I turned and made eye contact with the man. “Oh, Mr. Garner, it’s never a waste of time when you’re able to peel away layers and see true colors. On the contrary, it’s quite beneficial. Good day, Mr. Garner.”
Trying to hold my composure, I exited the building and marched to my car before my emotions got the best of me, once again. I didn’t glance around for Herc, assuming that he was lurking in the shadows.
Once I was confined to the darkness of the parking garage, I rested my head on the steering wheel and cut loose. I cried angry tears. I cried hurt tears. Lonely tears and scared tears. Pain flooded my body. I sobbed uncontrollably, not caring about my appearance or makeup.
My life wasn’t supposed to be caught up in club bullshit. I wasn’t responsible for Ronin or his fucked up choices. At this point, I didn’t even know if I believed that he was innocent, but it didn’t matter.
None of it mattered.
Alex Numar was dead. The piece of trash who was responsible for burning down the house and the death of my innocent baby boy had finally gotten his payback. The entire house had been engulfed in flames, leaving no way out. The doors were useless. I remembered the way the intentional flames licked at my legs as I fought to climb out of the shattered window, glass shards piecing my swollen abdomen. I remembered the blood on Ronin’s hands and assuming that he had found the arsonist, only to find out it was my blood.
My precious, baby never stood a chance.
As we laid our innocent bundle to rest, Ronin promised that Numar would pay. Things would never be the same after that. In a way, I had lost my entire life that night, left to patch together some form of purpose. Much like a tattered old quilt made from throwaway scraps.
It didn’t matter who killed Numar. He was dead and I would happily defend whoever pulled the trigger.
I attempted to regain my composure as I wiped away the thick mascara smudges. That was twice today that I’d had a good pity cry. Now, it was time for me to pull up my big girl panties and put a hurting on Garner. I reveled in the fact that he underestimated me, assuming that I was nothing but motorcycle trash, a second chair from the wrong side of the tracks.
This could be fun.
Crash!
My stomach lurched into my throat as I scrambled to the passenger side floorboard. Glass shattered like a rainstorm. My entire body trembled, waiting for my attacker to come back to finish the job. I fished my small Smith & Wesson from the glove compartment.
I crouched down. Every muscle in my body tensed as I heard footsteps. I gripped the handgun with my shaking hands. Someone tried to open the backdoor. My insides pitched as I struggled to hold my breath.
I heard the front door. “I’ve got a gun and I will use it!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and readied myself to pull the trigger.
“Jo?”
The deep voice was soft and quivering.
I opened my eyes and found Herc staring back at me. He looked like hell, with a big slash across his arm. His lip was busted and swollen. Bruising had already started around his eyes.
“Oh my god! Are you ok?” I asked.
He ignored my question and worked at getting me out of the car unharmed. After bringing me to safety, he whipped out his cell phone and started punching buttons with his large fingers.
I surveyed the damage to my car. The entire back glass had been busted out. I rummaged around in the back seat, careful not to cut myself, until I found what had been used as the weapon.
A brick. It had a note wrapped around it, held in place with a rubber band.
‘Your only warning. We’re coming.’
I shoved the note in Herc’s face, who was now actually talking on the phone using short, curt answers. He slowly read the note out loud to the person on the other end.
“Sir.”
My father.
He hung up and held out a helmet.
“What about my car? What about calling the cops?”
Herc shrugged and shoved the helmet out further. I threw my gun into my satchel and threw it over my head and one shoulder before strapping on the helmet. I wrapped my arms around the big man since he wasn’t taking it slow and easy this time. He put the hammer down as he burned up the asphalt, passing the apartment complex, and heading straight out of town.
There was no use trying to talk to him. He had clearly been given an order and he was a man on a mission. A man with a one track mind when it came to the club.
He drove for what I guessed had to be an hour or more. The air grew colder as we turned off the highway and onto a narrow side road through the sequoias, confirming my suspicions that we were headed to the cabin. I hadn’t been there since I was a teenager. It had always been one of my favorite places. I had good and bad memories of my mother, but if they were good, they were probably at the cabin.
It had also been one of Ronin and mine’s favorite spots to sneak away for some alone time.
Herc pulled up to the front and helped me off the bike.
“What are we doing here?”
“Safe.”
“For how long?”
The man shrugged and turned his back to me. He was standing watch, like a ruthless guard dog, almost hoping someone would test his skills. I could see in his face that he was beating himself up about what had happened.
I strolled through the house, looking at all of the old photos of the club and my family from over the years. My chest swelled as I was reminded of the small, personal touches that my mother had put into the cabin.
Over the years, it had become the perfect combination of Ruth and my mother. It made my insides warm. The quilt on the edge of the old, leather sofa brought back a flood of memories.
I had helped my mother cut out all of the fabric squares. I was so proud of myself for doing a big girl job. My mother died before we were able to finish it. After Ruth came into the picture, she waited a few years for me to feel ready before asking if I wanted to finish the quilt.
It was one of my favorite material possessions.
The door cracked, causing me to grab the closest thing to arm myself, the fire poker, and hide behind the recliner.
