Page 8 of Switch

She raises her eyebrows, looking like she’s about to argue, but then she shrugs. “Okay. Thanks.”

She leads the way up the short path to her porch, her arms crossed tightly against the cold. I follow close behind, scanning the shadows like that asshole Mike’s going to pop out ofnowhere. My gut is still burning from the idea of her being in the car with him—drunk, unpredictable, and clearly dangerous.

When we reach the door, she fumbles with her keys, letting out a nervous laugh. “You don’t have to worry. I’m fine, really.”

I cross my arms over my chest, leaning against the porch railing. “Fine’s not good enough,” I say, my voice gruff. “That guy was drunk, and he was ready to hit you. What if I hadn’t been there?”

She pauses, her keys halfway to the lock, and looks up at me. “You were there, though. And I’m home now. It’s over.”

I shake my head, the thought of her brushing this off twisting something deep inside me. “You don’t get it. Guys like that? They don’t just walk away. He’s angry and embarrassed. That makes him dangerous. What if he decides to show up here?”

Bella blinks, her eyes wide, and for a second, I feel bad for being so blunt. But she needs to understand the risk. “Jax,” she says softly, “I don’t think he’ll come back.”

“You don’t think,” I echo, my voice low. “That’s not good enough.”

She exhales, looking like she’s about to argue again, but I cut her off before she can.

“Here.” I pull my phone from my pocket and unlock it. “Give me your number.”

“What?” she asks, her brow furrowing.

“In case he shows up,” I explain, holding the phone out to her. “You call me. Doesn’t matter what time it is.”

She hesitates, her gaze flicking between me and the phone. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I do,” I say firmly. “It’s not up for debate.”

She stares at me for a moment longer before sighing and taking the phone. She punches in her number and hands it back to me, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“You’re pretty intense, you know that?” she says, her tone light.

I grunt, saving her number. “Better than being careless.”

Bella shakes her head, letting out a small laugh as she finally unlocks the door. She pauses in the doorway, turning back to me. “Thanks again, Jax. For everything.”

I nod, my eyes meeting hers. “Stay safe, Bella. And remember—if he comes back, you call me. No hesitation.”

She smiles, but it’s softer this time, more genuine. “I will.”

As she steps inside and closes the door, I stand there for a moment, staring at the wooden frame. My chest is tight, my mind spinning with everything that’s happened tonight.

I shouldn’t care this much. Hell, I barely know her. But as I walk back to my bike and fire up the engine, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the last time Bella’s going to turn my world upside down. And honestly? I don’t think I’d mind if she did.

The wind bites at my face as I ride back to the carnival, the roar of the bike filling the space in my head that would otherwise be looping over tonight’s chaos. Bella. That guy. It’s been a long time since someone’s made me feel like that and even longer since I’ve let myself think about it.

When I pull back into the gravel lot near the carnival, the familiar sounds of laughter, music, and the occasional scream from the rides greet me. I park my bike and exhale slowly, trying to shift back into work mode.

I shouldn’t have left. I know better. But hell, what kind of man sees someone in trouble and just walks away?

I head toward our post near the edge of the fairgrounds, where Rev and Blade are leaning against the fence, scanning the crowd. The second they spot me, Blade breaks into a shit-eating grin.

“Look who finally decided to rejoin the team,”Blade calls out, lifting his beer in mock celebration.“How was your little rescue mission?”

Rev shakes his head, smirking as he crosses his arms.“Yeah, man. You never leave your post, and then suddenly, you’re playing knight in shining armor? What gives?”

I stop in front of them, crossing my arms.“Had to make sure she got home safe.”

Blade snorts.“Oh, we know. We were the ones dragging that asshole away while you went all hero mode on her.”He tips his head at me.“So, what, you two ride off into the night together?”

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