Jett

by Blair Grey

  There was something special about this girl, there was no denying that. And I wasn’t about to just let his come to an end. No, that girl was meant to be mine, no doubt about it.

  Nothing was going to change my mind.

  Chapter 12

  Callie

  Once I was alone at the bar, I took a deep breath and tried to only think about what was going on. I didn’t want to think about what we’d talked about or what I was feeling toward Jett.

  This wasn’t at all going according to plan, which bothered me. A lot. I tried to reason with myself that it wasn’t anything personal, but I knew it wasn’t true. The more time I was spending with Jett, the more I was thinking about him as a human being, instead a killer who was responsible for the death of my father.

  In fact, I was starting to wonder if I could justify it somehow – if there might be a way I could convince myself what I was seeing and feeling toward Jett was a reflection of him as a person, not the gang he represented.

  How could I tell him the truth about my father and not have him figure out what was really going on? And, how could I tell him I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go through with the plan because of the feelings I might be starting to have for him?

  Could I even admit to him that I was starting to have feelings? God knew I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself, so how could I possibly tell him that I was thinking there could be something going on between us?

  There was so much for me to think about, and I hadn’t had the chance to even catch my breath since the first time he and I had slept together. Things had happened so fast between us, I wasn’t even sure how I felt about any of it anymore.

  Would it be better to just tell him that I had changed my mind, and it was time for me to get out of there? How could I do that? I was starting to get attached, I knew that much, but how could I bring myself to even do that to him?

  On the other hand, if things were going to continue as they were, then I was going to have to go through with the plan, and that would end up even worse for this man I feared I was starting to love.

  I pulled out my phone, trying to distract myself with anything but thoughts of Jett. He would go to the bathroom, then he would come back and I would be far more composed. I could keep asking him to talk about himself, and I could go from the angle of the mission.

  I couldn’t forget about the mission. The more he talked about himself, the more I could get him to open up about the club. He might be guarded, but I was getting the impression he was letting his guard down around me, at least a little.

  But what kind of person does that make you? If you really think about it, you are letting this man open up to you – something that it doesn’t appear he does often – and you are going to use it all against him. So, what does that say about you?

  Can you really go through with this, then look yourself in the eye and act like it was justice for your father? Is it right to stoop down to the level of the people you are accusing of this and still act like the ends justify the means? Are you even right in assuming that Jett had anything to do with the death of Dad?

  How can you even think that? Are you really getting so caught up in the thought this person could be a good guy, you’re going to let Dad just lie in his grave and not do a thing to avenge him? He didn’t deserve to die, and you knew there would be risk coming in here.

  Don’t lose sight of the end goal. You have to stay strong and you have to bring down these people. They aren’t good men, and they don’t care at all about you. The more you let your guard down, the more likely you are to get hurt.

  But then, why is he acting this way? He wouldn’t be acting like he cared about you and your safety if he didn’t. That shows right there he cares a lot more about you than just having sex with you.

  I sighed. Staring at my phone wasn’t helping much. I couldn’t get my thoughts straight. I wanted to believe Jett was a terrible person and all he wanted was things that would make his own selfish ends meet. But, he clearly cared about me.

  And, he clearly wanted to spend more time with me than just having sex. After all, tonight might end in us having sex, but he didn’t just come to work and pick me up after a shift like someone who was just looking for a hookup would. No, he brought me here for dinner.

  We hadn’t gotten that far yet, but we were so absorbed in talking, and now I’m starting to think there has to be more to it than him and the drugs and making money.

  It was so confusing. I just wished he would do something that would justify what I was doing to him. At least then I would be able to feel better about what I was doing – I would be able to tell myself that this was for a good reason, and I was justified with what I was doing for that reason.

  “Is someone sitting here?” a voice said, cutting into my thoughts. I turned to see two men had entered the bar. They’d walked right up to me without me even noticing they were there, and I was a bit surprised to see them.

  “Yes,” I said. “My date.”

  “Well, I don’t think he would mind if we stepped in for a few minutes while he was gone,” one of the men joked.

  “I would rather you didn’t. I’m waiting for him,” I said again. I didn’t want to make them mad, but I was starting to feel uneasy. The bartender and the bouncer were both ignoring the situation, and my mind immediately leapt back to the Prison Clause.

  Maybe that didn’t just mean people who were locked up, and men who were in the MC were free to step in and take each other’s women no matter what. Both the men in front of me were wearing vests, and I could tell at little more than a glance they were both clearly in a gang, but it was hard for me to tell if they were part of the Steel Wings.

  I didn’t want to panic, but I knew I had to think fast if I was going to get myself out of this, so I thought the best thing to do would be to throw out Jett’s name and see if it had any sort of effect on them.

