Jax (Titan #9)(72)

"Imagine that," Jared grumble–laughed.

Jax recalled the amount of restraint it took not to tear Johnny apart limb by limb, and it might have been one of the hardest tests he'd ever had in his career. Johnny had to make it to the Mayhem meeting tonight—for Titan, for Seven, and for Mayhem. But if it weren't for that, Jax wasn't sure what it would've taken to stop him. The sight of blood trickling down Seven's chin could've been a catalyst for serious injury.

"Johnny unexpectedly came to Seven's hotel room this morning. They exchanged words… She slapped him, and he swung back." Jax wanted to sound unaffected but was failing. "She took a hard knock to the mouth. It tore up the inside of her lip. Those two have history, but not like that. I think she's more shocked than anything else."

Jax was so deep in his own head that he hadn't focused on Jared, but when he did, Jared's viewpoint had always been crystal clear. Right now looked to be no exception, even if they were in business together.

"And?" Boss Man growled.

"I took him in the hall, explained what I thought of that—with my fists—until Johnny decided it was time to apologize."

Jared's head moved slightly, agreeing, but his anger had not tempered. "If they have history and she didn't see it coming, what the fuck? You?"

"I don't know. Don't think so. Their past is old. Johnny sat across from her last night getting a blow job. Whatever rules ganglandia has, I don't know. Neither seemed jealous." Well, maybe Johnny…

"Then what?"

"He was hopped up and crashing hard."

Jared's eyebrows arched. "Cocaine?"

Jax sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. "I'm no expert, but yeah, maybe coke and something else. He was twitching, jerking. Meth? Dust? I don't know that shit."

Jared mulled in silence. Then their waitress knocked and brought their food. After they had both taken a moment to dig into their steak and potatoes, Jared asked, "How does Hernán not know this? The Irish and the Russian in a room together? The Niners and the Brotherhood? I get that it's one or two members from each and everybody has a financial incentive to behave. But still."

"I don't see how he doesn't know." If he were Hernán, Jax would be there. He would be in the hotel lobby, watching every single person try to betray his negotiated agreements. Hernán wasn't stupid, and his wife was known for many things but not stupidity or sanity. "Seven is confident, though, that Hernán is unaware."

Jared took another sip of water. "I hope to hell she's not na?ve."

Jax shrugged. "I think she's idealistic. But I don't think na?ve." Idealistic about a motorcycle gang—as if that wasn't a crazy oxymoron.

"What else is going on with you, Jax?" Jared used wiped his mouth with his linen napkin and leaned back in his chair.

He ran a hand over his face, hoping the dark circles and lack of sleep weren't showing. "Not much."

Boss Man dropped his chin. "How about that bruise?"

Jax ran his hand along his jawline. "I told you, brawl with Johnny."

"Not that one." Jared's eyes narrowed on his left hand. "That one."

Jax looked at the hand from which he'd slipped off his wedding band before he walked in to lunch. Seven had ranted and raged that getting married was an accident, and Jax didn't want his boss to think he was irresponsible. The whole thing was confusing, but Jared asking about his hand unnerved the hell out of Jax.

Jax brought his hand down and looked at his knuckles, red and raw, nothing unexpected from a scuffle. But there was an unexpected bruise on the top of his left ring finger, near the knuckle, that mimicked where his ring had been. "I don't know."

Jared harrumphed, making a disapproving, disbelieving grumble. "Right." He stood up, tossing down his napkin. "Lunch has been taken care of. Leave whenever you're ready, but I have to roll, and I'll meet you tonight. Parker will send you any logistical information you need. I'm going to go find my wife."

Jax tore his eyes away from his hand and stood as well.

"Maybe you should do the same."

Boss Man was the master for a reason. He missed nothing.





CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX


The hotel room suite echoed in silence as Seven lay in the middle of the freshly made bed and tried to contemplate trivial life decisions. Should she change hair colors? Maybe another piercing was a safer adrenaline rush than falling for Jax Michaelson. But no, that was not where her mind wandered. "I'm married."

And now that she'd finished freaking out, the idea that he was hers… Seven smiled. But that freaked her out. How could this have happened? She grabbed her phone off the charger and called Victoria.

"Hey," her best friend answered more gruffly than expected. "Glad you called. I need somebody to talk to who's not going to drive me crazy."

"Are the kids acting up?"

"Oh no. Ryder is acting up. Sort of. I may've been in the wrong, but he's overreacting."

"How are my kiddos?"

"Perfect. They're running around outside with him who shall not be named—"

"Your new husband?"

"Yes. Him. And they're angels, like always."