by Blair Grey
“Not if any of you move. I’m going to blow a hole into anyone who does anything but get the Hell out of here right now.” He faced the three men with his gun pointed and ready to fire, and they clearly didn’t know how to respond. I waited, hoping against hope they would just leave.
And, to my relief, they did. One of the men, the one who appeared to be the leader, nodded to the other.
“Alright, let’s get the Hell out of here. We’re going to be back, though. Don’t you worry. One way or another, we’re going to get what we’re after,” he said.
“And, you better bring your wills with you because anyone who comes back into this store or anywhere near this place is going to leave in a casket,” Draven growled. He once again threatened with his gun, ignoring the laughter.
The men left despite their threats, and I felt weak in the knees. I was sick to my stomach, and I felt I might faint. Draven was too angry to do anything but pace back and forth.
“That’s it,” he said. “That’s the last straw. You’re getting out of here, now.”
“What?”
He turned to me. “You’re taking a leave of absence, and you’re getting out of here.”
“No!” I said. “I can’t do that!”
I was ready to argue with him just as much as I’d argued with the men who attacked me, but Draven gave me a look as he put his gun back in his belt. “I wasn’t asking,” he said.
Chapter 16
Draven
I knew Jade was scared, and I knew she didn’t want to go into protection, but at the end of the day, I didn’t care about any of that. What I cared about was her safety. I cared about her being okay, and I was going to do anything to make that happen.
“I don’t care if you’re asking or not. I need this job, and the answer is no,” Jade crossed her arms and looked at me in pure defiance. I was a little turned on by her outburst, but at the same time, I didn’t have the time to deal with this from her.
The fact that the other MC had come directly to her place of work was stepping over the limit. I didn’t care who they were or what happened. They had transgressed for the last time, and it was time for them to come to terms with what they had done.
I knew Jett would be pissed when he heard the news, and the sooner he did, the better. We didn’t know how many Hell’s Crusader’s were in town, and I knew the sooner we got a grip on this situation, the better.
We had just been through a bloody battle with them, and I knew it was likely they were going to want to strike when we were down. Sure, they were in much the same boat, with the casualties greater on their side, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to try to get a second hit in on us while they had the chance.
There were several of us still recovering from the battle, making it prime time for another attack. Of course, we’d never had the same MC attack twice in such a short amount of time, but they were so desperate for a place in the ranks, I wouldn’t have put it past them to try something like that.
Especially if they thought they could get to Jett. If they could get our leader out of the way, there was no telling what they would do. They were just the sort of men to try something like that, doing anything they could to get their foot in the door.
But, they were foolish. They could try to get us while we were down, but I knew this was also a perfect time to hit them back once and for all. We were just as likely to deliver a blow to them that would cripple them for good if we played our own cards right, and even if they weren’t coming for us at the moment to try to take us down, we could seize the moment to strike against them and just drive home our point.
But, before I was able to do any of that, I was going to have to make sure Jade was safe. I didn’t know why they were after her so much, but they were doing a good job of tracking her down, and I wasn’t sure how much they knew about her at this point.
For all I knew, they not only knew where she worked, but they knew where she lived, they knew her schedule, and they would be able to track her down, no matter where she went. I didn’t want to be paranoid, but I knew I had to be careful.
For Jade’s sake, I had to be careful.
“I know you want to be here, but you have to listen to me. If you want to keep your job, you’re going to have to be alive and well so you can work it,” I told her. “How are you going to do that if you wind up murdered in an alley?”
She hesitated. She didn’t have an immediate answer for me, and I knew I had struck a chord with her. She knew she wasn’t able to fight them off, and I had a point. But, at the same time, she wasn’t going to just give up, either. She wanted to work at this pharmacy, and she was going to do what she could to maintain her position.
“What is Drew going to say?” she asked as she gave me another defiant look. I shrugged.
“I don’t care what Drew has to say,” I told her. “All I care about is you being safe, and you’re not here. We’ve got to get you out of here and to one of the safe houses.”
“I’m not going to be kept in one of those safe houses!” Jade snapped. I gave her another look, surprised she would choose now of all times to be difficult. But, she folded her arms once more, and I sighed. This was going to be more difficult than I thought, but she wasn’t going to get away with it altogether.
I wasn’t going to let her be out there alone. This was getting dangerous, and she had to be taken care of. That was all there was to it, really, and that’s just the way things were going to be.
She could tell me what she thought and what she wanted, but at the end of the day, I was going to call the shots. She was still the innocent girl I’d found behind the counter at the pharmacy, and she wasn’t ready to run with those who were used to this kind of life.
I knew with time she would be, but until then, she was going to have to do as she was told. It was going to be hard for her at first, I knew, but she had gotten used to me telling her what to do before, and this wasn’t any different in my mind. I was going to take care of her whether she liked it or not, and she could argue with me all she pleased, that was going to be how things were.
