by Evie Nichole
When Snake answered again, I bit back my gag reflex and forced myself to stay strong. “What are you doing with her phone?”
Laughter met me. “Well, she let me borrow it. That Carly is a real sweetheart.”
“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you!” I covered my mouth and shook my head. “How did you find her?”
“Easily. You may not have been in the club, but my people knew where you were. Who you were with. Who you were fucking behind my back. Poor Mark didn’t even get a phone call when you left.”
My stomach dropped and I had to bend forward with my head between my knees to keep from passing out. My breathing wasn’t exactly calm.
“That’s right. I know everything. Poor Mark didn’t make it, Rae. He couldn’t take a beating. I didn’t know you were into pussies!”
I jerked upright and slammed the phone onto the desk. “You’re nothing but a worthless piece of trash, Snake, and you’ll never be anything more. You’re only president because you rule over men who have no backbone. You’re president over a club of nothing. You mean nothing. I hope you die. Just like I hoped you would die every day you spent in prison.”
“Be careful what you say to me, Rae! I might not be so easy on you when I get you back!” He screamed with barely contained rage. I could picture his face easily.
“You’re not getting me back.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I noticed that Carly had an incoming call from a payphone. I called it and guess where it led me?”
I stood up and looked around, feeling like he was breathing down my neck.
When I didn’t answer, he laughed. “Oh, Rae. You’re just a stupid whore. Did you really think you’re smart enough to run from me? I had some business to finish up with here, but I’m heading up to Memphis tonight. See you soon, baby.”
I dropped the phone back in its cradle and rushed toward the door. I had to leave. Snake knew where I was and was coming to get me. No way was I going to sit around wait for him to grab me.
“Where are you going?”
I didn’t stop. “I can’t stay here. He’s coming. I have to go. I have to go now.”
Bo rushed to me. “Raelyn, you’re safe here. Look at me.”
I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t breathe.
“Look at me, dammit.” He grabbed my face and made me meet his eyes. “Breathe in through your nose. Come on, you can do it.”
I tried and, after a few minutes, succeeded in calming down my breathing. My brain was still racing, but with Bo walking me through breathing exercises, I could handle it.
“We’re going to walk down to Jack’s office and get him, okay? Then, he’s going to figure out what to do. No matter what, though, you’re safe here. He can’t get you here.”
My eyes filled with tears. “I think he has my best friend.”
Bo quickly ushered me to Jack’s office and then pushed into the room without knocking. Jack was sitting across from his fiancée, looking every bit miserable.
When he spotted me, he jumped up and came around his desk to grab my shoulders. “What happened?”
Stacey stood up and marched toward the door. “Bye, Jack.”
“We used a safe line to call her best friend and Snake answered.” Bo led me to the chair that Stacey had just vacated and pushed me into it.
“What did he say, Red?”
“The typical. I’m a dumb whore, he’s going to get me, he’s on his way to Memphis tonight.” I hiccupped and groaned. “We have to find Carly. She’s only mixed up in this because of me. If he has her… I don’t even want to think of the things he could be doing to her.”
Jack grabbed his cell phone and dialed someone. While holding the phone to his ear, he stared at me. “What’s her name?”
“Carly George.”
“I need a local on Carly George. Jackson, Mississippi. It’s an emergency.”
I dropped my head back between my knees and tried to think positive. Maybe he’d just robbed Carly of her phone. Maybe he didn’t have her.
The silence in the room was driving me crazy. I sat up and walked across the room to the windows behind Jack’s desk. He had the best view, nothing but green and blue. Nature seemed to carry on forever and it was almost like some fairytale world where things in the world hadn’t evolved into such shit.
There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. I noticed it while pressing my forehead against the cool glass. The day outside was beautiful. I could tell there was a light breeze blowing and I knew that it would feel good on my skin.
“Where?” Jack’s voice broke through my shell. “Fuck. Okay. Find out and call me back right away.”
I moved to him and clutched my hands together. “What is it?”
“There’s good news and bad.” He sighed. “The good news is that she’s not with Snake. The bad news is that he did get to her. She’s in the hospital. My guy is finding out how bad it is right now.”
All the air in the room seemed to just disappear. My lungs felt like they were caving in and all I could think of was the fact that Snake was going to drive all the way to Memphis to find out that I’d already died. My vision tunneled and then went black as I felt my body give out.
*
“She’s in a medically induced coma right now. It looks like they beat the shit out of her. No signs of sexual assault, though. Small miracle.”
Jack’s voice drifted into my sub-consciousness and I blinked awake. My head was throbbing and the light in Jack’s office intensified it. I looked around and realized I was on Jack’s couch, covered with his jacket. His smell surrounded me and all I could think about was curling into his chest.
“Do they think she’ll pull out of it?”
I sat up and groaned. “Who are you talking about?”
Jack moved closer and squatted in front of me. “You okay? You passed out on us.”
I looked from him to Bo and frowned. “I never pass out.”
Bo snorted. “Sure could’ve fooled me. You fainted and went down like a sack of potatoes. Jack barely caught you before you cracked open your skull on the corner of his desk.”
