6

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

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Chapter 413 Mysterious Scars

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Jax looked at Scarlett's sleeping face by the light of her computer screen. It felt like so much time had passed since he met her, but it was just a few months. When he saw that hot blonde bending over the red Corvette, he never would have predicted that she would still be with him.

She'd come into his life at a bad time. He was going through a divorce and Wendy was pregnant with what he thought was his baby Bela. He still grieved the loss of that poor little baby. She'd come into the world a perfect innocent little life. As hard as he tried, he still couldn't get the picture of Gemma tossing Bela's poor lifeless body into that rocking chair like she was trash. In that moment, he finally saw his mother without the haze of a son's love.

He thought of the loving way Scarlett handled Bela's death suggesting she keep his name because the poor little baby hadn't known much love in her short life. When she'd said that, it had been an easy decision. He hoped his father was watching out for her.

He thought it was a wonderful coincidence when he met Scarlett, but looking back he should have seen it as just too good to be true. He was Jax Teller, though, Prince of Charming. Good things happened to him and he thought this hot blonde was just one of those good things.

He never dreamed that she and her father had been watching him and that she'd planned that meeting. Knowing her now, he should have expected it. A beautiful blonde in short shorts bending over a car and she tells you that she likes to look under the hood of her car? Not the best excuse, but she didn't need one. Not with that body and that face. He hadn't been thinking with his brain anyway. She'd also given him the best line he'd ever heard when she said she could have an ex with his name. Smart mouth on a smart girl.

It wasn't love at first sight just lust. That wasn't an unusual feeling for him. He that feeling a lot with girls. It was like seeing delicious looking food and getting hungry. Despite her making it clear she wasn't going to sleep with him, he kept coming back to her. Part was the challenge, but part was he enjoyed her company.

That was unusual for him. He enjoyed the company of his brothers. He enjoyed women but there was always an end game—sex. With Scarlett, he enjoyed being around her. He just kept seeing her. When he got shot and he thought he was dying, all he wanted was to see her again. Never even saw love coming until it had him in its grip.

When she'd leaned close and whispered that she loved him and not to die, it was the best feeling in the world. He'd had girls tell him they loved him before and it had always been a little awkward because he had enough honor in him to never say those words unless he meant them. He suspected that she cared about him but he'd just figured out that he loved her. Maybe that moment when she thought he might die, she realized she loved him too.

He hadn't fallen in love with Tara until after they'd started having sex and here was Scarlett who had captured his heart and they hadn't done much more than kiss. He knew there was something wrong. When he tried gently to go a little further, he could feel a change in her. It was kind of a fear reaction. He hadn't pressed the issue and backed off. Something was going on with her there and he feared he knew the secret she was still keeping.

She would tell him when she was ready and he loved her so he would continue to be patient. He wanted to kill her psycho ex and anyone else that had ever hurt her.

When he confessed that he'd been with Violet, he half-expected their might be a problem between them, but he'd wanted to be honest with her because she was being honest with him. She'd shrugged off the information saying she'd suspected it. He was glad that she was so sensible.

It had only been a few months and he couldn't remember Violet's face anymore. She'd been nice. Worked as a nanny. That was about all he remembered. The night they were supposed to get together, he didn't remember what she'd done when he'd had to leave. She must have left the clubhouse and then gone on to meet her killer.

Leave it to Scarlett to reveal something about herself—Violet was her stepsister and then add to the mystery by telling him that he couldn't tell anyone that they were related or it could get her killed. Why? What was there about her being related to Violet that was dangerous? He would just have to wait until she was ready to tell him.

He didn't blame her for suspecting that he might have killed Violet. She didn't know him. He remembered that evening when he'd gone to her motel and banged on the door fearing that she was the dead body found in the woods. He couldn't even begin to imagine the hell Louise's mother must be going through. He hoped there was some reason for her disappearance and they would find her alive tomorrow.

The next morning as they were getting ready to leave, Scarlett surprised him again.

"Jax, I told you about Violet so you would know why I'm so interested in helping find Louise."

"OK."

"I didn't tell you that I wanted to find her killer so you could kill him for me. That's not why I told you. I'm trying to be more honest with you."

Jax finished putting on this white sneakers and straightened up.

"It hadn't occurred to me yet that you wanted me to kill him. I wouldn't have a problem with doing it though."

Scarlett grabbed him by the arms, her eyes flashing green sparks.

"No, that's not what I want. I don't want you to do anything. I want the person caught, not dead. I don't want you to jeopardize your freedom like that. Violet would want me to be happy and you make me happy. That's the most important thing."

He was surprised. He knew that she was angry with Tara for trying to get him to kill Kohn for her, but he didn't think Scarlett would have a problem if he killed someone for her.

"Are you telling me that you or your father aren't planning on killing the man who killed your sister?"

"No. It's about locking him up so he can't kill again."

Jax believed her. She had a lot of outlaw in her, but he had more outlaw when it came to payback.

"OK. It's your call. You don't want him killed. I won't kill him. You can always change your mind," he said with a smile.

She tugged at his beard.

"I won't."

"There's something else I want from you," Jax said.

Scarlett narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously.

"What?"

"I want you to promise me that you will never work a lead on the serial killer on your own. You only do that with me."

"Yes, Jax," she said demurely.

"Scarlett, I'm serious," he said, his voice sharp. "I don't want you off hunting the serial killer alone. It's too damned dangerous. Also, you always carry your gun except if you're at the police department."

"I will."

"Now, promise me," Jax demanded.

"Violet was smart. If someone killed her, I know the same thing could happen to me. I'm also not in good enough shape to fight. I promise you that I won't hunt for the killer without you. For now, though, let's focus on Louise. Maybe he hasn't killed her yet or there's some other reason she's missing."

"OK," he said before kissing her.

Despite her reassuring words, he was worried about her. He hated the idea of a serial killer being on the loose in Charming. It meant she was in danger as were a lot of the other women in town.