I swallowed hard. My throat was dry and my head was woozy. My sister must have noticed the blood drain from my face.
“Hey, it’s all good. These boys aren’t gonna let those chicken shits get near you again. We handle our business.”
We both turned at the sound of the screen door. Ruth walked in with an armload of bags, followed by a herd of woman known as the club bitches.
Including one skanky, smug redhead.
“Girls, grab some bags. We’re going on lockdown.”
Jessa and I snapped into action. There was an entire carload of blankets, groceries, and even my own luggage.
“We’re all staying here?” I asked, eyeballing Angela.
“Yep, the boys too. They should be here any minute. They were right behind me. I left Susie manning the bar, and …”
As soon as the word’s left her mouth, came the deafening roar of the long parade of sleds. Seemed like an impressive, endless line, one right after another.
“Who are all these people?” The epic sight gave me goose bumps.
Jessa stood beside me and surveyed the scene. “That’s your family. Most of those boys are from other chapters, all within a few hundred miles. When Jesse says jump, they say how hi. There should be more coming in later on this evening.”
We watched as the soldiers filed in and parked their bikes before they immediately started popping up tents.
My heart fluttered wildly in my chest when I spotted Ronin. He was still wearing the same clothes and he looked as if he hadn’t slept all night. He and Jesse walked in the front door, both noticing the gauze that Jessa had used as a bandage.
“It’s ok, Pop. Not a big deal.”
He narrowed his haggard eyes. “Not a big deal? Baby girl, this is the only deal. This is how wars get started.” He pulled me in for a tight embrace. My emotions got the best of me and the lurking tears finally spilled. He planted a soft kiss on the top of my head.
“Don’t you worry. We’ve got it covered,” he said before heading back outside for a smoke.
I knew the idea of a club war should send me running for the hills, but something inside of me bubbled with exhilaration, danger. The thought that all of these people were here for me sent adrenaline through my veins.
In a matter of just a couple days, my life had completely been turned upside down. Nothing seemed real anymore, as if I was playing an imaginary game of biker wars.
As soon as Jesse left the room, Ronin stepped in and placed both hands on my slender hips. He bent down to eye level. “Shit darlin, are you ok, seriously?”
I shoved his hands away. “I’m fine.”
His fingertips grazed my throbbing brow. “You must be a nervous wreck. I am so sorry, Jo.”
“For what?”
“What the fuck? For dragging you into this. For not keeping you safe. For not being there.”
My face fell. “The only place that I need you to be is in the courtroom,” I said with a deadpan tone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
(Ronin)
I stood in the empty living room fighting the urge to run after Jolene and keep her under lock and key. My lock and key.
I had really fucked up this time.
The females were in the kitchen throwing together chow for thirty hungry bikers and their families. Patsy made rounds, handing out beers to all the boys. Tammy and Bonnie made sure everyone had what they needed, including the kids who were caught up in the middle of this bullshit. If the parents did their jobs right, the children just thought they were on a big, family camping trip.
The walls started to close in around me. I stormed out the front door. Clint was leaning against the front porch loading his pipe. After taking a hit, he offered it my way. I took a long inhale, closing my eyes and holding it, letting it roll down my throat. Damn, that shit tasted like motherfucking money.
“How’s it going, brother?”
“Not good, man. It would have been less stressful if I had just rolled over.”
“Shit, man. You know better than that. That wouldn’t have stopped them and it sure as shit wouldn’t have stopped her.”
My brain thumped against my skull. It had been a major mistake to finish off that entire bottle of Jameson in one night. Every heartbeat was like a fork to the eye.
“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her.” My shoulders slumped forward.
“It’s not gonna come to that. We’re gonna take care of shit. You know that.”
I lowered my head and nodded.
“Good.” Clint took another hit off the pipe. “Grab yourself some grub and drink that beer. You could probably use a shower too. You smell like you’ve been rolling around in Herc’s dirty drawers.”
I slugged my friend in the arm. “That kinda shit will get your ass kicked.” I gave a half-hearted chuckle.
I had yet to recover since getting the phone call about Jo. I was prepared for the inevitable ass whipping that I had coming from the prez. I deserved that and then some. And I sure as shit couldn’t blame Jo for being pissed. I had really fucked up.
“Can I get ya something, sugar?”
I smelled her reeking perfume before Angela even stepped out on to the porch. I slapped her hand off my neck.
“I’m good.”
“You gonna act like this all day? It’s because she’s here ain’t it?” Angela bent over, positioning her tits in my face. “Come on, sugar. You know I can help you clear your head. Just give me a chance. You know it works every time.”
Not wanting to be around her for another second, I stood and jumped down from the porch. “Not a chance in hell. Look around. This place is swarming with dick. Take your pick,” I spat back at her before heading off to set up my own tent.
There was no way I was spending the night in that house. Females were bat shit crazy. Besides, being outside meant being the first line of defense.
I finished pitching my tent and tossed my bedroll inside. The sun began to set, prompting Stoner to start fires in the surrounding burn barrels. Everyone huddled around the pits. Clint pulled out his guitar that he kept at the cabin and started strumming.
Being on lockdown was no joke. If Jesse ordered a club wide lockdown, it meant there was an immediate threat. The boys brought their families to the cabin until a change of circumstance or a battle plan could be put into action.
However, it didn’t take away from the inspiring sight of having your entire family together in one spot. Enjoying good company and catching up with patch brothers from other chapters.
Club life wasn’t for the faint of heart, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being a straight-laced poser was never in the cards for me. This was as good as it would ever get. As I observed my emotionally charged family, I knew that I was ok with that.
