Page 9 of Jaxon

Chapter Four

Jaxon paced the clubhouse, his thoughts in turmoil.The news about Mia had hit him hard, and he was still trying to process it all.A daughter.Hisdaughter.The idea both thrilled and terrified him.

He had missed so much already—her first steps, her first words—and the weight of that loss gnawed at him.He couldn’t let Harper and Mia slip away again.He had to figure out how to be part of their lives, but right now, he didn’t know where to start.

The rumble of laughter and the clink of bottles around him barely registered.The clubhouse, usually a place where he found solace, felt suffocating.

His phone buzzed on the table, pulling him from his thoughts.He snatched it up, recognizing the number of a fellow club member, Troy.

“What’s up?”Jaxon asked, trying to keep his tone steady.

“Jax, we’ve got a problem,” Troy said, his voice tight.“Couple of guys from the Blood Vipers just rolled into town.”

Jaxon’s jaw clenched.The Blood Vipers were trouble, always looking to stir up a fight.He didn’t have time for this.Not with everything else weighing on him.But as one of the senior members present, it was his responsibility to handle it.Gunner and the Pres were out of town, meeting an allied MC, which meant the weight of this problem fell squarely on Jaxon’s shoulders.He wasn’t thrilled about it.But the club came first, and with tensions running high between the Iron Sentinels and the Blood Vipers, Jaxon couldn’t afford to ignore it.

He felt the weight of the club’s expectations pressing on him.The Iron Sentinels had been through enough shit in the past few years, and every conflict had consequences.This wasn’t just about some petty rivalry.The Blood Vipers had always been more than a nuisance.They were dangerous and unpredictable, their presence in town now felt like a ticking time bomb.

“Where are they now?”Jaxon asked, already bracing for the answer.

“The Reading Nook.”

Harper’s bookstore.Jaxon’s heart skipped a beat, a sense of protectiveness surging through him.The thought of those bastards anywhere near Harper or Mia was enough to make his blood boil.

“I’m on my way,” he said.

Jaxon pulled on his jacket, his mind already calculating what he needed to do.Troy’s words still echoed in his head.Those Viper assholes weren’t just sightseeing or passing through.They were here for a reason, and it wasn’t good.

With a quick glance around the clubhouse, he spotted Bear, one of the other senior members.Bear was a solid guy—tough, reliable, and a good backup when things got ugly.They’d been through enough together that Jaxon didn’t have to explain much.He just met Bear’s eyes and jerked his head toward the door.Bear didn’t ask questions, just nodded and followed Jaxon out.

The tension in Jaxon’s chest had already begun to build.He tried to focus on the ride, to clear his head, but his mind kept drifting back to Harper.She’d always had a way of doing that to him.The way she looked at him, the way she’d spoken to him when they’d last seen each other—there was so much left unsaid.Too much.And now, this.Clay and the Blood Vipers, showing up on her doorstep.

He had no idea what the fuck the Vipers wanted, but the thought of them being anywhere near her sent anger rushing through him.He prayed Mia wasn’t there.He didn’t want her anywhere near this mess.

The ride to Harper’s was shorter than it should have been, his mind racing the entire time.

They pulled up in front of the bookstore, and Jaxon’s eyes immediately scanned the area.Relief washed over him when he didn’t see Mia, but Harper and her employee were inside, their expressions wary.Two bikers stood at the counter, one of them turning just as Jaxon and Bear entered.

Jaxon recognized him instantly.Clay.The scar running down Clay’s face was a familiar mark, one Jaxon had given him in a brawl years ago.Clay had been a thorn in Jaxon’s side for years.Their last encounter had been brutal.Jaxon hadn’t been in the mood for games when Clay had pushed him too far.

He still remembered the adrenaline, the fury, and the satisfying snap of Clay’s nose as it had broken beneath his fist.The scar was his souvenir.Jaxon was sure Clay still blamed him for it, and it seemed like today was as good a time as any for Clay to settle that score.

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