you went.”
“Fair enough,” I say, nodding. “Anything happen while I was gone?”
“A couple of drunks got rowdy near the Ferris wheel, but nothing we couldn’t handle,” Rev says.
Blade leans back against the fence, his smirk softening. “You missed your chance to play cleanup, though. Guess you were busy with other things.”
“Other things, huh?” I say, chuckling. “You mean cleaning up after a drunk idiot and making sure he didn’t ruin someone else’s night? Yeah, I was busy.”
Blade laughs, raising his beer. “Touché.”
As the teasing dies down, I glance around at the carnival crowd, the tension in my shoulders finally easing.
“Still,” Blade says, nudging me with his elbow, “you’re smiling a hell of a lot more than usual for someone who just had to deal with a drunk asshole.”
“Maybe I just like knowing I made sure someone got home safe,” I reply, shrugging.
Rev shakes his head, chuckling softly. “Yeah, and maybe you just met someone who’s got you thinking about more than work for a change.”
I don’t respond, but I can’t stop the smile tugging at my lips as I turn back toward the crowd. Maybe they’re right. Maybe tonight’s about more than just doing the job.
And maybe, just maybe, Bella’s the kind of trouble I wouldn’t mind getting into.