Cracks in the Armor

"You think you can just lock me in this damn cage and call it protection?" I spat, circling Jax in the training room like a cornered animal ready to bite back.

Sweat already slicked my skin under the harsh lights. The estate's training room smelled of rubber mats and polished wood, but right now all I could focus on was the man in front of me. Jax stood there, chest heaving, eyes locked on mine with that intense stare that used to make my knees weak. Not anymore.

"Careful, Avery," he said, voice low and rough. "You're pushing too hard."

"Too hard? You've been breathing down my neck every second since we got here. I can't even step outside without you or one of your guys shadowing me. What is this, Jax? Am I your partner or your prisoner?"

He stepped closer, muscles coiled under his black shirt. "You know why. After everything that's happened, I'm not losing you."

I laughed, short and bitter. "Losing me? You're the one driving me away with this control freak act. I need space to think, to breathe. My father taught me to stand on my own, not hide behind some overprotective wall."

Jax's jaw tightened. "Your father isn't here anymore. I am. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

"Whatever it takes?" I shot back, dodging as he lunged forward. "Including pinning me down like some training dummy? Back off, Jax."

He moved fast, faster than I expected. One second I was on my feet, the next my back slammed against the mat. His weight pinned me, knees on either side of my hips, hands gripping my wrists above my head. His face hovered inches from mine, breath hot against my cheek.

"See?" he growled. "This is what happens when you don't listen. Out there, they won't give you a chance to argue."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Part of me wanted to melt into him, the way I had before. But the anger won. "Get. Off."

"Make me," he challenged, eyes flashing with something between fury and desire.

I twisted my hips, remembering the move my father drilled into me during those long afternoons in our backyard. Quick, sharp, no hesitation. My legs hooked around his, and I bucked hard, rolling us both. Before he could react, I drove my elbow into the soft spot under his arm and followed with a knee that grazed his side just enough to break his hold.

Jax grunted in surprise as I flipped him onto his back. I straddled him now, forearm pressed against his throat. "Like that?" I said, breathing hard. "Dad taught me that one when I was twelve. Said never let anyone hold you down, not even the ones you love."

He stared up at me, chest rising and falling rapidly. For a moment, his expression softened. "Avery... damn it. I didn't know you had that in you."

"You don't know a lot of things because you never ask," I snapped, easing up just a fraction but not letting go. "You just decide what's best and expect me to fall in line. I'm not some fragile thing you need to wrap in bubble wrap, Jax. I lost my father. I survived that. I can survive whatever's coming next, but not if you keep suffocating me."

His hands came up slowly, resting on my thighs. Not fighting, just holding. "I see you, okay? I see how strong you are. But strength doesn't mean you have to do it alone. Every time I close my eyes, I picture them taking you. And it rips me apart."

The raw edge in his voice hit me harder than I wanted. I shifted my weight, still keeping him pinned. "Then talk to me instead of barking orders. Tell me what's really going on with these threats. Don't shut me out."

"I can't risk it," he muttered. "If they know how much you mean to me, they'll use you. They already tried once."

"Who are they, Jax? Give me a name. A reason. Stop treating me like I'm glass."

His fingers tightened on my legs. "You think I like this? Feeling like I have to watch every door, every window? It eats at me too. But you're everything, Avery. Everything I didn't know I needed until you crashed into my life."

I leaned closer, our faces almost touching. "Then trust me enough to fight beside you, not behind you. I love you, you idiot, but I won't be your shadow."

His eyes searched mine, dark and stormy. "Say that again."

"I love you," I whispered fiercely. "But love doesn't mean control. It means standing together."

A small smile tugged at his lips despite everything. "You're going to be the death of me, woman. Fine. We talk more. No more solo decisions on your movements. But you train with me every day. No arguments."

"Deal," I said, starting to pull back. "Now get up before I decide to keep you down here."

He chuckled low in his throat. "Wouldn't mind that actually."

I rolled my eyes and shifted to stand, offering him a hand. He took it, pulling himself up with that easy strength that always reminded me why he was so dangerous. We stood close, the air between us crackling.

"Feel better now that you kicked my ass?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

"A little," I admitted. "But this conversation isn't over. I want details on the security. The real ones, not the sugarcoated version you feed me."

Jax nodded, squeezing my hand. "Tonight. After dinner. I'll show you the maps, the reports. Everything."

"Good. Because if you pull that pinning me down crap again outside of training, I'll use more than my elbow next time."

He grinned, the tension easing just a notch. "Promise?"

"Don't tempt me."

We stood there a moment longer, breaths syncing up. The room felt smaller, warmer. For the first time in days, I saw a crack in his armor, a glimpse of the man who fell for me instead of the protector who wanted to build walls around me.

"Jax," I started, voice softer now.

But the words died in my throat.

A sharp crack split the air above us. Then another. High-caliber gunshots exploded through the glass ceiling like thunder. Shards rained down in a deadly shower, glittering under the lights as they sliced toward us.

"Down!" Jax roared, yanking me hard against his chest and throwing us both to the mat.

I hit the ground with him covering me, his body a solid shield. More shots ripped through the air, bullets whining past and embedding in the far wall with heavy thuds. Glass continued to shatter and fall, pieces cutting into my arms where they stuck out.

"Who the hell is that?" I gasped, heart slamming against my ribs.

"Stay low," he ordered, voice tight. His hand pressed my head down. "They found us."

Another volley shattered more of the ceiling. I could hear footsteps now, distant but closing in from outside the estate grounds. Jax's muscles tensed against me, ready to move.

"We need to move, Avery. Now. Stay with me."

I nodded, gripping his shirt. "Together, remember?"

"Together," he confirmed, eyes meeting mine for a split second amid the chaos.

He pulled me up into a crouch, shielding me as we darted toward the reinforced door at the far end of the training room. Glass crunched under our feet. My pulse raced, adrenaline flooding every vein.

"Keep talking to me," I said, voice breathless as we ran. "Don't you dare shut down on me now."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, kicking open the door and pushing me through first. "You fight like your old man. Proud of you."

"Save the compliments," I shot back, glancing over my shoulder at the destruction behind us. "Just tell me you've got a plan that doesn't involve locking me in a safe room."

His laugh was short and sharp as alarms began to blare throughout the estate. "Plan's evolving, babe. But yeah, we're doing this side by side."

More gunshots echoed from outside, closer now. We sprinted down the hallway, his hand firm on mine. The confrontation that started in the training room had cracked open something between us, but the real fight was just beginning.

I squeezed his hand tighter. No more suffocating silence. Only us, pushing forward through whatever storm came next.