“Babe? You okay?” Ryleigh asked in her sleep-laden voice.”
“Yeah, sorry, Babe, I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep. I just want to hold you for a while.”
Ryleigh could sense something was up with Jacks; their bond had deepened and his emotions flowed through her as if they were her own. If a person were to look at him, they would never truly see what was going on in his mind. Jacks looked every bit the intimidating Alpha, but his core was as soft as a marshmallow. He still sometimes forgot Ryleigh wasn’t like everyone else. He couldn’t just say a couple of reassuring words or smile a little to deter further questions. She knew the coming day weighed heavily on him, and whatever happened in the meeting wasn’t helping.
“Jacks, you know everything is going to be okay, right? Cash and I’ll fly in and meet with Mia. We’ll run the tests and then stay the night. I’ll be back before you even get a chance to miss me.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, honey. I’m already missing you. But there has been a slight change of plans. Bas is going to come with you guys too. He’ll stick around until you and Cash are back in the air, but then he’s going to do a little side work.”
“Side work?” Ryleigh questioned. “When do any of you guys do side work? And if you did, what would it entail? I mean you’re all self-sufficient, but I can't see any of you off doing construction or bartending. I mean, can you do side work in your line of work?”
“Okay, sorry,” Jacks laughed. “My bad for thinking you wouldn’t take my words literally, babe. Let me rephrase a little. It’s not actual side work. Bas asked if he could take some time off to deal with some shit, and I couldn’t deny him. Things have been getting pretty intense around here lately, and if he figures his shit out by hanging out with his brothers for a little while, I’m all for it. Shit, at least then there will be less bloodshed for a couple of days. I also asked him to check out that Shelby chick.”
“Did you ask him what’s been bugging him?” Ryleigh asked. “I mean, we’ve all noticed the change in him, and Peyton seems to be baffled by his behavior. It’s almost like he can’t stand to be in the same room with her, but still swears he is thrilled about her being here. Then there’s Wyatt. Shoot, those two have always been as thick as thieves, and now Bas seems to be chomping at the bit to take a bite out of him. It’s all weird if you ask me.”
“Babe, shit. Hell no. We're guy's, we don’t talk about emotions and shit. We sit down with each other, have a beer, grunt a few times, and then all is good. Haven’t you learned anything by living here?” Jacks grunted.
Ryleigh knew better than to believe the bullshit her man was sprouting. Jacks was a man’s man, but he also cared about each and every member of Alpha. He said he didn’t do all the emotional stuff, but the truth was his teammates’ health and well-being weighed heavily on him. Ryleigh wasn’t ever going to call him on it, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t rib him a little. Jacks was who and what he would always be, and Ryleigh was more than happy about that.
“Did he tell you why he needs the time away? I mean I’m all for it, but do you guys do that? Take time away?”
“Shit babe,” Jack sighed, “all the new crap that’s going on right now—mating, babies, betrayal, and everything else—is all new territory to all of us. Most time if we take leave it’s as a group, but on occasion, one of the guys needs to head out on their own. It's not unheard of. I mean, shit, it can’t be easy for Bas, Ethan, and Cash to watch all this going down. All I can say is he asked for it, and I said yes. I then gave him a job to do, so he would stay out of trouble while he figured out his shit, plain and simple. There isn't any more to it than that, babe.”
“Oh yeah, sorry, big bad Alpha man,” Ryleigh giggled. “No touchy feeling moments shared between the boys. I forgot. What in the world was I thinking?” Ryleigh said with an exaggerated hand to her head.
“Jacks, are you truly okay with me going tomorrow?”
Ryleigh was questioning it herself. She knew that the tests were necessary to not only her but any future children to come from Shifter pairings. The information they had right now couldn't fill a thimble. No one knew how pregnancy would affect the women. Franklin, Pandora, and Davis created women who couldn’t produce Shifter children; at least, that’s what they thought. That lack of information scared her. These tests could help people she loved, like Wyatt and Peyton or even Emma and Dalton if they decided to have more children. They needed to arm themselves with enough knowledge to figure out what the future held.