I shivered. “Were you talking about Carly?”
Jack nodded and put his hand on my knee. “Yeah. She’s not in great shape, but the doctor I spoke to thinks that she’ll be okay. It’s just a waiting game at this point.”
My throat felt like there was a knot in it. I tried to swallow around it, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. Tears welled up in my eyes and I turned my head to the side, in an attempt to stop him from seeing them.
“Her father stepped in with the doctors. She’s getting the best care possible, Red.”
The first tear fell and I angrily wiped at it. “I need to go back. I need to see her.”
“No way. Snake will have someone waiting for you.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’s hurt because of me. I need to be there with her.” I pushed away from him and dropped his jacket on the couch. I needed a clear head. I couldn’t think with his smell all around me.
“You go back to Jackson, and you’ll bring the entire gang into her hospital room. You want that?”
“Of course, I don’t want that! I already did enough damage as it is. I didn’t think about how this could hurt her. I didn’t know he had people watching me.” I dry heaved and then shook my head. “He said he killed a guy I dated. Mark Williams. Can you call about him?”
Jack pulled his phone back out, and after a few minutes and mumbled words, he put it back in his pocket. “Police found his body two days ago.”
“This is crazy. This is so crazy.” I pulled at my hair and shoved it out of my face. “None of this was supposed to happen! I was just supposed to disappear. Why is he doing this?”
Jack grabbed me and pulled me into his chest. He nodded at Bo and a few seconds later I heard the door open and shut. “You’re going to be okay. I’m going to make sure you’re safe, Red.”
I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed away from him. “What abou
t Carly? What about Mark? He died over three dates with a woman who wouldn’t kiss him or give him her phone number. He had parents who loved him. He had a dog named Taco.”
For some stupid reason, thinking of Taco all alone in Mark’s apartment pushed me over the edge. I was suddenly sobbing and didn’t try to push Jack away as he held me tight.
“Snake will pay for what he’s done. I don’t work inside the same laws as the cops anymore, Red. I’m…not limited in how I can handle him. If he comes for you here, it’ll be the last move he ever makes.”
I kept my head buried in his chest and hoped that someone did kill Snake. I’d be okay knowing that someone had ripped his head right from his body. He was evil and I would rest better knowing that he was gone.
“We’re tightening security. I’m also sending Bo down to Carly’s hospital room. We’re not taking any chances. You’re also moving into the main house with me. I’ll feel more comfortable knowing you’re close. Plus, I have dogs who will gladly keep you company.” He pressed his lips to the top of my head and then pulled away. “We start self-defense classes right away. After work tonight, we also learn to properly use a gun. No more shooting the floorboards out of cars.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to work when all I can think about is Carly, in some hospital room.”
Jack cupped my face in his hand. “It’ll be best if you try to keep yourself busy, Red. You can finish in Brent’s office, if you’d like, or you can stay in here today.”
I looked around at his well-kept office and then at him. “I think I’d better go to Brent’s office.”
He stepped away from me and nodded. “Brent should be back soon. I’ll let him know what’s going on. I’m right here, Red, if you need anything. I’ll check on you every so often, too.”
“I’m okay, Jack. I just need a few minutes to get myself together.” I turned to leave and then hesitated. “You wanted to talk with me about the case earlier. What was that about?”
“I was just going to say that I found out the chief is clean. It doesn’t matter now, though. Snake’s bringing the party to us.”
I nodded. “I don’t know what we have planned, but I want this all to end soon, Jack. I need to get down to Carly to make sure she’s okay.”
“I’ll think about it and then let you know what we’re going to do.”
Chapter 14
Brent finally came back to his office, but we didn’t speak. He looked even more beat up than he had that morning, and I felt like I’d been knocked down several pegs, so we just let each other be. I worked on his office, and he scribbled things in a new notebook. His presence was comforting.
Jack stuck his head in every so often, but he didn’t disrupt us. Lunch came and went, but we still worked. The next time Jack stuck his head in, he had lunch for both Brent and me.
“Both of you need to eat. I got you both cheeseburgers with onion rings and milkshakes.” He put the food down on the coffee table and clapped his hands together. “Food. Now.”
I moved closer to him and frowned. “How do you know I like burgers?”
He grunted. “I can tell you’re more yourself than before. You’re back to wanting to argue with me.”
I sat down on the couch and pulled my feet underneath me. “Don’t be a jerk. It’s already been too long of a day.”
Brent grabbed his burger and nodded to me. “I’ve got a thing. I’ll be back before the end of the day. You okay here?”
The thought of running into more of his motorcycle buddies had me nodding. While I’d like to spend time with him, I wasn’t that desperate. I’d had my fill of bikers for the day. “I’m good. Thanks.”
“Try not to mess anything up while I’m gone.”
“Try not to forget to watch all of your angles, while you’re out there cracking skulls.”
“Touché.”
Jack watched his brother leave and then sat down on the couch beside me. “You seem to be good for him.”
I rolled my eyes and took the first bite of my burger. “Your brother has a death wish.”
