Chapter 9
NINE
JAX
Perdition is unusually lively for a Saturday afternoon, and it’s got nothing to do with the usual crowd. No, today the chaos comes courtesy of the club’s women—Carlie, Jenny, Sophie, and Chloe—who’ve turned the place into their personal grocery delivery operation.
They just got back from some mega shopping trip, filling the kitchen with enough food and toiletries to last a month. Now I’m standing in the middle of the chaos, hauling bags of everything from chips to shampoo while they buzz around like a whirlwind of energy and chatter.
“Jax, put that on the counter,” Carlie says, pointing at the bags in my hands as she rummages through another. “No, not there—over by the sink!”
I roll my eyes but do as I’m told. “You know, I didn’t sign up to be a stock boy.”
Jenny laughs, grabbing a case of water from the floor. “Oh, come on, Jax. You’re always saying you’ll help a brother out. Consider this helping your sisters out.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, dropping the bags where she pointed.
As I head back to the door for another load, Jenny sidles up next to me, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “So, how are things going?”
“Fine,” I say, not breaking stride.
“Uh-huh,” she says, drawing the words out. “And what about your love life? Got a special lady we don’t know about?”
I stop in my tracks and give her a look. “Piston say something to you?”
Her laughter bubbles out immediately. “No. Why? What would he have said? What don’t we know, Jax? Is there really someone?”
I roll my eyes, regretting even opening my mouth. “Drop it, Jenny.”
But that’s like throwing gas on a fire. Now all of them are tuned in.
“What’s this about someone?” Sophie asks, her voice carrying across the room as she sets down a pack of soda.
Chloe’s head pops up from behind the counter. “Wait, Jax has a girl? Why don’t we know about this?”
Carlie puts down a loaf of bread, her hands on her hips. “Spill it, Jax. Who is she?”
“I didn’t say anything,” I protest, holding my hands up.
“No, but the way you reacted just now?” Jenny says, grinning. “That says everything.”
“See, this is why I don’t tell you anything,” I grumble, grabbing another bag and hauling it inside.
“Oh, come on!” Carlie says, following me. “If there’s someone special, we need to know. What’s her name? What’s she like? Is she cute?”
I set the bag on the counter, shaking my head. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”
“Yes, you are,” Chloe insists, her eyes wide with curiosity.
The chatter gets louder, each of them throwing out questions faster than I can dodge. I try to tune them out, focusing on hauling the bags, but they’re relentless.
Finally, I sigh, turning to face them. “Look, it’s nothing serious yet, okay? And I don’t even know if she’d want to meet all of you.”
Carlie’s face lights up like Christmas morning. “Oh, she has to meet us. We’re family. And we’re not that scary.”
“Debatable,” I mutter under my breath.
“I’m serious,” Carlie says, crossing her arms. “We should have a barbecue. Something casual, no pressure. You bring her; we’ll be on our best behavior.”
“Yeah, right,” I say, raising an eyebrow.
Jenny grins. “Come on, Jax. What’s the worst that could happen?”
I shoot her a look. “You’ve met yourselves, right?”
Sophie laughs, tossing a bag of chips onto the counter. “It’s settled, then. Barbecue at Mason and Carlie’s place. You bring your girl, and we’ll all play nice. Promise.”
The way they’re all staring at me, eyes shining with excitement, makes me realize there’s no getting out of this. They’ve already decided, and nothing I say is going to change it.
“Fine,” I mutter, shaking my head. “But if this goes south, I’m blaming all of you.”
“Oh, it’ll be great,” Carlie says, clapping her hands. “Trust me, Jax. She’s going to love us.”
I’m not so sure about that. But as I think about Bella, I can’t help but wonder if she might actually like this crazy, nosy, and surprisingly big-hearted family.
Only one way to find out.
It’s a warm Saturday afternoon, and I’m behind the wheel of my truck, heading toward Mason and Carlie’s place with Bella sitting beside me. The windows are cracked, letting in the scent of fresh-cut grass and the faint hum of spring.
Bella’s quiet, her hands folded neatly in her lap, but I can tell she’s a little nervous. Her fingers tap lightly against her knee, a subtle rhythm I don’t think she realizes she’s doing.
“Relax,” I say, glancing over at her with a grin. “They’re not that bad.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “You told me last week they were nosy and relentless.”
I laugh. “Yeah, but they mean well. Besides, you’ve got me. I won’t let them gang up on you too much.”
She huffs out a breath but smiles, her fingers relaxing just a little. The cheesecake she made rests in a carrier, perfectly smooth and topped with berries. It looks like it came straight out of a magazine, and I told her as much when she carried it out to my truck.
“Are you sure this is enough?” she asks, gesturing toward the food.“Maybe I should’ve made something else, too.”
“Bella, you made a cheesecake that looks like it could win awards. It’s perfect,” I say, giving her a sideways look. “And I’ve got the baked beans covered. We’re good.”
She nods, but I can see the faint worry in her eyes. Meeting the club family isn’t a small thing, and I know she’s feeling the weight of it.
When we pull into Mason and Carlie’s driveway, the smell of grilled meat and the sound of laughter greets us. There are already a few bikes parked out front, along with a couple of cars, and the backyard looks lively with kids running around.
I grab the beans while Bella carefully takes the cheesecake. As we approach the door, I glance down at her. “You ready?”
She exhales, her grip tightening on the dessert carrier. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I knock on the door, and it swings open a moment later to reveal Tank, his massive frame filling the doorway. His beard’s as wild as ever, and he looks down at us with a grin that could intimidate most people.
Bella’s eyes widen slightly as she tilts her head back to look up at him. “You must be Bella,” Tank says, his deep voice rumbling.
She smiles, standing a little straighter. “You have to be Tank.”
Tank lets out a booming laugh, stepping aside to let us in. “I like her already,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stagger slightly.
“Easy,” I mutter, shaking my head as we step inside.
The house is warm and full of life. Carlie’s in the kitchen, chatting with Sophie and Chloe while Jenny tries to wrangle a couple of kids. Mason’s at the grill outside, talking to Dagger and Piston.
“Carlie!” Tank calls out. “Jax brought someone!”
I groan. “Subtle, Tank. Real subtle.”
Bella laughs softly, giving me a look. “You weren’t kidding about them being loud, huh?”
“Just wait,” I say, smirking.
Carlie appears a second later, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her eyes light up when she sees Bella. “You must be Bella!”
“That’s me,” Bella says, smiling warmly.
“And you brought cheesecake,” Carlie says, already reaching for it. “You’re officially my favorite person here.”
Bella laughs, and just like that, the tension in her shoulders seems to ease a little.
“Come on, let me introduce you to everyone,” Carlie says, taking the dessert and motioning for Bella to follow.
I glance at Bella, and she gives me a quick, nervous smile before stepping into the lion’s den. Watching her handle herself with calm confidence, I can’t help but feel proud.
She’s got this. And more importantly, she’s got me.