by Marla Monroe
“It’s me, Murdock.” Ajax’s muffled voice carried through the door.
Murdock carefully opened the door, and Ajax walked into the room with several bags in one hand and a cardboard drink holder in the other. Jessie fervently prayed there would be coffee. They had already consumed the meager offering that came with the room the night before.
Murdock helped Ajax with the bags while the other man handed the drinks to Ginger. She took a cup and handed the tray to Jessie. Once she had claimed hers, she slipped the remainder onto the table between the two men.
“I got some of everything they had, so dig in.” Ajax grabbed a couple of things before dragging a chair over by the door and sitting down to eat.
The room grew silent while they ate. The only sounds where the occasional wrinkle of sandwich paper or the squeak of the bed when Ginger or Jessie changed positions. Despite thinking she wouldn’t be able to eat anything, the aroma of the breakfast biscuit had her mouth watering as she ate.
With it being Sunday, there wasn’t anything on TV. Ginger was absently shuffling through the channels. Jessie was surprised neither of the men complained that she had control of the remote. Despite their appearances, they didn’t seem quite as dangerous as she’d first thought. She hoped they didn’t prove her wrong later.
Jessie finished her meal and disposed of the trash before slipping back to the other room to grab a book she’d brought with her. Settling down in the chair, she opened it and tried to lose herself in the pages. The hero and heroine had seemed so intriguing when she’d bought the book, but now it seemed less intense.
After nearly thirty minutes, the story wasn’t doing it for her. She listened as the low murmur of voices in the other room drifted over to where she sat. For the most part, it sounded like Ginger and Murdock were doing all the talking. Ajax didn’t seem to say much. Then Vernon wasn’t usually that talkative around strangers either.
Several minutes later, Ginger walked back into the room and sat on the ottoman in front of her. She looked as if she had something on her mind. Jessie waited to see what her friend had to say. She knew if she was silent, the other woman would eventually come out with it. The other woman tended to rehearse what she wanted to say in her mind when it was something she thought the other person might not like hearing. This didn’t bode well for Jessie.
“What are you going to do?” Ginger’s steady voice belied the tremble in her hand when she reached out to take Jessie’s hand.
“About what?”
“The guys.”
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I–I care about them—a great deal, but they’re bikers, Ginger. They’ll never settle down. Besides, there are two of them. That alone is crazy.”
“Why? They obviously love you. Give them a chance, Jessie. They’ve moved heaven and earth to take care of you.”
“I don’t get it. Why are you so supportive of my accepting them?”
Ginger licked her lips before dropping her shoulders and dipping her head.
“I just don’t want to see you make the same mistake I made.”
“What are you talking about? What mistake?”
“I fell in love with a man not long after I started classes at the junior college to get my certificate. He was good to me, made me laugh, and didn’t care that I came from trash. But he was from a wealthy family, and I knew they would never approve of me. I didn’t trust that he could love me enough to handle defying his parents. I stopped seeing him, and after a while, he stopped coming around. Now I’ll never know.”
Jessie grabbed Ginger’s hands in hers and squeezed. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe he would have chosen them over you. You’re wonderful, the best friend a person could ever have.”
“I realize now that I should have given us a chance. I just don’t want you to throw away something perfect because you’re afraid it won’t work out. Life is about taking chances.”
“But I know that I don’t want to be a biker babe the rest of my life. I want a family, Ginger.” Jessie could feel her heart splintering even more.
“How do you know that isn’t what they want as well? Have you really talked to them?”
Jessie closed her eyes and sank back against the chair, releasing Ginger’s hand. No, she hadn’t really talked to them. Not like they needed to talk. She thought if she could just keep pushing them away they would take the hint and forget about her. Not that it was working out that way. Instead, they were in ass-deep in danger because of her. She sighed and opened her eyes to see the sympathy in her friend’s.
A cell phone pealed in the other room, and her heart stopped. The muffled curse that followed snapped it into an irregular beat again as both she and Ginger shot to their feet and ran toward the other room.
Chapter Nine
Vernon glared at Tussler. He and Rhodes had managed to slip into the man’s house that morning without much trouble despite the fact they were supposed to be on lockdown because of The Skulls being in town. It was amazing they were still a functioning gang as screwed up as they were. Jessie had never been safe with them. How she had managed to escape getting hurt or worse, before now, he had no idea.
“What in the hell are you doing here? Where is my sister? I know you have her.” Tussler looked pitiful standing nude in front of them.
Rhodes had pulled him by the throat out of the bed, snoring as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His sister had been missing, and he’d been busy drinking himself into a stupor while fucking his way through the female members of his gang. Nothing would have stopped him from looking for his sister if he’d had one. Vernon struggled to keep from hitting the bastard.
“As if you care. I don’t see you out there looking for her.” Vernon stepped closer and got up in Tussler’s face. “She’s no longer your responsibility. She belongs to us.”
“Bullshit! I’m her brother. She can’t do anything without my say so. She owes me. Ask her.”
