Chapter 31 Meeting With Jax
Grayson's POV
The ride from Apex Corp to the industrial side of the city usually helped clear my head, but not today. The wind was cold and the rain was stinging my face, but all I could feel was the phantom weight of Aria against me in that elevator. My chest was still tight. The curse didn’t like that I’d touched her, and it liked even less that I was still thinking about her.
I pulled the motorcycle up to the front of a low, brick building that looked like a warehouse. A neon sign in the window hummed, showing a wolf’s head with a wrench crossed behind it. This was the Nightfang Clubhouse. It was the only place in the city where I didn't have to wear a suit or pretend to be a corporate shark.
I parked the bike, kicked the stand down, and pulled off my helmet. Two guys standing by the door—Biggs and Miller—nodded to me.
"Alpha," Biggs said, stepping aside. "The guys are already in the back. Jax has been pacing for an hour."
"Tell him to keep pacing. It's good for his legs," I muttered, pushing past them.
The inside of the clubhouse smelled like old oil, cheap beer, and wet leather. It was loud. A pool game was going on in the corner, and the jukebox was playing some old rock song that was mostly bass. I walked through the main room, ignoring the nods from the other pack members. I wasn't in the mood for small talk.
I headed into the back room, a private space with a large wooden table and a map of Silverfang City pinned to the wall. Jax was there, leaning over a pile of papers. He was my second-in-command, a guy I’d known since we were kids. He had a jagged scar running down his arm and hair that was always a mess.
"You're late," Jax said, not looking up. "I thought maybe you got stuck in a board meeting talking about interest rates."
"I had things to handle at the office," I said, sitting at the head of the table. "What’s the situation?"
Jax finally looked at me, his eyes narrowing. "You look like you've been run over by a truck, Grayson. You okay? You’re pale."
"I'm fine. Just a headache. Talk to me about the Iron Fangs."
Jax sighed and pointed to a section of the map highlighted in red. It was the docks, right on the edge of our territory. "They’re pushing in. We caught two of their guys trying to move product near the high schools last night. Synthetic stuff. The kind of junk that ruins kids."
"Did you handle it?"
"We ran them off, but they didn't look scared," Jax said, sitting down across from me. "They told us Darius is done playing nice. He says the Harts are getting soft. He thinks because you’re spending all your time in a glass tower, you’ve forgotten how to fight for the streets."
I felt a growl starting in my chest. "Darius is a fool if he thinks a suit makes me weak."
"Well, he’s a fool with a lot of backup lately," Jax replied. He reached for a beer bottle on the table, took a long pull, and set it down with a thud. "Word is, the Iron Fangs are getting money from somewhere. New bikes, new weapons. They even have some weird tech we haven't seen before. Scramblers that mess with our comms."
"It's the Syndicate," I said. "I saw Jess Andrew today. He’s getting desperate. If he’s talking to the Veil, it means the Iron Fangs are just the muscle."
Jax leaned back, his chair creaking. "What’s the deal with that girl, anyway? Aria? The guys are talking, Grayson. They saw you at the bakery yesterday. And they saw her leave Apex today looking like she’d seen a ghost."
"She’s nothing," I said, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth. "She’s just an ex of Jess’s that got caught in the crossfire. I’m making sure she doesn't get killed because of his mess."
"The guys think she’s your mate," Jax said bluntly. "You haven't looked at a woman in three years, and suddenly you're protecting a baker’s assistant? People are going to notice. Darius is going to notice."
"I told you, she’s nothing," I snapped, slamming my hand on the table. The wood groaned under the pressure. "I handled it. I told her to stay away. I even told her I wasn't interested because she's a virgin. That should keep her far enough away from me."
Jax stared at me for a long time, then started laughing. It wasn't a nice laugh. "You told her that? Are you serious? Grayson, that’s the most 'I’m-scared-of-my-feelings' thing I’ve ever heard."
"It worked, didn't it? She looked like she wanted to spit on me. She won't come back."
"Or she'll get herself into trouble trying to prove she doesn't need you," Jax warned. "Look, if the Iron Fangs think she matters to you, they’ll use her. You know how Darius works. He doesn't go for the Alpha; he goes for what the Alpha loves."
"I don't love her, Jax. I don't even know her."
"Your wolf knows her," Jax said, his voice getting serious. "I can smell it on you from across the room. You’re covered in her scent. If I can smell it, every shifter in this city can smell it. You can't just push her away and expect the world to forget she exists."
I rubbed my face with my hands. My head was pounding. The curse was still humming in my blood, a constant reminder that I was alone. "We need to increase the patrols on the south side. If you see an Iron Fang member within two blocks of that bakery, you break their legs. I don't care if it starts a war."
"It’s already a war, Grayson," Jax said, standing up. "You're just the last one to realize it. I'll go tell the guys to gear up. We’ll do a sweep of the docks tonight."
"Good. Get out of here. I need a minute."
Jax nodded and headed for the door, but he stopped with his hand on the knob. "By the way, Grayson? If she really is 'nothing,' you might want to stop carrying her hair tie in your pocket. It fell out when you sat down."
He walked out before I could throw something at him. I looked down at the floor. A simple, black elastic band was lying there. She must have dropped it in the elevator.
I picked it up, the small bit of fabric still smelling faintly of vanilla. I didn't throw it away. I put it back in my pocket and leaned my head back against the chair, closing my eyes.