Jaded: (Beautiful Biker MC Romance Series), page 49
“Tell ya what?” Sarge went on, “We walk her to our van. You let us pull out knowing that we have a gun pointed at her from that windshield while we back out. You don’t shoot at us; we don’t shoot her.”
“Deal,” Deke clipped.
“And then after that…”
“Not negotiating anything about the after,” Deke told him. “Not tonight.”
“Get out then,” Sarge stated. “Cease fire for tonight on both sides. One bullet flies, she’s dead.”
“She dies, so do every fuckin’ one of you,” Deke cautioned, eyes stone-cold.
“Ain’t you guys sweet,” Kylo lamented. “Heard all about you heroes. This gash must be worth somethin’.”
“You sick fucks should be put down. Unlike you, we won’t sacrifice innocents for the cause,” Fork stated.
“Two prospects lyin’ in the dirt out there say different, boy,” Wild Will stated.
“Big difference between choosing to be an outlaw guarding a rape with AR15s and being an innocent bystander, you waste of space,” Fork put in.
Wild Will scoffed. “Shoulda wasted that shot of jizz on your mother’s face instead of puttin’ it in her cunt resultin’ in you, boy.”
The blond meth head laughed in hysterics.
Deke and Sarge stared at one another for a solid thirty seconds without blinking before Sarge lost the stare-down.
“Let us out of here and we’ll hand her over,” Sarge offered.
“Back out, boys,” Deke stated, and we all backed out of the shed one by one, still holding our weapons. Their weapons were still pointed our way.
Deke was the last to leave.
“Hold your fire!” Deke called loudly to the brothers outside, “But keep your weapons aimed at this shed and the fuckers comin’ out of it. They’ve got her and if anything happens to her, they all die.”
Kylo walked her out by a handful of her long, dark hair, a gun against her temple. She could barely walk. It was a half-drag. And the poor fucking girl was naked.
Our guns stayed aimed at them while the other Jackals came out, guns aimed at us. One by one, they got into their van until it was just Kylo and Marlena outside.
He backed into the passenger seat and threw her to the ground. She crumpled and turtled, covering her head while they drove away slowly for twenty or thirty feet before they gunned it and fishtailed out.
Immediately, Justice was jogging her way, pulling his sweatshirt off, then crouching and putting it over her head.
The girl was bawling hard as he cooed to her, pulling her arms through the armholes. He lifted her and carried her toward where our two vans and two cars were parked. He got into the back seat of one of the cars with her. Skip jumped into the driver’s seat as the rest of us piled into the other vehicles and got the fuck back.
The SUV I was in was driven by Scott. There was him and Rider in front. Me, Deacon, and Deke in back. Not a fucking word was spoken the drive back to the clubhouse. The air vibrated with our collective rage.
***
When we got to the new clubhouse, the lobby of the main building that housed our rooms and the chapel, which would be known as The Hall was filled with women who were waiting for their men to come back. Some went to bed, but a few of the guys sat down to have a few drinks so they could wind down. Justice carried Marlena upstairs with Laura and Jenna following. They’d look after her.
That poor girl had been cheated on, had been put in ICU, and now kidnapped and raped because of her thing with Blow. And Blow was dead. The entire thing was fucking infuriating.
I downed one shot and when it was obvious Deke was heading to bed, saying we’d take it up the next morning, I went upstairs and found my new room on the second floor. It was empty other than my mattress, pillows and comforter on the subfloor. There wasn’t flooring in yet and the drywall had been done but it wasn’t painted. I had a door and two windows and unlike most of the rest of the boys here tonight, I had no woman to come home to. Because she was hours away giving her time to people that didn’t deserve it.
I lifted my phone and skimmed the text screen of updates. She was at the clubhouse. Alone. Edge had picked her up at the rest stop and brought her there. Her father drove back to the trailer and then messaged her to say her aunt refused to come. She asked me to call when I had a chance.
