She swallowed loudly. Anyone who knew her knew that all she wanted to do was to teach. “No,” she croaked out, hating the tears that pooled in her eyes. Alcohol always heightened her emotions.
“Then I think you should go back in there and forget we ever had this conversation. I can do anything that I want to do, so you might as well just get used to it.”
Biting down on the words that came to mind, she tried to remind herself that this was about more than just these few moments. This was about the rest of her life. She didn’t want to ruin it, she had worked too hard to get this far. Turning on her heel, she made her way back to the restaurant.
“Tell Jagger I said ‘hi’,” he called back to her. As she got to the door, she threw the bottle of beer towards him, feeling a little bit vindicated as it crashed to the ground – far enough away from him that he wouldn’t feel any of the liquid on him, but she figured he got the sentiment.
Stumbling through the door, she made the turn to the restroom, tears leaking from her eyes. She hated this, hated feeling like a piece of shit. All her life, she had worked for something good to happen to her, and now it felt as if it was beginning to slip through her fingers. Locking herself in a stall, she leaned against the door and fought against the sobs. Having a panic attack wouldn’t help anyone. It took long moments, but she finally regulated her breathing and got herself under control.
“Hey, you okay?” Jagger asked as she came back to the table. “You were gone a little bit.”
“I’m good, maybe just more tipsy than I thought,” she laughed in an over exaggerated way.
He grinned at her, his eyes taking on a soft look. “We can leave here in a minute. Sorry about trying to get you drunk.”
She leaned over, kissing him on the cheek and snuggling against his side. When his arms came around her, she thought that just maybe this would all be okay. Maybe it would all work out. There were no guarantees, but at least with him in her corner there was a much better chance than there had ever been.
When the check came and there was only one delivered to Jagger, she didn’t even argue when he paid for it all.
“Y’all helped us out today and I appreciate it,” he explained, plucking down a debit card for the whole meal.
“Well then we got tip,” Tyler said as he reached into his wallet, Layne doing the same.
As they all left and Bianca got on the back of Jagger’s bike, she allowed herself to imagine that this was the way her life was going to end up. With everything she had, she hoped she was right.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“It’s colder than a well-digger’s ass out here.” Jagger shivered as he pulled his bandana up around his mouth and breathed heavily into it.
“No shit.” Layne stomped his feet to try to get some warmth into his body. “This weather makes my damn leg hurt,” he grumbled.
“Well you’d never know it by lookin’ at you. You’re a fighter.”
Layne had heard that his whole life, and while he agreed, it sometimes just annoyed him. “I’m not special at all. Some of my friends didn’t make it back from over there.”
“You think that’s why you joined up with us?” Jagger asked, pulling a cigarette from his pack. He held it in his hand, appearing to contemplate whether he really wanted to light it or not. That would require him to move his bandana over and might make him more cold.
“Don’t know,” Layne shrugged. “Maybe I just have a death wish and I never really knew it.”
That, Jagger could understand. From a young age he had been force-fed Christianity and God. He knew without a doubt that was why he did the things he did. That’s why he always straddled the line between being fine and getting shot at. If only his parents could see him now.
“You got that in you too, don’t you?” Layne took the cigarette from Jagger’s fingers and lit it, the smoke billowing as it hit the cold air.
“Yeah.”
“Scary shit, huh?”
The conversation they were having amazed Jagger. Up until a few days ago, he hadn’t even known he had a famous friend. Now, Layne seemed to be opening up even further. Although the two of them had come into the club together and Layne did talk to him more than to others, he still didn’t know a whole lot about Layne or his past.
“Sometimes. Now I feel like I gotta think about Bianca. Before, I didn’t give a shit what I did, but I’d hate to upset her now.”
“That’s good, bro. You got somethin’ to live for now.”
“And you don’t?” Jagger threw back at his friend. Just because he was a man didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in how the relationship with Jessica Shea had come about.
Layne was quiet for a long time, contemplating the words that Jagger had thrown out there. “I do, but I don’t think she does.”
Figuring it was best to leave that alone, Jagger walked to where his bike sat and had a seat. He didn’t want this to be awkward, so he started up a new conversation. “When do you think Liam and Tyler are gonna get here?”
The relaxation that took place in Layne’s body was apparent. It told more than anything how uncomfortable he still was talking about his past life. “Hopefully soon. I’m freezing and I’ve been in some pretty chilly situations. This…bein’ the coldest.”
“I heard that. We’re livin’ in Kentucky, right? Not Alaska. I don’t ever remember it bein’ this cold before.”
They sat there in silence. Not the uncomfortable kind, but the kind that two friends can sit in without feeling awkward.
“I can remember one school year they threatened to take away our spring break. It snowed forever, it seemed, that winter. This year kinda reminds me of that. It’s cold and we’ve had snow.”
Layne had a seat on his bike next to Jagger’s. “You’re from here, right?”
“Born and raised.”
“So how come we’ve never met your parents?”
