Strays (Red Kings #1) (19 page)

25

July 1st

Jackie got out of the shower, dripping water on the floor as she crossed the small bathroom to grab a towel from the counter. She stared at her growing baby bump in the mirror as she dried herself off, wondering just how long she would be able to hide her new attribute from the rest of Lakeside. Baggy clothing would only shield it from view for so long.

Entering her bedroom, the woman began to dress in whatever her hands grabbed from the chest of drawers. She slipped a blue tank top over her head and became annoyed when she had to stretch it over her stomach. Maternity clothes were no longer avoidable.

“Shit! When did I get so fat?” Groaning, she grabbed a large sweatshirt from the floor of her closet and covered the tank top with it. She didn't bother trying to put on any pants that weren't elastic, even though her favorite pair of jeans were laying mockingly on top of her dresser. She wasn't going to be able to stay in Lakeside much longer if she wanted to keep this baby a secret from the club.

A knock at the front door brought her from her train of thought.

“It's open!” Jackie yelled from the bedroom, cursing as soon as the words left her mouth as she recalled the conversation with Jagger just a few weeks ago. “Fuck,” she mumbled, assuming it was him at the door and knowing he would lecture her again for not locking it.

Jackie quickly finished towel-drying her hair as she heard the door click shut. Her feet made little noise against the hardwood floor as she walked down the hall towards the open front area of the apartment. However, she was surprised to see Bianca standing in her tiny kitchen.

“Hey, sweetheart. I was at the store, so I picked up a few things for you.” The older woman motioned to the grocery bags sitting on the counter that she was currently in the process of emptying.

“Wow, thanks. I've been meaning to go to the store. I haven't really felt like doing much but painting these past few days.” Jackie picked up the carton of milk and placed it in the refrigerator before spying a bag of chips and getting a sudden craving to put them on a grilled cheese sandwich.

“Yeah, it's hard to have the energy to do much of anything when you're pregnant.”

The words broke the young girl out of her daze quickly and she spun around, staring at the woman who was now leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest. “Excuse me?” She tried her best to seem genuinely confused, but one look at Bianca's expression told her that the biker queen wasn't buying it.

“Honey, those big clothes don't hide as much as you think. I'm assuming that's why you're here in Lakeside.”

“I'm not pregnant. I just haven't been exercising as much lately. I've been busy.”

“You can either tell me the truth or we can call Dean and you can tell him, since he probably doesn't know about it either. It is Dean's baby, isn't it?”

Jackie moved to the kitchen table and sat down, sighing as she rested her elbows on the table and put her head in her hands. “Of course it's Dean's baby. But everyone knows that he isn't exactly the parenting type.”

“You're not giving the guy enough credit. You could have at least asked him if he wanted to give it a try.”

The younger woman cut her eyes up at Bianca, giving her an exasperated look. “The last time I talked to Dean, he beat the shit out of some guy and then informed me that he killed people for a living. I didn't think slipping in the fact that I'm having his baby was appropriate at that point in the conversation.”

Bianca sighed and took the seat next to Jackie at the table. “Dean isn't all bad. You know that as well as I do. You were with him for quite some time. Did you ever doubt him? He loves and protects his family, and he's as loyal as they come. He would never hurt you or the baby.”

“He kills people, Bianca! How am I supposed to live with that? How am I supposed to raise a child in that kind of environment?”
 

“Oh, you're overreacting. It's not like he walks down the street and shoots everyone he sees. He does it because the club needs it to be done.” Bianca leaned forward to look Jackie straight in the eye, all bullshit put aside. “This club is a family. And we do whatever is necessary to protect the people in it. If that means killing someone, then so be it.”

“Bianca-”

“You're a part of this family. Whether you or anyone else likes it, there are people that care about you in this club. You don't have to agree with what they do, but you need to accept it and move on. Take the good and the bad of club life and make the most of it. Besides, it's not like you can keep this from Dean forever. He'll find out about the baby from someone as soon as you tell the rest of the guys.”

Jackie paused, hesitantly glancing at the woman across from her. “I wasn't going to tell anyone.”

“Sweetheart, the boys aren't stupid. They'll notice the bump in another month or so. How were you planning on getting around that?”