I also had a text message from Edge letting me know she was safely there. He listed her room number. I sent him a thanks reply and then I dialed her number. After two rings, I got a sleepy hello.
“I’m back. Shit’s fucked. I’m coming to get you as soon as I can get some sleep.”
“Oh. I… need to at least stop by there to see her.”
I rubbed my eyes. “We’ll talk when I get there. Been a long fuckin’ day.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Very much, Jesse. It was instinct to come here when I heard the news. I just… panicked.”
“Marlena was in the shed on the old Jackals’ clubhouse property. After they killed Blow, they took her. Four men there and she was naked, bruised, and on a filthy sleeping bag in the corner. If we hadn’t gotten there, she’d be dead. Dead like Kailey. Dead like Jet. They already tried to kill her once by fuckin’ the brakes on her car and she’s barely recovered from that and now this? But you know what? She’s probably dead inside after what we saw tonight because I’d bet some or all of those fuckers took their turns raping her before we got there.”
“Oh my God.”
“Yeah. And you’re goin’ off unescorted when this shit is happenin’, and we’ve got enemies who don’t hesitate to rape and kill innocent women. Enemies who’ve been watching the bar and clubhouse to see who’s been comin’ and goin’, so it could very well have been you tonight, Gianna, and you need to get through your fuckin’ brain that when I say lockdown I fucking mean lockdown.”
“I’m sorry, Jesse. But…”
“Yeah, baby, no buts. Good thing you’re not sorrier.”
“But, my dad got in my head about it. About how she went into a funk after I left because of the things I said and now she’s in a bigger funk after finding out whatever she found out from her last doctor’s appointment, so…”
“So, you’re getting manipulated by them. Again. That’s what’s happening. It’s obviously what they do, G. You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true and if she couldn’t handle a bit of truth about shit – that’s on her, not you.”
“I’m gonna see her, encourage her to continue with treatment. To look after herself so that she’s got a better chance of getting better. Try to find out what we’re looking at here. We don’t even know what kind of cancer she has or what stage it is because she won’t tell us anything.”
“Again, you’re setting yourself on fire to keep her warm when she repeatedly left you out in the cold.”
She said nothing.
“I need sleep, woman. I’ll be there as soon as I can get there tomorrow. And for fuck’s sake, if you leave that goddamn clubhouse before I get there, there will be hell to pay. You hear me?”
“I hear you. Jesse, I love you, but-”
I ended the call and avoided the urge to put my fist through the brand-new drywall.
***
I was part of the convoy to Sioux Falls with a few other brothers on motorcycles along with the Mystery Machine bus holding Rob’s wife Bertie and their kid Beau, also with Skip’s and Speedy’s women and their kids who were all going to the mother charter clubhouse for now and leaving from there to stay with family a couple days while shit was being figured out. They were the only ones in this charter with little kids and it made sense they were leaving town. Who know what the fuck the Jackals were gonna pull next?
Pudge survived surgery, but Blow was in the morgue.
Three hours after we got back, a team of the cartel’s was moving in to reclaim their belongings and, if the bad drugs were still there, dispose of them. They stated they’d also dispose of any Jackals or associates that were there. Deke said the Jackals had not gone back there that night from our trail cam footage and it looked like nobody else was there either.
If they had come back, we would’ve detonated that bomb once the cartel had cleared out.
On the plus side, the club was now clear to end our association with that cartel.
***
When I got in, I strolled with purpose, set to go to the room I knew she was assigned, but I spotted her helping set up a lunch spread with Delia who was ready to welcome the convoy.
I watched Sara’s face turn ugly at the sight of my girl, but then she painted a smile on for Delia who pulled her close for a hug.
Gigi’s eyes hit mine.
My lip curled. I couldn’t tamp down how pissed I still was.
She didn’t shrivel. She met my eyes, and her brows went up with an expression I’ve never seen from her before. If there were words, I was sure she’d be saying, “Oh really?” as if she was as pissed at me as I was at her.