The woman who’d been in the bed with Tussler when they slipped in the room had gotten up and dressed. Now she was easing toward the door. Vernon nodded toward Rhodes. His buddy stepped closer to the door and shook his head at the woman. She sighed and dropped down to sit on at the foot of the bed. They couldn’t afford for her to go raise an alarm. So far no one seemed to have woken up and figured out that something was wrong. What a fucked-up group they were.
“She doesn’t owe you anything. You set her up with Eddie to get raped and then held a gun over her head for years. What kind of brother does that make you?” Vernon knew he’d been right when Tussler stilled for an instant.
“That’s bullshit. I didn’t do anything. She got herself in a mess and then killed the guy to get out of it. All I did was clean up after her. That’s what kind of brother I am.” The other man snarled as he pushed into Vernon’s face.
Vernon shoved him back so that he fell back onto the bed. “Get dressed, and then you’re going to hand over that gun. You’re not holding it over Jessie’s head any longer.”
Tussler laughed and shook his head. “I’m not giving you anything. She belongs to me. I control her.”
Vernon knew Tussler wasn’t going to give in without a fight. If he lost control of his sister, he lost control of the money she represented to him. But that couldn’t be all of it. There was something more going on here. The desperation in the other man’s eyes said that he and Rhodes were way off base somewhere. There was much more going on than simply an inheritance and blackmail.
“Vernon?” Rhodes’s voice grabbed his attention.
“Yeah. Tussler, what in the hell have you gotten yourself mixed up in?” Vernon grabbed the other man and shoved him over toward the closet. “Get dressed.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” The other man jerked open the closet door and pulled out some jeans and a T-shirt.
Vernon didn’t bother to argue with him. First they needed that gun, then they needed answers. Tussler was going to give them both.
*
* * *
Jessie held her breath as Murdock listened to whoever was talking on the other end of the cell phone he held to his ear. He wasn’t saying anything, just listening and staring straight ahead. The waiting to find out what was going on was killing her. She tore her eyes from Murdock’s stoic face to stare at Ginger. The other woman met her gaze with an equal amount of worry evident by the frown at her brow.
Glancing over to where Ajax stood by the door, Jessie realized that something wasn’t right. Before she could put her finger on what was off, Murdock cursed and grabbed both she and Ginger, shoving them toward the bathroom.
“Get inside and lock the door!”
Jessie knew better than to argue in situations like this. Something serious was wrong. She grabbed Ginger’s hand and pulled her along. Just as they slammed the door and locked it, all hell broke loose from the sounds of things in the other room.
They were inside a hotel for god sakes. Someone was going to hear the noise and report it. Why would her brother risk that? It didn’t make sense. Jessie resisted the urge to crack the door to see what was going on. It sounded as if they were demolishing the room, whatever was going on. At least she hadn’t heard any gunshots. Still, knives could do plenty of damage on their own.
Finally, there was a quick knock at the door that had both of the women jumping.
“Open up. It’s me.” Ajax’s rough voice sounded like music to her ears.
Jessie immediately opened the door and took in the devastation in front of her. The room looked as if a cyclone had hit it. She quickly glanced around the room to find Murdock stuffing their things in a pack. He looked up and winked at her despite the fact that he looked like he’d gone a round in the boxing ring.
“Get your stuff and let’s go.” Murdock grabbed the pack and threw it over his back.
“What about Vernon and Rhodes?” She wasn’t leaving with out them.
“We’ll call and tell them where we are once we get there. Right now, we’ve got to hit the road.”
Jessie snatched up her bag, stuffing things in it as she went. She met Ginger at the door as Ajax grabbed their things and pulled them out into the hall. They hurried to the exit that led to where they had parked. By the time she had made it to the car, the guys had their bags in the back and were yelling at them to hurry up. She managed to get in the car and close her door before Ginger backed out of the parking place, but it was several hairy seconds before she was able to get her seat belt fastened.
“What’s going on? Where are we going?” Ginger asked, her voice shaking.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone.” She couldn’t stop the thought that maybe Ajax and Murdock weren’t who they said they were.
“Do you think your brother found us?”
“I don’t know what to think. There wasn’t anyone in the room except Murdock and Ajax when we came out of the bathroom. Where did they go?”
Ginger took a turn right behind Murdock before she answered. “Are you thinking that there wasn’t anyone there to begin with?”
Jessie held on to the dashboard as they sailed through a busy intersection. Where were they taking them? Did they even know where they were going?
“I don’t know what to think, Ginger. Murdock looked like he’d been in a fight, but Ajax could have done that to make it look good.”
“Should we keep following them?” Ginger’s foot seemed to ease off the gas pedal.
Jessie bit her lower lip. “Yeah, for now. Just be very careful around them until we know for sure one way or another if we can trust them.”
Ginger nodded and once again pulled closer to the bike in front of them. Jessie turned her head to be sure Ajax was behind them. The other man was right on their tail. Where were they going? The unknown worried her. Should she try and call Vernon or Rhodes to tell them what was going on? What if her calling them interfered with their concentration? She couldn’t chance it. She had to trust that everything would be okay.
The bike in front of them slowed and pulled off the highway down a paved road that had seen better days. Several minutes later, they pulled up in front of a ranch house with a broad front porch and two dogs whose heads popped up when they approached.
