4

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 21 Urgent

For a moment when she saw the anger on Jax's face, she was transported back four years ago to the time when her fiancé would come unhinged over just about anything. Inside, she could feel herself cower like a frightened animal, but outwardly she appeared calm and cool.

She was just experiencing a flashback, she told herself. Not every man was like her ex-fiancé. She discovered jealousy wasn't a sign of a man who was passionate; it was the sign of a man who had some mental instability. She'd almost paid for that lesson with her life. She was smarter now. She hoped so anyway.

The truth was she had been so scarred by what happened with her fiancé, that she hadn't been in another relationship. That emotional part of her had switched off and she didn't know how to turn it back on. When she told Jax that she was defective, there was far more truth in her words than she wanted to admit.

What happened with Jax in the next few minutes would determine whether or not Scarlett would continue with her plan. If Jax went into a jealous rage, Scarlett would have to think up a new plan that didn't involve him.

"Did you find out what you needed to know about the business climate?"

There wasn't anything in Jax's voice that gave Scarlett a clue to what Jax was feeling. Maybe she was wrong about seeing anger on his face.

"I didn't have questions about the business climate. I used that as an excuse because I wanted to find out whether or not there's a serial killer hunting blonde women."

"What was Hale's verdict?"

"He doesn't know. The blonde was a hooker which says serial killer to me, but the police chief isn't so sure. He did say she wasn't abducted from Charming. He didn't say how he knew that though."

"Even if there is a serial killer, you're safe. You aren't in the victim pool."

"That assumes the killer stays with killing hookers. He could be using killing hookers as training before he kills a more mainstream victim."

"Like you."

"Like me or Dr. Tara Knowles."

Jax stopped walking and turned to face Scarlett.

"Any hope you had of ever persuading me not to loofah you with my beard, just died when you left me alone with my ex-girlfriend. That was the first time I've seen her in ten years."

"Oh, hell. That's bad," Scarlett shook her head. It was no wonder he wasn't happy with her. "I wouldn't have done that if I'd known. The meeting couldn't have been that horrible. I didn't hear any yelling or see any violence."

"Is that how meetings with your exes usually go?"

"I don't know. I've never run into one. How long has she been back in town?"

"A couple of months."

"I can only think of two reasons she's back in Charming," Scarlett said. "She's back for you or her career has suffered a huge setback and she's back here because someone helped her get a job. If I were betting, I'd say she still loves you and wants you back."

"Let's keep walking," Jax said, taking Scarlett's elbow and guiding her.

Jax seemed lost in thought, so Scarlett decided to remain silent. If Jax still loved Tara, she would need to find another way into SAMCRO.

She'd picked Jax because she wanted to find out what he knew about Violet's death since he was the last known person to see her alive. He was also the vice-president and would know more about the inner workings of the club than a regular member.

"The thought that she might still be in love with me crossed my mind too." Jax said, breaking his silence. "Ten years is a long time. She feels like a stranger to me."

"Just because you were in love with her once, it doesn't mean that you will always love her, but, maybe with time, the two of you can find your way back to each other," Scarlett said.

Scarlett was still playing it cool with Jax to keep him guessing about her feelings for him. She didn't know how she felt about him, so she was also keeping herself guessing.

"I don't want her in my life. There was a lot of bad at the end."

"What seems great when you're in high school can be completely different ten years later. The two of you may have grown in different ways and maybe you don't fit together any longer."

"How did you get so smart, Scarlett?"

Scarlett stopped walking and leaned close to Jax.

"Shhh. . ," she said in a whisper putting her finger over her lips. "I'm really a brunette. That's why I'm so smart. I camouflage my brilliance with blonde hair, so people underestimate me."

Jax burst into laughter.

"You are funny as hell."

He kissed her on the lips catching her by surprise. He pulled away and looked at her.

Scarlett felt her insides turn liquid again as that laser blue gaze of his looked into her eyes. She reminder herself that he was just a guy with a very polished seduction act, but she was beginning to feel like she was special.

Stupid girl, Scarlett told herself. Every girl this guy's been with and it's in the hundreds thought she was special too. She was smarter than that.

Scarlett's phone alerted her that she had received a text message. She rarely got text messages and when she did, it was usually bad news.

She grabbed her phone from her bag and looked at the text message. It was just one word "urgent".