And I was thrown by it, but didn’t show it.
After getting a hug from Delia, I turned to Gianna.
“Let’s go talk,” I demanded.
“Just five,” she replied coldly. “I have a few more things to help with here.”
My brows shot up high.
Her eyes narrowed and then she walked away from me back to the kitchen and surfaced with cookie sheets of garlic bread with cheese in each hand, which she set on the table.
She turned, went back to the kitchen and came back with a big bowl of salad, and set it down.
“Go ahead and catch up with your man, Gia. We’re good here,” Delia said. “But come back for some food, Jesse. Fuel up.”
“Gonna head out in a few I think, Delia, so gonna say bye to you here,” Gigi said and reached to Delia for a hug.
“We’re not leavin’ until the convoy goin’ back leaves,” I stated.
“I’ll say bye for now anyway,” Gigi said to Delia, not looking at me.
Sara watched all this, eyeing me curiously while serving food to her kids. I saw Skip in the corner, scooping pasta onto his plate and failing at doing his best to not watch.
Gigi marched past me with her nose up in the air. I followed.
Once she turned the key on the door, I followed behind her and shut the door.
She spun to face me.
“I said I loved you last night and you didn’t say it back,” she snapped, eyes fiery.
“Was pretty pissed last night for a lotta reasons,” I clipped.
“Even still, that’s not cool to hang up on me when we’re hours apart and there’s danger everywhere without saying it back.”
I filled my lungs with air and let it out slowly.
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“How about what you did yesterday?” I volleyed.
“I’m sorry about that. I said that already. But that said, I need to go to my aunt’s today.”
“Not fuckin’ happening.”
“No!” she snapped. “You might not like her. You might not like my dad and I can’t fault you for that. But she’s dying. She’s dying and I refuse to not try to talk to her, get her to eat, take care of herself, and to ask her some important questions. I don’t even know what she wants done if she does pass away for a funeral. I don’t know any of that and want to know what her wishes are.”
“I say you leave her there just like she left your sister.”
Her eyes went harder. “No. I won’t do that. I refuse to do that regardless of what’s happened in the past. Two wrongs don’t make a right, Jesse. I refuse to sink to other peoples’ level. And I’m not gonna let her die alone thinking I don’t care anymore. Because despite everything, I still do care. As shitty as she was as a guardian, she still took me in and she’s family. If she didn’t take me in, I’d have wound up in foster care and God knows what would’ve happened to me. Ask Edge what happened to Jet in foster care when she was a teenager.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. I’m pissed and saying things I have no business saying.”
“You’re not stayin’ with her three hours away from me, Gianna. I’m not fuckin’ havin’ it. Not after what she’s already put you through and not after all the shit going on with the enemy. I’m needed at home, and I need you there by my side, so I know you’re safe.”
“I need to see my aunt. I’m goin’ there now. You can come with me or not. You’re being stubborn right now and as much as I love you, I’m not going to let you steamroll me into not doing it when I know it’d haunt me the rest of my life if I just walked away knowing the state she’s in.”
I picked up my phone and texted Skip, who was, unfortunately, leading the convoy.
When are we heading back?
He replied immediately.
Skip: 5:00.
Me: Thanks. Got something to do. Be back before then.
Skip: You need cover?
Me: That’s ok. Just ten mins away.
He replied with a thumbs up.
I tucked my phone into my cut after noting it was just past one o’clock.
“I’ll drive you there. Let’s go.”
She grabbed her purse and phone, and locked up the room.
She dropped the key through the slot on Delia’s office door and then we left.
I’d brought her a helmet, so I strapped it on for her, our eyes locked together.
We said nothing.
And then I drove to the aunt’s place.
By the time I got there, my blood had simmered some, so when we got off the bike and our helmets were off, I tagged her hand and jerked her toward me.
She grunted in surprise, but then our eyes met. Hers were moist.
