Page 32 of Triple the Danger

“We can figure that shit out later,” Savage decreed. “It’s fucking late, and I need to get some sleep before I have to get up with the babies. Rogue, I’ll leave it to you to figure out the patrol shifts, starting now. If anyone sees or hears anything suspicious, you let us know. We need to make sure these bastards don’t catch us by surprise.” He banged down the gavel, ending Church. He stalked out, leaving the rest of them to work with Rogue on the first schedule.

Lucky him, he was up first, but at least he had Razor with him. He tried not to groan, seeing as he had to also work on Saylor’s car later, but he’d grab a nap at some point. He’d done this kind of shit on less sleep before, so there was no point in bitching.

He and Razor headed out, and they agreed that the two of them would go in opposite directions and meet up when they crossed paths. He checked his gun, and then set out along the right side of the property, closest to the road, his eyes and ears trained for anything out of the ordinary. He hadn’t had to do patrols like this much since he was patched in, but he supposed that there was no harm in making sure that his skills were up to par.

When he was a Prospect, the idea of screwing up filled him with so much anxiety that, for a time, he considered calling it quits. That was just before Razor joined him as a Prospect, and they became such close friends. He could admit that if Razor hadn’t been with him, he probably would have left. Now, the thought of quitting made him so angry at himself. You didn’t quit when shit got hard. That was what he always told himself, anyway.

He continued along the edge of the treeline, scanning as he went, but he was struggling to turn off his brain. Something he couldn’t allow to happen, not tonight when he was supposed to be listening and watching carefully. Distractions were not allowed. He stopped, looked around, and took a deep breath before continuing on.

The night was mostly silent but for the odd rustling wind blowing through the trees or the sound of some wildlife. The hoot of an owl; twigs snapping under the foot of a deer; or the sound of crickets filling the air every so often. All normal and nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he didn’t let his guard down.

He forced his mind to stay attuned to his surroundings as he walked the rest of the perimeter until he came upon Razor. “Nothing?” Razor asked him quietly.

Jax shook his head. “Doesn’t mean they aren’t watching us, but I have a feeling that they’re not overnight stake-out kind of guys. And this Leon asshole is probably going to lay low until he figures out his next move, knowing that Saylor is with us.”

“Maybe he’s going to meet up with whoever the third guy is,” Razor suggested. “Work out a plan between the two of them.”

“Definitely possible,” Jax agreed.

“Alright, we’ll keep on going. Ice and Ink are going to relieve us in three hours. We’ll have enough time to get a bit of sleep before heading into the shop,” he added with a wry look. “Wanna bet Rogue is going to be a bear?”

“He probably won’t show up until midday so he can get in some time with his woman,” Jax predicted with a roll of his eyes.

“Nah, he’ll take the girls to school and Scarlett to work. He won’t want to leave them to chance.”

That did make sense, Jax agreed. If there was ever any potential of a threat, no matter how small, Rogue instantly went into protection mode. Something he could understand, especially with what they went through. However, he wondered how the hell the man was going to cope when the girls went off to college.

He and Razor continued on their way, and Jax tried hard not to let any of the thoughts in his head take over. He’d have time to think while he worked later, and not focusing was asking for trouble. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how the hell to tell Saylor everything they found out up to this point. Or to the fact that she was going to have to move into his room in the clubhouse.

He tried not to let that stress him out. It was a problem for later; right now, he had to focus. He continued to walk through the dark until Ice and Ink came out to relieve them.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SAYLOR

She stared at her screen, unseeing as she tried to get her tired brain to work. It was much easier said than done. She wanted to blame it on not getting enough sleep, but if she was being honest with herself, it was also the fact that, once again, she was right. Jax didn’t come back after he left, and she woke up to cold sheets and no sign that he ever returned.

She didn’t know why she was allowing herself to be disappointed. She predicted it, so there was no point in getting upset. Instead, she’d forced herself to get out of bed, shower, and get some work done, which was not going well. She huffed out a frustrated breath and turned to stare out the little window beside the small dining table.

She didn’t have much of a view other than the garage directly across the way, and if she tilted her head just right, she could see the main clubhouse. Everything looked quiet, though there were some lights on. She checked her phone for the hundredth time. It was only just before sunrise, so she shouldn’t be surprised, she supposed. Everyone else was probably still fast asleep.

Still, she wondered how busy the compound was during the normal day-to-day. She could imagine that with all the men and women around, it was a busy spot. It also made her wonder if any of the brothers had jobs outside of the clubhouse grounds or if they all worked onsite like Jax did. Maybe she would ask one of the women if she saw them today.

If she was going to be stuck here for a week, she figured that she could spend some time with them. She didn’t have any girl friends back home, and never really had any desire to until now. The women of the club were clearly close knit, and she really liked them, from the little interaction she had with them so far. She was also curious how they all got here. They all seemed different, but they fit in here so seamlessly that she was almost envious. She never really fit in anywhere but at Mater’s gym, though that had taken a lot of work.

Speaking of which…

She pulled out her phone and dialed the familiar number. “Your ass is getting an extra hard workout when you get back here,” Mater growled in her ear the moment he picked up.

“Damn, old man, I had no idea you were so kinky,” she joked. “And while I appreciate the sentiment, you can keep your old, saggy cock to yourself.”

“Fuck off,” he huffed. “Now, what’s the deal with the car? How soon can you get back on the road? Do you need money?”

She called him yesterday to let him know about the car, but she hadn’t gone into much detail. She told him everything she could remember that Jax told her, and then finished with, “They were nice enough to give me an apartment on their grounds until it’s finished.”

Mater was silent. “Did they?” She could clearly hear the suspicion in his tone. “And why would they do that?”

She sighed. There really wasn’t a point in hiding anything from Mater because he wouldn’t leave it alone until she told him. She detailed everything that happened with Leon—minus the sex with Jax part, since she doubted he would want to know that—and the information that they were able to gather about the three people after her. “So, yeah, they’re offering to look into things while they fix the car, and also keep me safe here so Leon can’t try to shoot me again.”

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