“What are you doing here?” I asked my sister.
“Pop sent me up to check on you. Here are some of your things and he said to tell you that they’ll be up soon.”
I noticed the way Jessa was gawking at me. “What?”
“Don’t you want to clean that up?” She pointed to my head.
I went to check the bathroom mirror with Jessa quick on my heels.
“Holy shit!” Shocked to see a thick, crusty stream of blood that had dripped down from a deep gash in my eyebrow. My hands shook as I wet a tissue and struggled to wipe away the dried blood.
“Here, let me help you.” Jessa took the tissue and gingerly dabbed at my cheek, working her way up to my eye. “You must have hit it on the dash or something when the brick hit.”
I hadn’t heard a gentle word from my sister in years. The kind gesture brought hot tears to my already puffy eyes.
“Am I hurting you?”
I shook my head. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Jessa tilted her head and smiled. “I didn’t mean to get you caught up in all this bullshit. I should have listened to Pop and kept you at a distance.”
“If you had, Ronin would still be in jail. And Sanders is an idiot. He would go away for life.”
“Yeah,” Jessa hung her head. “But shit’s getting out of hand. You’re in danger. They know you’re important to Ronin. They won’t think twice about going through you to get to him.”
“Who’s they?”
Jessa shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Around here, the tactics are always the same. But if I had to guess, I’d say the Pistol Kings.”
I swallowed hard. My throat was dry and my head was woozy. My sister must have noticed the blood drain from my face.
“Hey, it’s all good. These boys aren’t gonna let those chicken shits get near you again. We handle our busines
s.”
We both turned at the sound of the screen door. Ruth walked in with an armload of bags, followed by a herd of woman known as the club bitches.
Including one skanky, smug redhead.
“Girls, grab some bags. We’re going on lockdown.”
Jessa and I snapped into action. There was an entire carload of blankets, groceries, and even my own luggage.
“We’re all staying here?” I asked, eyeballing Angela.
“Yep, the boys too. They should be here any minute. They were right behind me. I left Susie manning the bar, and …”
As soon as the word’s left her mouth, came the deafening roar of the long parade of sleds. Seemed like an impressive, endless line, one right after another.
“Who are all these people?” The epic sight gave me goose bumps.
Jessa stood beside me and surveyed the scene. “That’s your family. Most of those boys are from other chapters, all within a few hundred miles. When Jesse says jump, they say how hi. There should be more coming in later on this evening.”
We watched as the soldiers filed in and parked their bikes before they immediately started popping up tents.
My heart fluttered wildly in my chest when I spotted Ronin. He was still wearing the same clothes and he looked as if he hadn’t slept all night. He and Jesse walked in the front door, both noticing the gauze that Jessa had used as a bandage.
“It’s ok, Pop. Not a big deal.”
He narrowed his haggard eyes. “Not a big deal? Baby girl, this is the only deal. This is how wars get started.” He pulled me in for a tight embrace. My emotions got the best of me and the lurking tears finally spilled. He planted a soft kiss on the top of my head.
“Don’t you worry. We’ve got it covered,” he said before heading back outside for a smoke.
I knew the idea of a club war should send me running for the hills, but something inside of me bubbled with exhilaration, danger. The thought that all of these people were here for me sent adrenaline through my veins.
In a matter of just a couple days, my life had completely been turned upside down. Nothing seemed real anymore, as if I was playing an imaginary game of biker wars.
As soon as Jesse left the room, Ronin stepped in and placed both hands on my slender hips. He bent down to eye level. “Shit darlin, are you ok, seriously?”
I shoved his hands away. “I’m fine.”
His fingertips grazed my throbbing brow. “You must be a nervous wreck. I am so sorry, Jo.”
“For what?”
“What the fuck? For dragging you into this. For not keeping you safe. For not being there.”
My face fell. “The only place that I need you to be is in the courtroom,” I said with a deadpan tone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
(Ronin)
I stood in the empty living room fighting the urge to run after Jolene and keep her under lock and key. My lock and key.
I had really fucked up this time.
The females were in the kitchen throwing together chow for thirty hungry bikers and their families. Patsy made rounds, handing out beers to all the boys. Tammy and Bonnie made sure everyone had what they needed, including the kids who were caught up in the middle of this bullshit. If the parents did their jobs right, the children just thought they were on a big, family camping trip.
The walls started to close in around me. I stormed out the front door. Clint was leaning against the front porch loading his pipe. After taking a hit, he offered it my way. I took a long inhale, closing my eyes and holding it, letting it roll down my throat. Damn, that shit tasted like motherfucking money.
“How’s it going, brother?”
“Not good, man. It would have been less stressful if I had just rolled over.”
“Shit, man. You know better than that. That wouldn’t have stopped them and it sure as shit wouldn’t have stopped her.”
My brain thumped against my skull. It had been a major mistake to finish off that entire bottle of Jameson in one night. Every heartbeat was like a fork to the eye.
“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her.” My shoulders slumped forward.
“It’s not gonna come to that. We’re gonna take care of shit. You know that.”
I lowered my head and nodded.