  “Jett told me he would be right back, and if he gets back and finds that the two of you have taken his seat, he’s going to be pissed,” I spat. I knew I was being forceful now, and considering the look that passed over their faces, it was clear to me they weren’t used to someone talking to them like that.

  At the same time, I realized they couldn’t be part of the same MC, or they would certainly know who Jett was and there was no way in Hell they would dare cross the president of the club that way. Then again, with the fear of the Prison Clause in the back of my mind, I wasn’t sure what to think about any of this.

  Panic was really starting to set in as I shrilly announced, “You better back up, or you’re going to be sorry.”

  “You better shut that pretty little mouth of yours, or I think you’re the one who’s going to be sorry,” one of the men said. He took a step forward, seizing my arm. Without even thinking, I let out a small scream. I hoped it would get the attention of the bouncer or the bartender and they would step in.

  They weren’t part of the MC, and there was no way they were going to let this unfold right there in the bar without saying something. Though the thought had flashed through my mind to leave, I knew it would be even worse outside.

  At least while I was in here, there was the chance someone might step in and take over. I hoped it would be one of the other men I could trust would be on my side, but even with the cry I let out, there didn’t seem to be much hope they would step in and get me out of this.

  I was just about ready to start really screaming when all of a sudden a fist cut through the air, landing squarely on the jaw of one of the men. The one holding me let go of my arm, cussing and swinging as another fist came crashing down on his face, sending him back.

  “Jett!” I cried, running behind him. I was shaking, and I knew I couldn’t be much help in a fight, but I felt better knowing he was there. I didn’t know what to say, but I prayed he wasn’t going to turn me over to these men. I didn’t know how any of this worked, and I felt sick to my stomach thinking that they would be allowed to get away with this.

&
nbsp; The woman in Echo Mori seemed to be on board with the situation, as though it was her idea. I didn’t like this, at all, and I wasn’t going to go along with any of It. Thankfully, Jett was clearly on my side, and he wasn’t going to let anyone come near me.

  “Gentlemen, I think the lady has made it clear she wants you to leave her alone,” he said calmly.

  “Oh come on, did you have to get in the way?” one of the men sneered. “We were just having a little fun.”

  “It wasn’t fun for her,” he barked. “Now, you better get out of here before I really show you what I’ve got.”

  Both men exchanged a glance, and for a moment I thought they were going to back down. But then, one of them charged. He reminded me of a bull coming for a man with a red flag, and I screamed again. Jett was ready, however, and in an instant, the three of them were locked in a scuffle.

  Others in the bar were getting involved, but to me, it seemed this entire situation was passing in slow motion. I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do, and I felt stick to my stomach. I wanted to jump in and defend Jett, but I also knew I was no match for any of these men.

  Then, the sound of sirens cut through the air, and someone else in the bar shouted that the cops were on the way. Jett didn’t waste a moment longer. He sprang from the fight, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me out of the bar with him.

  “Get on!” he said as he leapt onto the front of his bike. He turned the engine with one hand while thrusting the helmet at me with the other. I snapped it over my head, unsure of how to make it fit properly. But, there wasn’t time for me to adjust it.

  I climbed on the back of the bike and wrapped my arms around Jett, clinging to him as he put the gas on the bike and we sped off. We were out of the parking lot and already speeding down the road when the sound of the sirens started to fade into the distance.

  Clearly, they were on their way to the bar where those two men were, and I hoped to God they would both get arrested on the spot. I had seen a lot go down in Devil Hills, but it frightened me to think that men like those two would be able to get away with doing that to a defenseless woman.

  But, I didn’t have time to really think about it. Just as much as the fear had come, it was starting to pass as I clung to Jett on the back of his bike. It was the first time in my life I had been on the back of a Harley, and though I hated to admit it, I could see why someone would want to do this.

  There was a level of freedom that came with the openness of the bike, and with my arms wrapped around Jett, I didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of fear. I knew he would take care of me, no matter what. And though that thought made me feel a lot better, it also made me feel really confused.

  This man had taken on two men twice his size for me. He could have gotten hurt, but he never even hesitated. How could he be the one who was responsible for what happened to Dad?

  Don’t think about that right now. You’re safe.

  That’s all that matters. You’re safe.

  Chapter 13

  Jett

  I was nearly shaking with anger by the time we pulled up in front of my house. The thought of those men touching Callie was enough to make me want to kill them – nearly enough to make me take the entire MC to war.

  I knew in an instant they were from another MC, and it pissed me off to think they were not only in my territory, but they felt comfortable enough here they weren’t obeying any sort of rules. Not just against other MCs, but against the women in town.

  We didn’t need more people in this town as far as I was concerned, and we really didn’t need men who were going to come in and treat women as though they were property. The look on Callie’s face when I came out of the bathroom said it all, and I was ready to do just about anything to make sure she was okay.

