Jaxon, page 1
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2025 Winter Sloane
ISBN: 978-0-3695-1198-0
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. No AI Training permitted.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
DEDICATION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
DEDICATION
To my readers, I hope you enjoy Jaxon and Harper’s story as much as I loved writing it.
JAXON
Iron Sentinels MC, 2
Winter Sloane
Copyright © 2025
Chapter One
Jaxon Reeves leaned against his bike, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd gathered at the town’s community event.
The air was filled with the sounds of laughter, chatter, and the occasional clinking of glasses. He was never one for social gatherings, but his loyalty to the Iron Sentinels MC meant showing up for events like this when the club’s presence was required.
At thirty-eight, Jaxon had seen more than his fair share of the world’s rough edges. The scars he carried were proof of his loyalty to his club—a family that had been there when his own hadn’t given a damn about him.
Still, he harbored some regrets when it came to his personal life.
As his gaze wandered, it landed on a familiar figure in the distance. Harper Davis. He recognized her immediately, despite the three years that had passed since they’d spoken. She was chatting with someone, her smile lighting up her face, but there was an edge to her, a guardedness he didn’t remember.
Jaxon felt a stirring in his chest, a mix of curiosity and something deeper he couldn’t quite name. She was the one who got away—no, the one who left. Their brief but intense relationship had ended abruptly, and he never fully understood why.
One day, Harper was there, filling his world with light and laughter, and the next, she was gone—vanished without a trace, leaving him with nothing but unanswered questions and a hollow ache he couldn’t quite shake.
He’d replayed their last moments together countless times, trying to decipher where things had gone wrong, but the silence she left behind offered no clues. Now, seeing her again, it was as if no time had passed, yet everything felt different. Harper hadn’t changed much, she was still as beautiful and captivating as he remembered.
Her dark hair fell in soft waves around her face, catching the light in a way that made his chest tighten. Her eyes—those deep, soulful blue eyes—held a familiar spark, a warmth that had always drawn him in. But there was something else, something new and unsettling. A tension in her posture, a guardedness that hadn’t been there before. It was as if she was bracing herself for something, or perhaps protecting herself from him.
They’d been so good together. He could still remember the taste of her lips, the soft curves of her body pressed up against him. How their bodies felt like a perfect fit in the bedroom. Jaxon couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in the years they’d been apart to make her so wary. His instinct was to reach out, to bridge the distance between them and find the answers he’d longed for.
But the look in her eyes stopped him short. She wasn’t the same woman he’d fallen for. Still, for the first time in years, he wanted to reconnect, to find out what truly went wrong between them. Jaxon pushed off the bike and started toward her, weaving through the crowd with a calm, measured stride.
As he approached, Harper turned, her eyes widening slightly when they met his. The smile on her face faltered for a moment before she regained her composure.
“Harper,” Jaxon greeted, trying to keep his voice controlled. “Been a while.”
She nodded, her expression guarded. “Jaxon. It has.”
There was an awkward silence, the air between them thick with unspoken words.
Jaxon searched her face, trying to read the emotions flickering in her eyes. She looked ... nervous. But why?
“How’ve you been?” he asked, his tone softening.
“Good,” she replied, glancing around as if searching for an escape. “Busy with the bookstore.”
He nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I’ve been meaning to stop by. Check out what you’ve got.”
Her eyes darted away, a faint blush creeping up her neck. “You should. We’ve got a lot of new titles in.”
There it was again—that distance, that hesitation. Jaxon felt a pang of frustration. He wanted to close the gap between them, to understand why she seemed so determined to keep him at arm’s length.
Before he could ask more, a small voice interrupted them. “Mommy?”
Jaxon’s gaze dropped to the little girl who had appeared at Harper’s side, clutching a book to her chest. She looked up at him with wide, curious green eyes that felt oddly familiar.
His heart skipped a beat as he took in her features—dark hair, green eyes just like his own. Something clicked in his mind, a realization that left him breathless.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Harper said, her voice softening as she crouched down to the child’s level. “This is Jaxon.”
The little girl offered him a shy smile, and Jaxon’s chest tightened. He crouched down too, his eyes never leaving her face. “Hey there,” he said gently. “What’s your name?”
“Mia,” she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mia. The name echoed in Jaxon’s mind, a storm of emotions brewing beneath his calm exterior.
He looked up at Harper, his gaze questioning, searching. But she avoided his eyes, her expression unreadable. Jaxon stood slowly, his mind racing. Those eyes. Harper’s dark hair. The best of him and her. There was no denying it now—this little girl was his daughter. The realization hit him like a freight train, and he struggled to keep his composure.
“Nice to meet you, Mia,” he said, his voice steady but strained. “I hope I see you around.”
