Page 106 of Jax & Knox

"Intel?" Steele asks, his voice muffled through his helmet.

"Motel two towns over. The Pines Inn, room twelve. He's alone as far as we know, but we go in prepared for backup. Could be he's got friends from his old crew, could be he's hired local muscle. Either way, we don't take chances."

"Rules of engagement?" Rook asks, always the tactical one, always thinking three steps ahead.

"Non-lethal if possible until we confirm he's working alone and we can have a conversation about why threatening my family was the worst mistake of his pathetic life. After that, I don't care what happens to him. Dead, crippled, running scared, doesn't matter as long as he's never a threat again."

They nod, grim understanding passing between us.

We ride in formation, no lights, no sound except the rumble of engines that we can't avoid. The motel is a shitty single-story place with half the letters missing from the sign, "The Pi_es In" in flickering neon, and cars that look like they haven't moved in months. Justin's truck is parked three spots down from the office, front end pointed out for a quick exit. Amateur move. Always park for defense, not escape. That's survival 101.

I give the signal with my hand. Steele and Riot take the rear, disappearing into the shadows. Rook covers the office, making sure no one calls the cops or tries to play hero. Switch and I go front, weapons drawn, safeties off.

The door isn't even properly locked. I can see the cheap handle hanging loose, like someone already forced it once and the motel management couldn't be bothered to fix it. One solid kick and⁠,

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

I freeze, my boot inches from the door.

It's Jax.

I answer immediately, my heart suddenly pounding. "Talk to me."

There's a beat of silence that lasts too long. Too long. Long enough for my blood to turn cold.

Then Jax's voice, low and wrong, strained in a way I've never heard before. "Knox. Get here. Now."

The line goes dead.

My blood turns to ice. My stomach drops. Every worst-case scenario I've been trying not to think about floods my mind in high definition.

I look at Switch, and he must see something in my eyes because he takes a step back. "What happened?"

"I don't know. But we're out of time. Change of plans. We go back. Now."

"What about⁠⁠—"

"Forget him. Move!"

I don't wait for confirmation. I'm already on my bike, engine roaring to life, gravel spraying behind me as I tear out of the parking lot. The others follow without question, because that's what brothers do. When one of us calls for help, we come running.

I open the throttle and the world blurs around me, trees and road signs becoming nothing but streaks of color in my side vision. Every second feels like a year. The cabin is forty minutes away at normal speeds. I make it in twenty-five, pushing my bike harder than I should, taking corners too fast, not caring about anything except getting back to Ainsley and Owen.

When I finally turn onto the dirt road that leads to the cabin, my headlight catches something wrong. Something that makes my heart stop.

The front door is standing open.

The porch light is on, casting long shadows across the steps.

And there's blood on the steps. Dark. Fresh. Too much blood.

I kill the engine and I'm off the bike before it fully stops, my boots hitting gravel and dirt. My gun is in my hand, safety off, every instinct screaming at me that I'm too late, that I failed, that I couldn't protect them.

"Jax!" I shout, my voice echoing in the quiet. "Ainsley!"

No answer. Just the wind in the trees and the sudden, terrifying silence.

I take the steps two at a time and push through the door, my gun up, my finger on the trigger, ready to shoot anything that moves.