The table explodes with angry shouts and slams of fists that nearly topple over the beers.
“What?!” Buzz barks as he bursts to his feet. “Fuck this! I’m going to go slice these fuckers up.” He barely looks recognizable with his swollen black eye and cracked lip. Poor Buzz got it pretty bad last night.
But it’s not done for him yet.
Gage grabs a hold of Buzz’s vest and shoves him back down into his seat. “You’re going to do what the boss tells you to do and nothing more,” he shouts into his face.
“Dad,” Killian says. “The AR-15’s?”
Troy sighs. “All gone.”
Cat shoots me a worried look. From what I’ve gathered from overhearing snippets of conversations while I worked, the storehouse was full of guns and money, basically everything that keeps the club safe from thugs like The Outlaws.
“They stole the keys from my office,” Troy goes on. “Ten of our guys are in the hospital. Our weapons are gone and our clubhouse is smashed.”
“This is not good,” Killian says as he slumps back into his chair. “With our stash gone, it will be open season on The Heartlands.”
“I got it covered,” Troy says as he takes a sip of his beer. “We need some firepower and the California division is going to deliver.”
“They’re bringing us guns?” Saint asks as he rubs his chin.
“Guns and reinforcements,” Troy says.
The table goes silent.
Me and Cat shoot each other a look.
“Jaxon and Beckham are coming,” Troy finally says.
Eyes widen. Mouths drop. No one says a thing as the shocking news settles in.
I don’t know why it’s shocking. I’ve never heard of these guys before.
I’ve heard of the California chapter of The Heartlands MC, which is affiliated with the brotherhood here in Seneca, Nevada, but I don’t know anything about Jaxon and Beckham.
“Jaxon and Beckham…” Killian says in almost a whisper, “are coming here?”
Troy nods slowly. He looks around the table, surveying the awed looks on everyone’s faces. Curiosity burns inside me. Who are these guys? I’ve never seen these guys react this way… with such reverence for an outsider.
“Isn’t their sister sick?” Ranger asks. “Brianna?”
Troy drops his eyes to the table. “Beannie died of cancer last year. Jones said they’re looking for a fresh start.”
“We don’t need them,” Buzz says with an angry shake of his head. “We can handle this with family.”
“They are family,” Killian snaps. “Extended family, but still family. They have The Heartlands on their back. Just like you.”
“You had your chance to handle it last night,” Troy snaps at him with a fierce glare. Buzz instantly turns from tough guy to sheepish with the boss’ angry eyes on him. “But you were too fucking drunk. Stella is the only one who put up a damn fight from what I heard. Maybe she should take your seat and you go serve the beers.”
My cheeks start burning red as a few of the guys glance at me.
“Don’t forget to put on the tight jean shorts,” Killian says and everyone laughs.
“Enough,” Troy snaps. He’s not in the mood for jokes. “It’s already been arranged. Jaxon and Beckham will be here this afternoon. Once they’re here we’ll decide how to move forward. Meeting over.”
Troy and Gage explode out of their chairs and disappear into the office as the rest of the boys start whispering amongst themselves.
I hear a lot of whispers of Beckham and Jaxon as I go around taking beer orders.
“What’s the big deal?” I ask Cat as I go behind the bar. “Who are these guys?”
Roxanne walks back into the bar now that the meeting is over. “Which guys?” she asks.
Cat seems as perplexed as me. “Troy mentioned something about a Jaxon and Beckham from Calif—”
“Jaxon and Beckham?!” she says as her face drops. “They’re coming here?!”
She darts in front of the broken mirror behind the bottles and starts fixing up her hair.
Me and Cat laugh. “Who are they?” I ask.
She turns to me with dead serious eyes. “You’ll see.”
I step on another broken bottle and let out an angry huff of breath.
Whoever the hell Jaxon and Beckham are, I hope they can help us get revenge on these fuckers.
Or, I just might have to do it my damn self.
