Alice stirred awake, groaning as her cellphone rang obnoxiously on the nightstand. She squinted at the screen—8 AM. It was Friday, her supposed day off, and she was hoping to sleep in. With a groan, she reached for the phone.

"Susy, is everything okay?" Alice mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"Always." Susy chirped as though she was calling at noon. "I just wanted to talk about yesterday."

Alice sighed, already regretting picking up. "You could’ve waited until a reasonable hour, you know?"

"This is a reasonable hour," Susy countered, her tone playful.

"Yeah, for people who like mornings. Look, why don’t you just come over? The key’s still hidden in the same place as when we were kids." Alice shifted under the covers, eyes still half-closed.

"The old potted plant?" Susy sounded amused. "I remember that spot. Be there in ten!"

Alice hung up and stared at the ceiling, finally fully awake. Memories from last night rushed back, sending waves of fear and excitement through her. She groaned again, but this time it wasn’t the early wake-up call bothering her—it was Jax.

Kicking off the sheet, she stood up, stretching in her only remaining clothing: panties. It had been a hot night, literally and figuratively. Alice walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the hot water landed on her skin, she felt the tension in her muscles start to melt away, but her thoughts circled back to Jax and his infuriating smirk. Damn him.

Fresh from the shower, she walked into the kitchen wrapped in a towel, only to find Susy already unpacking groceries and cracking eggs into a frying pan like she owned the place.

"Morning." Susy greeted her, not even looking up as she expertly flipped an egg.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Make yourself at home, why don’t you?"

"Don't mind if I do," Susy grinned, pointing to her Spice Girls T-shirt. "Remember this shirt?" She wore it with a pair of snug blue jeans, her short brown hair bouncing around her freckled face as she moved.

Alice leaned against the counter, still clutching her towel. "What a night," she sighed.

Susy’s eyes sparkled as she slid a plate of scrambled eggs toward Alice. "Yeah, no kidding. So, what’s the deal with you and Jax? He looked like he knew you pretty well."

Alice immediately deflected, grabbing a fork. "It’s nothing. Just high school stuff."

Susy raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Alice, we’ve never lied to each other. Let’s not start now." She gave a teasing smile, but her eyes were sharp, waiting for the real story.

Alice hesitated, poking at her eggs. "Fine. Jax and I… well, we were supposed to go to prom together, but I bailed. I never told you guys about him and me. I was too embarrassed, and when Tony asked, I just… I went with him instead."

Susy’s eyes widened, her fork pausing mid-air. "No way. You ditched Jax for Tony? Looks like he’s out for revenge."

Alice groaned, pushing her plate away. "You think?"

"Well," Susy said, chewing thoughtfully, "how about we hit the drive-in tonight? Get your mind off things."

Alice smiled despite herself. "A drive-in sounds perfect. Let’s pretend we’re still teenagers—minus the whole motorcycle gang fiasco."

"Deal," Susy said, grinning. "But you’re bringing snacks."

They shared a laugh, the tension from earlier fading fast, though Alice couldn’t shake the feeling that her run-in with Jax was far from over.

A few hours later, Alice, Susy, Tony, and Ben gathered around Tony’s old pickup truck, parked in the back row of the drive-in. Tony had rigged the cargo bed with blankets and a small mountain of pillows, giving it a cozy vibe. They settled into the back with blankets wrapped around them, the night air warm but just cool enough to make the blankets feel luxurious. Susy immediately took charge of the popcorn, passing it around as the opening credits rolled on the massive screen in front of them. They laughed and joked, each tucked into their own little nest of warmth, reminiscing about high school nights just like this.

Alice's phone rang, vibrating urgently in her hand. She picked it up, but all she could hear was static and a faint, faraway voice calling her name.

“Hello...?” She moved away from the car and her friends, raising the phone in the direction of the parking lot. “Can you hear me now?”

As soon as she stood on the lot, the connection broke.

"Goddamnit!" She cursed, spinning around—only to walk straight into Jax.

Her hand immediately shot towards the knife in her boot but he was prepared for it this time, closing his hand around her wrist, mid move.

“Fool me once…” His rough voice matching his rough exterior.

Jax smirked, his grip firm as iron. He slowly began guiding her backward. Alice had no choice but to move with him if she did not wish to fall. Step by step, until she felt the cold metal of a nearby truck behind her. Before she could react, Jax lifted her up onto the open truck bed, nudging her legs apart to stand between them, his presence towering and commanding.

Alice was trapped and helpless, she struggled, her pulse racing as Jax tightened his hold on her wrist and waist.