“Do you need anything from your house on the way?” I asked.
“I told you, I’m not going,” she shot back.
“You can either go willingly, or I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you there myself,” I told her. She gave me another look of defiance, but I could see in her face she wasn’t quite sure how to handle what I’d just said. She wasn’t sure if I meant it or if I was just trying to get her to do what I said.
Either way was fine with me. But I knew before the day was out, I would have her in one of the safe houses, and I would be on the tail of this other MC.
She tried to stare me down, but I wasn’t about to budge. I wasn’t intimidated by her, and I knew I was going to get my way at the end of this. No one was going to get between me and her, and I was more than willing to actually carry her off if that’s what it came to.
The fact of the matter was that she was going, and I wasn’t going to change my mind. But she was going to have to decide soon because I wasn’t going to wait for her to make up her mind or prove a point to me. I had enough to do with my day, I didn’t have the time to stand there waiting for her to make up her mind.
I was just about to tell her the time was up when she sighed.
“Yes, there’s a few things I need to get from the house before I head over,” she said. “Do you think I should tell my father what’s going on?”
“Your dad’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of that myself,” I told her. “We’ve got to get moving. The sooner we can get on those guys, the better. I want to throw them out of this town and make sure they never come back, but we’re going to have to get Jett and the rest of the guys on board first.”
She sighed and shook her head. I knew she wasn’t happy with this, but there wasn’t another option. I wasn’t going to let her be out there, and she was going to have to do as she was told. Whether she liked it or not,
it had come down to this. She had known there was a risk that went along with the MC. I had told her from the beginning that this was going to take some dedication.
But, she didn’t want to go through with it now that we’d come down to it, and I was going to push for it anyway.
I was glad I’d driven my truck that day. The vehicle made it a lot easier to stop by her place and grab a few things for her stay at the safe house. Of course, she wasn’t going to need a lot. We kept all the safe houses stocked with all kinds of supplies – plenty of things for anyone coming through.
We didn’t know if we were going to have to hide someone who got caught up in the crossfire or the drama of the MC or if there were members of the Steel Wings who were going to have to go into hiding themselves, but either way, we made sure the safe houses were ready for anything.
They were always filled with furniture and food, and plenty of toiletries to house several people for a few weeks at least. Jett had them designed so anyone could essentially disappear into thin air overnight. As long as no one saw them being taken inside, there was no telling anyone was there.
So, when I took Jade there, I knew she would be safe. She might be bored, and she might not be happy with the situation, but I knew she would be safe, and that was the most important thing of all.
She sighed when we pulled up in front of the house. “Are you sure we’re going to have to do this?” she asked. “I would rather stay just about anywhere else.”
“I know you’re not happy with the idea,” I told her. “But you’re going to have to trust me on this. I’m going to take care of you, and the best way for me to do that is to know that you’re safe. So you’re going to be here for a few days. I’m sure it’s not going to take much longer than that, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with a sigh. I reached over and patted her on the thigh.
“I’ll send some of the girls over to keep you company, alright?” I told her.
She sighed again. I knew she wasn’t happy with any of this, but at least now she was listening. It was something, and I knew this was just temporary. She might not be happy with it, but it was going to work out for the best for her.
I just had to take care of a few things.
“Okay,” she said with another small nod.
I gave her a smile, trying to cheer her up before getting out of the truck. I would have taken her back to my place if I thought it would be safe, but there was a chance they would go there looking for her, too.
No, the only option was to take her to one of our safe houses and let her stay there while we sorted this whole thing out.
After all, there was a part of me that felt responsible for this. I might not have planned it happening this way, but I was the one who had brought her into this situation in the first place, now I was the one who had to get her back out again.
And, I would do it. No one would come near her. No one would touch her. This was my old lady, and I would die for her.
Though, I had a feeling other heads were going to roll first.
Chapter 17
Jade
Three days felt like forever when I wasn’t allowed to leave. I learned that quickly even in a house that was much nicer than anything I ever thought I’d stay in. It was like a hotel on the inside, with everything I could ever ask for. I was amazed that the club had created a space like this just in case someone needed it, but I was also grateful.
Except, of course, for the fact that I couldn’t leave. I was pissed off with the fact that I had created a situation for myself that left me stuck here. I worried about my father, I worried about my job. I worried that I wasn’t ever going to get out of this mess.
And, I worried that I was going to end up in trouble with the authorities. I didn’t know how Draven was going to take care of this without me getting involved with the cops, and I dreaded what was going to happen if that came to light.
I missed my dad, and I wished there was a way for me to contact him. The hours ticked by slowly, and though there was plenty for me to do, the house seemed large and quiet when I was alone.
Just as he had said, Draven sent over Callie and Taylor to keep me company on the first day, and they had given me some pointers on what it meant to be an old lady in the club.