Chapter Three
Stella
“You’re sure you don’t want to relax at home?” I ask Bulldog as he leans against the wall with a wince. He keeps touching his broken ribs as he looks out onto the street.
“Nah,” he says as I hop onto the railing of the bar’s porch. “I belong here. The club needs protection more than ever.”
He hasn’t taken his eyes off the street. Every time a bike goes by, he keeps whipping his head around.
“Are you a little jumpy?” I ask him.
He looks at me funny. “Why do you say that?”
“You keep looking at the street like you’re expecting The Outlaws to come rolling up at any minute.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” he says with a dismissive wave. “Those pussies aren’t going to come back anytime soon. Not while we’re all here.”
“Then what do you keep looking at?”
He sighs. “I just… I heard that Jaxon and Beckham are coming over from California. I’ve never seen them.”
Geez, what is it with these guys? Are they like Heartland royalty or something? I have to fight back a laugh watching Bulldog fanboying over these two.
“You’ve never met them?”
“No, but I’ve heard about them,” he goes on with his eyes lighting up. “If ever there’s a Heartlands Hall Of Fame, they’ll be the first two inaugurated.”
“I don’t get it,” I say. “What’s so special about them?”
Bulldog turns to me with a grin. “One time, the cartels started showing up in their town. Selling meth. Harassing women. It wasn’t pretty. When they shot up their local barbershop, the Hader brothers stepped up and took care of it.”
I swallow hard as I listen closely.
“So, these two brothers calmly walked into the cartels’ clubhouse armed to the teeth with guns.”
“And?” I say when he pauses to light his cigarette.
“You ever see Liam Neeson in that movie Taken? No! The end of Matrix when they bust into that building, shooting up the place?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, legend has it that it was like that. They killed thirty-seven cartel members that night and didn’t even get shot once.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “That can’t be real.”
Bulldog is not laughing. “It’s real,” he says. “And that’s not even all of it. You can ask a dozen bikers about the Hader brothers and you’ll get a dozen different stories of them kicking ass. Beckham is a stone-cold assassin. I heard that he’s never smiled. Not once.”
“Oh, come on,” I say with a laugh.
“And Jaxon is a wild man,” he goes on with his ridiculous story. “He’s the impulsive one of the two. A real hot-head, unpredictable kind of guy.”
“And do these two superheroes wear capes?”
Bulldog’s face twists up in confusion. “What? Capes? No, they’re bikers.”
The sarcasm goes right over his head. The poor guy’s been up all night so I’ll give him a pass.
“I heard their sister died of cancer last year?” I ask.
Bulldog nods. “Yeah. I heard it was terrible. She had a daughter too. Her widowed husband is a Heartlands member, but he was stuck in prison the entire time.”
“The girl’s mom died and her father is in prison? What happened to her?”
“I don’t know,” Bulldog says with a shrug.
A few minutes later, the roaring sound of two Harleys come tearing down the street.
“That’s them!” Bulldog says as he rushes down the step
s to greet them.
My breath catches in my throat when I see the first guy arrive and turn into the parking lot. His long blond hair is flowing behind him and it makes my heart start pounding violently. He’s breathtaking.
I wasn’t prepared to see such a gorgeous man and my whole body is frozen apart from my heart hammering against my ribcage. This man looks like he was born to ride a bike. His dark eyes are narrowed and focused as he pulls his Harley into an empty spot along the line.
He rubs his light beard as he steps off and looks around like he owns the place. He’s wearing the familiar cut with the Heartlands’ logo on the back, but I’ve never seen another man pull off that leather vest like he is doing right now. It’s making me lightheaded as I sit here gawking at this true alpha male.
I spot the name on his chest.
Jaxon.
Just saying it in my head gives me shivers.
His wide shoulders are back and his big arms are flexed as he eyes Bulldog who’s quickly approaching.
I laugh as Bulldog fangirls out in front of him. Is he going to ask for his autograph?
Another bike rolls in and I snap my eyes off Jaxon and see his brother pulling into the parking lot. They look alike, but different. Beckham is older, I can tell that right away, and he’s got short hair with tattoos over his arms. He’s hot too, but nothing like his younger brother.
