by Evelyn Glass
“I don’t know what to do,” she finally said, her emotions in complete turmoil.
“You need to do what is right,” Scott said.
“What’s right? I don’t even know anymore.”
“Let’s wait until Saturday,” Scott suggested. “Maybe your mom can talk some sense into your uncle. But if she can’t, we should just go.”
“Go where?” Jess cried, raising her hands beseechingly. “Where are we going to go that the Grim Angels can’t reach us?”
“I don’t know. But Detroit isn’t the place, and you know it,” Scott said calmly.
“How will we live?”
“We’ll find jobs. Somebody is always looking for a cook. Maybe I can find a job in a body shop or something. We just have to get settled someplace then we can figure out our long-term plan.”
“He’s making sense, Jess. You should listen,” Ron said softly before turning his back to them as he tended a pan on the stove. Scott didn’t know what Ron was cooking, but it smelled wonderful.
Jess nodded slowly. “I know, but this is my home. It’s where I grew up and where my family lives. I don’t want to leave.”
“I can understand that.” Ron said slowly. “But you haven’t been anywhere. There is a whole wide world out there you haven’t seen. Think about it. You have always been interested in history. Go, find some history in the old west, or New England. There is more to this country than Detroit, Michigan.”
“Sounds like you are trying to get rid of me,” Jess mumbled as she thought about his words.
Ron snorted. “Hardly. I just want you to get out and experience life. There is so much to see and do. But if you do leave, you have to stay in touch, okay, kiddo? If I don’t hear from you occasionally, I’m coming and taking my car back.”
“Yeah…about that. I’m trying to get Scott’s bike back. If I can, we won’t need your car. But thanks for letting us borrow it.”
“How do you plan on getting it back? Isn’t that going to be, well, to be blunt, dangerous?”
“Yeah, probably. If Mom actually agrees to get his bike, I’ll worry about it then. It’s kind of like a test, to see if I can trust her and Val.”
“And how will you know if you can trust her until it’s too late?” Ron asked as he dried his hands and returned to the stove.
“I don’t know. Scott and I will put our heads together and figure something out.”
Ron began to scoop half-moon shaped globs onto a paper-towel draped plate as he spoke. “I won’t be involved in anything illegal, but if I can help in any way…”
“Nothing illegal,” Scott agreed. “I’m not sure this is even a good idea. What are those? They smell great?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Pierogi.”
“Pierogi? What’s that?”
“You’ve never had a Pierogi?” Ron asked, his surprise clear in his voice.
“Oh boy, you’re in for a treat then,” Jess added as she took the plate from Ron.
***
Jess and Scott moved about the kitchen, loading the dishwasher after dinner. Jess had insisted that she would clean up since Ron cooked. When Ron finally agreed, Scott offered to help, not because he enjoyed washing dishes, but because he wanted to be alone with Jess for a few minutes.
“I don’t know how we’re going to work getting the bike back,” he said as he rinsed plates and handed them to Jess to put in the dishwasher.
“Me neither. But since Mom hasn’t called back, it’s probably moot anyway. I’m sorry. I thought she could get it back for you.”
“It’s okay. It’s insured, but thanks for trying.”
“Yeah,” Jess said quietly. “I bet you wish you had never come to Detroit.”
Scott thought about it. While it was true Detroit had been nothing but a pain in the ass since he arrived, there was one thing that made him glad he came. “I have to admit that I’ve had better weeks. But there is this one thing that has made it all worthwhile.”
Jess looked at him from under her bangs and smiled slightly. She was just leaning in to meet his lips when her phone buzzed, making her jump. She aborted the kiss and pulled her phone. “It’s Angela,” she said as she pushed the button to put the call on speaker. “How’re you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot, but other than that, fine. Glendal gave me some good shit. I assume since you answered the phone you got away okay?”
“Yeah, but they took Scott’s bike.”
“I heard. Where are you now?”
“I don’t think I should say,” Jess said as Scott shook his head.
“Okay, I understand. Listen, we need to talk. This whole thing with you and Scott is fucked up. The club is beginning to split. Half the brothers think Val is losing it and the other half wants to kill Scott on sight as an example. Which is part of the reason why I called. Your mother wants me to bring you Scott’s bike.”
“What?” Jess asked in confusion.
“Didn’t you tell Kat she had to get Scott’s bike back for him? Val won’t give it up, but she wants me to steal the bike for you.”
“Angela…I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. Ed is on the side of Val is losing it and you need some wheels. Val has everyone looking for the Durango. You’re not still using it are you? If you are, you need to dump it, and pronto, before they find it.”
“No. We abandoned it right after we dropped you off. Why are you doing this?”
