Jax (Titan #9)(75)

But damn, it wasn't fair to run away from all three just because…

Jared cracked his knuckles, and they both trailed behind the assortment of gang—businessmen who had come to their agreement peacefully.

Not that he and Jared didn't want to take out a few of the fuckers. But that was a conversation for another day. For the moment, there was peace in ganglandia for the purpose of financial gain. They filed out of the conference room to where everyone had checked both phones and weapons as though it were normal. And actually, it was. Though Jax hated being around most of these people unarmed.

A stir of conversation grew louder as the group bottlenecked, and a crick of trepidation swept down Jax's back. His senses went on high alert as adrenaline swept through the air, spreading like wildfire, though he didn't know what was wrong.

A quick glance at Jared confirmed he felt the shift also.

"What is it?" Jared mumbled. He took a step left, tilting his head so that Jax went wide and right.

He saw nothing abnormal except for a few terse looks around cell phones while others casually ambled away with fist bumps and chin lifts goodbye.

The group of men parted. Sugar appeared in the middle as they split, and Jax's stomach dropped as he focused on the hard set of her jaw. Her searching gaze locked on to Jared, and she picked up speed. As though they had a silent conversation that sounded alarms, Boss Man rushed ahead and met her halfway. She held a phone outstretched for him as gang members crowded closer. Jax split from the group and pushed through the Niners and the Brotherhood, past Mayhem, then demanded his phone and weapon while keeping an eye on Sugar and Jared.

He had nothing of interest and holstered his sidearm, studying the pack until Seven extracted herself from Mayhem.

Her bright eyes were dead, and her lips had gone ashen as a limp hand reached toward Jax.

"Seven?" Her step faltered, and he surged forward to catch her before she stumbled. "Seven!"

She crumbled in his arms as he pulled her close. Jax twisted, looking for a chair and then his boss, wondering what the fuck was happening.

"Seven, get the fuck over here," Johnny snapped.

Hawke's arm flung out and slapped across Johnny's leather cut. It wasn't to hold the VP back but rather put up a line that shouldn't be crossed.

"Seven, back here. We've got to talk. Now." Hawke dropped his arm from Johnny's chest, but his authority over the situation remained. He lifted his chin. " No disrespect to you, but we have club business to take care of."

Seven didn't move, and Jax wasn't letting go.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Hawke growled.

She buried her fingers into Jax's flesh, whimpering as though her soul cried. Jax wrapped his arms around her tighter than before. "What the hell is going on?"

Jared and Sugar moved next to Hawke as Ethan and Tex moved next to Johnny, forming a semicircle around Jax and Seven.

"Boss Man, what?"

Seven pressed her forehead against his chest, answering, "He has them."

The shaky shadow of her was hauntingly hollow, and still, he wasn't connecting the dots.

"He, who?" What were they talking about? "The kids?" Jax thought the kids' dad was long gone, in jail because of all this goddamn drug business. Hadn't that been the problem to begin with?

Jared tossed the phone Sugar had rushed in, and Jax caught it one-handed. The screen was open to a message from Parker to Sugar.



Hernán knows about Mayhem's meeting. Victoria was run off the road and handcuffed to the steering wheel. Suarez cartel took both kids. Get in that meeting and tell Jared.



"What the…" Jax knew better than to trust the gangs and their networks. No amount of money and benefits would keep them quiet. Why hurt Seven? He tossed the phone back to Jared. "What are we gonna do?"

Johnny surged forward. "We aren't going to do anything, motherfucker."

"Stand down, goddamn it," Hawke barked. "This is your goddamn fault."

Johnny spun toward Hawke. "My goddamn fault? You want to talk about—"

"I would be very careful about what you say in the open," Tex said.

"If you're not Mayhem, get the fuck out of here," Hawke ordered, and the remainder of the Niners started to walk.

But the Brotherhood didn't move. "If we have a problem with Hernán, you know this deal is off the table. That was part of it. The contract conveys. That means all distribution partners, everyone from production to the last distributor that helps somebody sniff it up their nose, is thrilled. Do you read me?" The man with the wretched Brotherhood tattoo across his throat moved toward Hawke. "If you had us come down here, do this song and dance, and it was in bad faith? You will have a war on your hands. And not just from the Brotherhood."

"Get the fuck out of my hotel if you want to speak to me like that," Hawke said, stepping forward. "Hernán is happy when his bank account is happy. You threaten me, I'll bleed you out on the carpet before you can say don't slice open my ink."

Neither man stood down, and Johnny's jitters started to twitch next to Tex, evidence that he hadn't taken a hit of whatever he needed recently. Everyone was armed, and emotions were high. The area was close quarters, and what they needed to do was focus on Seven, Nolan, and Bianca.