“What is it you think I want?” Jax says.
“Don’t play dumb. Leverage against Bronson.”
Jax considers his words. “I asked for your help before. You refused.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure who I loathed more then—Lucius or Bronson.”
“And now you do.”
“Now the scale has tipped a little. I can’t live another day knowing that bastard, Bronson, will always get his way.” He spits in his hand and then rubs the hand on his pants. I can’t even get grossed out, I’m so out of it.
“It seems you have everything under control,” Jax says. “What do you need me for?”
Wolf turns his face to me. “It’s not for you, it’s for the girl.”
“How does Ella figure in your plans?” Jax says, looking at me, more than a little worried.
“Let me tell you what happened today,” Wolf says. “Your girl’s guard was set up today. Bronson must have gotten to Carter’s men, turned them. Carter’s own men attacked Tanner Hayes. He was caught off guard.”
Jax’s face goes pale. He comes to me again and takes me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. There’s something urgent about the way he touches me. “Tanner failed you?” he says, voice trembling.
“He was shot,” I say, through sobs. “He told me to go to the house. I don’t know all the rest of it. It was madness. This terrible man grabbed my hair and dragged me. Punched my head.”
“Jesus,” Jax says, kissing me all over my face. “Ella, listen to me. Wolf manhandled you because there was no time.”
“How do you know?” I say.
“I just do,” he says.
Wolf grunts at me. “I saved your pretty little ass, you dimwit. You’d be the one lying down with a knife in your gut if it wasn’t for me.”
“Yeah, you might have saved me, but it sucks that you are the least gentle hero ever.”
Wolf laughs heartily. “God damn it, I like the sound of that. You really are a magazine writer, aren’t you? Least gentle hero ever. Fuckin’ right I am.”
“Let’s back up,” Jax says. “How did you happen to be there?”
“I have a nose for that stuff,” Wolf says. “Always been lucky that way.”
“Lucky?” I repeat. “I would call it a curse.”
Wolf nods. “Of course you would, because you are weak.”
“You’re a chauvinist,” I say with an insincere smile.
“And a hero too, right?” Wolf says. “Your words, pee wee. Not mine.”
Can women really be called pee wee? I’ve never been so openly bullied before. Wolf is one strange guy. He treats me like we’re both boys in middle school.
“Better fucking start from the top,” Jax says, dead serious. He takes me back to the table with him, sitting me in his lap. I want to bury my face in his neck and just breathe him in but I control the urge.
Wolf keeps staring at me as if I’m some weird, wild animal that’s going to bite him. “Women distract me,” he says.
“She’s staying,” Jax says. “Just talk.”
“It’s like this. Bronson had Madison killed. I liked the crazy bitch. She was fun and she was under my protection.”
I want to slap him across the face for the disrespectful names. Jax squeezes my hand so I focus. I’d be so lost without him.
“I cared for Madison, she cared for this one,” Wolf goes on, pointing at me with his chin. “Do the math.”
Okay, that makes sense, at least in simplistic Wolf math.
“I’m on board with keeping your girl in one piece,” Wolf continues, “so guess what old Wolfie did? I got hired to be in Bronson’s crew. I worked certain angles to make that happen. Carter Wade made a bet against Bronson’s son, David. A series of bets. Wiped the little sucker clean. David is that little prick who makes scum look like an angel’s choir.”
For a devolved beast man, Wolf actually has a way with words himself, probably popular around campfires as a kid.
“Turns out Carter cheated,” Wolf says. “Carter had his reasons. There’s no end to reasons to fuck over that fucking little prick, but he did it. Carter cheated. It was proven.”
“So David is the one demanding Carter’s head?” Jax says.
Wolf nods. “Years back, I worked for Bronson. He was my first big boss. I made a mistake so the bastard had me branded.” He pulls his shirt up to reveal the letter B burned onto his skin on both sides of his ribcage. “Like an animal,” he says. “I promised revenge then and I’ve decided the time has come. It’s the fucking day of the Wolf.”