5

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 79 Destabilized

When they were about half way to the lake, Scarlett directed Jax to get off the freeway. There was a sandwich shop that had great sandwiches. Scarlett had called an order in and paid for it with one of her many gift cards.

Jax picked up the order, so Scarlett wouldn't have to get out of the car and back in again.

"I ordered a bunch of different sandwiches and salads," she told Jax when he was back in her car.

"Do we need to stop at a grocery store too?"

"We keep the house well stocked with stuff. I love the sandwiches and salads from this place, so I swing by and get food whenever I'm in the area. I even change up my appearance and make sure I never use the same payment card twice."

"I never gave it much thought, but I don't get out of Charming much unless it's with the MC."

"It's OK," Scarlett said, patting Jax's leg reassuringly. "I'll keep you safe. We've got plenty of guns in the car."

Jax burst into laughter.

"I've never had a woman offer to protect me. That's really funny. So, all that stuff you told me about the guns in your car was true?"

"Every word. You never want to need a gun and not have one close by."

"What kind of shot are you?"

"I can shoot well enough to kill, but not well enough to shoot the gun out of someone's hand or wound someone. If I shoot at someone, I'm aiming for a center mass kill shot."

Jax was stopped at a traffic signal. He leaned over and kissed Scarlett's cheek.

"You are so damned sexy especially when you talk about guns and shooting."

"Maybe I can be even sexier. If I didn't have this back injury, I'd show you some of the self-defense stuff I've learned."

"You think you could kick my ass?" Jax asked. He glanced at Scarlett briefly before turning his attention back to driving.

"Sure. I'm sure you have fight experience, but I've had fight training."

"I'm stronger and bigger."

"It isn't about strength."

"Hmmm . . .," Jax said. "I'm not so sure I believe you. When I talked about loofahing you for smearing me with lipstick, you seemed concerned. If you had such great fight skills, you could easily prevent me from loofahing you. You are bluffing."

Scarlett frowned. Jax was a lot smarter than she liked.

"Maybe just a little."

Jax laughed again.

"I can't believe you really thought you could kick my ass."

"When my back is better, I plan on trying it."

"Sneak attack or are you going to give me a warning?"

"Which ever gives me the better chance."

"Well, darlin', I can hardly wait."

"You know the stuff I told you, you won't say anything right?" Scarlett asked. She was having second thoughts about how much she had confided to Jax.

She could almost hear her father's words in her head telling her that you have to confide information because it builds trust. She had been careful about not giving Jax information that he could put in an internet search and find results that could expose her true identity.

If Jax found out who she was, he could contact her ex who would pay him a very large amount of money to tell him her location. She didn't want to believe that Jax would sell her out for money, but she needed to assume that he would do that if given a chance. Trust only went so far.

She reminded herself that she was also planning on betraying Jax and bringing an end to SAMCRO and SOA. She needed to make sure that Jax never learned her true name or that of her ex. It would be natural for him to fight back.

Thinking about what she was going to have to do in the future scared her. She wasn't sure if she were tough enough to be so ruthless. Her mother was owed justice. It was time. She needed to remember that.

"Your secret is safe with me. You have my word on that."

"There's just one more thing I need from you. Don't tell anyone about this place. Just tell your MC or anyone else that you went to Lake Arrowhead and stayed at a place I borrowed from a friend."

"OK. I've never been to Arrowhead, but I can fake it."

"Thanks Jax," she said and gave him a sweet smile.

There was a gate that led up to the house. Scarlett used a remote control she got out of the glove compartment to open it and another to open the garage door.

The house was large and spacious with the wall facing the lake made almost entirely of glass. The view of the lake and the trees was stunning.

"I was expecting this modest little cabin on a lake. This place is amazing."

The house had an open floorplan with the living, kitchen and dining room all flowing together. There were two halls at either end of the house that had lead to bedrooms. There was a staircase near the home's front door that lead to an open loft area and two more bedrooms.

All the furnishings were white except the charcoal gray hardwood floors. The white dining room table had white chairs. Two long sofas were also white as were the armchairs.

"It's nice, but cold. It needs some color and accessories to bring it to life. It's better than the beige house my father used to have."

"Does he live here?"

"No. He designed it. He's really interested in architecture. I need to just spend some time and finish decorating it for him."

Jax walked to the French doors that led to the large deck that ran the width of the house. The deck actually extended over the lake.

"My bedroom is there," Scarlett said pointing to a hall off the living room. "You can have the other bedroom on this floor or you can have one of the upstairs bedrooms. They all look alike. The upstairs is nice. It makes you feel like you're up in a tree. There's a screened patio and a microwave and small refrigerator upstairs too."

"I'll grab the luggage."

Scarlett was in her bedroom when Jax brought her luggage. He put her bags on the bed because he knew she couldn't lift them or unpack them if they were on the floor.

Her bedroom was white, but there were turquoise pillows and brightly colored framed prints on the wall that gave the space some character and warmth.

"What's the ball for?" Jax asked pointing at the giant blue plastic ball on the floor

"Sometimes I sit on it and watch TV. It's supposed to be better for your back. When I had this back problem before, my therapist would take me out to the gym, I'd sit on the ball and she would try to knock me off."

"That doesn't sound very difficult."

Scarlett sat on the ball.

"Try to knock me off now," she said.

Jax knelt down on his knees and gave Scarlett a light shove. The ball wobbled. Scarlett desperately tried to stay balanced on the ball. Jax grabbed her as she began to slide sideways and pulled her against him to keep her from falling.

Scarlett's heart was beating so fast, she almost didn't feel her pain level escalate. The look in Jax's eyes only made the hammering of her heart worse, but it did divert her mind from thinking about the pain.

Time seemed to move in super slow motion. Jax bent his head, brought his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly with a gentleness she never expected from an outlaw biker.