Page 46 of Claimed By the Bratva

Joyce sat for a bit before replying sharply. “Fine, I can work with that.”

We decided it would be best to call and find out if Jax would meet with Joyce. She pulled out her phone and dialed his number. As it rang, she took a couple of deep breaths.

Jax had a deeper voice than I imagined. “Joyce,” he said as he answered. “Is everything okay? How can I help?”

“Yes, everything is okay,” she started with. Joyce inhaled deeply again before continuing. “Would it be possible to meet me tomorrow?”

There was a long pause before his voice came through the line. “Of course, we can meet. Do you have a place and time, or should I give you one?”

Joyce looked at me curiously. I scribbled on a piece of paper. Joyce read it as I held it up for her. “There’s this little park close to South Beach; do you know it?”

“Yes, I do,” Jax replied.

“In the middle by the hotdog stand is two benches. I’ll be there just before two,” Joyce added.

After a short pause, Jax answered, sounding a bit too eager. “That sounds great. You say around two, which works for my schedule.”

“Thank you,” Joyce replied. “I will then see you tomorrow.” As she hung up, she just stared at me. We sat there staring at each other for a bit once the call was made and the meeting set.

I wasn’t able to quite wrap my head around it all and felt sure Joye was battling as well. The fact that he easily agreed to the meeting made me a bit nervous. He didn’t even argue about the time or place. I could only hope we weren’t setting ourselves up.

Deciding we needed to do something to distract us, I spoke up. “Joyce, would you like to take a ride with me?”

She smiled warmly, nodding in agreement. “Alright, let’s go,” I said, taking her hand and leading her to my bike. I had come home on it instead of my truck as I needed to feel the wind on my face.

As we drove, the sun started its descent. I drove around for a bit, and then I remembered Tasha telling me about this new place that she had visited. It had great food, good music, and a dance floor. It was close to the beach, and I was sure Joyce could use some fresh air.

Pulling into the parking area, I knew why Tasha liked it. There were a hundred lights, a small deck and I could hear the ocean. It looked like something out of a romance novel. Quiet with a slow vibe of romantic music and lots of booths.

We were greeted with smiles as we entered, and the waitress led us out to the deck. In the distance we could see the lights of the city and, to the other side, the ships on the ocean. Between drinks and snacks, we danced the night away, allowing our bodies to move to the beat of the music.

After a couple of intense slow dances, I could feel every muscle in my body twitching. I haven’t danced this much in a long time. Even though I was active and fit, dancing strained my muscles differently. Taking her hand, we took a walk. It was a little distance to the beach but not too far.

Reaching the sand, we took off our shoes as we went. I listened as she spoke about her parents and the ideas they had for her life. The evening was perfect. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was coming.

Chapter 26 - Joyce

Nearing the bench where we agreed to meet, I felt anxious. Jax was family but was always up to no good. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. Looking around, I noticed he wasn’t there yet, so I sat down. I was sipping on the coffee I bought at the corner vendor and wondered if he would show.

I waited, checking my watch every minute. I still felt nervous, even knowing the Dubow family was in the area. Five minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Jax. Maybe he spotted one of them and decided to leave, I thought, but then I saw him approach me.

Standing, I waved at him. Jax nodded as he came closer. “Hi, there,” he said, giving me a quick light hug. He kept glancing around as he continued. “I was surprised to get your call. I thought you were avoiding me.”

Sitting down, I laughed nervously. “No, I was thinking about everything you said. I was buying time so we could meet without anyone knowing,” I replied softly.

“So, what info do you have for me? I assume you have decided to share with me because you asked to meet?” Jax sounded excited, almost giddy.

“Yes, I have,” I replied shortly. “But may I ask who you intend to share the information with? You said you needed it to keep Anton back, so I assume you are working for someone then?”

“That’s not important,” he huffed. “Just tell me what you have, and we can see how we can use it, okay?”

The area of the park where we were was very quiet. The closest people were almost on the other side of the park. Thismeant that Anton and his siblings were further away than he wanted.

“They have a big shipment coming in next week for a new client,” I told him between sips of coffee. “All of the family members will be at the docks to ensure the shipment comes in without detection. Is that something that can help, um, who did you say you worked with?”

Jax stood abruptly as he spoke. “What are you trying to do, Joyce? Why do you keep asking who I work with?”

“Jax,” I spat, standing to face him. “I’m just concerned.”

---