Jaded: (Beautiful Biker MC Romance Series), page 36
We were working on a plan to draw them out for that, then take them out by getting the rest of them arrested after they stole another shipment of motorcycles and accessories that would not include saddlebags filled with drugs and cash as expected. And that could get them out of our hair for good, particularly given that Alec Wylde was not well liked in prison and Torque told us he’d heard word that Jackals inside would not last long because of ongoing beefs with inmate gangs related to the cartel the Jackals had pissed on.
Deacon and I had wasted some time trying to help the cartel. We wasted time strategizing and then driving to Casper for nothing. The goods they wanted, the hostage they wanted back was a dead end. Deke hoped our efforts of planning, traveling, and updating them on it all would eliminate the favor we owed. But they told us they’d need our help with something else instead, which did not make Deke happy.
***
Gigi was phoning me. It was early, before seven in the morning, and I answered the phone with a miserable, “Yeah?”
“Shoot, did I wake you up?”
I rubbed my eyes. “Don’t worry about it. What’s up?”
“It’s that obvious?”
“You usually call me with a sweet ‘good morning, Jesse’ in that breathy voice that I feel in my cock. That’s not how you greeted me just now. So, what’s up?”
She sighed.
“Spit it out, G.”
“I wanted to call you last night when I found out, but you said you were busy yesterday, and… and… I hoped you were up already for work. Sorry to wake you up.”
“I’m up now. Found out what?”
She said nothing.
“G,” I pushed.
“Sorry, I’m just… flabbergasted. She… I don’t believe her.”
“It’s too fuckin’ early in the morning for this. Spit it out, woman.”
“Never mind. I’ll just call you later.”
“Do not pull that martyr shit on me, Gianna. Fuck.”
“You’re bein’ prickly when I’m already frazzled. Maybe I should just call you back.”
“Woman…”
“It’s Aunt Francie,” she blurted.
“Who else?” I muttered. “What she do?”
“Get this: she has over three hundred thousand dollars in the bank.”
“Huh?”
“She got denied for a free nurse. And she wasn’t telling me why. Trying to play it off. I found out from Delia who found out from Trudy it’s because she can afford a nurse.”
“Ah.”
“She can afford a nurse! Ten nurses. And she could’ve afforded a lot. Including helping me with Kailey’s cremation. It was only a little over a thousand dollars for the cremation, not that she should have to pay for something like that by default, but she told me she wouldn’t be able to pay even if it was me that was murdered. She actually said that. You heard it, didn’t you?”
“I heard it.”
“I wasn’t sure where she could’ve gotten that money. Had to be that Great Uncle Billy left it to her when he died. Timing checks out. She moved into this place a couple months after he died. Seems Uncle Billy inherited money when his wife died years earlier from her life insurance, but was a simple guy so lived like he had nothing. If that’s where this came from, which… I think it has to be; this means she’s had it for like… almost ten years. So she’d let someone else worry about my final expenses if it was me, just leave me in a drawer in the morgue and wash her hands of me. So that’s just… infuriating. Complains about money constantly. Always talking about having trouble making rent. I’m so angry I’m not even whispering, and I don’t even care if she hears me.”
“I can see why you’re pissed.” I got out of bed and pulled a pair of workout shorts on, then wandered down the hall to take a leak. “But good news. She doesn’t have to be your problem anymore. You can go from being her hostage to comin’ back to be mine.”
“This also means that when she tried to get me to sell Uncle Billy’s guitar to make rent, she didn’t even need the money never mind have rent to pay because she probably bought this place. Gah!”
I passed Skip in the hall. He was in his doorway, kissing a busty redhead who was on her way out.
I rolled my eyes as I passed him to head into the john.
“I miss you,” she said softly.
“Yeah, gettin’ a little tired of hearing that,” I muttered. “Gonna take a leak. One sec.”
When I finished washing my hands, then splashing cold water on my face and dabbing it with a towel, I hauled the phone out of my shorts pocket.
“I’m back. Babble on.”
“You’re sick of hearing it,” she said softly.
I clenched my jaw and ran a hand through my hair.
“Sick of me missing you,” she went on sadly. “Knew I was gonna mess this up.”
“Yeah, cuz I’m sick of missing each other when we don’t need to. Come home. Tell her to hire her own nurse, that you’re sick of her bullshit abuse, and fuckin’ come home to your man, Gigi.”
She sighed. “Is it crazy that I kinda still feel like I can’t abandon her?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh.”
“So, you’re down to abandon me then?” I snapped.
The phone was quiet for a beat, then, “That’s not fair, Jesse.”
So I added, “It sure as fuck isn’t. I know you’re worried about your aunt, but she treats you like shit and this latest bullshit just proves she doesn’t deserve your effort. Time to come where you’re wanted and appreciated.”
“By you, not anyone else there. They-”
“Am I not enough?”
“Of course you are.”
“I’m picking you up tonight.”
“I need a little more time, Jesse.”
“Time for what? Fuck sakes, woman. We’ve been together a couple months. How much time we spend together lately? How is this gonna become something if we hardly see each other?”
“Become something? It already is something. To me. It’s everything, Jesse.”
