Page 22 of Jaxon

Jaxon. Her pulse leapt with relief and something more, a feeling she couldn't name.

The gunfight intensified, but Marcus's arms remained locked around her. "You're safe," he murmured. "We've got you."

She closed her eyes, daring to believe him.

The air in the room felt charged with electricity. Marcus kept Rachel tucked behind him, his body a shield against the Wolverines and their guns.

One Wolverine stood by the door, pistol trained on Marcus. The other two were on opposite sides of the room, rifles aimed and fingers on the trigger.

Trapped. Rachel's heart rammed against her ribs. They were outgunned and outnumbered, with no way out.

Except Jaxon. He'd come for them. He had to.

A shout rang out, followed by a grunt of pain. The Wolverine by the door crumpled to the ground, revealing a familiar figure in the doorway.

Jaxon's gaze locked on Rachel, ice-blue eyes blazing with fury and something more—something that made her stomach flip.

Then he smiled, slow and lethal. The Wolverines swung their rifles toward him, but Jaxon didn't slow.

"Let her go," he growled, "or you'll regret the day you ever joined this pathetic excuse for a club."

14

Jaxon stepped forward, grabbing Rachel from Marcus. The Wolverines tensed, fingers tightening on their triggers, but they didn’t fire.

Not yet.

The sounds of boots and shouts echoed from down the hall. Jaxon’s men coming to back him up.

The Wolverines glanced at each other, unease flickering in their eyes. They were outnumbered.

“Here are your options,” Jaxon said. “You let us all walk out of here unharmed, or my men fill this room with bullets. Your choice.”

The Wolverines scowled but didn’t protest as the rest of the Green Devils filed in, an assortment of guns and knives in their hands.

Game. Set. Match.

Jaxon smirked, pulling Rachel flush against his side. “Negotiation over.”

The leader of the Wolverines, Dom, stepped forward. “Not that easy, Jaxon. We’ll do as you say, but in exchange, you give us the west side of your territory. Everything west of Route 66, all the way to the state line.”

Jaxon tensed, his arm tightening around Rachel’s waist. Giving up that much land would weaken the Green Devils’ stronghold over the county. But if he didn’t take the deal, who knew what the Wolverines might do to Rachel before he got another chance to save her?

His heart twisted as Rachel lifted her gaze to his, her eyes soft with trust and understanding. She knew, as he did, that her safety was more important than any amount of land or power.

“Done,” Jaxon said. “Now get the hell off my territory.”

Dom bared his teeth in a vicious smile and nodded to his men. The Wolverines holding the pledges released them, shoving them toward the Green Devils.

As more of his brothers showed up to help, Jaxon knew that giving up territory might make him look weak, but most of his brothers would understand.

“The west side of our land, everything west of Route 66 to the state line, now belongs to the Wolverines,” Jaxon told his men, his arm securely around Rachel’s shoulders. “In return, they’ve released Rachel and the pledges, mostly unharmed.”

Murmurs of anger and unease rippled through the group, but no one protested. They all knew, as Jaxon did, that some things were more valuable than land or power.

“Anyone have a problem with that?” Jaxon demanded, his tone daring dissent.

No one spoke up.

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