Page 40 of Alpha Jax

Reid swallows hard, giving me a curt nod. He looks guilty, like he didn’t want to have to ask what he did- but I don’t blame him for it. Being an alpha and dealing with shit like this can’t be easy.

I glance at Kyla beside me, and I immediately wish I hadn’t. It’s like I can see the heartbreak in her eyes, and it kills me that I played a part in putting it there.

“So that’s it, right?” Theo asks. “He’s off the reserve squad?”

“He should be,” Jax growls.

Everything is happening so fast. I mean I expected Tony to be punished somehow, but not kicked out. I’m panicking a little as I lean in toward Kyla beside me, whispering, “are you okay with this?”

I don’t know why I even ask, or whether we’d be able to do anything about it if she wasn’t, but Kyla steadies her expression, nodding. “Out of sight, out of mind, right?” she whispers back.

I guess I’m glad she’s not crawling back to him or something, but she doesn’t need to try so hard to be strong. The poor girl’s gone through hell this morning.

“I think that’s best,” Brock chimes in, and Gray grunts in agreement.

There’s a little more back and forth before they decide that Reid will be the one to deliver the news to Tony and take him back to Stillwater for further discipline. I’m relieved when Gray tells Kyla and I that we can go, and I waste no time in scrambling to my feet and darting for the door. Kyla follows behind, and as soon as we’re out of that room, I feel ten pounds lighter.

Kyla doesn’t look like she’s experiencing the same relief, though. She’s putting on a brave face, but she’s obviously still on the verge of tears, which immediately makes me feel shitty again.

“Do you wanna come back to my room?” I ask as we start to make our way down the hall. “Or we could go out and do something? Whatever you want, I’m all yours.”

She gives a little shake of her head. “Nah. I think I’m actually gonna go for a run or something. Clear my head.”

I swallow hard, unsure of how to respond. I want to be there for Kyla like she was for me after Clay, but I don’t want to force it. So instead, we walk side by side in an uncomfortable silence again.

When we reach the hallway for the squad dorms, I pause before heading down it, turning to Kyla. “Will you at least call or stop by later?” I ask, setting a hand on my hip. “I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” she replies unconvincingly. “But sure, I’ll see ya later or something.”

Kyla gives me a little wave, continuing down the corridor. I watch after her for a moment before turning to head to my own room, my stomach in knots as I contemplate whether things will ever be the same between the two of us. My anxiety only gives way to anger, becausefuck Tonyfor putting her through this andfuck himfor putting me in the middle. I just hope Kyla doesn’t hold me responsible.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jax

I swear I’m not stalking Quinn- the universe just seems to keep throwing us together. I’m walking through the parking lot at the complex when I hear an engine cranking, sputtering over and over and failing to start. I can’t help but look that way as I pass by, only to see Quinn sitting in the drivers’ seat of the vehicle, yelling some expletives that I can’t quite make out and slapping the steering wheel with her palms in frustration.

I don’t know dick about cars, but what kind of guy would I be if I didn’t at least offer to help her out? At least that’s how I rationalize my decision to approach the one girl I really should be staying away from, leaning down beside the drivers’ side window to peer in at her.

“Need some help?” I ask through the closed window, and Quinn’s head snaps sideways to look at me like I’ve startled her.

She relaxes a little once she sees it’s me, and I take a step back as she reaches for the door handle and flings it open, poking her head out and peering up at me.

“The damn thing won’t start,” she grumbles, furrowing her brow in frustration.

I grab the edge of the door, swinging it open farther. “Why don’t you let me take a look?”

Quinn nods, climbing out of the car- and honestly, I don’t even know why I offered, because like I said, I don’t know dick about cars. Now I’ve dug myself into a hole though, haven’t I? I scrunch my body into the drivers’ seat of Quinn’s car, my knees almost at my chest as I fumble for the lever on the side to adjust it back. Little cars like this werenotbuilt for guys my size. Once I’ve given myself a bit more leg room, I turn the key in the ignition- and it does the exact same thing it did when Quinn tried to start it; cranks, makes an awful grinding noise, and fails to turn over.

“It, uh… can’t be your battery, because you’ve got power,” I mumble, glancing at the lights on the dashboard, pretending like I have some clue as to what I’m talking about. “But it’s not starting.”

“Well no shit,” Quinn chuckles, folding her arms and leaning back against the car parked beside hers. She’s watching me through the open drivers’ side door, so I make a show of scanning the dashboard icons again and trying to crank the ignition.

“Sorry, I think you’re gonna have to get it looked at,” I finally say, bracing my hands on the doorjamb as I climb back out of her tiny little car. “There’s an auto shop in town, a guy named Brady. I can give him a call in the morning if you want?”

“Just send me his contact info,” Quinn sighs, scowling. She pushes off of the car she’s leaning on, bending over beside me to reach into her own car.

My eyes go right to her ass, my dick punching against the front of my jeans as she retrieves her car key from the ignition. Leggings are truly god’s gift to men.

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