Fiddling with her fingernails as her hands rested nervously on the table, Jackie took a deep breath before replying. “I'm not staying in Lakeside.” Confusion crossed over Bianca's face, but the younger woman gave her no time to speak. “The plan was always to be here until Tyler got settled in and then leave. I didn't want to make him start over in a new place by himself, but I knew I couldn’t live in Lakeside permanently. I don't want to cause any trouble because I know Dean will find out about this baby at some point.”

“I really think you should talk to him before you make a decision. He cares about you. Who do you think is paying for this apartment?” It was Jackie's turn to look confused as she recalled the conversation about the club's available apartments. “It doesn't belong to the club. I had to pull some serious strings to get it on such short notice. But Dean wanted only the best for you.”

Silence enveloped the room as Jackie processed the information. After some thought, she concluded that sending money for rent did not equate to wanting to settle down and take care of a baby. “He won't have to pay for it much longer. I'll be out of here soon.”

“You need to call him,” Bianca said softly, with an undertone of a firm order.

“I can't. He loves this club more than anything. A baby would completely mess up everything he's worked for. I can't do that to him.” She sniffed back tears, then changed direction with her argument. “And I can't do that to my child, give it a murderer for a father. Someone who could end up in jail at any second. It wouldn't be fair.”

Bianca sighed, not one to easily give up a fight, but knowing when to quit. “Fine, but at least think over what I said.” She stood up and grabbed her sunglasses and purse from the counter before heading to the door. “You call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Bianca. For the groceries and the talk.”

The older woman smiled sadly at the lost girl as she exited the apartment, hoping that things would all work out. As the door shut behind her, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number that was becoming much more familiar.

“How'd it go?”
The rough voice on the other end asked after a few rings.

“Not as well as you'd hoped. She's struggling with the whole killing thing, but now she's also afraid she'll ruin his life if he has to take care of a kid.” She paused briefly as she thought it over, then continued. “She's right you know. He won't be the same if he has a child to think about.”

She could hear Nash sigh and pictured him running his hand through his short hair. “
I know, but he's losing it here. He's going to get himself killed or thrown in jail for life if he keeps this shit up. A baby will do him some good, rein him in a little.”

Bianca rolled her eyes, realizing she wasn't going to deter the Macon biker from his plan. “I sincerely doubt that. But for Jackie's sake, I hope you're right. She's planning on leaving Lakeside, so you better get Dean to his senses quickly.”

26

July 6
th

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, saw them today. Want us to do something about it? Check it out?”

Chief Greg Logan sighed as he ran a hand over his balding head. This had trouble written all over it. “Nah. It’s outside of town. Not our jurisdiction.” Picking up his keys, he exited his office, looking at the younger man over his shoulder. “Keep an eye on them, just in case. We don’t want anything happening this side of the border.”

“Okay, Chief.”

He made his way out of the station, pulling his sunglasses from the pocket on his uniform that he was dying to get out of. Logan wasn’t sure he deserved to wear it, what with the shit he had going on the side. He approached his police cruiser and unlocked the door. Some Chief of Police he was.

Driving down Main Street, he observed the town that had remained unchanged for many years. Small family businesses weren't afraid of big corporations taking over the town. People greeted their neighbors and friends on the sidewalk, the thought of strangers invading Lakeside far from their minds. Kids played safely in the streets, protected from the harsh reality of crime and violence. Bad shit didn’t happen here.

Taking a left turn, Logan entered the lot of Vic's Auto. The Red Kings were the real law in Lakeside; they owned the town just like they did this salvage yard. He had a shiny badge strapped to his chest, but that didn’t mean shit nowadays. The sad thing was that it didn't bother him much. He was going to do everything in his power to keep the Kings in charge. They were the lesser evil.

The chief shook his head and parked, getting out of the car. The lot was full of bikes, as usual, and a few cars were waiting either for their owners to pick them up or for the mechanics to move them into the garage. Looking around, he saw Finn roll out from underneath a silver Ford, a cigarette behind his ear. The younger man threw him a quizzical look and rose up to meet him.

“Chief. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

Logan nodded his head in greeting. He’d always liked the kid, even if Finn was a little too much trouble as a teenager. “Finn. We need to talk. Is Vic here?”