Staring at Jaxon is like staring at the surface of the sun. He’s scorching.
But Beckham is not alone on his bike. He’s carrying a blonde. A cute one.
She’s sitting in front of him and looking around with wide alert eyes as he pulls in beside his brother. She’s only about ten years old.
That must be their niece.
I stay sitting on the railing of the porch as the door swings open beside me and the boys start pouring out.
“You made it!” Troy says with a look of relief as he rushes down the stairs to greet them.
My eyes are locked back on Jaxon as he walks up to our club’s President and hugs him. He hugs Gage too.
If he’s handing out hugs, how do I put my name onto the waiting list?
I can’t stop staring at this man. He’s tall with nice broad shoulders and a mysteriousness about him that has definitely grabbed my attention. Now, I understand why Roxanne was so eager for him to return.
If she tries to take him from me, I’ll kill her.
What the fuck? That thought just popped into my head and I don’t know where it came from.
The little girl climbs off the bike, followed by Beckham. Fuck, he looks intense. It’s all smiles from everyone but he’s like a robot as he looks around. Is this guy a Terminator?
“If it isn’t Californ-duh,” Buzz says as he stumbles out of the door.
“Oh, no,” I mutter under my breath. He’s been drinking all day and is already plastered. Buzz had a problem with them coming and now he’s drunk enough to make problems.
“Beckham and Jaxon,” he says as he stumbles on the top step and slides down the remaining four. “B and J, huh? Are you here to give us BJs?”
My heart stops as Beckham walks over to him. I can see how he’s a cold calculating killer. There’s no expression on his face as he grabs Buzz’s long hair and yanks his head back. His stern face doesn’t crack as he slams his fists into Buzz’s body, making him pay for the hostile comment.
“Oh, shit!” Killian says as he pulls out his phone. “I got to record this.”
The little spitfire of a girl charges right up to the boss’ son. “No filming!” she shouts. “Erase that shit or I’ll turn your phone inside out.”
Killian and half a dozen other guys burst out laughing as she stands in front of him with her hands on her hips.
“What are you going to do?” Killian asks in a mocking tone. “Hit it with your Barbie?”
She snatches the phone out of his hand, slams it onto the cement ground, and then throws it into the road where it promptly gets run over by a truck.
“Holy shit,” I giggle as Killian stares in shock at the guts of his phone, which are now spread out all over the street.
The little girl pulls out a wad of cash, peels a few bills off of it, and tosses them at Killian’s feet.
“No one films my uncles,” she says before doing a hair toss and walking over to Jaxon’s side.
Troy is grinning. “These guys are just what we need.”
“Hell, we can send the girl in,” Gage says as he shakes his head in awe. “She looks like she can take out The Outlaws’ whole crew by herself.”
Jaxon puts a comforting hand on her shoulder and I feel a stab of jealousy pierce through me.
“Go inside and get a hamburger and fries,” he tells her.
“Can I have a strawberry milkshake?” she begs in what I’m assuming is her best little girl’s voice.
“No,” Beckham grunts as he lets go of Buzz, who falls to the ground. “You had enough desserts today.”
“But—”
Jaxon puts his arm around her shoulders and guides her to the entrance. “You can get a small one,” he whispers.
“Thanks, Uncle J!”
She bounds up the stairs with a big smile on her face. She shoots me a look as she passes where I’m sitting and then disappears inside.
“Come on into our home,” Troy says as he guides the men inside. “We have a lot to discuss and I’m sure you could use a drink.”
The boys start heading back in as I stay here, with my eyes fixated on Jaxon. His leather vest is open and his white t-shirt is clinging onto his flat stomach. My fingers start tingling when I imagine what it would be like to run my hands down his abs.
Beckham passes me without turning his head. Buzz passes a few minutes later, cursing under his breath about outsiders. And then Jaxon comes up the stairs.
He spots me at the top and his feet stop moving as he stares at me in awe.