Ginger pulled the car in next to where Murdock parked his bike, but she didn’t turn off the engine. Jessie exchanged a puzzled look with her. What were they doing here and where was here anyway?
The hard knock on the window next to Jessie’s head startled a yelp out of her before she covered her mouth. She rolled down her window.
“Where are we?”
“Friend’s place. Murdock’s going to see if we can crash here until we hear from Vernon and Rhodes. Just follow our lead and don’t say anything.” Ajax stood up and leaned back against the door as Murdock walked up the steps to the front porch.
The front door opened before the man even lifted his hand to knock. Someone pulled Murdock inside, and the door closed behind them. Jessie shivered. Who were these people and how did Murdock know them? It struck Jessie that all of this was happening because of her. She’d started the mess that had put them all in danger. It was all her fault.
The front door opened, and Murdock stepped out long enough to nod his head and wave them inside. Ajax stood away from the car and waited for Ginger to unlock the car. Then he opened the door and helped Jessie out. They walked around to join Ginger on the other side of the car before walking up the short path to the porch. When they climbed up, Murdock held the door open wider and ushered them inside.
The outside of the house might have looked a little worse for wear, but the inside was the exact opposite. Though obviously lived in, the place looked clean and well decorated with just enough polish to hint at wealth without going overboard. It surprised her. Why would anyone with money want to pretend they didn’t have it—unless it was dirty money. Crap! What had they gotten into?
Jessie’s eyes jerked toward Murdock’s. They stared at each other for a few minutes. He shook his head ever so slightly as if warning her not to say anything. She tore her eyes away from him and concentrated on what the older man was saying. He looked harmless enough with a broad smile on his face, but looks could be deceiving. No one knew that better than Jessie.
“Come on in and make yourselves at home. Rose is putting on coffee now.” His booming voice sounded sincere.
Murdock walked over and pulled both Jessie and Ginger forward to meet the man. He smiled and inclined his head.
“I’m Joe Esperanza. You are most welcome here with us. Any friend of Murdock’s is a friend of ours.” He turned and held out his hand as a very lovely woman of about sixty carrying a tray laden with a carafe and cups walked toward them. “And this is my lovely wife, Rose.”
“Please, please, have a seat everyone.” Rose allowed her husband to take the tray from her as she led them deeper into the living area.
Jessie and Ginger took a seat on the butter-soft leather couch while Murdock and Ajax leaned against the mantel of the fireplace. They looked deceptively relaxed, but Jessie could almost feel the tension in the air around them.
“Thank you for having us.” Jessie spoke up, feeling as if she should acknowledge their hospitality despite Ajax telling her not to say anything.
Rose’s smile appeared genuine and sincere. She hoped that was so. They were in a delicate situation right then, and Jessie wasn’t sure who she could trust anymore.
“It is our pleasure. We don’t get many visitors out here. Murdock hasn’t graced us with his presence in several years. It is a joy to see him once again.” She made a tsking sound as she poured coffee into each of the cups.
Jessie accepted hers and watched the subtle looks that were flying around the room between everyone. Finally Murdock started talking, and the atmosphere seemed to deflate.
“Sorry I haven’t been out this way in a while. Time slips up on you that way sometimes.” He lifted the cup to his mouth and sipped. “How are Tomas and Destiny doing?”
“Both are well
. Tomas has twin boys, and Destiny and her fiancé are talking marriage soon. I’m getting to be an old man.” Joe shook his head, but there was a proud light in his eyes.
“You won’t be too old to spoil those grandkids, I’m sure.” Murdock’s laugh sounded rusty, like he didn’t do it very often.
“So, how long will you be around, my friend? I’d love to show you the work we’ve done with the horses.”
Jessie tuned out the two men talking ranching and concentrated on what Rose was saying to Ginger. They were discussing her daughter’s wedding plans. It all seemed so surreal. They had just been attacked by someone—she still didn’t know who—and now they were having coffee with an old friend of Murdock’s like nothing was wrong.
Murdock suddenly stood up straighter and pulled out his phone. He looked at it and nodded to Ajax. “Please excuse me, Joe, Rose. I need to take this.”
Jessie watched as he hurried across the room and disappeared through the doorway. The sound of the front door opening and then closing told her he’d gone outside. Was he talking to Rhodes or Vernon? Where they okay? Her stomach pitched and rolled at not knowing what was going on. She listened to Rose but kept glancing back toward the door waiting for Murdock to return. Would this day never end?
She saw Ajax stand up straight and less than a second later, Murdock walked back in with a slight smile on his face. Jessie was almost afraid to believe that it meant everything was going to be okay—for them. He didn’t say anything, just took up where he had left off in the conversation with Joe. Ajax went back to leaning against the mantel. Not knowing what was going on was about to drive Jessie insane.
After another thirty minutes of conversation, the sound of motorcycles could be heard outside. Jessie couldn’t stop herself from jumping to her feet.
“Jessie, you and Ginger stay here until I know for sure who it is.” Murdock and Ajax headed toward the door.