“Yeah, inside the clubhouse.” Leading the way, the biker looked over his shoulder. “Why, has something happened?”

“Not yet.”

Entering the Kings' hangout, the chief made a face. It was obvious there had been a party the previous night. The bar and the few tables inside were littered with bottles of various shapes and sizes and the ashtrays were overflowing. Benz was sprawled out on the sofa, one hand thrown over his eyes and the other holding a fresh beer. Johnny was sitting on an old stool, leaned back and smoking a cigarette as he laughed at Tyler, who was unsuccessfully trying to find his missing pants. Jagger was resting his head on the bar, using his hands to cover his ears as he tried to block out the world.

Vic entered the room, looking much more sober than the others, with a cigar hanging from his mouth. “Logan.” His eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “Anything we can help you with?”

“It’s the other way around. We have to talk.”

Vic nodded, looking around the room. “Where’s Lincoln?”

“Went home. Something about having to take the kid to the zoo.” Finn smiled, lighting up his own cigarette. “You know how Lana is about that shit.”

“Don’t I.” Laughing, Vic went to the bar and thumped Jagger on the back. “Wake up, Jag. We have a visitor.” He glanced towards Logan. “This important, Chief? As you can see, I’m missing some of my men.”

“Fill them in later.” He paused, looking around the room. “It’s about the Saints.”

As soon as the word had left his mouth, all of the room’s occupants went on alert, giving him their full attention.

“One of my guys saw a few of them earlier, out near the town border. They were hanging around those abandoned warehouses.”

“Who saw them?” The sergeant at arms sounded half-dead, looked it too.

“One of my deputies doing his morning patrol, Benson.”

“You trust him?” Vic asked, the suspicion in his voice loud and clear.

“He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but the boy ain’t blind. He knows what he saw.” Waiting for Vic’s nod, Logan turned towards the door. “Anyway, that’s all he said. I just thought you’d want to know.” He shrugged, stopping by the exit. “I’ll tell you if I find out anything else.”

“Thanks, Chief. We appreciate the heads up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The older man went on his way, leaving the club to its business. He’d done what he came here for, no need to linger. He just hoped that whatever happened now didn’t up the body count in Lakeside. He was optimistic though. He took care of the Kings, and the Kings took care of him and the town. That’s how things worked around here.

Inside the clubhouse, the bikers looked at each other, processing the new information. Tyler was the one to break the silence, asking the question that was at the front of everyone's mind.

“What do you think they’re doing so close to the border?”

Finn shrugged, looking around at the others only to get the same reaction. Vic went behind the bar and got himself a beer, sitting down next to Johnny.

“Stirring up shit, that’s what.” They had a beef with the Dead Saints MC; an old one, but a beef nonetheless. “They haven’t crossed into Lakeside yet, but being so close is causing me some discomfort.”

“So what? We wait ‘til they cross to take them out?” Jagger rose a bit higher in his stool.

“Well, we can’t just go and start a war. That’s more trouble than we need,” Benz said, adding his two cents from his position on the couch.

“Yeah and waiting on them to do it will be so much better for us.” Johnny took a drag from his cigarette, shaking his head. “We don’t know what they’re doing, so we can’t take action. But we can’t wait around for them to get a shot at us either.”

“We need some more intel.” Vic took a drink from his beer as he formulated a plan. “Johnny, go with Finn and take a look at our dear friends' new hangout.”

“On it,” Johnny replied and got up from his stool.

“Oh, and take the prospect with ya. Just in case,” Vic added with a shrug and a smirk. Tyler hurried to catch up with his two brothers, not paying any attention to Jagger’s chuckles.

“For fuck’s sake, prospect! Put some damn pants on!” Johnny’s enraged voice made Jagger’s chuckles turn into full-out laughter.

***

Groaning, Jackie opened her eyes. One hand flew up so she could cover her face, the bright sunlight entering the apartment impairing her vision. Blindly groping around the nightstand with her other hand, she snatched up her phone, turning her back to the window. Of course the damn thing was going to ring just when she fell asleep.

“Bianca”
was flashing across the screen, so the young woman hurried to pick up.

“Yeah?” Her voice was thick with sleep, and she hoped the biker queen took mercy on her and let her nap for a few more hours.