Blowing out a loud breath, Jagger grinned. “You know how you don’t wanna talk about Jessica Shea? I don’t know want to talk about my parents.”
“Noted.”
Layne could hear the delight in Jagger’s voice as he offered something else. “I will talk about Bianca if you want to.”
“Dude, you are so whipped. I mean, seriously? We could be shooting the shit about sports and you want to talk about your girl?”
“C’mon now. You gotta admit, she’s nice to look at. Which means she’s pretty damn okay to talk about.”
Turning the wheel on his bike, Layne nodded. “You did get a looker man. I don’t know what the fuck she’s doin’ with you,” he teased.
“I think that every time I go somewhere with her. For real. I see guys look at us and I know they’re like, ‘how did he score that bangin’ chick?’”
Layne laughed. “The patch on yo back!”
“Nah, not with her. With other women, yeah. But not with her. She made me work for it.”
“Those are always the best, huh? When they make you work for it. It’s sweeter.”
Jagger opened his mouth to answer his friend when they heard a vehicle approaching. “Those two weren’t going to be in a van, were there?” he asked, as he glanced up the road.
“No, they should be on their bikes,” Layne confirmed.
As it came into view, Jagger saw that it was a white van, and his heart rate kicked up. “That’s a white van. I been seeing them everywhere, and one ran me off the road when I got hurt.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t be all out here in the open,” Layne said, pulling his bike behind a crop of trees they were close to. His heart rate was also kicking up, just like it did before he was in a firefight in Iraq.
“Think you’re right, my heart is about to come out of my chest. I got a feeling.”
“Me too, pull it on back here,” Layne whispered as the two made themselves as small as they could.
The van had been further down the road, and Layne hoped they had pulled their bikes back quick enough that they hadn’t been spotted. As it slowly
crept by where they squatted in the grove of trees, his pulse rate skyrocketed. “They’re gonna shoot,” he told Jagger.
Jagger nodded. He was thinking the same thing. Both of them were packing, and it seemed they reached for their side pieces at the same time that the van door opened. There stood a man with a semi-automatic weapon. In the blink of an eye, he was shooting, spraying the area with bullets. Layne and Jagger returned fire as best they could, and within seconds the van was gone.
“You alright?” Layne asked as they took stock of themselves.
The van was gone, they couldn’t even see taillights anymore. It had hauled ass as soon as the shots were fired.
“Got me in the stomach,” Jagger grimaced. “Luckily I thought to put on a vest before this, but damn that hurt.”
Layne could relate. There were many times when he’d been overseas and a bullet hit where he was protected, it had made him want to puke. “Good thinking.”
The roar of motorcycles cut into their conversation. Immediately the two recognized Liam and Tyler.
“We heard shots,” Liam shouted as they approached.
“White van,” Layne confirmed.
“Who the fuck is that?” Tyler growled, reaching over to steady Jagger as he tried to pull his vest off.
“That’s a damn good question.” Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and placed a call. They could tell it was to Steele from the information he was relaying to the person on the other end of the line.
“Not to be a prick,” Layne began. “But why did you want to meet us out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Because we got a problem.” That was from Tyler and he was looking straight at Jagger.
“What the fuck did I do?”
“It’s not what you’ve done at all, but it seems like Bianca has attracted the attention of someone who’s not so savory,” Liam explained.
“What?”
Immediately, he thought back to the note and drink that had been sent to her when they were out. “Speak. Now.” He commanded, flexing his fingers, the leather gloves creaking with the movement and cold.
“Sparkles and Jasmine are worried. Seems that a high roller they’re callin’ Money Bags has taken a shine to her and requests her section every time he comes in. It used to be that she would refuse, but lately she’s just been dealin’ with it.” Liam took a breath to let that sink in.
“Like she’s scared?” Layne asked, not wanting to think the opposite. He had just been with the couple a few days before. They were really into each other, there was no way Bianca was messing with some other guy.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Liam confirmed with a nod of his head. “We need to find out who this fucker is.”
“Is she working tonight?” Tyler looked over at Jagger who had remained almost silent through this whole exchange.
The anger came off his body in waves. His blue eyes were cold and hard, there was no doubt what was running through his head. He was ready to cause someone physical pain. “She is.”
“Well let’s go see if Mr. Money Bags is there. Maybe we can find out what he wants.” Liam turned his bike back on.
The group turned onto the main highway, taking the road that lead to Wet Wanda’s. Jagger’s head spun with thoughts. They were serious – at least he was – there was no way she was running around on him. He had to believe that. With everything they had shared, gone through, it couldn’t all be a lie. The group made it to the establishment in minutes. As they got off their bikes, Tyler clapped Jagger on the shoulder.
“Get out of your own head man. That girl adores you. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Jagger couldn’t help it, he felt pissy. “What the fuck do you even care?”
“Hey, I do. My wife likes her. It would kill her if she wasn’t a part of this group anymore. You know what they say. Happy wife, happy life.”
“’Cept she ain’t your wife, right?”
