Chapter 31 – Jaxon
The club was already humming with its usual energy as I stepped through the doors. My eyes instinctively scanned the room, cataloguing every detail — the staff moving with practiced precision, the familiar faces of regulars, and the occasional new one that stuck out.
It didn’t take long for my attention to land on her.
Madeline was at her usual seat at the bar, sitting next to Quinn, who was chatting with someone behind the counter. Maddie’s hair was in a braid today, casual but somehow still perfect.
What I wouldn’t give to tug at that braid later when we got home…
Madeline was nursing a cocktail, her lips curving into a small smile as Quinn gestured wildly about something that clearly amused her.
God, she’s beautiful.
Even with Quinn’s loud energy and the hum of voices all around, Maddie had this way of standing out — of being the centre of gravity without even trying. It was magnetic, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away.
As I walked toward her, she turned her head slightly, catching my approach out of the corner of her eye. The way her smile widened when she saw me — it did things to me.
“Hey,” she said as I approached, her voice soft but warm.
“Hey yourself,” I replied, leaning one arm on the bar as I stopped beside her.
Quinn turned, her grin practically blinding. “Well, hello Soldier!”
“Nice to see you too, Quinn,” I said dryly, though there was no real bite in my tone. She always had a way of taking digs at me, and I’d learned to let most of it roll off.
Quinn waved a hand dismissively, already turning her attention back to her drink. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, carrying this party with my sparkling personality.”
I ignored her, focusing on Maddie. “You been having fun?”
“Of course,” she said, setting her glass down. “Quinn insisted on cocktails, and about 4 mimosas in, she decided brunch is an all-day event.”
“Sounds about right.” My eyes lingered on her for a moment, taking in the way the dog tags around her neck caught the light as she shifted.
“You good?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
She hesitated for a split second, her smile faltering just enough for me to notice. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just taking it easy today.”
I didn’t entirely believe her, but I let it slide for now. Maddie wasn’t the type to talk unless she was ready, and pushing her wouldn’t get me anywhere.
“You let me know if you need anything,” I said softly, keeping my gaze steady on hers.
“I always do,” she replied, her smile faltering just slightly before she looked away, like she was hiding something.
Quinn cleared her throat, clearly tired of being ignored. “All right, enough eye-fucking,” she said, spinning her stool back toward the bar. “Maddie, finish your drink. Jaxon, go be a buzzkill somewhere else. We’re trying to have a good time here.”
I didn’t bother responding, but my eyes stayed on Maddie for another beat, searching for whatever it was she wasn’t saying.
Finally, I pushed off the bar, nodding once. “I’ll see you later,” I said, and though the words were casual, they carried a promise.
Maddie looked back at me, her smile softer now. “See you later.”
As I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was weighing on her. Was she regretting last night? Had I taken things too far?
My jaw tightened at the thought, and I glanced back over my shoulder at her. Maddie was smiling at something Quinn had said, her laugh light, but there was something in her posture that wasn’t quite right — like she was forcing herself to relax.
She had gotten on her knees willingly.
Hell, she’d looked up at me with those eyes full of heat and trust, handing over the reins without a second thought. She seemed into everything we’d been doing — more than into it. The memory of her whispering my name, her body arching into my hands, flashed through my mind, and I felt that familiar ache low in my stomach.
What if I’d missed something?
I prided myself on being able to read her, to know when she was holding back, when she needed space or reassurance. But this morning… she felt distant, like something was pulling her away, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.
Was it guilt? Doubt? Or was it something else entirely?
My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to push the thought away. Maddie wasn’t one to hold back if she had something to say, but the idea that I might’ve crossed a line without realizing it — it sat like a weight in my chest.
I’d ask her later, when we were alone. I needed to know, to make sure that whatever was going on in her head wasn’t because of me. Because the last thing I ever wanted was to make her feel anything less than safe, wanted, and completely in control.
I pushed open the door to my office in the back, the hum of the club fading behind me as I stepped into the quiet space. The familiar glow of the security monitors greeted me, their flickering feeds displaying the usual scenes: bartenders working the crowd, servers weaving between tables, and guests settling into their drinks and conversations.
Dropping into my chair, I leaned back, letting the rhythm of the club wash over me. It was a good night, steady, without the usual headaches that came with running a place like this.
Hours passed, the monotony broken only by the occasional glance at the screens. Nothing out of the ordinary—until something caught my eye on one of the VIP lounge cameras.
Sean.
He was seated with Calloway. The guy practically had his own reserved suite at the club. At first, it looked like a typical conversation — Calloway leaning back in his chair, his ever-present smirk firmly in place, while Sean sat stiffly across from him. But the longer I watched, the more I noticed the tension simmering between them.
Sean’s movements were sharp, his hands gesturing in a way that screamed agitation. Calloway, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered, his smirk growing wider as he said something that made Sean’s jaw visibly tighten.
