12 Rounds

Chapter Twenty

Liv held on tight as Jax steered them into the parking lot, with Happy right next to them and Jo following behind in her car. The clubhouse for the Indian Hills charter loomed in front of them, and Liv and Jo exchanged a wary glance as Liv eased off the back of Jax's bike and Jo unbuckled her seat belt. It wasn't like they'd really known what to expect but... they hadn't really expected this.

It was just a building.

A pretty nondescript, generic building that could've easily been mistaken for a bar or a tiny apartment complex. There was really nothing special about it, and definitely nothing that made it stand out as a clubhouse for an MC, other than the long line of gleaming Harleys parked outside. And since there was really nothing special about it, there really wasn't anything scary about it either.

She blew out a deep breath, relaxing just a bit when Jax threw an arm over her shoulders and tucked her in tight.

"You ready, baby?" he murmured in her ear, and all that did was make her shiver. She was still buzzing from having both Jax and that roaring engine in between her legs for the last half hour, so he wasn't really helping her get a handle on everything right now.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Aw, you'll be fine," Jax winked at her before looking over his shoulder to make sure Happy and Jo were right on their heels.

Whatever nerves she might've had just needed to be pushed away, at least for now, because they were headed right for the entrance. Liv felt a little bit like she'd stepped outside her body when Jax pushed through the double doors with his free hand, still holding on tight with the other. The room they stepped into wasn't quite as smoky as she anticipated, but it was definitely in the air, right along with the scent of booze, sweat, and weed that hit her hard the second she stepped inside.

Just like the outside, the inside really just looked like a grimy, smoke-filled dive bar. With it's walls lined with just as many Harley decals as posters of scantily-clad women, neon lights, pool tables, and a line of ripped barstools by the bar off to the side, it was the kind of place her and Jo might normally steer clear of in Reno, if only because a place like that probably wouldn't really be safe for two women. To say she wasn't exactly impressed was an understatement - but this was part of Jax's life, which meant it was part of her life too.

"Jax!"

Liv's head turned at the gruff, albeit happy voice calling out to them and found a tall biker with a weather-beaten face and balding white hair headed straight for them with his arms open wide.

"Uncle Jury," Jax beamed back at him and then he unwound his arm from Liv's shoulders so they could meet in the middle, clapping their arms around each other.

Right after they released each other, Jury moved on to Happy, and it was more of the same, bro-hugs and all, and then Liv felt a hand at her back as Jax nudged her a little bit closer. He glanced down at her with almost as much excitement as last night, when he'd patiently waited until after dinner before hauling her over his shoulder again and dropping her onto their couch. But it was the pride shining in his eyes that hit her the hardest - he was proud to present her in front of this family friend who he'd known for years, and it was hard not to stand up on her tiptoes to kiss him at that moment.

"Uncle Jury, this is Liv Kelly, my ol' lady," Jax grinned like a fool between the two of them, and that grin only widened when Jury stepped closer to shake her hand. "Liv, this is my Uncle Jury."

Jury shook her hand before quickly pulling her in for a quick embrace, murmuring, "Nice to finally meet ya, Liv."

"You too," she smiled softly, suddenly feeling a little shy and more than a little on display. And as if he sensed that she needed him, Jax wound an arm around her shoulders again, tucking her into his side like he just knew that contact was exactly what she needed.