Harper gave him a tight smile, her hand resting protectively on Mia’s shoulder. “We should get going. It was good to see you, Jaxon.”
“Yeah,” he replied, his eyes locked on hers. “You too.”
As Harper led Mia away, Jaxon stood rooted to the spot, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
His heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts a chaotic swirl of confusion, anger, and something deeper—something he couldn’t quite name yet.
Mia. His daughter. It was like a punch to the gut. He had never imagined this moment would come, especially not like this. Jaxon had thrown himself fully into club affairs over the past few years, but if he knew about Mia, a child—his child—maybe he would have...
Jaxon shook his head, willing himself to stay calm. He couldn’t change the past. Jaxon flexed his fingers at his sides, the need to do something, anything, gnawing at him.
He couldn’t just let this moment pass. There were too many unanswered questions, too many things left unsaid. But the look on Harper’s face, the way she had avoided his gaze, told him this wasn’t a simple situation.
He turned on his heel, making his way toward his bike. He needed time to think, but time was the one thing he didn’t have. This wasn’t something he could just let slide.
Mia was his daughter, his flesh and blood. And Harper had kept this from him. Why? What had happened all those years ago that had led to this moment?
Jaxon’s mind raced as he threw his leg over his bike, the engine roaring to life beneath him. The sound of the motorcycle cut through the air, but it did nothing to silence the chaos in his head.
He didn’t know what he was going to do yet, but he knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t going to let Harper slip away from him again. Not this time. Not with a daughter involved.
As he pulled out of the parking lot, his mind kept drifting back to Mia and that soft smile she’d given him. The way she seemed so much like Harper, but also ... different. The way she looked at him with those big green eyes, so curious, so trusting. How could Harper have kept her from him all this time?
Jaxon gripped the handlebars harder, his knuckles whitening. He didn’t know what he expected, what he was hoping for when he left her all those years ago, but this wasn’t it. He wasn’t prepared for this. But he was prepared to fix it.
****
Later that evening, Jaxon couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that clung to him like a second skin. He had no idea how to approach Harper, or if she’d even let him close enough to ask the questions burning in his gut.
She had shut him out once before, and she’d done it again—this time with a child. A child he had every right to know.
His mind went back to the way she’d looked at him earlier. She was still the same Harper he remembered, beautiful and independent, but there was something else there now. A hardness in her eyes, a layer of protection around her heart. And Mia—G od, Mia. Jaxon’s throat tightened as he remembered the way the little girl had whispered his name, as if she knew him, as if she’d always known him. That was the moment he realized how much he had missed.
Pulling into the Iron Sentinels clubhouse, Jaxon cut the engine and leaned back against the bike. He’d been here enough times to know what to expect, but tonight, everything felt different. The tension in his chest wouldn’t ease, and all he could think about was Harper and Mia.
He took a deep breath, trying to shake the storm of emotions that swirled inside him, and walked toward the clubhouse. He didn’t know what he was going to say when he saw Harper again. He didn’t even know if she was going to let him get close enough to speak. But he knew he had to try. For Mia. For them.
Inside the clubhouse, the usual noise and camaraderie surrounded him, but Jaxon barely registered it. His brothers called out greetings, but he only gave distracted nods, his mind still fixed on the woman and child who had just walked into his life in the most unexpected way.
He found his VP, Gunner, sitting at the bar with a few of the other guys. Gunner raised an eyebrow when he noticed Jaxon’s somber mood, but didn’t say anything right away.
“You okay, man?” Gunner asked, his voice low and knowing.
Jaxon let out a breath and took a seat next to Gunner. “Yeah, I’m good. Just got something to figure out.”
Gunner’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Something like what?”
Jaxon rubbed his face, trying to push down the wave of frustration that threatened to surface.
“Harper,” he finally said. “She’s got a kid. My kid.”
Gunner’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “A kid? You’re sure?”
“Yeah,” Jaxon replied. “I saw her today. Mia ... that’s her name. She’s mine.”
Gunner leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s a lot to take in, man.”
Jaxon nodded, his gaze distant as he thought about Harper’s face, the way she’d looked at him when Mia had been introduced. She had wanted to say something, he could feel it. She had wanted to tell him, but she hadn’t. And now, here he was, holding onto a truth that should’ve been his from the start.
“Any idea why she kept this from you?” Gunner asked.
Jaxon’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know. But I plan to find out.”
Gunner gave a knowing look. “You should talk to her, Jaxon. Figure it out. Don’t let her shut you out again.”
“I won’t,” Jaxon said, his voice hardening. “Not this time.”
He stood up and made his way to the door, his steps firm. Gunner called out behind him, “Good luck, brother. You’ll need it.”
Jaxon didn’t reply. He had one mission now: to find Harper, to get the answers he needed, and to make things right for Mia. Whatever it took.