I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing on the screen as the situation escalated. Sean pointed a finger at Calloway, his lips moving fast, clearly raising his voice. Guests at nearby tables were starting to glance their way, their curiosity piqued.
Calloway responded with another smirk and leaned in, saying something that made Sean stiffen. His entire body went rigid before he shoved his chair back, standing abruptly. The scrape of wood on tile was audible even through the grainy feed.
“Jesus, Sean,” I muttered under my breath, grabbing the phone on my desk.
I dialled the floor security team, keeping my voice low but firm. “VIP lounge. Weston’s about to make a scene. Get in there but keep it subtle. I don’t want this turning into a spectacle.”
Hanging up, I turned my attention back to the screen. The security team moved in quickly, their presence enough to make Sean back off, though his body language told me he wasn’t done.
He sat back down, but his glare could’ve burned a hole straight through Calloway.
I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair. Sean had been tense for weeks, but this? This was something else.
If Sean was on the verge of cracking, it wasn’t just his problem — it was mine too. And I wasn’t about to let him drag the rest of us down with him.
I found him later in the evening in one of the back hallways, leaning against the wall with a drink in his hand. The music from the main floor thrummed faintly through the walls, but out here, it was quieter, almost too quiet. Sean’s shoulders were hunched, his usual cocky posture replaced by something tenser, more agitated.
“Sean,” I called, my voice cutting through the silence.
“Brooks,” he said flatly, taking a swig from his glass.
I crossed my arms, stopping a few feet away. “Want to tell me what that was about in the VIP lounge earlier? With Calloway?”
Sean scoffed, looking away like he didn’t have the time for this conversation. “Just business,” he muttered.
“Business?” I repeated, my voice hardening. “Because from where I was sitting, it looked a hell of a lot like you were about to start throwing punches in front of half the guests.”
His smirk widened, but there was no humour in it. “Calloway’s running scared,” he said, shrugging like it didn’t matter. “He’s talking about pulling his money out, going somewhere else. Doesn’t want people poking around his business. Sound familiar?”
My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sean’s jaw clenched, his grip tightening on the glass in his hand. “It means your girl can’t keep her damn nose out of things. She’s been sniffing around, asking questions, and now Calloway doesn’t trust the place. Thinks someone’s going to dig too deep and find something they shouldn’t. So yeah, he’s thinking about walking, and when he does, it’s on her.”
My vision narrowed, red flashing behind my eyes as his words sunk in. But before I could respond, Sean pushed it further.
“You’ve got to get her under control, Jax. She’s a liability. A real piece of ass – total knockout, sure - but if she keeps fucking with this, I’m going to lose a hell of a lot more than Calloway’s cash—”
The glass slipped from his hand, shattering against the floor, as I shoved him back against the wall. My forearm pinned him there, the back of his head smacking against the concrete hard enough to make him wince.
“Say one more word about her,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous, “and I’ll make sure you don’t walk out of here tonight. I’ll make sure you never walk again.”
Sean’s smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at me. “What the fuck, man—”
“She’s not your business. Calloway’s not your business. Your job is to keep things running smooth, and right now, you’re failing. So don’t you ever talk about my woman like that again. Are we clear?”
He didn’t answer, his gaze darting away, but I pressed harder, the rough concrete scraping against his shoulders.
“I said, are we clear?”
“Yeah,” he snapped, his voice tight. “Crystal.”
I held him there for another moment, the tension between us thick enough to choke on, before I finally let him go. He stumbled forward, straightening his shirt and rubbing the back of his neck with a glare.
“Watch yourself, Sean,” I warned, my voice calm now but no less dangerous. “Because if you step out of line again, there won’t be a conversation next time.”
He muttered something under his breath, his anger simmering just below the surface, but he didn’t argue. He turned and stalked off down the hallway, leaving me standing there with my fists clenched and my heart pounding.
Madeline .
I needed to find her.
The thought of Sean’s words - his venom, his arrogance — made my stomach churn. He was deflecting, sure, but there was enough truth buried in his rant to set me on edge.
Calloway running scared? Madeline asking questions? Sean acting like she was some kind of liability?
None of it sat right.
I pushed off the wall, my mind racing as I strode back toward the main floor of the club. My eyes scanned the crowd automatically, searching for the familiar braid and the way she lit up any room she was in.
She’d been at the bar earlier with Quinn. If she was still there, I needed to make sure she was okay — needed to look her in the eyes and figure out what the fuck Sean had meant.
The thrum of the club grew louder as I emerged from the back hallway, the lights dimmed and flashing as the night crowd took over. My pulse matched the beat of the music, each step fuelled by a mixture of anger, fear, and something else I couldn’t name.
Scout.
Where the fuck are you?