Chapter 14 - Packing the Saddlebags
The rumble of a heavy-duty motorcycle echoed through the clearing as Jax rolled a gleaming, meticulously polished vintage chopper out from the shed behind the cabin. It wasn't an Iron Skulls bike; it was an old machine he had restored piece by piece during his years in isolation, waiting for a day he wasn't sure would ever come.
Leo watched in absolute amazement, his big hazel eyes shining with excitement as he tied his small canvas duffel bag to the rear sissy bar. The fear and uncertainty of the diner confrontation felt like a lifetime away. Now, there was only the open road stretching out before them under an endless blue sky.
“Is this the bike from the picture?” Leo asked, running his hand reverently along the chrome handlebars.
“No, kid. This is a better one,” Jax answered, strapping a sturdy leather helmet onto Leo’s head and buckling it securely under his chin. “And this time, we’re riding it together. No looking back, no running from ghosts.”
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Leo climbed up onto the passenger seat behind the saddle, wrapping his small arms securely around Jax’s waist just like the baby in the faded photograph all those years ago. Jax straddled the heavy machine, kicking the starter pedal. The engine roared to life with a deep, rhythmic thunder that vibrated through both of their chests—a heartbeat of pure freedom.
Jax twisted the throttle, and the chopper rolled forward, leaving the dark shadows of the cabin behind as they headed out onto the sunlit highway that led toward the horizon.
