Page 107 of The Souls We Claim

I turn. “No. It’s not a problem. He was telling me about the additives in cereal.”

But it’s like Jax doesn’t see me. He looks furious, and worse, his hand is inside his cut, in the same place I know his gun hangs from his holster.

He pushes me and Lola behind him. “So, you’ve finally decided to stop hiding,” Jax says, and none of it makes sense.

The man grins, and now that I look closely, I see the resemblance. The stranger is a little older, his hair a little more gray at the temples. But the eyes are the same.

“Thought I’d come and find out what Dad liked about New Jersey so much.” He glances at me. “Must be the women.” His eyes seek me out and run up and down my body.

Jax moves, but I grab his arm. “Don’t, please,” I warn. “There are too many people.”

“You should listen to your woman, there. There’s only one of you and considerably more of me.”

Shoppers begin to hurry out of the aisle. I want to follow them, and yet I’m not willing to leave Halo here alone.

“She and her daughter are nothing to do with you and me,” Halo says. Piecing things together, I’m guessing he’s making Lola mine because he hopes his brother doesn’t know about her.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Daryll says.

Halo lunges for him, but two men step up on either side of Daryll. “You’re a fucking coward. Face me head-on. You and me.”

Store security guards appear at the end of the aisle. Thankfully they have a cop with them. Lord knows what good fortune brought a cop into the store, because there is no way they had time to call for one.

Daryll seems to notice them too. “Good seeing you, Brother. You need to take better care of what’s yours. I’d hate to see something happen to them.” He turns and hurries down the aisle, eventually blurring into all the people. Jax begins to follow.

“Jax. Please. Get me and Lola home.” It’s the only thing I can think of saying to stop him.

“Fuck,” he mutters as he wraps me in his arms. “Come here. Did he hurt you or Lola?”

I shake my head. “He was actually really nice. Until he wasn’t.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Jax says, lifting Lola out of the cart, then passing her to me. “I need my hands free. But you’ll do whatever I say as soon as I say it, right, kitten?”

My heart is racing at an unbelievable rate. “But what about the groceries?”

“Fuck the groceries.” Jax grabs his phone from his pocket. “Having you both safe is way more important than food. And it’s clear he didn’t come to the store alone.”

He dials a number, and there’s a pause. “King. West is here. He approached Ari when she was with Lola at the store.”

Another pause. “I fucking know that. Would have chased him, but I don’t know how many of his men are here. Couldn’t leave Ari and Lola alone without backup. I’m getting them to the car to drive them to the clubhouse. Then someone will need to bring me back to my bike.”

As King replies, Jax says quietly, “Where is your car?”

I point down the aisle, even as I scan the area, looking for Daryll. Fearful that the men who killed my sister might be close by. I feel sick at the thought I likely just spoke with Mercy’s killer.

When we get to the car, the tires have been sliced. All four of them are flat.

“Fuck that,” Jax says down the phone. “I need a pickup for me and the girls, and a tow truck for the car or four tires.”

Jax encourages me to crouch between cars, and I do as he says immediately. Lola begins to sniffle.

When he hangs up, he joins us and cups my cheeks. “Whatever this is, I’m going to get us out,” he says.

“I know. I trust you. End this for us. Whatever it takes.”

Jax removes his weapon from his holster. “You have my word.”

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