Ruth and the girls brought out trays of sandwiches and chips. They had even thought about fresh fruit for the kids. I was captivated as I watched Jolene pass out napkins and juice boxes. Children surrounded her, giggling as she teased them by running around in circles.
“Hey hun, Jesse wants to see you.” Ruth gave me a sympathetic smile. I pat her on the back as I headed to the house.
Jessa sat at the round dining table nursing a beer. She didn’t look up to acknowledge me, only pointed down the hall. Nerves bundled in my gut like a festering swarm of pissed off wasps.
I knocked on the open door to the office that the club also used for church. Jesse had his nose stuck in an atlas. He glanced up for a second to wave me in.
“Going somewhere?”
“Never hurts to have a plan. Sit.”
I did as instructed. Jesse stripped away his black framed reading glasses.
“I guess we have some catching up to do.” He leaned back, bouncing the rocking chair.
“Look, I know I fucked up.”
Jesse shot forward, glaring at me as if I was a stranger. “Do you?”
I thought this might be it. There were enough brothers here that I could be put down, buried, and forgotten about all in a matter of minutes.
I wouldn’t be the first.
“The best thing you can do right now is keep your mouth shut and listen up.”
I did as I was told, even though my muscles tensed up and I had to fight the urge to punch the fucking wall. If it had been anyone else, the wall would not be my focus.
“Yeah, saying that you fucked up is an understatement. First, you get my daughter caught up in this Numar bullshit. Second, you fuck with her head. Yeah, you thought I didn’t know about that, huh? Third, you ditch Jo for that piece of community trash, Angela. And to top it off, you leave Jo to clean up your mess and don’t even have the fucking balls to man up and keep her safe.”
“It’s not like that with Angela.”
“Did you or did you not have her on the back of your sled and disappear for the night? I don’t give two shits about where you dip your wick, until it involves my daughter.”
I fought to remain calm, my heavy breathing betraying me. I rubbed my hand over my beard to bring the oxygen back to my numb lips.
“I got drunk and passed out. That’s it.”
Jesse flung his hand in the air. “I don’t want to hear your bullshit. I spent a lot of time and money to give Jo a fresh start. She deserves more than this, and you know it. You need to think through some of your actions, son.”
I nodded. He was speaking as Jolene’s father and not as my president. Even I could appreciate that.
I looked Jesse in the eye and bit the bullet. “The last thing in this world I would ever want to do is hurt Jo. I love her and I always will. I tried to keep her at a distance. That’s why I picked up Angela. Stupid, I know. But I couldn’t go through with it. Jo’s all I could think about. I drained the bottle and passed out. I’m going to do my best to keep her safe, but she’s also so god damn stubborn and has a mind of her own.”
I held my breath and waited for the hammer to drop.
Jesse’s body eased and he leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other. “Yeah, you got that shit right. A real spit fire, just like her mother. Which isn’t always a good thing.”
“I hear what you’re saying.”
“I sure as shit hope you do. Now, what do we do about this bullshit with the Pistol Kings?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I’m assuming it’s retaliation for Numar.”
Jesse nodded. “And they’re not going to stop until they spill blood.”
“I’m doing the best I can to find out who set me up, but everywhere I turn, I run into another fucking road block.”
“You’ve got to have a few ideas.”
I knew the conversation was coming, but that didn’t prepare me for having to come clean with my prez. It was unheard of to accuse your brothers of something so heinous.
“Yeah, I have one thought.”
“Spill it,” Jesse ordered.
I rolled my neck, attempting to loosen the hard knots. “Well, the gun you gave me was locked away in my room. It’s the gun that was used to kill Numar. We keep a pretty tight rein on who comes and goes at the clubhouse. How do you reckon someone got ahold of my gun to murder that son of a bitch?”
Jesse scratched his chin. His blue eyes stared off across the room. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I don’t see another way around it.”
“Those are some pretty serious words. Deadly, as a matter of fact.”
“I’m not happy about it either,” I said, stretching my long legs under the table. “If you have another direction, I’m all ears.”
“I wish I did. I’m getting nothing off the streets. Everyone knows how you felt about Numar and they’re happy to let you take the fall. I’m gonna have to mull this over for a while. We’ll readdress this tomorrow.”
“You sure? You know if I’m right it means the person who set me up is probably here right now.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Go grab a beer and have some fun.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “But not too much fun.”
“Sir.”
I left Jesse to his thoughts and headed outside to join the rest of the boys. It was clear that a lot of them were already drunk. I popped the top on a beer and surveyed the crowd. Herc was standing post at the end of the perimeter. Jimmy X and his old lady danced around the yard as Clint went to town on the guitar. Stoner was lying on a blanket gazing up at the stars. I envied my brother’s ability to mellow out under stressful situations. Even with smoke, I was a walking nerve.
Jesse and Ruth were holed up in the house. I spotted Zombie off in the shadows giving Patsy shit. Standard. What wasn’t standard was seeing Jolene laughing and hanging on to some dude. I recognized the man as a new patch holder out of Stockton. I also didn’t like the way Jessa seemed to be all chummy with Jo. That couldn’t end well.
Jesse’s words bounced around in my thick skull. I struggled not to step in and break the douchebag’s neck.
Not yet.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
(Jolene)
I stared at the tiny, pink pill that I held in the palm of my hand. My forehead throbbed with every pump of my heart.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” I asked Jessa.
“Of course. Just don’t take more than one. It should help with the headache.” She offered me a beer to wash down the OxyContin.