Page 68 of Baja
He grins, and I know I’m screwed. “You lose,” he says, and I brace for an inevitable impact that never comes. Instead, I find myself locked in a gaze with my uncle’s face—his features twisted in pain.
The idiot, the stupid son-of-a-bitch, took the bullet meant for me.
Something snaps inside me.
I don’t think.
I move.
Side-stepping and lunging at Havoc, tackling him to the ground. His gun goes off, but the shot misses. We grapple for control. The bastard has an advantage over me, his strength outweighing mine, but pure uncontrollable rage gives me the extra edge I need. I rip the weapon from his hand and slam the back of the pistol into his face, over and over, until his resistance fades.
Breathing hard, I stand and aim the gun at his head.
“Do it.” He snarls, blood dripping from his busted mouth. “You can kill me, but this doesn’t end with me. You and your club are dead.”
I don’t hesitate to give the motherfucker what he’s asking for and pull the trigger.
The room falls silent except for the ragged sounds of my breathing. I turn and find my uncle on the floor and drop to my knees beside him. “What the fuck were you thinking?” I shrug off my cut, pressing firmly against his blood-soaked chest.
He looks at me, his face pale and his breathing shallow. “Nash, I need to tell you somethin’ before death takes me.” He coughs, spitting blood.
“You ain’t fuckin’ dying on me, old man. You hear me?”
He gasps for air, each breath a battle as warm blood continues seeping from the wound in his chest. With every desperate cough, more crimson bubbles up his throat, filling his mouth. His hand fumbles until it covers mine. “I should’ve told you… years ago.”
“I know.” My throat tightens, already knowing what he wants to confess. “Now shut up and save your strength.”
His eyes remain on me, filled with regret. “Can you forgive me?”
I swallow the lump of emotion in my throat and nod, my voice breaking, “I forgive you, old man. But you gotta hang on. You don’t get to say goodbye.”
A faint smile touches his lips. “You’re a good man, Nash. Better than I ever was.” His breathing becomes more irregular. “Take care of Lily.” He gets a far-off look in his eyes. “I love ya, kid.” His hand slackens, slipping off mine as one final breath leaves his body, causing me to release a raw, guttural cry at the top of my lungs.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but the roar of engines finally rips me from my grief-stricken stupor. I grab the gun I used to kill Havoc and make my stand. My brothers burst into the building, finding me kneeling by Jax’s body, my hands covered in his blood, ready for battle. I lose my grip on the weapon, letting it clatter on the concrete floor, feeling every bit of energy I’ve been grasping onto leaving my body. I try standing, but my legs give out.
“Let’s go, brother.” Mystic helps me stand. “I’ve got you.”
“I’m not leavin’ my father.” I give him the title he deserves as I look down on him. The pain in my chest is damn near unbearable, and it has nothing to do with my physical injuries.
Salem and Harlem stand close by, their presence anchoring. “Laredo’s on his way with the ride,” he says firmly, eyes gleaming with resolve. “None of us are going anywhere. Our family stays together, every single one of us, including Jax,” he declares, his voice filled with unwavering conviction.
25
BAJA
Several Days Later.
The rain starts before dawn. The summer shower is a slow drizzle at first, but by the time we gather around the grave, it’s coming down steadily as if the universe is grieving with us, gray clouds hanging low in the sky, pressing down on us.
We gather in a semi-circle, the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves hanging heavily in the air. When Salem proposed that we lay Jax to rest here at the clubhouse, my family and I agreed without hesitation. Jax, a true lone wolf, lived freely on the road. And now it feels right for him to find his final resting place with the Fallen Ravens MC.
I glance around. My brothers stand shoulder to shoulder, their cuts soaked. Close by, Sage, Sukie, and Juniper huddle under a large umbrella while Ophelia remains inside the clubhouse, out of the rain, with Lorelei, and Sage and Salem’s girl, Ashlyn. Then I look at my folks, my mom holding onto Dad, her face pale, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. Lucy stands beside them, tucked against Dad’s side.
To my right, Alice squeezes my hand, her strength and presence keeping me grounded as always. Lily stands at my left, her hand resting on her swollen belly, silently staring at the casket, still in shock. I step forward, my boots sinking into the mud.
The words churning in my head get stuck in my throat, but I force them out. “He was a brother, a biker, an uncle… a father. But, to me, he was more than that.” The rain beats down harder, soaking through my cut. My eyes lock on the casket. “Most of my life, I knew him as Uncle Jax, the man who taught me how to ride, gave me my first tattoo gun, taught me the trade… he had my back when I screwed up and kicked my ass when I needed it.”
I pause a beat, then take a deep breath and continue, “Aside from my dad, he was the toughest son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever known. Even though he was in and out of my life through the years, he was someone I could count on, and I loved him for it.” I pause again, swallowing hard, the lump in my throat feeling like it’s going to choke me but I push through.