“Prove it, G. Can’t get deeper with you when you’re this many miles away.”
“I… I’m gonna tell her she has to sort out a nurse. Give her time to do that. And then I’ll be back.”
“When?”
“I…” She held the phone.
“Fuck me,” I muttered, heading back down the hall and went to the kitchen. There was no goddamn coffee made. “Fuck,” I clipped. “I need coffee. I’ll call you back after I get some into me.”
“Okay,” she said softly. “Sorry I woke you up and put you in a salty mood.”
“Call you back on my lunch hour instead, actually. Got a bullshit morning lined up. Bye.” I ended the call.
***
I slammed the hood of the car I was working on and threw the greasy rag into the bucket in the corner.
“Sit on your balls on the throne this mornin’ or what?” Rider clipped from the doorway.
“Fuck knows,” I muttered and grabbed my clipboard and pen to update the work order.
“You’re one miserable fucker this morning,” he informed.
He was not wrong. I was a miserable fucker today. I wanted to ride. Break something. Pick a fight, maybe.
“Fuckin’ bullshit with G.”
“Ah,” Rider replied. “Wanna vent? Go for it.”
I put the clipboard down.
“If she was away from me taking care of someone who appreciated it, I could hack it. I’d feel like a complete dick if I was salty because she was off doin’ a good deed for someone who deserved it. But that woman she’s waiting on hand and foot is fuckin’ vile. Treats G like garbage.”
“That’s rough, brother,” Ride replied. “Kidnap her. Bring her home and cuff her to your bed.” He shrugged and cracked open an energy drink.
“I’d laugh that off, brother, but I happen to know you mean it.”
“It worked.” Ride shot me a grin as he reached into his toolbox then pulled out a screwdriver.
“That, it did,” I observed.
Ride had me and Bront abduct Jenna for him. The little hellcat was furious. It was for Jenna’s safety and now they lived together, and he was always goin’ on about ring shopping, so it worked out.
“I’m not givin’ it much more time. She needs to wise up or I’m done,” I stated. “Tired of this bullshit.”
“Brother,” Deacon called out from underneath the car beside me. “Whether the aunt deserves the help or not, your girl doesn’t have it in her to desert her. Don’t punish Gia for being a good person.”
I sighed and took a swig of the bottle of Coke I was drinking, then said, “She found out last night the woman’s been hoarding hundreds of thousands of dollars, playing poor while handing out abuse. Told her she didn’t have the money to help with Kailey’s cremation, that she couldn’t have helped even if it were Gigi herself that got murdered. And yet my girl is still sayin’ she needs to stay there and look after her because the Chemo is making her so sick. Lopped off her fuckin’ hair and made it into a wig for that witch. Makes me sick seein’ it on her head when she walks around that place doin’ nothin’ but bitchin’ and handing Gigi abuse.”
Deacon rolled out from under the car to look at me. “For real?”
My facial expression gave him his answer.
“Then I agree with Ride. Kidnap her,” Deacon said and then rolled back under.
Deacon’s cell rang.
“Brady,” he greeted.
My day started off with that bullshit phone call with Gigi, but Brady’s call meant an entire bullshit day where everyone was on edge. Worse than on edge. Collectively, the club was ready to blow up the world. Because last night, Fork’s truck broke down near the Valentine cabin, so he spent the night there. And some Wyld Jackals had put a tracker on his Bronco and found him there, so not only was he now missing, so was Jojo Valentine, who had been up there with him.
Some brothers were already yakking it up about Fork and Jojo having a secret thing. And Nolan unwisely made a crack about it in earshot of the wrong men. Rider aggressively set him straight, pushing him into a wall, telling him from an inch away that it was a coincidence that she was there when Fork’s truck broke down in the area.
I knew something was up with Jojo. The boys were pissed off about something yesterday and I’d heard them muttering to one another and her name was brought up. I didn’t know the details, too ensnared by my own shit to take on anyone else’s.
A few of the guys exchanged looks that said, ‘yeah right’ and this pissed Rider and Spence off, so they both got pretty fuckin’ irate about it.
And this wasn’t the first bit of Jackals bullshit we’d been served lately. They firebombed Rudy’s house while he was away. Word was they did it to catch Edge, who’d been there for the night with Fork after a meetup and barter with a couple guys from the Reivers Clansmen MC ran late. But Jojo had been with Delia that day due to some other drama to do with an abandoned kid whose mother stole Jojo’s car and wallet. Fork’s sweet butt contact had warned him that Rudy’s house was about to be hit, so he got Jojo and Edge got Delia out of the house before it went up in flames.
And hearing this latest news, I was picking Gigi up, and bringing her here as soon as I could get there whether she liked it or not. Fuck Francie. Especially now given the news she had resources she wasn’t using and instead taking advantage of my girl and my club’s kindness. We didn’t need to waste resources or headspace on her any longer.
“Gianna,” I greeted when she answered her phone. “Who’s on you today?”
“Pardon?”
“Which prospect is there watching things?”
“Rash. Why’d you call me that?”
“Call you what?”
“You never call me Gianna. You call me Gigi. Or G. Hostage. Or one of those other sweet names you call me. Not Gianna. But you’ve said that name twice today. You’re really mad at me, aren’t you?”