“I know, babe. You’ve explained it to me. Deep down, I know this is important, but I don’t like the idea of you being out of my sight even for a second,” Jacks admitted. “You and this little guy mean more to me than figuring out all that genetics crap any day of the week. Shifter human or little green alien, Rye, this babe is ours. I can’t help but feel that nothing else matters.”
“I know, honey, but none of us know the extent which Franklin or Pandora went while manipulating my genes. I just... I need to be sure. Right now, every indication shows that he’s human, and I’m fine with that. But, babe, I need to make sure what they did to me isn’t going to cause him harm. Please, you have to understand that.” Turning over so she could face him, Ryleigh placed her hand on Jacks' cheek.
“Babe, I’m with you all the way. As long as the baby is healthy and you’re happy, you don't need to worry about me. But we have to know if that is true. Eli said…” Jacks grabbed Ryleigh’s hand, and his eyes flashed iridescent green.
“No Ryleigh, don’t let anything that fucker said taint this. Mia has run every test, and the baby is fine. If you need this amniocentesis to make yourself believe what I already know and Mia has proved, then I’m willing to go with it. But I can feel him, Rye.” Taking her hand and placing it on his chest, Jacks said, “Right here, babe. Our little boy is perfect just the way he is. Just like his momma. I know it without a doubt. You’re the one who needs to get on board and quit questioning everything.”
Ryleigh wanted to believe everything Jacks was saying, but she still had doubts. Going to Mia and having this test done would hopefully, answer some of those questions, but right now, at this very moment, she needed something else. Leaning forward, she kissed Jacks. Giving him a sweet, chaste kiss on the mouth, Ryleigh took it deeper, first nibbling at his plump bottom lip, waiting to open for her.
Jacks soon took over the kiss, mimicking with this tongue what Ryleigh soon hoped another part of his body would be doing. This man could melt her into a puddle in a matter of seconds. Turning onto his back, Jacks encouraged Ryleigh to straddle his waist, never once breaking the kiss. Ryleigh was so wet, she could feel her arousal on the inside of her thighs and knew Jacks would feel it soon as well. Positioned above him, Ryleigh felt his molten length pressing against her core. Unable to help herself, she shifted her pelvis to get more contact, and the sparks in her lower stomach started to ignite. Groaning, Jacks took hold of her hips and sunk himself deep in her, and Ryleigh was gone.
“Damn, babe, hang on.” Jacks started to piston in and out of her, using his hands to lift and pull her to and from his body at an alarming rate. Within seconds, he joined her in her bliss. Turning Ryleigh to her side, he continued to touch and kiss her lovingly. It was a perfect moment until…
“Babe, uh listen, the next time you have one of your ‘girl talks’, how about you tell them I can last more than three minutes? I mean, I’m Alpha and what you do to me could severely damage my rep. You know Emma and Peyton tell the guys everything, and well, shit, babe, I think I need to make this up to you.”
Laughing, Ryleigh slapped Jacks on the shoulder.
“Dude, seriously. I had one of the best orgasms of my life, and you’re worried about your reputation with the other guys? Though this might be good because you know I have such killer moves, I can take an Alpha down in under five minutes. I think this might give me some street cred with the ladies.”
“Oh, now you want street cred? We’ll see about th
at, Ryleigh Thorp. Let’s see if you can take on an Alpha.”
“Oh, not only can I take on an Alpha, babe, but I’m pretty sure I can bring him to his knees,” Ryleigh laughed.
When Jacks lunged at her, pinning her back against the bed and started tickling her, Ryleigh lost herself in a fit of giggles, laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe.
“So, Ryleigh, how were you going to bring an Alpha to his knees?”
Still laughing, Ryleigh looked up into his brightly shining green eyes.
“Easy, I love you, Jacks.”
All Jacks thought was... Yep, that absolutely worked.