“Good.” Clint took another hit off the pipe. “Grab yourself some grub and drink that beer. You could probably use a shower too. You smell like you’ve been rolling around in Herc’s dirty drawers.”
I slugged my friend in the arm. “That kinda shit will get your ass kicked.” I gave a half-hearted chuckle.
I had yet to recover since getting the phone call about Jo. I was prepared for the inevitable ass whipping that I had coming from the prez. I deserved that and then some. And I sure as shit couldn’t blame Jo for being pissed. I had really fucked up.
“Can I get ya something, sugar?”
I smelled her reeking perfume before Angela even stepped out on to the porch. I slapped her hand off my neck.
“I’m good.”
“You gonna act like this all day? It’s because she’s here ain’t it?” Angela bent over, positioning her tits in my face. “Come on, sugar. You know I can help you clear your head. Just give me a chance. You know it works every time.”
Not wanting to be around her for another second, I stood and jumped down from the porch. “Not a chance in hell. Look around. This place is swarming with dick. Take your pick,” I spat back at her before heading off to set up my own tent.
There was no way I was spending the night in that house. Females were bat shit crazy. Besides, being outside meant being the first line of defense.
I finished pitching my tent and tossed my bedroll inside. The sun began to set, prompting Stoner to start fires in the surrounding burn barrels. Everyone huddled around the pits. Clint pulled out his guitar that he kept at the cabin and started strumming.
Being on lockdown was no joke. If Jesse ordered a club wide lockdown, it meant there was an immediate threat. The boys brought their families to the cabin until a change of circumstance or a battle plan could be put into action.
However, it didn’t take away from the inspiring sight of having your entire family together in one spot. Enjoying good company and catching up with patch brothers from other chapters.
Club life wasn’t for the faint of heart, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being a straight-laced poser was never in the cards for me. This was as good as it would ever get. As I observed my emotionally charged family, I knew that I was ok with that.
Ruth and the girls brought out trays of sandwiches and chips. They had even thought about fresh fruit for the kids. I was captivated as I watched Jolene pass out napkins and juice boxes. Children surrounded her, giggling as she teased them by running around in circles.
“Hey hun, Jesse wants to see you.” Ruth gave me a sympathetic smile. I pat her on the back as I headed to the house.
Jessa sat at the round dining table nursing a beer. She didn’t look up to acknowledge me, only pointed down the hall. Nerves bundled in my gut like a festering swarm of pissed off wasps.
I knocked on the open door to the office that the club also used for church. Jesse had his nose stuck in an atlas. He glanced up for a second to wave me in.
“Going somewhere?”
“Never hurts to have a plan. Sit.”
I did as instructed. Jesse stripped away his black framed reading glasses.
“I guess we have some catching up to do.” He leaned back, bouncing the rocking chair.
“Look, I know I fucked up.”
Jesse shot forward, glaring at me as if I was a stranger. “Do you?”
I thought this might be it. There were enough brothers here that I could be put down, buried, and forgotten about all in a matter of minutes.
I wouldn’t be the first.
“The best thing you can do right now is keep your mouth shut and listen up.”
I did as I was told, even though my muscles tensed up a
nd I had to fight the urge to punch the fucking wall. If it had been anyone else, the wall would not be my focus.
“Yeah, saying that you fucked up is an understatement. First, you get my daughter caught up in this Numar bullshit. Second, you fuck with her head. Yeah, you thought I didn’t know about that, huh? Third, you ditch Jo for that piece of community trash, Angela. And to top it off, you leave Jo to clean up your mess and don’t even have the fucking balls to man up and keep her safe.”
“It’s not like that with Angela.”
“Did you or did you not have her on the back of your sled and disappear for the night? I don’t give two shits about where you dip your wick, until it involves my daughter.”
I fought to remain calm, my heavy breathing betraying me. I rubbed my hand over my beard to bring the oxygen back to my numb lips.
“I got drunk and passed out. That’s it.”
Jesse flung his hand in the air. “I don’t want to hear your bullshit. I spent a lot of time and money to give Jo a fresh start. She deserves more than this, and you know it. You need to think through some of your actions, son.”
I nodded. He was speaking as Jolene’s father and not as my president. Even I could appreciate that.
I looked Jesse in the eye and bit the bullet. “The last thing in this world I would ever want to do is hurt Jo. I love her and I always will. I tried to keep her at a distance. That’s why I picked up Angela. Stupid, I know. But I couldn’t go through with it. Jo’s all I could think about. I drained the bottle and passed out. I’m going to do my best to keep her safe, but she’s also so god damn stubborn and has a mind of her own.”
I held my breath and waited for the hammer to drop.
Jesse’s body eased and he leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other. “Yeah, you got that shit right. A real spit fire, just like her mother. Which isn’t always a good thing.”
“I hear what you’re saying.”
“I sure as shit hope you do. Now, what do we do about this bullshit with the Pistol Kings?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I’m assuming it’s retaliation for Numar.”
Jesse nodded. “And they’re not going to stop until they spill blood.”
X Marks the Spot (Executioners MC Book 1) Page 10