I took a deep breath to summon some patience. “Do not leave that trailer today. I’ll be coming for you as soon as I can get away.”
“Pardon?”
“Say nothing, but the Jackals have Chris Forker and Jojo Valentine. Don’t know the whole deal yet, but I can’t have you this far away. If things don’t go sideways or even if they do with this bullshit, I need you here.”
“Oh my God.”
“Don’t argue with me about this or I will fuckin’ kidnap you. You hear me?”
“Jojo. Oh my God. What’s-”
“Don’t know much, couldn’t say much right now even if I did, but stay in that fuckin’ trailer, keep a close eye on shit, and put Rash on the phone. I’ll either be there as soon as I can bring you back here or I’ll have someone drive you to me. Either way, you’re coming to me today and do not fuckin’ argue with me about it or I will carry you out of there kicking and screaming if I have to.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“So, either call a home care service for your aunt if she can’t do it herself or leave it to her. You’re comin’ home.”
“Oh my God. Jojo. Please no.” She choked-up.
“Call you later. Give Rash the phone.”
“Okay, um… stay safe, Jesse. Please,” she said brokenly.
“Pack, Gigi. Gimme to Rash.”
Rash had already heard the news. Every member had. We all had our hackles up. The Valentines were on their way to meet Brady at the cabin; we were all on standby, awaiting orders, not to mention watching in case this was phase one in a bigger shit storm. I told Rash that as soon as I got there, he was off duty. I sent a message to Delia to say the same. She and her resources didn’t need to worry about Francie given what we now knew about Francie’s attitude coupled with her financials.
Delia got back to me, saying she already knew about the aunt’s money and they were all about done with helping out anyway because the aunt was a foul human. Delia wrote she and her friends had only stuck it out for G this far, but were already talking about an end-date with this money news. I informed her I’d get Gigi to Aberdeen as soon as I could swing it and thanked her for her help, told her I owed her. I also told her to send me the amount for Kailey’s cremation expenses. That I was gonna send her the money.
Delia wrote back.
Don’t worry about that right now, Jesse. We’ll talk about it later.
I sent $1500.00 to Delia’s cell number.
She rejected it and told me it was only $1175.
I sent $1175.
She accepted it, but wrote back.
You didn’t need to do that. But I get why you did, so I’m not gonna argue. Alpha badass: 1. Delia: 0
Instead of replying by text, I called her.
“Hi Jesse,” she answered, voice laced with a combination of suspicion and affection.
“Wanted to say I’ve got all the respect in the world for you. If you ever need anything, please just ask.”
***
I pulled up to the trailer. I was alone, which – if he knew – Deke would hemorrhage about, but after the day, it was either pull resources from protecting people here and at home or wait until tomorrow. I was doing neither. I needed to see her, touch her. Get her home and into my sheets so I could fuckin’ sleep tonight.
Today was a close call that could’ve gone very fucking badly for Fork and for Jojo.
Rash was sitting on the deck when I pulled up. Trudy, one of the old ladies, a biker broad of about sixty, was sitting beside him.
“Folks,” I greeted.
“Hey, handsome,” Trudy greeted.
“Brother,” Rash stood and shook my hand.
“You see her? She okay?” Trudy asked.
“Jojo? Haven’t. But heard all’s good. Not a scratch on her, thanks to Fork.”
Trudy breathed out relief. “Thank God for Fork.”
Fork disposed of the two lower-level Jackals that’d forced them into their van at gunpoint. I didn’t know many details and the jig was obviously up as far as the heist setup that was planned, but we’d find another way to nail whoever was left.
He’d pulled her out just seconds ahead of a fire and now this. And the way I’d seen that girl look at Fork every time she was in his orbit along with the way I’d caught him looking at her a couple times when nobody else was watching – I wondered if his control had finally snapped. It wasn’t tough to read that he wanted her.
And knowing as much as I’d surmised so far, he wasn’t the type of man to deny himself what he wanted. Though a sweet young thing like that along with who she was to this club – you didn’t go there just for the fuck of it. You only went there if you meant it and you were willing to fight for it. Because you’d have a fight on your hands proving your worth to the men who protected her.
Tongues were doin’ a whole lot of wagging about the two of them with the fact he’d rescued her twice, not to mention the way she blatantly flirted with him in the mother charter lounge during Delia’s birthday party. But now none of the tongue-wagging was happening near anyone with the last name Valentine as it’d undoubtedly turn hostile instantly.
“You here for long, Trudy?” I asked. “’Cuz I told Delia you could all be off duty permanently.”
She shook her head. “Just popped by to pick up supplies we’d brought. Cleaning stuff. Casserole dishes. Brought a few more meals in disposables since the patient is now perfectly capable of heating food up herself. Delia told me you were picking Gianna up, so we’ve set her aunt up and given her a couple numbers if she runs into trouble and needs help. But if so, she’ll be puttin’ her hand in her pocket. And in fact, she’s been told we’re expecting a donation to Biker Big Bros in her name. A sizeable one, since she’s in a better financial position than most and benefited from a whole lot of good will these last several weeks.”
