Chapter 2
two
Jax
“Is there room on the grill for these?” I silently step beside Piper, not wanting her to move away from me before I get my fix of her.
I know nothing can come from my feelings for her—hell, I’m at least a decade older than her.
Plus, I’m working undercover for my club, the Steel Souls, to gather information on the Northern Chapter of the Sons of Decimation.
Word on the street is that the Sons of Decimation are into trafficking young women.
The Steel Souls are neither the good guys nor the bad guys—we straddle the line between good and evil, knowing we aren’t made for greatness, yet not bad enough to face the wrath of Judgment Day, as the Sons of Decimation are about to feel.
When I arrived at Kings Point, Colorado, a month ago, my mission was simple. As a former military man, I knew the risks. At the time, I didn’t care. I was a lone wolf, my only true friends being Orion from my military days and my club brothers now.
It wasn’t until I saw Piper’s beautiful face and curvy body that I even considered letting anyone else into my life.
But thanks to working undercover, posing as one of the dirtbag Sons of Decimation, she thinks the worst of me.
Except for the quick glances she gives me when she thinks no one else is looking.
They’re filled with heat and longing, a terrible combination for an innocent young woman like her.
They make the person receiving those looks crave more—crave her.
“It’s all yours.” She slams the lid of the grill down, making the rust on the hinges creak in protest. “Our food is done.” I can’t understand why she is glaring at me—she’s never done that before.
She walks toward the picnic table with a pathetic pile of hot dogs on an equally pathetic plate and passes them out to her siblings, making me realize she thinks I’m joking about making them steaks.
She deserves so much better than that. But thanks to her waste-of-space mother, Piper and her siblings are forced to eat whatever they can afford.
Anger bubbles up inside me, but I have to tamp it down as Two-Bit glances in my direction. Two-Bit is Deadeye’s right-hand man. I need to tread carefully if I want to stay this close to the club president and his top henchman.
Two-Bit walks over to the grill and lowers his voice.
“Hey, man, be careful. The boss doesn’t want anything to happen to the merchandise.
” He nods toward where Piper is passing out plates of food to her siblings and where Phoebe is sitting, holding the baby.
It doesn’t take a genius to know what he’s talking about.
But it’s the first time he’s been this vocal about it.
My only reply is a grunt, taking everything I have to school my features and not rip this asshole limb from limb. There is no way I’m letting him hurt Piper or anyone in her family.
“Their mom said they’re all three virgins. Do you know how much money they’ll bring the club? If Deadeye so much as catches you looking at one of them, let alone touching them, he’ll cut your dick off before he buries your body where no one will ever find it.”
I’ve been threatened by better men, so I’m not worried about Deadeye or any of his club members.
But I am pissed about Piper’s mom—she’s just become the wild card in this whole mess.
If she’s willing to tell these pathetic excuses of males that her daughters are virgins, what lengths will she go to either save them or sell them?
“Got it.” I turn my attention back to the grill and open the package of steaks.
“How do you like your steaks cooked?” I glance at the picnic table as four sets of eyes stare at me in confusion.
Two-Bit has wandered down the trailer park, drinking a bottle of beer.
But I know he’s looking for other young women.
Unfortunately, in a rundown trailer park like this, most of the occupants are broke and desperate.
The difference is that the broke ones still have a little pride left.
But the desperate ones are a completely different story.
Their desperation outweighs their pride, and the only thing that matters is the basic instinct to survive.
A person will do almost anything to survive—sell their soul to the devil or sell someone else’s to that same devil.
“Do we really get steak, Piper?” Jovi looks so hopeful at his sister.
It reminds me a lot of myself at his age, growing up in the foster system.
I was one of the lucky ones. I was finally adopted by a kind older couple who died in a car accident a week after my high school graduation, leaving me alone with only two choices—join the military or join a gang.
Mr. and Mrs. Harding weren’t rich by any means, and the little life insurance they had went to their funeral and bills.
Lost in the past, I don’t notice Piper approaching until she’s standing right beside me.
“Why are you being so cruel?” she hisses, her voice low enough for only my ears to hear.