“Because you need to get away until things calm down. Jason, he’s stirring up the shit. He’s the one filling Val’s head with the idea that he can’t back down or he will look weak. It’s like he has a giant chip on his shoulder or something, the little prick. And Val is swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.”
“That’s Jason,” Scott said. “Always forward, and damn the consequences.”
“Yeah,” Angela agreed, “and Val is lapping it up. He’s supremely pissed at me for trying to bring you some clothes and not telling him we were meeting, and his attitude has pissed Ed off. The whole fucking club is coming apart over this.”
“What about the guys Scott shot? What does the club think about that?”
“They’re not happy about it, of course, but I don’t think anyone really blames Scott. I made sure everyone knew Jack and Greg started shooting first and that one of them was the one who shot me. To be honest, I think some of the guys are impressed that Scott stood up to Val, managed to get you two out of a very tight situation, and didn’t leave me behind. I heard one of the guys say they could probably track you down by looking for where Scott’s dick was dragging in the dirt.”
“How did they find us?” Scott asked while Jess giggled.
“I don’t know for sure, but Ed thinks they were tailing me, Kat, Rick, and anyone else they thought you might contact, hoping one of us would lead them to you. I drew the short straw. Once they saw the meet up, Greg or Jack called in the troops. I guess when they saw that you were getting ready to bolt, they tried to stop you. It didn’t work out so well for them.”
“How can we trust you?” Scott asked.
“I know how it looks,” Angela answered. “And I don’t blame you for being suspicious, but I would never do anything to hurt Jess. Ever. We’ll play it however you like. Just understand that Ed is putting it all on the line for you, Jess. If he gets caught delivering Scott’s bike to him, it won’t go well for him. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” Jess agreed. “Why is he doing it, then?”
“Because I want him to and because he knows it’s the right thing to do. You Atlanta boys haven’t done shit to us, but Val has put out the hit on you Scott, and for what? For daring to want to give Jess her life back? For not letting Val run your personal life? If Val gets away with this, what’s next? Is he going to start dictating who can hookup with who? What if he decides that Ed and I aren’t right for each other? Well fuck that. I sleep with who I want to and Val can just go fuck himself. Ed feels the same way.”
&
nbsp; Jess looked at Scott, waiting for him to decide what he wanted to do. “Okay. How do you plan to get the bike away from Val? Do you even know where it is?”
“Yeah. It’s at the garage. Leave getting the bike to Ed and me. We’ll get the bike. How are we going to get it to you? That’s the hard part.”
“We need a big open space, like a parking lot or something. Someplace where nobody can hide.” Scott said.
Jess thought a moment. “How about the Fairlane Mall? They have a huge parking lot. You could park out at the end somewhere, away from the mall. Just leave it parked there. There are never any cars out there. Would that work?” she asked looking to Scott.
“Yeah, probably,” Scott agreed.
“Is that what we’re doing then?” Angela asked.
“Yeah. Fairlane Mall. On the Macy’s side. Park out in the middle somewhere, away from all the cars. We’ll find it. Call us when you get the bike and we’ll come pick it up,” Jess explained.
“It’s got to be in the middle of the day,” Scott added.
“Tomorrow, then,” Angela said. “Around noon, okay? But Jess, your mom wants to be there. She wants to talk to you and make sure you’re okay. That was the deal, Jess. She will help get the bike by distracting the brothers at the garage, but she wants to be there when you pick up it up.”
“No. Too much risk. I don’t a repeat of today,” Scott said.
“Scott…” Jess said softly. “If we’re leaving, I need to talk to her. I have to tell her goodbye. Please.”
“She’s Val’s sister, Jess. You know she’s loyal to Val and the club.”
“She’s also my mother. She won’t sell me out. Please, Scott. I have to do this. You can hang back if you need to, but I have to do this.”
Scott fumed a moment. “Fuck. Okay. I don’t like it, but okay.” This is just like the last time with the clothes! I should just walk away! But even as he thought it, he knew he wouldn’t.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You don’t have to go,” Jess said softly as they prepared for bed. Scott had been cool and aloof for the last few hours, ever since their conversation with Angela, and she was fretting that she was pushing him too far.
“No, I’ll be there. If they snatch you back then this all would have been for nothing. But you know we’re taking a huge risk here, right? What if your mother thinks it’s for the best that you come home with her. Do you put it past her to not call on the Angels to make that happen?” Scott asked. He knew he was being pissy, but his mind was spinning with all the ways this meet could go wrong, and he couldn’t think of a counter for even half of them.
Jess stared at her toothbrush, the paste tube hovering over it unsqueezed. “I know. But I can’t just leave, Scott. I can’t! I have to see her this one last time. I have to try to make her understand. I owe her that, if nothing else.” She squeezed the paste onto the brush and set to work.