  I was glad we got out of the bar before the cops showed up. It would be good for them to see that the other MC was causing problems, and I wasn’t around for it. I didn’t want to be back on the cop’s radar for any reason, even if it was defending my date from a couple of men who were acting like animals.

  Callie, though shaken, seemed a lot better when we got to the house. I led her to the front door before speaking, unsure of how to talk about it.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I told her. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

  “Who were those men?” she asked shakily. “Why did they act like they could just come up and make me do whatever they wanted?”

  “They were animals,” I said with a shrug. “You should know from working at a bar that some men are like that.”

  “No one has ever done that to me before,” she said.

  “They were from a rival MC, and I’m not going to let them touch you. We’re going to stay at my place tonight, and I’m going to figure out a way to make sure you’re safe when you get home, okay?” I told her. I didn’t want her to worry, but I hoped she’d be able to see why I was so protective over her and wanted her to get a vehicle.

  Callie nodded, but there still seemed to be something that was troubling her. I took a deep breath. “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure how to say it without sounding, crazy,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “But there’s something I don’t understand.”

  “You better just say it, that would probably be the best way to handle it,” I told her. “What’s on your mind?”

  “It’s the Prison Clause,” she said at last. I saw the worry in her eyes. “I’m afraid someone is going to think they can just come up and take me because that’s the way it is around here, and I don’t want that.”

  “Listen to me,” I said, suddenly riled. I took a step toward her, pulling her close to me. “I’m not going to let anyone put a finger on you. The only one who is allowed to touch you is me, and if I need to call a meeting to make that clear, then I’m going to.”

  “Promise?” she asked. “I mean, what if something were to happen and you went to jail or something?”

  “First of all,” I told her, “nothing is going to happen to me, and I’m not going to go to jail. How the Hell would that happen, anyway? Besides, I’m telling you, I can make it known that no one is going to touch you. You can rest assured that is as good as law if I say so, okay?”

  Finally, Callie nodded. She still looked like she had seen a ghost, and I knew she was worried I wasn’t able to control the others, but she didn’t understand how things worked around here. I had a control on my men, and I had control over the choices we made.

  I knew I wasn’t going to end up going to jail. There was no way the cops were going to catch us selling drugs, and as long as I was careful and got out of there if something happened like what went down at the bar, then I didn’t have anything to worry about.

  And, I knew my men. They weren’t going to go against anything I said, and if I made it clear to all of them I wasn’t going to stand for that rule, then they would listen to me. I could put Callie’s mind at ease, and I would do anything in my power to make sure it was.

  I didn’t want her to worry about anything, and I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her, either. I wasn’t sure what it was about her that brought this side out of me, and I really didn’t care, either. All I knew was that I was starting to have feelings for this woman – feelings that I’d never had for anyone else before, and I wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel this way again.

  It was my job to take care of her, and I would do it with everything I had in me. I didn’t care what I had to do to prove it to her. I would make sure she knew no matter what.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t get to order something to eat,” I told her. “I meant to get you dinner, but with the way things went down back there, I guess we didn’t get to stay that long.”

  “It’s okay,” Callie said, forcing a smile. “If you have something in your kitchen, I bet I can make us something to eat. It probably won’t be as good as what we would have gotten there, but I can promise you it will be edible.”

  “Help yourself
to anything you can find,” I told her with a smile. “You’re going to see that I tend to buy a lot of bachelor food, but hey, it’s food.”

  Callie laughed for the first time since we got back, and it sounded like music to my ears. I was glad to know she was feeling a little better, and though I still felt tense, I was starting to relax, too.

  I made the mental note to talk to the boys about what had happened the next day, and I was going to put them on high alert for any rival MC in the area.

  If I had to, I would make sure no one came through any of our territories, no matter what. I wasn’t even going to allow others to pass through if they were on their way back to another territory.

  I wasn’t going to put up with any of this. After all, the more lax I was with some things, the more we got taken advantage of with others.

  It wasn’t worth risking the safety of anyone in town, and with Callie having to go through what she had that night, I was going to put some serious rules in place.

  But, I could deal with that in the morning. Tonight, I was going to make sure Callie knew without a doubt I was there for her, and I wasn’t going to let anyone touch her.

  She went through the pantry in my kitchen, and I was surprised with what she pulled out. It was just random things I wasn’t sure how to use, but to Callie, clearly they were ingredients. She mixed them together and put them in a pot, and before I knew it, we had a casserole.

  “Wow,” I told her as we settled on the couch together to watch some bad TV, “this is really good. Who knew I had edible things in the pantry, after all?”

  Callie laughed. “Like I said, it’s not what we would have had if we were at the bar, but at least it’s something. Thanks again for saving me tonight. I really don’t want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t there to do something.”