“So what’s the plan here, Jax? Manhandle me into submission?” she sneered, tilting her chin up defiantly.

Jax smirked, his mouth barely inches from hers. “You’re not in charge here, Alice.” His voice was low and dark, his eyes locked on hers. “You know what I want. What I'm owed.”

"Has your mother never told you this? You can't always get what you want," she shot back, her eyes daring him.

He laughed, his breath warm against her cheek. “I’m a Viper,” he whispered, his hand sliding from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her closer. “We take what we want.” He leaned in, his lips closing in to claim her.

Alice’s mind raced, searching for anything to snap Jax out of his possessive trance. She suddenly smiled sweetly and murmured, “Good evening, Sheriff.”

The effect was immediate. Jax whipped his head around, loosening his grip just enough for Alice to twist free. She jumped up onto the truck bed, planting her foot against his chest, and shoved hard. He stumbled back, caught off guard, a look of both amusement and frustration in his eyes.

Alice jumped off the truck. “So easily distracted for a Viper.” she laughed before she quickly ran towards the exit.

Jax’s voice echoed behind her. “Run while you can, Alice. But this isn’t over.”

She didn’t look back, the thrill of escape sending an exhilarated chill down her spine as she disappeared into the night.

In her haste to escape, Alice found herself in a secluded, dark lot on the other side of the theater. A low rumbling sound echoed in the darkness, quickly growing louder. Headlights flooded the small parking space as four bikers approached, blocking any route back to her friends.

As the man on the lead bike turned off his engine and swung his leg off, Alice realized they weren't Vipers. The four guys, all fairly young, maybe late-twenties, were all wearing black leather jackets with the Reapers insignia.

“Hey, pretty lady. You want some company?” A bulky man with shaved head and a beard stared down at her.

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Alice shook her head. "No thanks."

He smiled, closing the distance. “Now, now. Why would a pretty girl like yourself be standing here all alone?” His hand brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and Alice caught sight of a raven tattoo on his arm. She was intrigued by the design and allowed her gaze to follow it.

The raven flew alone in shadow with the full moon rising behind it. The tattoo covered the entire right arm.

“You like my ink?”

Alice forced a smile. “It’s an interesting design.”

“What do you think of this one?” He held out his other arm, displaying a graphic tattoo of the Grim Reaper, blood dripping from a scythe over a dead body.

She swallowed but kept her cool. “Quite the statement.”

His grin widened. “I’m Cade, leader of the Reaper gang.”

Alice shook his hand and smiled. He suddenly didn’t seem so threatening. “I’m Alice, a writer."

"And what are you doing here alone in the dark, Alice the writer?"

She shrugged. "Escaping some unwanted attention."

Suddenly Cade tensed, glancing over her shoulder, and Alice followed his gaze to see a group of six Vipers emerging from the shadows. Eddie led the pack, his expression colder and more dangerous than Alice remembered.

Cade grabbed Alice and pushed her behind him. “Stay quiet.”

“What’s going on?” Alice whispered, quickly hiding behind her newfound friend.

Eddie’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “Cade.”

“Eddie.” Cade replied, moving Alice even more behind him.

“No one invited you here tonight, Cade. Take your men and leave?” Eddie’s voice was low but packed with menace.

Cade laughed. “We’re just here to say hello, neighbor.”

“Let the girl go.”

“I’m afraid I’m in the mood for some company.”

Cade’s men chuckled, and all of a sudden Alice did not feel so safe anymore.

“You’re making a mistake,” Eddie warned, taking another step forward. His men followed suit, creating a tense standoff.

Alice’s instincts screamed at her to run, but Cade tightened his grip on her arm.

“Where’s the big guy?”

“He’s coming.”

“Well, now. While we wait, why don’t we have a little chat?”

Alice swallowed back a sob as three more Reapers emerged from the shadows. That made the odds 7 to 6 in Cade's favor. This wasn’t some impulsive encounter—Cade had come prepared, fully intending to provoke a fight.

Eddie's glare could’ve burned holes in steel. “You don’t want this fight, Cade.”

Cade’s lips curled into a smirk. “We’ll see.” He glanced back at Alice, his eyes glinting with a predatory interest.

“Let her go, and we’ll talk,” Eddie said, voice thick with warning.

“Why, Eddie,” Cade taunted, “what is this woman to you?"

"Nothing, and quite frankly, I don't care what happens to her. But she's not part of this, and I don’t want any outsiders involved in our business," Eddie replied icily.

Cade turned to glance at her. He wasn’t fooled by Eddie’s explanation; he sensed something was off and that Alice was somehow valuable.

