Chapter 20
TWENTY
JAX
I’m in the middle of wrapping up some charting when my phone buzzes on the desk next to me. I glance down and see a notification from an unfamiliar group chat.
New Group Chat: OLD LADIES
Frowning, I unlock my phone and open the chat. Before I can even process what’s happening, messages start rolling in at full speed.
Chloe: Alright, bitches, it’s time.
Carlie: Damn right. Our men have had their heads up their asses lately. Time to remind them exactly who they belong to.
Jenny: Hell yes. Tight dresses, high heels, and all the sexy shit that makes them sweat.
Sophie: And full glam. I want Tank to be shook when he sees me.
I blink at my screen, trying to piece together what the hell is going on.
Me: Uh… what exactly am I being recruited for?
Within seconds, the responses flood in.
Chloe: You’re one of us now, babe. Welcome to the club.
Carlie: Literally.
Jenny: We’re getting dressed up and hitting Perdition tomorrow night. The guys have been too caught up in club shit. It’s time they remember who they’re coming home to.
I pause, considering. Jax hasn’t exactly been ignoring me, but I have noticed how tense he’s been lately. The club’s got him wrapped up in something, and while he hasn’t been distant, there’s this… weight on his shoulders.
Me: Not sure Jax needs reminding…
Sophie: Trust me, they all do. No matter how obsessed they are, they get comfortable. This is a wake-up call.
Carlie: Exactly. And what better way to do it than walking into Perdition looking like a whole damn meal?
Chloe: And ignoring them just enough to make them sweat.
Jenny: Yep. Make ‘em work for it a little.
I shake my head, laughing. This is ridiculous. And yet… the idea of walking into Perdition, looking hot as hell, and watching Jax drop whatever he’s doing just to put his hands on me? Yeah. That does sound fun.
Me: Okay, fine. But I need to figure out what to wear…
Jenny: That’s what we’re here for, babe.
Carlie: Magenta’s watching all the kids. We’re meeting at my place to get ready. Be there by seven.
Me: Magenta?
Chloe: Raiden’s daughter. You know him? He’s in his late fifties, been in the club forever. Magenta’s basically been raised by bikers, so she’s tough as hell. She’s got the kids covered.
I smirk.
Me: Alright, I’m in.
The chat explodes with emojis and exclamation marks.
Guess I better find something sexy to wear.
Friday morning, I’m just about to head into work when my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen. Jax.
Smirking, I answer. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, baby,” his rough voice rumbles through the speaker. “What’s the plan for tonight?”
Shit.
I hesitate just a second too long because he picks up on it immediately. “Bella.” His voice drops, a warning laced with curiosity. “What are you up to?”
I bite my lip, trying not to grin. “I have plans.”
Silence. Then a gruff, “With who?”
“The girls.”
“Girls? Which ones?” More silence. “Fuck, do you mean the old ladies?”
“Yep.”
He exhales through his nose. “And what exactly are these plans ?”
I can hear the suspicion in his tone, and it makes me want to tease him even more. “Just some girl stuff.”
“Girl stuff,” he deadpans. “That sounds like some vague-ass shit, babe.”
I laugh, twirling a piece of my hair around my finger. “You’ll survive. I promise to call you when I’m done.”
He grumbles something under his breath.
“What was that?” I ask, grinning.
“Nothing,” he mutters. Then, after a beat, “Be careful, alright?”
“I always am.”
I can hear the hesitation in his voice like he wants to say more but doesn’t. Instead, he just sighs. “Call me, Bella.”
“I will.”
We hang up, and I can’t help but smile to myself. Oh, he’s in for it tonight.
After work, I head straight home to shower and to grab my stuff, then go over to Jenny and Piston’s house, where the girls are already deep into pregaming.
The moment I step inside, a glass of wine is shoved into my hand.
“Finally!” Jenny exclaims, throwing an arm around me. “We were about to send out a search party.”
“I had to shower,” I laugh, taking a sip of whatever she just handed me.
Chloe, already tipsy, points at me. “Good. Because we need you at peak hotness. We have a mission tonight.”
Carlie nods, sipping her drink. “Operation ‘Make These Dumb Ass Bikers Remember Who They Belong To.’”
Sophie giggles, swaying slightly as she sits on the bathroom counter curling her hair. “And I intend to ruin Tank’s life.”
Jenny winks. “In the best way, of course.”
The girls raid Jenny’s closet for last-minute accessories while Chloe puts on music loud enough to piss off the neighbors. We’re laughing, teasing, fixing our hair, and trying on outfits, getting glammed up like we’re about to hit a club in Vegas instead of a biker bar in the middle of our small town.
“Alright, bitches,” Carlie announces. “Time to call an Uber before we’re too drunk to function.”
