“They acted without permission and will be punished for it. But I need them, idiots though they are, patrolling the borders. Nobody else can protect the humans and shifters from the vamps. Only my guys are equipped to handle it.”
“Yeah, well, right now they’re only equipped to sit in a cell in handcuffs,” Cunningham snarled. “And I’m tempted to leave them that way for a few days.”
Jackson shook his head. “Unacceptable. I need them now. Don’t worry, they won’t be getting anywhere near any jewelry stores. And by the time Val’s through with them, they might not even have skin left.”
Cunningham narrowed his eyes and snarled. Jackson’s own wolf wanted to attack for the challenge, but he held himself back. It was that sort of impulsive action that nearly got him killed when Cunningham left the gang. He was smarter than that now.
“You really didn’t give the orders?” the sheriff asked.
“No,” said Jackson, his jaw tight. “Now we need to get out of here. I’ll keep them in line.”
Cunningham sighed, grabbing his keys from his drawer and standing up.
“I don’t want a single vampire-related death in the city. If it happens, I’m taking your men in. You’d better hope they’re not as useless as I think they are,” the sheriff said as he stepped out of the room.
Jackson followed him back through a hall to the cell, where three men were sitting on a bench with their hands locked behind their backs. The men looked up at Jackson with bashful looks as the sheriff unlocked the cell. Jackson glared at the three of them, and each of them flinched.
“Basil, Tony, Eric, you’re free to go,” Cunningham said, unlocking them one at a time. “Stay out of my sight for a few weeks.”
“Yes, sir,” said Basil, the youngest of them, a lion shifter that Jackson had only taken on in his gang because of his strength as an animal.
The three of them filed out after Jackson, who didn’t speak to any of them. He gestured at the truck he’d driven there, and they silently climbed into the bed. He didn’t want to talk to any of them, nor look at their faces.
“Jackson,” the sheriff called after him before Jackson got back into the truck.
“What is it?”
“Like I said, one vamp attack, I’m bringing your guys in. Doesn’t look to me like they’re doing any good.”
“We’ll stop Astrophel,” Jackson said harshly as he started the truck.
He took off, driving back to the bar where he’d left his motorcycle. It was cold outside, but he wanted it back, wanted to ride it to the safe house and feel the wind pressing against him, pressing his thoughts out of his mind.
Jackson nodded at Les as they made their way behind the counter to the small room at the back of the bar. He almost expected to see Val there, but she wasn’t to be seen. He remembered her taking the girls out to the safehouse. She wouldn’t leave them there with Ava as a babysitter—Val trusted very few people with her babies.
“Tornado—” Eric started
Jackson whirled, a snarl in his throat. The three men backed up and dropped their heads. His fists clenched, and he resisted the urge to beat some sense into them.
“You three are on forest patrol until further notice. Go up to the ranger shack.”
The three of them groaned, but at the look on his face, they fell silent again.
“Do you think this is a fucking game?” he seethed at them. “We have a sacred duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We have fun, but we don’t let it interfere with what we have to do. Now get the hell out of here before I decide to rip out your throats. None of you sleep until this is over. If a vamp attack happens in your sector, I’m either going to put you in a cell or in the ground. Got it?”
Basil swallowed hard. “Y—yes, sir.”
The others nodded silently. Jackson glared at the three of them for a moment longer before he gestured for them to leave. They scrambled out quickly, heading for their bikes at once.
Jackson stopped at the bar to get a bracing drink to calm his nerves. Les gave him a look he knew all too well.
“What?” he snapped at the bartender.
Les smirked. “This girl’s gotten under your skin, hasn’t she? You’re just as surly and distracted as your dad was when he met your mom. They were a real couple. If they weren’t so in love, they’d have killed each other before you had the chance to be born.”
The tension in Jackson’s shoulders eased as he was reminded of his parents. He hesitated a moment, wondering if he could confide in Les, but decided against it. He downed his drink and threw a handful of bills on the counter.