Chapter 5
Bas left the conference room with a determination he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was going to get the reprieve he needed and was determined to get his beast under control. Jacks had surprised him by not giving him too much shit and not asking a lot of questions. Jacks could be a total douche at times, but Bas knew the man was always looking out for the Team’s best interests. He also knew Jacks was right, he needed to get a handle on what was going on with his bear. At least, with his new assignment, he would have a bit of a distraction. Work was easy; you followed protocols and achieved an end result. What did and didn’t happen were controllable, and right now, control was what Bas needed most. Feeling so out of control was foreign to him.
Bas went to his room, file in hand, and started planning. Shelby Thomas certainly was a beautiful girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and it seemed she was sporting a stripper’s rack. All in all, this assignment wouldn’t be half bad, at least, the scenery would be pleasant. Looking further into the information that Wyatt and Jacks had put together, Bas was puzzled. This chick was twenty-five and yet she’d never worked a day in her life. Thinking to himself, how did that shit happen?
Her finances showed she didn’t even have a checking or savings account. What she did have though were many credit cards and loans. The woman liked to shop often, and only at the best stores and shops. Her debt was in the hundreds of thousands, and all of it linked back to a company named Junkyard Hogs. The sole proprietor of the business was named as one Sky Thomas.
Weird. Bas looked closer, flipping through the papers in the file. He found it odd that was the only mention of this Sky person. Deciding it was time to expand, Bas hit his computer and did some searches on Sky Thomas and Junkyard Hogs. He discovered Junkyard Hogs was a well-known custom motorcycle shop. It has been based out of Chicago until about three years ago, when the entire place burned to the ground under what was thought to be suspicious circumstances. However, it was later attributed to a simple gas leak.
That right there deserved a little more attention. The business had been standing and running for over twenty years without any problems. The paperwork stated that a simple gas leak caused the damage, and the owner held a pretty sizeable insurance policy. Why wouldn’t the owner rebuild? The place was insured heavily, but Bas couldn’t find where the owner had received or requested payment. It looked like they just up and abandoned the place. Why would someone do that?
The accounts for the business were still open and active. All Shelby’s credit cards got paid through one account which was nearly empty. It looked like Shelby Thomas was in for a surprise. Even paying the minimum payments on all those cards, she had about six months before the account closed due to lack of funds. Damn, he hoped this chick wasn’t his fated mate. She seemed to have some control issues. On paper, she also looked like the perfect person to be a plant. She had so much debt and no income. That situation alone would make her an easy mark for a bribe if the right people approached her. People did all kinds of messed up shit for money.
Bas didn’t believe in living beyond your means. He grew up with less than nothing and never wanted to repeat those circumstances again. The guys on the Teams received a decent paycheck and room and board. That didn’t mean you stopped saving for a rainy day. You never knew when you were going to need it. When Ryleigh joined the Team, she increased their wealth tenfold, but still, Bas didn’t believe in living frivolously. He liked nice things, but he didn’t see the need in having everything and anything. This Shelby chick never seemed to stop buying. Bas didn’t know if he could ever get used to that.
Then again, maybe it would all be worth it to keep your animal sane and your life intact. Bas didn’t know. Jacks, Dalton, and Wyatt seemed happy, and he was pretty sure they would be willing to pay any price for their mates. Bas just didn’t like the looks of this Shelby chick on paper. She didn’t do anything but buy stuff, extremely expensive stuff. Bas didn't doubt that if someone offered her a crapload of cash, she would turn on a dime and sell her soul to the highest bidder if her shopping fix got threatened. And from the looks of it, that was going to happen soon.
At least one thing was playing in his favor. Looking at the picture of Shelby Thomas, Bas felt nothing but a mild attraction for a pretty face and banging body. She didn’t spark an interest in his beast, and according to the mated members of the team, if she were his fated mate, the attraction would be instant and intense. It looked like this chick was meant for someone else if she was even truly a fated mate.
After spending several hours going over the data, Bas decided it was time to give his brother a call and let him know he would be in the area. He also wanted to see if he knew anything about this Shelby chick. Not much happened in Defiance, Kentucky without the Ruthless Bastards MC knowing about it. They owned the town. If a stranger was there, they would have already checked them out for any possible threats. Sitting down on his bed, Bas dial his brother. The phone only rang one time.