“Hey there, sweetheart.” She sounded too chipper for the half-asleep woman. “Get up and get ready. I’ll be over in half an hour to pick you up.”

“Pick me up?” Jackie ran a hand over her eyes, trying to wake herself up. “Pick me up for what?”

“I didn’t tell you? Sorry.” Bianca sounded anything but apologetic. “We’re going shopping and then you have a doctor’s appointment at two.”

Doctor’s appointment? What doctor’s appointment?

“Bianca, what are you tal-”

“I have to go and pick up some things from the garage first, but you get up and get ready.” The matriarch interrupted her, not even acknowledging her question. “You know how I hate waiting.”

“I-” Hearing the dial tone on the other end, Jackie sighed. Figured that Bianca would be the type to hang up on people.

Getting out of bed, she slowly made her way to the bathroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she groaned. Her hair was messed up and sticking in different directions. The big “Red Kings MC” t-shirt covering her torso was wrinkled, and she had dark bags under her eyes. All were indicators of her sleepless nights and of the tossing and turning she had been doing recently.

Stripping down and stepping into the shower, she tried to wash away the exhaustion and fatigue. Jackie hadn’t had a good night’s sleep the last week and a half. Not only was her growing baby bump making it uncomfortable to lay on her stomach, but the talk with Bianca was putting thoughts in her head that she couldn’t get rid of. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Dean’s face. Every time she managed to drift off, she was swallowed by dreams of him, of them.

One night, he’d be angry with a face twisted in anger. He’d be in front of her, denying any connection to the baby she carried. She’d cry and beg for him to accept her and their child, and he’d just laugh. A father? He didn’t think so.

Another night, he’d be pushing her through the doors of a private clinic, providing support for her as she was about to give up their baby. She didn’t even entertain the idea of aborting the child inside of her whilst awake, but in her dreams, Jackie envisioned Dean convincing her to do it. They weren’t ready to be parents, no need to torture the child with their inability to take care of it.

Other nights, she’d see herself in Georgia, having lunch with Beth and Elaine. Dean and the guys would come into the diner, a small child trailing behind her man. The kid would run up to her with a shout of “Mommy!” and start chatting about how the day with dad had gone. Dean would kiss her on the cheek and then pick the babbling child up, making a bout of laughter spill out of his mouth.

And after every single dream, Jackie would wake up gasping for breath, sweat dripping down her brow. She couldn't decide which scenario was worse. To her, the first seemed most likely. There's no way that Dean would ever want to be responsible for a kid. He had so much on his plate already. That and she couldn't ever recall seeing him interacting with a child. With his temper, he would likely kill the kid before its first birthday anyways.

No, that wasn't true. As angry as Dean had been that day at the garage, she had never before feared for her safety with him. Well, excluding those first few months of course, because the guy had definitely been intimidating for awhile there. But the Dean she had gotten to know over time, he was just a guy – laidback, quiet, uncomplicated, controlled.

Someone that could make a great father.

Bianca's talk had made her entertain the idea of the two of them together, raising the baby she was carrying. It was an unrealistic craving that she couldn’t let herself think about. Shaking her head, Jackie got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. Going to the sink, she ran a hand over the bathroom mirror, clearing it of the condensation and revealing her reflection. Looking into her own tired eyes, she confessed to herself that, as much as she tried to deny it, she wanted that life. She wanted to see Dean hoist their child over his shoulder. She wanted to snuggle into him at night, just when she’d put the baby to sleep. She wanted it all. And thinking about it, dreaming about it, made the pain in her heart so much worse.

He kills people,
she kept telling herself over and over, as if repeating it would make all of the feelings from the past year just magically go away.

She took a deep breath, clearing her head of the relentless thoughts, and went to get dressed. Bianca was going to show up soon, grumbling that she had to wait. Jackie wondered what had brought this sudden flair of activity from the biker queen. Shopping? Doctor’s appointment? Everything was so unexpected. Of course, Jackie knew she’d have to go shopping sooner or later; she was running out of clothes that fit. And going to see a doctor was a given, since she was pregnant after all. But Bianca taking the reins and making her an appointment surprised her, even if it really shouldn’t have.