“See you around,” he grunted and went for his bike.
It was cold, but Jackson didn’t care—the leather jacket he was wearing kept him insulated as he flew down the street, getting on the highway to head back to the safe house. He wondered if Ava was up and, if so, what she thought about the fact that he had just disappeared on her.
He wasn’t comforted by the knowledge that Val would be there. Now that he thought about it, actually, leaving Ava with his sister could turn out to be a big mistake. Val wasn’t one for niceties. He pushed the bike hard, wanting to get back to her as quickly as possible.
Chapter Five
Ava
When Ava woke the next morning, she heard… the laughter of children? That couldn’t be right. Frowning, she quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Her headache was gone, although her legs were a bit weak. And there was a gaping hole in her chest where her panther should be. She swallowed, unnerved, but determined that she’d ask Jackson.
She had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a girl, no more than six, streaked past, giggling like a maniac. An older girl chased after her, brandishing hands gooey with cookie dough.
“Ah….” Ava stared after them for a moment.
“You’re finally awake.”
Ava turned to the gruff female voice to find a woman glaring at her. She wore a long-sleeved shirt, but tattoos peaked up from her neckline. Heavy braids hung from one side of her head while the other was shaved. The look in her eyes was sheer hatred.
“Who are you?” Ava demanded, not one to be intimidated even though her panther hissed at the other woman.
“Name’s Shadow. I’m Tornado’s sister. He’ll be back soon.” Shadow wrinkled her nose as she gazed at Ava for a long moment, then the harsh glare on her face softened. “Now I know why Jackson is so protective of you.”
Ava stared at her for a moment. There was a bang and a shriek from another room, and a three-year-old came running into the room, her face full of fury. “Sekhmet broke my pony!”
“Then you’d better go make her fix it.” Shadow smiled at the little girl. “Remember, us girls take care of ourselves.”
The girl bunched up her fists and nodded like she had been assigned a suicide mission and took off again. Ava stared after her with a dropped jaw, until Shadow cleared her throat and gestured for her to follow.
“Um… what’s that about?”
“I like my girls to fight their own fights.”
“But shouldn’t you—” Ava cut off at the glare Shadow gave her. Of course, if she was a gangster, and their uncle was a gangster, and with vampires out there… those girls were going to have to grow up tough as nails. She didn’t wipe the disapproving frown from her face, though. “What were you saying about why Jackson’s protective of me?”
“He knocked you up.”
Ava stopped dead. Her jaw hung loose and her eyes widened as she stared at Shadow, who stopped to give her an irritated look.
“He did not!”
The other woman pointed to her belly. “There’s a baby growing inside of you. Us females are more sensitive to the changes that happen in pregnancy than males are. You’ve got a pup inside of you. I can smell the wolf. You’re pregnant, sweetheart.”
Ava shook her head. “That’s—that’s impossible!”
It wasn’t though. She had allowed Jackson to finish inside of her the
night they had met, had encouraged it when she’d wrapped her legs around his waist. But it had only been two weeks ago, and there was no way to tell that she was pregnant already.
“I’m not pregnant,” she said.
“Keep telling yourself that, cupcake,” Shadow replied smoothly. “While the girls are occupied, you and I need to talk about this. Now come on or I’ll drag you.”
Ava had no doubt that Shadow would, in fact, drag her out of there. Stunned and silent, she followed after the other woman. Once they passed into the kitchen, which smelled like freshly baked cookies, Shadow closed the door and turned to her. Her arms folded over her chest and she gave Ava a stern look.
“You should have used a condom.”
Ava’s cheeks flushed, and she dropped her head.
“But since you didn’t… you’ve got to decide what you’re going to do.”
“What… what do you mean?”
Shadow rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. You got any family? A solid place to live? Stable job?”