“Holy Shit, as I live and breathe. Big brother has finally decided to grace me with a call.”
Bas liked to think he was close to his brothers, but the truth was they were acquaintances merely related by blood. Growing up, their old man decided it was better to keep them away from Bas and his Shifter genetics. The three younger brothers were one hundred percent human. Bas had never told them about his bear and never planned on it. They were safer that way. But he still liked to hang out with them from time to time and relive the few pleasant childhood memories of the times they spent with together.
“Give it up, Link,” Bas chuckled. “You know you love hearing from me.”
“Sure do, cuz that means your tight ass has decided it’s time to cut loose and live on the wild side for a little while. When should we be expecting you?”
Typical Link, cutting straight to the chase, Bas thought to himself.
“Oh man, come on. I don’t only call when I’m planning a visit. Shit, didn’t I call you on Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day?” Bas laughed.
The day mentioned was Link’s birthday, but none of them ever called and said “Happy Birthday” to each other. No, what they did was find the weirdest holiday for the day they were born and wished them a happy ‘whatever’ day. It was lame, but also funny as hell.
“Yeah, I almost forgot about that. So, what’s up, you coming down?”
“Yeah, I have a case I’m working that’s going to put me smack dab in the middle of your area.”
“Anything me or the Club should be worried about?”
“No, man, just some chick NAC is checking out. She may have ties to something we’re working on, but nothing that should bring you any trouble.”
“If you have a name, I could check into it for you, even have the guys do a little digging,” Link suggested.
“I’d appreciate it. The chick’s name is Shelby Thomas, but no need to look further. If you don’t know her, I’ll be there sometime tomorrow to check her out for myself. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”
“Sorry, man, don’t know a Shelby Thomas. There is a chick here working for Tuck right now that goes by the name Pixie, and I think she has a cousin with her. I just got back into town after a long job and haven’t gotten all the ins and outs yet. I can ask around though.”
“Yeah, let me know what you find out. I should be there around noon tomorrow. Maybe you can
save me some legwork. After all, I think you still owe me for that information I spotted you on that cartel that was thinking about doing runs through your area.”
“Cartel my ass! Those fuckers consisted of five junkies looking to put up a meth lab. Fuckers didn’t even know what they were doing. Almost got my ass blown up breaking that shit up.”
“Doesn’t matter, you still owe me,” Bas joked. “Gotta say though, watching those fuckers scatter like cockroaches, tweaking, running around your ass like you were a light bulb was some funny shit. Didn’t plan on them forgetting to turn off the stove when they made a run for it. I freeze framed the look on your face and have it right next to my bed. It makes me laugh every night. Never knew big bad Lincoln Frost would be afraid of touching some scrawny tweakers. I’m surprised you didn’t go there in full battle rattle. Maybe Tuck should start supplying you guys with HazMat suits instead of leathers.”
“Whatever, asshole. Tweakers are no joke; you never know what you're gonna catch if one gets a hold of your ass. Some shit just doesn't wash off.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Bas said still laughing, but trying to hold it back. “Are Collin and Zander in town too?”
“Yep, it will be a complete family reunion. Why don’t you bring Peyton and her man down with you and the whole family can be together.”?
“No can do this time, bro. You’re going to have to deal with just me this time. Maybe next time I can bring Peyton and Wyatt down.”
“Sounds good, see you tomorrow, Bas.”
“Yep, see you then.”
Hanging up, Bas laid back on his bed. It was really late or really early depending on what you were thinking. He had a little over two hours to get his shit packed and meet up with Cash and Ryleigh for the flight. Bas was surprised Jacks was letting Ryleigh out of his sight, even only for a day or two, but he hadn’t been in on the whys of this trip. He knew she was going to meet up with Mia for some medical testing which couldn’t be performed at the Alpha base, but hadn’t been privy to what that testing involved.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 87
