12 Rounds

Chapter Four

Jax leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator, squeezing his eyes shut before blowing out a heavy breath. His knuckles burned and throbbed. His jaw wasn't much better. Or the side of his ribs. He'd taken one too many shots to the kidneys tonight, and his best bet was a hot shower, a beer or two, maybe some room service, and a good night's sleep.

They had to hit the road early tomorrow morning anyway, and he just didn't feel like hanging around the basement any longer than he really had to. The party was still raging, that was for sure, but all he wanted right now was some peace and quiet.

He could find that here.

No one batted an eye when he left. No one studied him with suspicion as he walked away. He could really just come and go as he pleased. Peace and quiet was waiting for him in his hotel room, and right about now, it felt like a gift.

He'd just rounded the corner of the hallway and was in the process of slipping his keycard out of his pocket when he stopped right in his tracks.

The flaming red hair was a dead giveaway, but it was the way she leaned casually against the door of his hotel room that set him on edge. He wasn't so sure he liked how she was smiling at him right now - with her mouth curling up one side of her face as her eyes flicked up and down the length of him, looking at him like he was good enough to eat.

She obviously sensed both his uneasiness and his hesitation, and so she pushed off his room door and slinked - fucking slinked - a little bit closer to close some of the space between them.

"I think you got the wrong room, darlin'," he called out warily. "Hap's down the hall in 413."

"Oh, I know where his room is," she smirked at him again, coming to a stop about three feet away from him. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced," she held out a hand, "Joanna St. Claire, but you're welcome to call me Jo."

His eyes dropped down to her extended hand, and he found himself hesitating yet again. Whatever this woman was after right now, it couldn't be good. But when she tilted her head to the side, sizing him up as her eyebrows lifted in challenge, he didn't really have much of a choice.

He slid his hand into hers to give it a light shake and pulled it back as quickly and as nonchalantly as he could. "Jax Teller. Nice to officially meet you. How'd you know where my room was?"

Jo shot him an exasperated look, as if to say, Come on, really? And then she just sidestepped his question completely. Not like he was really all that surprised.

"I heard you had a good fight tonight. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he replied a little uneasily as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Her mouth curled into a sly smirk. "Happy's expecting me, in case you were wondering. Liv's at home right now, in case you were wondering about that too. Our employer did not request the pleasure of our company for tonight's fight, so I dropped her off at our apartment after our last set and made my way back here for some more playtime."

Jax rubbed his mouth to hide his laugh, despite the way his knuckles screamed. She wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know, for the most part. If Putlova had asked Liv to be on the floor before, during, or after the fight, she would've been there. And he'd been looking for her too.

Then she startled him by holding out a folded piece of paper, gesturing with her head for him to take it.

"Got a present for ya."

His eyebrows dipped into a frown. He just didn't know what to make of all this - was Mrs. Robinson trying to seduce him, or did she have some other ulterior motive? After a beat of indecision, he reached for that piece of paper, only for her to pull it back at the last second.