Sixty days with Reaper

Jax didn’t move right away. He kept Hazel pinned there against the wall, eyes locked on hers like the guy at the door wasn’t even a thing.

“Handle it,” he called out, voice rough but steady. “Give me five.”

The guy outside muttered something and walked off. Boots thumping down the hall.

Hazel’s heart was hammering so hard she could hear it in her ears. “Let go of me.”

Jax tilted his head a little. “You done yelling yet?”

“No. This is kidnapping. People go to prison for this shit, Jax.”

He finally dropped her wrists but didn’t step back. She rubbed her arms, glaring up at him. He was bigger up close than she remembered from the shop—broad shoulders, ink crawling up his neck, that scar on his jaw she always wondered about.

“You heard what I said outside,” he told her. “Sixty days. You’re mine till then. That means a few rules.”

“Rules?” She scoffed and crossed her arms tight over her chest. “Fuck your rules. Take me home.”

He ignored that and started ticking them off on his fingers like it was a grocery list. “One. You don’t leave this compound without me. Two. No phone. No texting your friend Lena or anybody else. Three. You sleep in my room. My bed. Four. You wear what I tell you to wear. Five. When I say something, you do it. No backtalk.”

Hazel laughed right in his face. It came out shaky. “You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m agreeing to any of that.”

“You already did. Back at the shop when you were running your mouth.” He reached out and tucked a strand of her messy hair behind her ear. She jerked away. “Besides, you got two choices tonight. You can keep fighting and I’ll tie you to that chair over there. Or you can sit down, eat something, and we talk like adults.”

Her stomach picked that exact moment to growl. Loud. She hadn’t eaten since lunch.

Jax’s mouth twitched. “Hungry?”

“Shut up.”

He walked over to a small fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out a couple of beers and a takeout box. The room looked like it used to be an office—desk, couch, big bed against the far wall, and a door that probably led to a bathroom. No windows. One heavy door out.

He set the box on the desk. “Pizza. Cold, but it’s food.”

Hazel stayed by the wall. “I’m not eating your fucking pizza.”

“Suit yourself.” He opened a beer and took a long drink, watching her the whole time. “You’re gonna get hungry eventually.”

She hated how calm he was. Like snatching women off the street was just another Tuesday.

After a minute she walked over and grabbed a slice anyway. Cold pepperoni. She took a bite and tried not to look like she needed it.

Jax leaned against the desk. “Good girl.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why? You liked it when you were talking to Lena.”

Her face burned. She pointed the pizza slice at him. “That was private. How the hell did you even hear me?”

“Got a guy who does favors for the club. Works part-time at the garage next to yours. He had his window open.” Jax shrugged. “Lucky me.”

Hazel stopped chewing. “You’ve been spying on me?”

“Not spying. Listening. There’s a difference.” He took another sip of beer. “You talk a lot of shit when you think nobody’s around, Hazel Greene.”

She hated that he knew her last name. Hated how it sounded coming out of his mouth.

They stood there in silence for a bit while she finished the slice. Her brain was spinning, trying to find an angle. Any angle.

“Look,” she said finally, softening her voice a little. “This is crazy, okay? I was joking around. Being stupid. You don’t have to do this. Just… drive me back. I won’t tell anybody. Swear.”

Jax set the beer down. “You think I went through all this trouble just to let you walk?”

“Then what do you want? Money? I don’t have any.”

He stepped closer again. “I want what you offered. Sixty days of you. No games. No running your mouth to the cops later. You stay, you obey, and when the time’s up you can try to leave if you still hate it that much.”

Hazel’s mouth went dry. She looked up at him. “And if I don’t obey?”

His hand came up slow, fingers brushing along her jaw. “Then I make you. But I don’t think you really want that, do you?”

She knocked his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

Even as she said it, her skin was tingling where his fingers had been. This was so fucked up.

Jax smiled like he knew it too. “You’re wet right now, aren’t you?”

“Fuck you.”

“Answer the question.”

She didn’t. Couldn’t. Because part of her was. And she hated herself for it.

He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, legs spread. “Come here.”

“No.”

“Hazel.” His voice got lower. “Come here.”

She stayed put for maybe ten seconds before her feet moved. She stopped right in front of him, arms still crossed.

“Take your coveralls off,” he said.

Her breath caught. “I’m not stripping for you.”

“It’s not a request. You smell like motor oil and you’re getting my sheets dirty. Take ‘em off.”

She stared at him. Then, because she didn’t know what else to do, she unzipped the coveralls and shoved them down. Stepped out. She had on a black tank top and old jeans underneath.

Jax looked her over slow. “Better. Now sit.”

She sat on the very edge of the bed, as far from him as she could get.

He leaned back on his elbows. “You keep testing me tonight, I’m gonna start testing you right back. You understand?”

She didn’t answer.

He reached over and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer until her thigh pressed against his. “I asked you a question.”

“Yeah,” she muttered. “I understand.”

“Good.”

They sat like that for a while. Hazel could feel the heat coming off him. Her mind kept flashing back to all the dirty shit she’d said in the shop. God, she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“Why me?” she asked quietly. “You could’ve picked anybody.”

Jax was quiet for a second. “Because you looked at me like you wanted to be ruined. Most girls around here look at me like I’m either a wallet or a grave. You… you looked hungry.”

Hazel swallowed. “That was a fantasy. This is real life. I have a job. Lena’s probably already wondering where I am.”

“Lena’s fine. For now.”

The way he said “for now” made her stomach twist.

She tried a different approach. Maybe if she played along a little, he’d let his guard down. She turned toward him, let her hand rest on his thigh. Not too high. Just enough.

“What if I said I wanted to start tonight?” she asked, trying to sound brave. “Right now. No fighting. Would you believe me?”

Jax looked down at her hand, then back up at her face. His eyes were dark. “You’re a shitty liar, baby.”

“I’m not—”

He moved fast, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Hazel gasped. Her hands landed on his chest.

“Careful,” he said against her ear. “You poke the bear, you better be ready when it bites back.”

She could feel how hard he was through his jeans. Her breath started coming faster. She hated how her body reacted.

“Jax—”

The door banged again. Harder this time.

“Reaper! Sorry man, but it’s urgent. Vipers rolled up heavy. They got one of our prospects on his knees out front. Say they want to talk to you about the girl you just brought in. Mentioned her name. Hazel Greene.”

Jax’s whole body went tight under her.

Hazel froze. “What the hell?”

He lifted her off his lap and stood up, grabbing his gun from the desk drawer like it was nothing. He checked the magazine, then looked at her.

“Stay in this room. Lock the door behind me. Don’t open it for anybody but me.”

“Jax, wait—what’s going on? Who are the Vipers? Why do they know my name?”

He paused at the door, hand on the knob.

“Because somebody talked. And now they think you’re leverage.” His jaw flexed. “Sixty days just got a lot shorter if I don’t handle this right.”

He stepped out and slammed the door.

Hazel rushed over and locked it, heart in her throat. She pressed her ear against the wood and heard shouting outside. Engines revving. Then a single gunshot cracked through the night.

She backed away from the door, breathing fast.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”