“What have we ever done to make you be so mean to us?” She blinks back tears, pointing at the steaks on the grill, and I want to hold her in my arms and never let her go. But I can’t do that yet.
“They’re from Deadeye,” I say with a straight face.
I can’t tell her the truth yet. “He wanted to make sure you guys had something decent to eat tonight.” I hate giving him credit for anything, but right now it isn’t about who gets the credit—it’s about putting these scumbags behind bars where they belong.
“Yeah, right. Like I believe that.” Piper snorts in a cute way that makes me smile.
“I even got something for the baby.” I pull a container of pasta from the Italian restaurant about thirty minutes away in the same town where I bought the steaks, then hand it to Piper.
I’d like to take Piper and her family there someday, when all of this is over.
With my military pension and the money I make from the club, I have more than enough to spend on my girl and her family.
“Thank you.” She takes the container from my hand, and our fingers touch—it’s the first time we’ve ever touched. A jolt of electricity runs through me where our skin meets. With a gasp, she steps back, breaking contact, and I know she felt it too.
She hurries back to the picnic table, talking to her family and letting them know it’s true, that they really are eating steak tonight.
They each call out their preferred way to cook their steaks.
At the excitement on Jovi and Jonah’s faces, I wish I had driven my truck here so I would have had more room for side dishes to go with the steak, but this will have to do for now.
Phoebe hands Piper the baby and rushes inside the trailer, returning a few minutes later with somewhat better-looking plates, forks, and steak knives.
We sit in silence at the picnic table as we eat, with Jovi and Jonah commenting on how good the steaks are, while Phoebe and Piper thank me for the steaks but eye me suspiciously as they eat theirs.
It isn’t until much later, after we’ve eaten and Piper and Phoebe have cleared the dishes, leaving no trace of what we ate for dinner, that Deadeye and Piper’s mom, Patty, comes strolling out of the trailer, looking worse for wear. It is then that Two-Bit returns with a pleased look on his face.
“Hey, Deadeye. I just made a deal with one of the guys down the way.” He smirks. “I think you’re really going to like the merchandise.”
“If it’s anything like what I’ve already got my eye on, we’ll make a fortune.” His eyes flick to Piper and Phoebe as he licks his lips. Even in the dim light from the streetlights in the trailer park, I notice Piper and Phoebe flinch.
“We should get back to the bar. The Sweet Butts are waiting for us.” I cringe internally. I have no interest in the club girls, but I need something to pull Deadeye away from this place.
“Good idea, Phantom.” Deadeye pushes Patty to the side.
“What about me? Aren’t you taking me with you?” Patty pleads, and for a brief moment, I feel sorry for her until I remember the private information about her daughters she shared with Deadeye.
“Not tonight, Patty. I’m looking for something a little sweeter.” He laughs as if he made a great joke and didn’t hurt Patty’s feelings in the process.
With a stomp of her bare foot, Patty rushes back inside the trailer, slamming the door behind her.
“Boss, I think you really pissed Patty off. We still haven’t gotten the merchandise from her.” Two-Bit shifts from foot to foot, knowing how much trouble he can get into by questioning Deadeye.
“Don’t you ever question me about my business again.” Deadeye grabs Two-Bit by the back of his t-shirt and twists it tightly. “And don’t worry, the merchandise is as good as mine.” Deadeye gives Two-Bit a hard shove as he lets go of his shirt, sending him stumbling into the gravel.
“Yes, Boss.” Two-Bit scrambles to his feet, but not before glaring at Piper and Phoebe as if it’s their fault Deadeye treated him that way.
“Let’s go, boys.” Deadeye doesn’t spare Piper and Phoebe a second glance, already treating them like his property as he slides his leg over the seat of his motorcycle, starting it with ease, then takes off down the gravel road of the trailer park, not caring whether Two-Bit and I are following.
I want to apologize for his and Two-Bit’s behavior, but I can’t—it’s too risky. Instead, I give Piper a quick nod and follow Two-Bit to where our bikes are parked and ride out after Deadeye, knowing I need to figure out a way to apologize to Piper.