By the time we pull up to Perdition, we’re already a little tipsy and feeling damn good. The neon glow of the bar casts shadows across the parking lot, bikes lined up in rows, engines still cooling from their riders’ arrivals.
The moment we step inside, the smell of whiskey, leather, and testosterone wraps around us like a second skin.
That’s when I see her.
Some blonde, fake-nailed, too-short-skirt-wearing club whore trying to get Jax’s attention.
My tipsy haze does nothing to dull the sudden flare of jealousy that ignites in my chest. My hands tighten at my sides as I narrow my gaze at the scene in front of me.
Jenny and Chloe spot her at the same time.
“Oh, hell no,” Jenny hisses.
Chloe grips my arm. “You need to go over there and show that bitch who he belongs to.”
I don’t even hesitate. I walk across the bar, eyes locked on the blonde, heat rising up my spine. She doesn’t even notice me at first, too busy twirling her hair and batting her lashes at Jax, who looks bored as hell.
The moment I reach them, I don’t stop. I shove her out of the way, ignoring her startled squeak, and slide right into Jax’s lap, straddling him. My short as hell dress slides even higher up my thighs.
His hands immediately grip my waist, his eyes darkening as a slow, satisfied smirk spreads across his lips. “Hey, baby,” he murmurs.
I don’t answer. Instead, I grab his cut in both hands, yank him closer, and crash my mouth against his. The kiss is hot, deep, possessive—everything I want it to be and he responds perfectly. His fingers dig into my hips as he pulls me closer, like he doesn’t care we’re putting on a damn show.
When I finally pull back, I smirk at the blonde who’s still standing there, looking shocked and pissed.
“Who the hell are you?” she sneers, crossing her arms.
I tilt my head, smirking as I run a hand up his chest.
“I’m his old lady.”
Behind me, the rest of the girls erupt into cheers and drunken laughter.
“Hell yeah, you are!” Jenny yells.
Chloe whistles. “That’s our girl!”
Sophie claps. “Now that’s how you stake your claim.”
Carlie just shakes her head, grinning as she sips her drink. “Poor girl never stood a chance.”
Jax is still gripping my hips tightly, eyes burning with something dark and wild. He leans up, pressing his lips to my ear.
“Damn, Bella,” he rasps. “Didn’t know you had that in you.”
I turn my head slightly, meeting his gaze. “Guess there’s still a lot to learn about me.”
He grins. “Fuck, I love this side of you.”
And judging by the way he tightens his grip, I think he’s about to show me just how much.
Jax's hands stay glued to my hips, his fingers pressing into my skin in a way that tells me he's holding back—barely. His eyes, that deep stormy blue, flicker between my lips and my eyes, like he’s debating between throwing me over his shoulder and taking me the hell out of here or showing every single person in Perdition that I belong to him.
And I like that thought way too much.
The blonde? She’s still standing there. Arms crossed, her lips pursed like she’s chewing on a lemon.
“I didn’t realize he had a thing for clingy girls,” she sneers.
I arch a brow. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t even know what clingy looks like.”
The old ladies behind me erupt in shocked laughter, Jenny nearly spilling her drink in the process.
Carlie grins, looking at the blonde like she’s a new form of entertainment. “You might wanna take your L and leave before this gets ugly.”
Chloe leans in, her voice mockingly sweet. “Would hate for you to have to walk outta here barefoot because Bella snatched your heels.”
Sophie winks. “Or your hair.”
The blonde scoffs, flipping her hair dramatically, but she knows she’s lost. She glares at me one last time before turning on her ridiculous stilettos and stomping off toward the bar.
Jax? He hasn’t taken his hands off me. If anything, he seems more amused than anything.
“Proud of yourself, baby?” he murmurs, voice low, just for me.
I smirk, running my fingers through the stubble along his jaw. “Very.”
He laughs, but his grip tightens, and just like that, I feel it.
The power .
I wasn't sure before—wasn’t sure I fit into this world, wasn’t sure if I could handle it. But right now? With Jax holding onto me like I’m the only thing keeping him grounded and the other women cheering me on like I just won a championship fight ? Yeah. I think I can handle it.
Rev and Blade walk over, looking entertained as hell. “Didn’t know Switch had himself a fighter,” Rev smirks, tossing back a beer.
Blade crosses his arms, nodding toward Jax. “Guess he doesn’t need us to back him up, huh?”
Jax just shakes his head, still staring at me. “Nah. She’s got it covered.”
I smile, just a little smug, and climb off Jax’s lap.
Jenny nudges me hard in the ribs, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Alright, Queen of Perdition, let’s get some drinks. That was hot as hell, and you’ve earned yourself a shot.”
Jax tightens his grip before I can walk away, pulling me close so only I can hear him. “You really going to make me sit here all night watching you shake that ass and not let me touch you?”