“Believe whatever you want to. The truth is my business not yours,” Tyler told him, assessing him with sharp eyes. “You need to take it down a notch before you walk into that room. You will not get outta hand with her.”
“You think I’m gonna hit her?” he asked, his shoulders tight, as he tried to roll them.
Layne stepped beside the two of them. “I think you’re wound up and your emotions are all over the damn place. Remember what we were just talking about a few minutes ago. It’s not about the patch on your back, she made you work for it. Don’t fuck it up because you’re pissed.”
Jagger fought to inhale and exhale. “Y’all go in there and do what you want. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“You sure?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
The three of them went off into the building while Jagger went around to the backside. Going in through the back door, he went to a room off of the main hallway, knocking before going in.
“Jagger, what can I do for you?” Wanda smiled, revealing wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. It was a smile akin to a grandmother.
“Let me go up on stage tonight.”
She put her cigarette out in an ashtray that sat to her right. “You heard about Money Bags?”
“I did, and I wanna see what he does when I stake my claim in front of everybody.”
“You better not cause any damage to this building. You do and I’ll take it out of your ass,” she threatened.
He flashed her a smile that usually got him anything and everything he wanted. “There won’t be any fighting, I promise.”
“I’m holdin’ you to that, Jagger Stone. You’re up in fifteen, best go get warmed up.”
For the first time in a long time, he was nervous as he warmed up his voice and played chords on his guitar. It wasn’t that this was a make or break it thing for him, but it was important. Everyone in this building would know how much this woman meant to him when all was said and done.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Bianca gazed around the room, looking for Jagger. She had seen other members of Heaven Hill walk in a while ago but had yet to see him. Being that Jagger should have been with Layne, she was nervous. Layne had given her a look as he walked through, and it made her uneasy. Had something happened to Jagger and they were scared to tell her?
The house lights of the club went down, and she looked around quickly. It was unusual for that to happen unless they were about to have someone on stage. The last girl had gone on a few minutes before, and it would be a few more minutes before the next one came on. Dominic, the head bouncer, nodded at her, letting her know it was okay. She watched as Sparkles came out on stage.
“How’s it goin’, everybody?” she asked.
The crowd was loud and just a little bit rowdy so they gave her a loud ovation, clapping roughly for her.
“Good to hear. We got a bit of a surprise for y’all tonight. Normally we advertise this little hottie’s shows weeks in advance, but he surprised us tonight. Everybody please give it up for Jagger!”
Bianca couldn’t help but roll her eyes as the ladies in the place squealed loudly and rushed the stage. It didn’t make her jealous, but they were a bit overly excited for her taste.
He walked out onstage and had a seat on the edge, his legs dangling in the crowd that had gathered.
She watched from where she stood, completely ignoring the people in her section. For some reason, she knew that she should pay very close attention to this. He, after all, was a sight for sore eyes. Their schedules had kept them apart for a few days, and it felt like years.
“I want you ladies to make a path if you would,” he was saying to the women who were now standing in front of him, their hands on his legs and knees.
It had her interest piqued – what his plans were. Never in all the times he played here had she seen him do anything like this. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Money Bags motion for her to come to the table. Instead, she heard Jagger say her name.
“B, if you could come up here.”
He motioned to the empty spot in front of him.
What was he doing?
Everyone in the building turned to look at her. She was nervous as she walked towards him on shaking legs. As she approached, she heard whispers around the club, she could feel Money Bags drilling a hole in her back with his eyes. However, she couldn’t stop her feet from taking her to Jagger.
“Hey.” He gifted her with a smile when she got close enough.
“What are you doing?” she asked him quietly.
“What I shoulda done a long damn time ago. I’m not messing around with this, and I know you’re not either. I didn’t lie to you before when you asked me if I love you, but I was scared to be honest. I’m not anymore. I don’t want you to be scared to come to me with anything bothering you. I just want to put this out there in case anyone was wondering.”
His hands found the chords on his guitar, and he played a familiar tune to her. One about love and not meaning to put your heart on the line, but the protagonist in the song did and they lived happily ever after. It was as if they were the only two people in the room. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and the feelings she saw there were enough to cause her breath to hitch in her chest.
She couldn’t believe he was doing this in front of all these people. He loved her, really loved her and wasn’t afraid to say it. Unexpected tears pooled in her eyes, and she wiped at them with tips of shaking fingers. All too soon the song was finished, and in the room a pin drop could have been heard.
Jagger carefully sat the guitar to the side and leaned down, putting his hands on Bianca’s cheeks, framing them as he wiped at the remnants of the tears.
“You really mean that?” she whispered.
He nodded and she stood on her tiptoes, leaning in for a heart stopping kiss. The room that had been so quiet erupted in screams and applause. If someone didn’t know what was happening, they would assume the two of them had just gotten engaged. She blushed, leaning her head into his shoulder.
“Let’s get away from all these people,” he whispered.
Losing Control (Heaven Hill Series) Page 12