I swallow hard as I stare back at him, feeling my cheeks getting warmer, feeling everything getting warmer.
His mouth opens but no words come out. There are no words. This right here is beyond words.
“Let’s go,” Troy says as he slaps a hand onto his back and pushes him forward. Jaxon goes, but his eyes stay on me until he disappears inside.
I take a deep breath and run my shaking hands through my hair.
“Holy shit…”
My whole body is trembling. I feel like he just reached inside my chest and gripped my soul with his hand. I hop off the railing onto my shaky legs and head inside.
“So,” Roxanne says to the little blonde girl eating a burger and fries at the bar, who I found out is named Nixie. “Are your uncles single?”
“Single?” Nixie raises an eyebrow as she pierces Roxanne with a calculating stare. “What are your intentions?”
Roxanne goes as bright as the ketchup at the end of Nixie’s French fry. “Honorable!” she quickly says. “Actually, I was just asking… for a friend.”
“Sure,” Nixie says as she bites the fry in half. She stares her down as she chews, which makes Roxanne nervous and she quickly leaves.
I can’t help but laugh. I’ve seen Roxanne chew out a biker five times her size for grabbing her ass, but she just fled with her tail between her legs from a ten-year-old girl.
My laughter quickly dies when I feel eyes on me. My pulse starts racing as I look over and see Jaxon’s eyes on me. They’ve been on me this entire time.
He’s sitting at the table with Gage on one side of him and his brother Beckham on the other side. The men are talking, but he doesn’t seem to be paying attention to any of it. He’s completely focused on me.
“Do you need anything else?” I ask Nixie as I pick up the tray of beers.
“I’m good, thanks,” she says as she munches on her burger.
With my stomach in knots, I head over to the table and start handing out beers. When I get to Jaxon, he grabs my wrist and pulls me onto his knee.
I gasp at the brazen act. Guys have tried to do t
his to me, but I always slapped them away or fought my way off.
But here I am, sitting on his knee, submitting to his will, wishing we were alone in this broken-down bar.
I inhale deep and my lungs are filled with his rich masculine scent of aftershave mixed with exhaust. It sends a damp pulse throbbing between my legs.
“Watch yourself, Jaxon,” Ranger warns. “The last guy who tried that on Stella got a mug broken over his head.”
His big sexy arms tighten around me like he’s never going to let me go.
“Let her go,” Troy commands from the head of the table. “Stella is a good girl.”
Now that all of the attention is on me, I catch myself and push off him. “Yeah, I’m a good girl,” I say as I get back to my feet, wishing I was still on his lap.
His eyes are still locked on me, undressing me, eye-fucking me, peering into my soul. “I bet you are,” he whispers as he licks his bottom lip.
I quickly head back to the bar where it’s safe. I’m not thinking good girl thoughts now. Not anymore.
“Look at you,” Roxanne says with a giggle. “You look as tuned up as a Harley rolling out of Maddox’s shop.”
“I’m not,” I lie as I hurry behind the bar and take a deep breath. I have never reacted to a man like that before. Ever.
Not ten seconds have passed before Jaxon walks over. He leans onto the bar, standing beside his niece, Nixie, but looking only at me.
“You don’t want to sit on my knee?”
“No,” I lie.
“Do you want to sit somewhere else?”
“Why?” I ask as I narrow my eyes onto him, knowing exactly what he means. “You want to kiss my ass?”
“I do,” he says with a heated look that nearly melts me. “Among other places.”
“Whoa!” Nixie says with an incredulous look. “Ten-year-old alert! I can hear you, ya know?”
Jaxon frowns as he turns to her. “Will you wipe it from your brain if I order you another strawberry milkshake?”
“I’m already trying to wipe it from my brain,” she mutters.
“One more strawberry milkshake for the little lady,” Jaxon says to Roxanne. I shiver as he turns his attention back to me. “Do you have a man?”
Jaxon (Heartlands Motorcycle Club Book 5) Page 2