Ava’s mind flashed over the questions. She was on good terms with her parents, but her place here was only big enough for one, and the waitress job… well, she hated it. It was the worst thing she’d ever had to do, and she had been certain that she’d just switch it out for a more fun job when the time came.
If she was pregnant, though… she’d have to take a new job right away. Or would she stay waitressing until she could go on maternity leave? She swallowed hard as she considered it.
“Uh…”
Shadow’s face softened further. “Look, I’m a single mom myself. I know how hard it is to make this decision. And you’ve got to consider that the corpses have claimed you. There’s no way to prove they claimed you before you got preggers, and so it’s part of the claim. For all intents and purposes, you’re one individual when it comes to the claim, even if you live long enough to give birth.”
Ava’s hands drifted to her stomach. A fire lit in her chest and she snarled. “I’ll kill you if you try to hurt my baby!”
Shadow’s eyes widened slightly, then she nodded. “Okay. I guess you’ve made that choice… Now, what are you going to tell Jackson?”
“I don’t see how it’s any of your—”
“He’s my brother. I know him.” Shadow pulled a sheet of cookies from the oven and put in the second batch. It seemed odd to see such a badass woman do something so… domestic. When she glanced at Ava again, there was deep pity in her eyes. “He’s attached. Whether to you or because he subconsciously realizes you’re carrying his baby, I don’t know. But he’ll kill for you. He’ll die for you. And ultimately? He’ll stand down as Alpha of our chapter for you.”
Ava couldn’t reply to that. It couldn’t be true… could it? Her stomach twisted, and she couldn’t hold Shadow’s gaze. Jackson hardly knew her. She hardly knew him. He wouldn’t be willing to give her everything… would he?
“I don’t know why this is such a concern to you,” Ava grumbled, her shoulders tightening.
“Because if we lose him as Alpha, we’re vulnerable. It will take time to get a new leader selected, and in that time, things will break down. Vampires will break through. So, can you have a mate that’s the alpha of a gang? Cause if you can’t…” Shadow shrugged. “Then, leave him alone.”
Ava’s nostrils flared. Her hands clenched, angered by the cold way Shadow said that, as though she had the right to dictate Ava’s relationship with Jackson. Which didn’t mean she had one, but if she did, then Shadow had no right to start telling her what to do.
“I’ll do what I want, thank you very much. And if you’re so worried, then maybe—”
Shadow snarled, but before things could escalate further, there was a shriek, and somebody started to cry. Shadow shot Ava a filthy look and left the kitchen. Ava’s hands shook, unnerved by this whole thing.
Pregnant.
What the fuck was she going to do?
***
Ava returned to her room shortly after she ate, overwhelmed by the ‘p-word’ hanging over her head. When Jackson arrived, Shadow loaded up her three daughters in a minivan that didn’t suit her at all and drove off without a word. Once she heard Jackson moving around downstairs, Ava padded down to greet him.
She found him combing his hair with his fingers, grimacing in the mirror when he saw that it wouldn’t lay down. Ava had to smile when she saw him, his slight frown, the look of frustration on his face. It was an endearing look on such a tough man—a man who presented himself as anything other than soft or concerned about how he came off.
He jumped when she cleared her throat, then turned to her with a slight smile. “Ava. Val told me that you rested all day? That’s good. You still need to build your strength.”
Had Shadow also told him about her pregnancy?
No. She’d been very clear that this was Ava’s choice—or mistake—to make. A tremor ran through her hands as she stared off to one side, not meeting Jackson’s gaze. Rested? She felt anything but. She needed to move, to breathe again.
“I want to go for a walk.” He started to shake his head, but stopped when she met his eyes. “Please, Jackson.”
The wolf froze. He looked torn for a moment, but then something passed over his face and he nodded. “Alright. But I have to go with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you do. Can’t have a damn second of privacy around here.”
Jackson sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, undoing his efforts to make it lay flat. “I don’t want to fight with you today. I’m tired of it. Think you can play nice?”