At first, I was shocked with the idea. Sure, it had crossed my mind more than once, but to think that I actually was an old lady now – a woman who belonged with one of the members of the club – it all felt so much more real than before. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around it, that was for sure, and I didn’t know what to do with the information.
I was scared. I was proud. There was a part of me that wondered if I would be able to fill those shoes, and there was a part of me that felt honored. Callie and Taylor both seemed to think it was the easiest thing in the world. But then, they were both clearly cut out for the life, too.
Still, I was glad for their company and their advice, and I did my best to be grateful for the situation.
“You love him, don’t you?” Callie asked me.
“We know you do,” Taylor laughed. “It’s the most obvious thing in the world when we look into your eyes.”
I grinned, unable to hide the emotion. Of course, I loved him. It was hard for me to hide it, not that I wanted to. But, it was true. I loved Draven more than I even realized until she pointed it out to me, and now I realized that I did want to be his old lady.
I knew my father was going to be worried when he heard the news, but then, when he saw how happy I was, he was going to be happy for me. He wanted nothing more than for me to be content with someone, and I was proud to be with someone who was so good to me.
But, at the same time, I was still worried about how this was all going to work. I wasn’t sure I was cut out for this kind of life, and I told them so.
“You all seem so natural when you talk about it. You seem to really know what you’re doing, and you know how to behave around the men and the other women. I just don’t know if I could be so natural,” I said.
Callie laughed. “Don’t make it too hard. You love him, and he loves you, and that’s all there really is to it. He wants to take care of you, and he’s going to. Sure, you’re going to have to listen to him and do what he says from time to time, but that’s nothing. I mean, it’s easy, really.”
She laughed, and I smiled. She was right. I did love Draven, and he loved me. As hard as it was for me to think about it that way, he did. It was more than him just laying claim to me – it was him loving me and wanting what was best for me. It was hard for me to just let go and trust him, I knew that about myself, but at the same time, I wanted to give him that trust.
I wanted to give him everything, that was for sure, and I would. But, there were times I realized that meant I was going to have to just do what he said. I would have to sit tight in this house and let him take care of things on the outside. I was going to have to just wait it out like a good old lady.
The sound of someone pulling up in front of the house brought me back to the moment, and I headed to the window to see who it was. I was relieved it was Draven. Callie had been stopping by periodically to check on me, but I was always happiest when Draven came to see how I was doing.
And, I was waiting to hear from him. I wanted to know how my dad was doing, and he was going to check on him while I was gone.
I nearly pounced on him when he walked through the door. “Do you have any news?”
“Whoa nice to see you, too,” he said with a grin.
I gave him a look. “Come on, tell me! Did you find anything out about Dad?”
“Hold your horses,” he said with another laugh. “Yes. I went to see your father and told him what’s going on with you.”
“You told him?” I gasped. “What did he say?”
“Well, clearly you’ve told him more than you let on, or he just happens to know that I’m part of a biker gang and that comes with a certain level of danger,” Draven said with a shrug. I could only imagine how
the conversation had gone, and I hoped my father wasn’t too mad at me.
Of course, he knew some about the gang, and when I told him that Draven was in the MC, he wasn’t overly thrilled with the news. But, I had been careful only to share with him the parts I knew he would be okay with. Now that he’d met Draven, I knew he really would form his opinions.
But, there were bigger things for us to deal with now, and I could only hope my father would be happy the next time I saw him.
“I hope he was nice enough to you,” I said timidly.
“Oh, of course, he was,” Draven replied with a laugh. “I told him that we’re going to take care of you first, then we’re going to figure out the rest of the treatment he needs. I’m going to make sure he has it all. He’s, like, the coolest guy.”
“You said what?” I looked at him in surprise. “But the money you gave me is only enough for that medication we need. It’s not going to cover the rest of the treatment.”
“We’re going to take care of it,” he said with a shrug. “You took care of us, and now it’s time to let the MC take care of you. I’m going to make sure your father gets all the treatment he needs, and I’m going to make sure his daughter walks out of here safe and sound.”
Draven walked over to me and gave me a kiss right in the center of my forehead as he spoke, and I smiled. My head was still spinning at the news. I wasn’t going to be able to pay them back for that. The treatment cost thousands of dollars, and there was no way I was going to be able to get them the pills for that amount of money.
Hell, I was sure by now the job I had at the pharmacy was over, and even if it wasn’t, there was no way I could go back to doing this sort of thing without being caught. Drew would be all over me if he knew the truth, and there was quite the chance he would discover it when he found out why I was on my leave.
I decided I could worry about those things later. For now, I just wanted to focus on the fact my father was going to get the treatment that he needed, and everything was going to be okay. I wasn’t sure how Draven knew he was going to take care of me, and I wanted to know how things were going with looking for the rest of the rival MC.