I grin, placing a hand on his chest. “That’s the plan.”
His jaw flexes, eyes flashing with something downright dangerous.
“Careful, baby,” he murmurs, his fingers trailing along my hip before he lets me go. “That kinda game? You might not be ready for me to play back.”
Heat licks up my spine, but I refuse to let him win so easily.
I just wink, then turn on my heel and saunter toward the bar with the girls, fully aware of the fact that Jax’s eyes are locked on every step I take.
Game on, baby.
The night spirals into pure, chaotic, slightly tipsy, wild fun.
The five of us—me, Chloe, Carlie, Jenny, and Sophie—take our mission way too seriously, flirting and teasing our men until they’re all on edge, fists clenched on their drinks, watching every move we make like they’re about to lose their damn minds.
Carlie’s draped over Mason’s lap, whispering something in his ear that has his jaw clenched so tight I swear I hear his teeth grinding.
Sophie leans into Tank, her fingers trailing over his inked-up arm, giggling as she traces one of his tattoos with her nails.
Jenny? She’s dancing on her own, her hips rolling, her hair falling into her face like a damn movie scene, and Piston looks like he’s about to commit a felony if any of the guys watching makes a move.
Chloe leans over the bar, ordering a round of shots, purposely arching her back, and Dagger looks like he’s two seconds away from tossing her over his shoulder and ending the night early.
Me?
I know exactly what I’m doing.
I run my fingers through my hair, laughing at something Carlie says, making damn sure Jax—Switch—sees the way my body moves under the dim lights of Perdition.
And when I finally glance his way?
He’s watching.
Staring.
Jaw clenched, hand gripping his beer bottle like it’s the only thing keeping him from dragging me out of here.
I bite my lip and turn away, hiding my satisfied smirk.
And then it happens.
It starts with one shot too many and a very bad decision made by Chloe.
“You know what we need?” she slurs, slamming her empty glass on the bar.
Jenny lifts a brow. “Oh God, this sounds like trouble.”
Chloe grins wickedly. “Karaoke.”
Carlie gasps, immediately on board. “YES.”
Sophie is already hunting down the guy in charge of the sound system.
I blink, suddenly sober enough to realize what’s happening. “Wait. Wait, wait, wait—”
Too late.
The next thing I know, the five of us are standing on top of the bar, microphone in hand, the opening beat of a Spice Girls song blaring through the speakers.
“Who do you think you are…”
“Oh, fuck me ,” I murmur, realizing there’s no escape.
Carlie’s throwing her hands in the air like she’s headlining a damn concert. Chloe and Jenny grind against each other, laughing so hard they can barely keep up with the beat. Sophie? She’s fully doing a hair flip mid-verse. And me? I’m just trying not to die of secondhand embarrassment while also living my best life at the same damn time.
The guys are losing their fucking minds.
I can hear Mason yelling, “Carlie, you’re cut off after this, I swear to fuck!” Tank’s head is in his hands, groaning, but he’s grinning. Piston? He looks like he’s about to crawl over the bar and snatch Jenny mid-verse.
Jax? He’s standing. Hands in his pockets. Just staring. His eyes are burning, intense, locked onto me like I’m the only one in this bar.
And suddenly, I don’t give a fuck about anyone else. I hold his gaze as I run my hands down my body, moving to the music, just to see what he’ll do.
His nostrils flare. His fingers twitch at his sides. And then—I feel the heat of his body behind me. He’s there, yanking me off the bar in one smooth motion, pulling me against his chest, his hands gripping my hips so tight it makes my head spin.
“Jax—”
His mouth is on mine before I can finish.
The crowd goes wild, but I barely hear them.
His kiss is deep and dirty, claiming me all over again. One of his hands slides up my back, gripping the back of my neck, while the other drags me closer, making sure I feel every inch of how much he wants me.
I moan into the kiss, fisting his cut in my hands, my body melting into his. Too much. Too much and not enough. I press against him, desperate for more, for everything, but suddenly—
Jax rips his mouth away, breathing hard, his forehead pressed against mine. “Fuck this.”
Before I can blink, I’m off the ground. Jax hauls me over his shoulder, gripping the back of my thighs as he makes a beeline for the exit.
The bar erupts in laughter, hoots, and cheers.
Jenny yells, “GET IT, BELLA!”
Jax doesn’t stop. Doesn’t acknowledge anyone. Doesn’t slow down.
I lift my head to look at him, breathless, turned on, completely at his mercy. “Jax—”
He slaps my ass, hard enough to make me gasp. “We’re getting the fuck out of here, baby.”
I shiver, heat pooling low in my belly. “Why?”
He grins, his voice a low growl. “Because I’m ten seconds away from fucking you in front of the entire club.”
And with that, we’re gone.