Chapter Two
Harper sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she stood next to her car, its hood propped open in a futile gesture of hope.
The late afternoon sun beat down on her and she could feel a thin sheen of sweat forming at her temples. Her blouse clung to her skin, uncomfortable and damp, but it was the least of her concerns.
She stared at the engine as if willing it to miraculously fix itself, though she knew next to nothing about cars. The car had sputtered to a stop a few blocks from her bookstore, a situation she had no idea how to resolve. She should have called a tow truck, but that would’ve meant relying on someone else, and right now, she couldn’t afford to ask for help.
The bookstore had closed an hour ago, and all Harper wanted was to get home to Mia. To get back to her little bubble of safety and routine. The only bright part of her day had been hearing Mia’s giggles earlier, the way her daughter’s bright energy filled the house. But that moment felt far away now, just out of reach as she stood alone by the roadside.
The engine of her car was completely dead, and she was about to start walking home when the low, familiar rumble of a motorcycle made her stop in her tracks. The sound grew louder as the bike approached, the roar of the engine vibrating through her chest. Harper’s heart skipped a beat, a flutter of something too familiar stirring deep inside her.
She’d been doing her best to push all thoughts of Jaxon out of her mind, but the universe clearly had other plans. She turned toward the sound, her breath catching when she saw him. Jaxon. He was riding his usual bike, a black, custom Harley, sleek and imposing. As if everything about him had been designed to stand out.
He slowed as he neared, his gaze locked on hers, his expression unreadable. For a fleeting second, Harper considered ducking behind her car, pretending she hadn’t seen him, that this wasn’t happening. But it was too late. He was already here.
With a soft whirr, the engine cut out, and Jaxon dismounted in a fluid motion, his movements smooth and practiced. He didn’t look at the car, his focus was entirely on her.
And that gaze—those sharp, dark green eyes that seemed to see right through her—suddenly felt too heavy to bear. His presence, as always, was overwhelming. Like a storm she didn’t want to face but couldn’t avoid.
“Harper,” Jaxon’s voice was low, familiar, like the rumble of his bike. “Need a hand?”
She swallowed hard, her mind racing. What was he doing here? Did he know she’d been avoiding him? Had he figured it out somehow?
There was a part of her, the part that still remembered the heat between them, that wanted to step forward, let him hold her, take the burden away. God, they’d been so good together, in and out of bed. She remembered how solid he felt, the demanding press of his mouth on hers. The possessive way he held her, the way he looked at her, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. But another part of her—the part that had learned to protect herself—wanted to shut it all down before it even started.
“Jaxon,” she replied, her voice a little too sharp, though she couldn’t help it.
He had a way of making her feel exposed, like he could strip her of all the layers she’d carefully wrapped around herself. She ran a hand through her hair, glancing at the car and then back at him, feeling the weight of the silence stretching between them.
“Car’s dead,” she added, the words coming out too casually, but she had no idea how else to fill the space.
Jaxon’s brow furrowed as he glanced at her car, then back to her. “Mind if I take a look?”
She hesitated. She had never wanted to need help, especially not from Jaxon. Not after everything. But something in his expression—the softness beneath his usual ruggedness—made her heart twist.
She knew he wasn’t offering out of obligation. He had always been like that, protective in a way that made her feel both safe and uncomfortable. But letting him help? Letting him back into her life?
“It’s fine,” she said, her words tight, and she forced a smile she didn’t feel. “I was just about to walk home.”
Jaxon raised an eyebrow, his stance widening as he looked at her with that unwavering intensity. “In those shoes?” he asked, his voice dry but amused.
Harper glanced down at her sandals, suddenly acutely aware of how impractical they were for a walk.
“I can manage,” she said, her voice more clipped than she intended. She tried to walk past him, but the movement felt stiff, like her body was betraying her.
“Harper,” Jaxon’s voice was firm now.
He dismounted then stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He searched her face like he was trying to decipher a puzzle. Harper was being ridiculous and she knew it.
“Let me take a look,” he repeated.
After taking a deep breath, she relented. “Sure, if you want. I’m not sure what’s wrong.”
Jaxon moved to the front of the car and peered under the hood, his hands deftly checking connections and wires. Harper couldn’t help but watch him, the way he moved with purpose, his focus entirely on the task at hand.
“Looks like a dead battery,” he said after a few minutes, wiping his hands on his jeans. “I’ve got jumper cables at the clubhouse, but it’s a bit of a ride. I can give you a lift, or I can call someone to help.”
Harper’s first instinct was to refuse. The idea of being so close to Jaxon again, of sharing that space, was overwhelming. But the alternative—walking home—was honestly less appealing. And besides, Mia and the babysitter she hired were waiting for her.