“You’re willing to risk your freedom for this? You know if you go back, Val and your mother will make sure you are never free and will run your life forever.”
Jess didn’t answer, scrubbing her teeth to give her a chance to think. Scott was right, and she knew he was right, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something she had to do, and if she didn’t, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She had enough regrets already and she didn’t need any more. After a moment of furious brushing she spat the foam into the sink then rinsed her mouth and the toothbrush, delaying her response as long as possible.
“I know, but it’s something I have to do. If I don’t I will always wonder if I did the right thing.”
He nodded once before turning on his toe and striding out of the bathroom. It was obvious her mind was made up and there was no changing it. He could understand her wanting to say goodbye, but he wasn’t sure the risk was worth it. Hell, I’m not even sure getting the bike back is worth the risk. I wouldn’t put it past Val to gun me down in the parking lot just to make a point.
He shucked his pants, leaving his underwear on out of respect to Ron, and crawled into bed. A few minutes later Jess appeared wearing the shirt they had purchased earlier, a long light-blue sleep-shirt with the words “To Do List: Absolutely Nothing” emblazoned on the front.
“Are you upset?” she asked as she snuggled in close. It was amazing how cold an air-conditioned house felt after sleeping for years in a hot apartment.
“No. But this could go badly in so many ways, Jess. We’re going to be exposed in a big way. If your mother double-crosses us, we’re going to be fucked.”
“You’re the one who wanted to meet out in the open,” she protested.
“Yeah. That makes it tougher to ambush us, but it still leaves us with our dicks hanging out. What if your mother pulls a gun and gut shoots me? The Angels will be on you before you can do anything.”
“She wouldn’t do that!”
“Are you sure? Are you really sure? You’ve made it pretty clear you don’t intend to go back to the way things were. Do you think your mom is ready to let you go? What about your uncle? You think he’s going to just let me walk away now? How much pressure can he put on your mom?”
Jess’s first reaction was to protest that he didn’t know what he was talking about, but so much had happened in the last three days she was no longer sure. Her mother was one tough bitch, that much was certain, but would she go so far as to kill to keep her close? Jess didn’t think so, but she was no longer certain.
“What do you suggest?” she finally asked.
“I suggest we don’t do this. But failing that, you stay in the car until I pat your mother down. Then we take the bike and go someplace else. Your mother follows in the car. If we aren’t tailed, then you can have the meet…otherwise, we bolt. When you’re done, we take the car and leave.”
“And my mother?”
“We’ll leave her cell. She can call a cab, or Val, or somebody. But we take the car so she can’t follow us.”
Jess thought it over. She didn’t like leaving her mother alone, but if they picked someplace safe to leave her, she guessed she could live with Scott’s plan.
“Okay. We’ll do it your way. I hope this isn’t all for nothing.”
“Me, too,” Scott replied, and he meant it. He just wanted to get this shit behind him and move on with his life.
They lay quietly for a time, Jess’s hand drawing lazy patterns on Scott’s chest as his hand caressed her back, her fingers tracing the peaks and valleys of his body as a low level warmth spread through her. She wanted him, not only for the way he made her feel physically, but emotionally, as well. While the brain melting orgasms he gave her were unlike anything she had experienced before, the way she felt after the love-making was just as new. She felt connected and cherished in a way she never had before. Like all the men before him, Scott controlled her, but the way he did it was completely different. He took charge of their love-making, not to ensure his own pleasure, but to ensure hers.
She didn’t know if it was the release of oxytocin that made her feel safe or the fact that she was so mellow from having her brains fucked out, but she hadn’t been bothered with dreams since she and Scott had started doing the horizontal mambo. She wanted, no, not wanted, needed that feeling again tonight. She needed to know everything was still okay between them.
She allowed her hand to drift lower in degrees until she began to slide her fingers under the elastic waistband of his boxers. He didn’t move or react to her teasing and she worried that her insistence on meeting her mom was cooling his fire toward her. She touched his member, her fingers lightly caressing his manhood. He was only semi-hard, causing her anxiety to increase. Every time she had touched him in the past he was already steel hard.
She didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “Are we okay? Is there something wrong?” she murmured, her hand becoming still.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” he whispered. “I’m just worried about tomorrow.”
Desperately wanting to believe him
she rose up slightly to offer her lips and found his waiting. The kiss instantly began to deepen as they responded to the touch of the other, the flames of passion leaping higher.
As their lips parted he looked into Jess’s enormous eyes, her expression a mixture of fear and doubt that was just discernable in the dim light of the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m worried.”
“It’ll be okay. We’ll just have to be careful.”
“No. Not about tomorrow, about us. I was afraid…afraid that you were tired of me or something.”
“Tired of you? I hardly know you.”