“I don’t know if I would say death wish. He’s just a bit rowdier than a lot of guys. We get to take different routes to get the answers we need. He likes it.”
“Too much. He only really smiles when he’s beating someone up.” I took a big pull from my milkshake and groaned. “This is so good. Thank you.”
“He seems to smile plenty when he’s around you.”
I cut my eyes at him and frowned. “I don’t think I like your tone.”
He laughed. “You two seem to have a connection.”
“Jealous?”
Jack held my gaze. “Yes. Unfortunately.”
I groaned and took another pull from my shake. “You have a fiancée, Jack. You’re not supposed to say things like that to me.”
“About that.”
I held up my hand and waved off whatever he was going to say. “I don’t want to hear any of it, Jack. I have other things that I should be thinking about.”
He cleared his throat and settled back into the couch cushions. “Okay. I reached out to a friend in the local police force. They’re putting an APB out on Snake. We’re not usually on the offensive in this business, but I really don’t want to wait until after he strikes out to figure out what to do with Snake.”
I put my food down and shook my head. “No, because his strikes usually hurt pretty bad.”
“Was he always like this?”
I curled even further into myself and shrugged. “I don’t know. My mom always hung around the clubhouse, hoping that one day someone would make her an old lady. Instead, she got hooked on heroin and died when I was barely sixteen. She’d managed to keep me away from Snake before that.
“I never really interacted with him until she died. Then, he had me brought into the clubhouse. Told me that I could stay with him, and he would take care of me and burying my mom, or I could be homeless and figure everything out on my own.”
Jack stood up and paced in front of the coffee table. “You were still a child. Did he…?”
“He didn’t touch me at first. He waited for a few weeks. Real gentleman, that one.”
“When we busted the place, you were older, right?”
I nodded. “Twenty-one. I’d been with him for five years. Somehow, I never broke. I just wanted to get away. You gave me that chance, but then he found me. After that, it was worse. He knew how I really felt about him. He hit harder and got meaner. Not just to me, either.
“For whatever reason, he would never brutalize me the way he would the club girls. He’d bring them in front of me and make me watch as he fucked them. If I looked away or closed my eyes, he’d just be rougher. I never got used to their screams. I kept waiting for the moment he decided I wasn’t special and he did it to me. I’m pretty sure I’m at that point with him, now. If he gets me back, I’m done.”
Jack stopped his pacing and shook his head. “He’s not getting you. Nothing is going to happen to you, Red.”
I shrugged and picked up my shake. “I hope you’re right.”
“Come on. I could use some help in my office and there’s no point in you sitting in here and drowning in your own thoughts.”
“I should finish in here.”
He scooped up the rest of the food and held his hand out to me. “I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll even let you help with the detective work.”
“Fine. Just keep your hands to yourself.”
He snorted. “I will if you will.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about.”
*
“Loosen your finger, Red. You don’t need to snap the gun in half for it to work.”
I snapped my teeth together to keep from being an asshole to Jack. He was just trying to help me, but my nerves were shot. It’d been a really long day. After my morning run-in with the bikers and then finding out about Carly, I was more exhausted than I wanted to admit. I’d also spent the second half of my day in Jack’s off
ice, calling people for him.
His “detective work” consisted of having me call around to see if anyone in the area had run across a man selling a particular set of earrings. I had no idea why I was doing it, just that people didn’t seem to like me doing it. After the third or fourth time a pawnshop owner called me a pig, I was beyond annoyed.
Then, to top off my day, we practiced my self-defense moves, and then moved on to shooting. I hated guns. I didn’t want to use one, but I was willing to learn because, if given the chance, I planned on putting a bullet into Snake. It was stressful to learn, but useful.
Jack had been breathing down my neck for hours, it felt like, and I was starting to come unhinged. He was too close, too present, and too fucking touchy. He’d casually touched me all day long, to the point that I was ready to either orgasm or just spontaneously combust. I hated my body for reacting to him so eagerly, but there didn’t seem to be any stopping it. If a crazed killer attacking my best friend and closing in on me didn’t get it in check, I didn’t know if anything ever would.
“Hey, pay attention. You can’t get this distracted when you have a gun in your hand.” He moved in behind me and wrapped his arms around me to help line up the gun. “Just take a few deep breaths, Red.”
I tried to, but his scent was driving me insane. I shook my head and groaned. “I don’t want to do this right now, Jack.”
He pressed even closer to me. “Come on. You need to learn. Take a deep breath in and find your target.”
He slipped the large noise-canceling headphones over my ears and pressed his lips against my neck.
I took a wild shot and then held the gun away from me as I stepped out of his arms. “I’m through for the night. My head hurts and I’m just done. I want to go home.”
He took the gun from me and pressed the safety on before sliding it into the waistband at the back of his pants. He’d untucked his shirt as soon as we’d entered the shooting range and casually pulled it down over the gun then. “Okay. You need more practice, though. Today’s been a long one, though, so we’ll try again tomorrow.”
I nodded and let him lead me out of the range and into the underground parking garage. He opened his truck door for me and then waited while I climbed in.
