Free Jax's Dilemma:Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 2) by Chiah Wilder Page A

on the floor.
    “Do I need to pay you, or something?” she asked.
    Throwing his head back, he laughed. “You’re too precious, sweetness. You don’t owe anything. We take care of our properties and our tenants, if you know what I mean.” He winked at her.
    Ignoring the double entendre, Cherri leaned against the door. “Well, then, thank you.”
    Smiling at her, Jax looked around her room. “You’ve done a nice job putting this all together. I like your prints.” Pointing at the Nighthawks , he commented, “This one’s interesting.”
    Nodding, Cherri said, “That’s one of my favorite paintings. I guess it’s because I can understand the feelings of isolation, separation, and loneliness. I feel like that, you know?”
    “Yeah, I get it. Sometimes, I feel that way, too. I still miss my dad.”
    “Did he die?”
    “Yeah.”
    “When?”
    “It’s been about seven years. It’s weird, ’cause some days, it’s like a long time ago, and other days, it’s too fresh. Fuck, I don’t know… It sucks.”
    “It does. I lost my dad when I was ten years old. For me, it seems like a long time ago. I’m scared to death I’ll totally forget what he looked like or sounded like.” Her voice grew tinny.
    “Was your dad sick?”
    “No, just drunk. He ran off the road.”
    “Fuck, that must’ve been tough.”
    “Yeah. Was your dad sick?”
    “Nah. He got himself killed by hitting on a biker’s old lady at Sturgis. He was shit-faced; he never had a chance against the fucker’s gun.”
    “That’s awful. Were you close?”
    “As close as we could’ve been, considering the Hell my mom put us in. She ran off with a rival club’s president when I was thirteen years old—just killed my old man. He took to drinkin’ to get rid of the pain and humiliation. When he wasn’t drunk, we had some good times.” Jax smiled. “Yeah, he was okay, you know. He got dealt a shitty hand, that’s all. The Insurgents were my main family. Hawk was there for me all the time. I’ll never forget that. What kills me is seeing my fuckin’ mom at bike rallies. I can’t stand her. She treated my dad like pure shit.
    “Does your mom talk to you when she sees you?”
    Jax gritted, “Fuck no. She’s a bitch. She’s also Reaper’s old lady.”
    “Who’s Reaper?”
    “The asshole president of the Deadly Demons MC. Insurgents and Deadly Demons are rivals—we’ve hated each other since the clubs started. That’s what killed my dad the most—she fucked his arch enemy and threw it in his face. The bitterness ate away at him until there was nothing left of his old self. It was hard enough she slutted around, but hooking up with Reaper? It’s something I’ll never forgive her for.” Jax stared at the floor then combed his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, I can’t believe I’m telling you all this shit.”
    Cherri shrugged, a warmness spreading through her. She hoped she was the only woman he had told his feelings to. Stop being stupid, Cherri. Why does that matter? You’re just biding time; you’ll be leaving all this behind soon enough. Don’t get emotionally involved with this one.
    “So, your mom raised you?” His voice sliced through her thoughts, startling her.
    “Sorta. I mean, she remarried so I had a… you know… a stepfather.”
    “And how was that?”
    The minutes ticked by as the sun streamed into the quiet room, casting bright, rectangular patterns on the floor as a tree branch, swaying in the light breeze, scraped against the window. Jax watched Cherri; her eyes were flat, and her body was stiff. Recoiling from the present, she stood still as images from her past assaulted her mind: dark shadows approaching, locked doors pried open, hands touching her, thin lips crushing her mouth. The blood began to pound in her ears, the room seemed hotter, smaller, and Jax’s presence was suffocating…
    I have to get out, get away before I lose it, before—
    “Cherri, you okay? What’s going on?” Jax’s