I took her face in both hands.
I knew whatever she was about to face in there wasn’t gonna be easy on her. She didn’t need us to be in the middle of a fight on top of that.
“I love you,” I said.
Her throat bobbed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say it back. Won’t do that again,” I vowed.
Her eyes softened.
I kissed her, squeezing the back of her neck. When the kiss ended, I put my forehead to hers. “Don’t take off like that again. I thought I was gonna come outta my fuckin’ skin not knowin’ where you went. Not knowing if something happened to you. If one of them had you. If you’d seen that poor fucking girl last night, Gigi… fuck.”
“I’m sorry. I won’t do that again. I didn’t mean it to happen that way. Where’s Marlena now?”
“She’s with the girls at the compound. We’re moved into the new clubhouse. It isn’t done but we’re making do. Safer. Bigger.”
She nodded.
I breathed out the rest of my anger and kissed her again. Then I gave her ass a little slap. “Go on in. I’ll wait out here. But don’t let her feed you shit. You did nothing wrong speaking your mind to her.”
She blew out a long breath.
I kept talking. “Just like you were in the right speaking your mind to me and standing up for yourself despite that I was bein’ stubborn. I might not like how your relatives treat you, but I have no right to stop you from bein’ better than they are. Good job, baby. I fuckin’ love that you’re better than they are.” I kissed her again.
Her eyes crinkled as she gave me a half a smile. She exhaled slowly. And then my girl squared her shoulders and walked into her aunt’s place.
Two minutes later, her father joined me on the deck, handing me a beer.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Fucked up when she was a kid. Fucked up a lot.”
I cracked the tab and took a swig.
“When she was small and we figured out she had that voice on her, we tried to help her make somethin’ of it. Felt like it did more harm than good. She was so fuckin’ shy.” He took a sip of his beer. “She’s put up with a lot of shit from me and her mother over the years. I got a lot of regrets. Young. Stupid. Priorities mixed up. When me and her mom split, that bitch made my life real difficult.”
I took another swig.
He kept talking. “Then she had to come live with me, and it was the worst fuckin’ timing. I was a hell-raiser, a womanizer. Drank too much. Did too many drugs. I didn’t know what to do with a little kid. You know?” He shook his head. “Made a lotta mistakes. I like you for her. She’s growin’ into herself with you. Growin’ a backbone. You’re good for her.”
He held out his hand.
I took it and shook it. “Don’t have respect for you, Grant, after the shit she’s told me. But there might be hope for you yet.” I leaned against the deck railing.
“Don’t count on it,” he said with a laugh. “This shit sucks. Facing mortality. Messy shit.” He shook his head hard and raked a hand through his hair. “Usually I run a mile. But my sister stepped up for my girl when I didn’t have my act together. Least I can do bein’ here for her.”
I drank another mouthful of beer.
“Even if she’s too stubborn to admit she needs the help,” he added. He sat down and lit a cigarette.
I sat too.
He offered me one.
“I quit around the time we stayed here and I listened to the way your sister hacks her brains out between pukin’ from Chemo.”
“Yeah,” he said, taking a drag and examining the cigarette. “Harder to kick nicotine than heroin. I should know. Kicked the black snow years ago. Can’t seem to quit these though.”
He took another puff, then put it out and took another gulp of his beer.
Ten minutes later, she still wasn’t out of there and there wasn’t any shouting, so I wasn’t sure what I’d be walking into when I poked my head in. It was quiet. No Gigi in the kitchen or living room so figuring she must be in Francie’s room, I used the bathroom. I heard her voice. It was soft, coaxing. I gave them privacy, and went back outside.
A neighbor was now up on the deck chatting with Grant. Another one came by a minute later, chatting us up from the driveway. I sat and listened to them shoot the shit for the next twenty minutes before Gigi finally stepped out.
“Hi Johnny. Hey Steve.”
“Hiya Gianna!” One greeted.
