Coyote was about to get into his car instead of standing under the hot sun, still trying to wrap his head around what the cryptic hand gesture from the men in the black sedan meant, when his phone rang. The screen lit up with Jax’s name.He pressed the answer button. “Yo.”“Hey, bro,” Jax's voice came through, breathless and hoarse, like he’d been running, or, more accurately, thrusting. “I just saw that you called me. What’s up?”Coyote smirked. “I hope you finished before you called me? Did you finish?”There was a pause, then Jax laughed, instantly catching on. “Dude, are you at my apartment?”“Yeah, I was. I’m downstairs by the curb now, and I heard what you were doing with your woman. The whole of Miami heard what you were doing with her. Dude, you’re going to wear her out.”“Man, shut up. You act like I should be sorry,” Jax replied, chuckling. “Taissa says hi, by the way.”Before Coyote could say anything back, the line went dead. Quite typical of Jax to hang up before he could

Jax was pacing like a caged animal, muttering “fuck” every other breath, each one louder than the last. His fingers kept dragging through his messy hair, shoulders tight, jaw locked.Coyote leaned against the Chevy, watching him like you’d watch a fuse burn down.“Dude, cut it out,” he finally said, voice low but steady. “What do you mean when you said, “I’m marked?””Jax stopped mid-step. He looked like he’d just run ten blocks, breathing hard, eyes sharp. “The Lucci family just staked their claim on you.”Coyote frowned. “Claim?”“They own you now,” Jax said, like he hated every word. “The Luccis run the underground racing scene here. You know, that race you won? The one you barely walked away from? That’s theirs. And now… so are you.”It immediately dawned on Coyote slowly, like ice water seeping under his skin.“You’re serious?”“I’ve been trying to tell you!” Jax’s voice cracked with frustration. “I warned you not to race that night. And I have been warning you for weeks. But you