“Depends on whether or not you’re an asshole.”
He smiled at her then. “I’ll try not to be an asshole.”
Her stomach fluttered at that, her heart feeling a little lighter. A smile started to spread over her face, but she stopped it quickly. He was the leader of a dangerous gang. Yeah, they fought vampires, but that wasn’t all that they did. And Shadow had been very clear. If Ava wanted Jackson, she’d have to accept the whole gang.
That was something she just couldn’t do.
For a moment, Ava wondered if she should just call off the walk. But her legs burned with the desire to move. She wanted to feel the cool wind on her body after so many days cooped in the house. Ava wanted to see the world around her, anything outside of the walls she had been trapped inside for weeks. And maybe getting out and under the stars would awaken her panther again.
“Are you ready?” he asked her.
Ava nodded. She followed him outside, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. They started walking through the trees, following no real path but the places where footsteps had tread on and crushed new spring grass. The silence between them was comfortable—too comfortable.
“So. You killed Astrophel’s son because he killed your mother. And that’s why he’s after me?”
Jackson glanced at her with a frown but nodded. “It would seem to be so. My parents were the founding members of this chapter. The Savage Brotherhood is old, very old, but we’ve only been in Coalfell for, oh… thirty years. It used to be that the vampires would walk among the humans, taking them as they wanted. Astrophel’s son was the sheriff and Astrophel was the mayor. Nobody could touch them. My parents drove them out, but… paid the ultimate price for it. After they died, Val and I decided to lead the chapter. I became the alpha and she, my enforcer.”
“And this is very important to you, isn’t it? Being a Savage Brother and fighting the vampires.”
Jackson gave her a crooked smile and laughed. “More important than anything else.”
Ava looked away. Shadow’s words that he’d step down as alpha for her and the baby rang in her ears. Could she really ask him to stop defending people for her? And could she turn a blind eye to the drugs, the robberies...?
“What about you?” he asked, his gaze still intent on her. “What’s your tragic backstory?”
Ava shrugged. “I grew up with shifter parents. I always knew what I was. I went
to school, went to college—my degree didn’t work out, and now I work at a coffee shop. There’s not much to me.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“What else is there?”
“Well… why Coalfell? Out of all the places to go, why here?”
Ava shrugged again. “I was… trying to find a calmer life. Striking out on my own. Being my own panther…”
Her hand touched her chest, where her panther should be. For a wild moment, she wanted to tell him about this dangerous absence, but swallowed it down. She didn’t know him, not really, and she couldn’t reveal such a vulnerable piece of information. Quickly, she turned the conversation back to him.
“What are you going to do about Astrophel?”
Jackson frowned. “At the moment, I’m trying to prove that he has no right to you. It’s more than likely that he killed the shifter that was on his territory. I hate waiting around, but it’s all I can do right now.”
Ava shivered. “And if you don’t find proof?”
“Val’s on the hunt for the corpse. When she finds him…”
Another shiver, stronger this time. “When she finds him?”
“I’ll kill him.”
Ava turned to him. The sunlight was soft and dusky as it filtered through the branches, but it didn’t soften the bloodlust in his eyes. A thrill of fear went down her spine, and she shook her head hard.
“You can’t! If you do that, then the vampires will be able to choose another shifter. What if they choose you?”
Jackson arched a brow. “They wouldn’t take on the brotherhood like that.”
“Unless it’s their plan already. Astrophel targeted me. It’s one hell of a coincidence if he chose me before we… ran in the woods together. He’s wanting to provoke you to do something stupid. So, you can’t, okay? You can’t be stupid.”
“I can do whatever I want. And I want to kill him.”
Ava grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, frustration welling in her. “No!”
“Are you always like this?” he asked her, a grin spreading across his face. “Or is it just with me?”
Tornado: A Paranormal Romance (Savage Brotherhood MC Book 1) Page 4