Whatever was going on, Alice wanted no part in it. She needed no further warning and slowly began to walk away, but the men at Cade’s side bunched together, blocking her exit.

"Release her. Now!" Jax’s voice cut through the chaos as he strode into the lot, his face a mask of lethal calm. The entire parking lot seemed to still as the Viper’s leader approached.

Suddenly, Cade let out a bark of laughter. “Ah, Jax. Come to join the party?”

Jax’s voice dropped to a deadly low. “That woman is in my territory. Let her go.”

“So, the big bad wolf has come to play?” Cade’s smile faltered at the sound of approaching sirens, their flashing lights colouring the distant trees in ominous red and blue hues.

“Do you really want to get caught by the law tonight, Cade?” Jax’s voice held a challenge.

Cade paused, then jerked his chin at his men. With a muttered curse, he released Alice, who quickly ran into Jax’s waiting arms. Cade shot them one last, furious look as he mounted his bike. “This isn’t over, Jax.”

Jax wrapped his arm protectively around Alice, keeping her close. “I’m counting on it, Cade.”

As the Reapers sped off into the night, Jax’s grip softened, his intense gaze diminishing just slightly as he looked down at her. “You alright?”

Alice nodded, the adrenaline leaving her shaky but steady.

“Good,” he said quietly. “Because we’re not done yet, either.”

As the police sirens echoed louder in the distance, Jax tightened his grip on Alice's wrist and pulled her urgently through the shadows of the parking lot to his motorcycle. He threw a leg over the side, revving the bike’s engine until it roared and vibrated underneath him. The sound drowned out everything else, the night swallowing it whole.

Jax’s intense gaze fixed on Alice. "Get on.” He waited impatiently, a hint of both passion and challenge glinting in his eyes as he nodded for her to join him.

Alice hesitated, glancing back toward the distant flashing lights. Part of her wanted to run, escape this entire situation, but she knew he would come after her. Jax would not let her go back to her friends. Not tonight. Not with that look in his eyes.

He had saved her tonight, pulled her out of a perilous situation, and that trust lingered just enough to make her move.

With a deep breath, Alice swung her leg over the bike, settling into the seat behind Jax. It was foreign and slightly terrifying. She could feel the power of the engine roaring beneath her, vibrating through her body.

“Put your hands around my waist,” Jax commanded, his voice low and forceful.

Tentatively, she leaned forward, put her hands around Jax's waist, and was hit with the scent of leather, cigarettes, and a delicious heady male odor.

Jax’s fingers clasped hers, pulling them tighter around him. "Hold on tight." Jax revved the engine once more, and Alice tightened her grip, her fingers digging in as the bike roared forward, slicing through the night like a blade.

They tore through the forest, the trees whirling by in a blur of shadows, his speed reckless yet precise.

Without warning, Jax pulled onto a narrow side road, guiding the bike deeper into the secluded woods until they burst into a small clearing that overlooked the valley, bathing in moonlight.

Alice's stomach tightened as she wondered exactly what Jax had planned.

Jax killed the engine, and silence fell, thick and heavy. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

Alice clambered off, her legs unsteady, her heart still racing. She wandered toward the edge, awestruck by the sweeping view of the valley. But as the quiet settled, she felt Jax’s presence looming behind her. She turned, catching the predatory gleam in his eyes as he slowly closed the distance between them.

Alice backed up as he advanced on her, his gaze never wavering. She was equal parts frightened and aroused by Jax and the determined way he moved.

He kept coming until a tree halted Alice's retreat, her back pressing against the rough bark. Her heart hammered as Jax came closer, stopping mere inches from her.

“Running doesn’t suit you, Alice,” he murmured, his voice a dark, teasing growl as he lifted her chin with a single finger, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. He studied her, letting the tension simmer, as if savoring her reaction.

Alice found she couldn’t look away, no matter how hard she tried.

Jax waited for any sign Alice didn’t want what he was going to do, or that Alice wasn’t as ready for it as he was.

She couldn’t speak, but found herself involuntarily moaning as Jax pulled her tightly up against him. She wanted what she thought Jax was promising—or maybe threatening.

Alice swallowed, unable to look away, and in that silence, Jax leaned in, capturing her mouth with a rough, demanding kiss.

Alice's initial shock dissolved as his arms enveloped her, pinning her against the tree, the heat between them rising. She felt the hardness of his chest against hers, his muscles tense with restrained strength. When his tongue teased hers, she gasped, her knees weakening, surrendering to the whirlwind of sensations.