Little Jack

by Atlas, Lilly

  He didn’t move.

  “You’re free to leave, Holly,” Copper said.

  What? LJ wanted to body slam his president. Holly couldn’t leave. She belonged right there, tucked against his side where he could protect her.

  Her forehead wrinkled.

  “I’m sure you don’t want to be here when this all goes down. Your father might not let you walk if he starts making arrests. You can go before they get here,” Copper said.

  Fuck. Good thing one of them maintained the ability to think straight. “He’s right, Holly. You need to get the hell outta here.”

  Holly straightened her shoulders. Suddenly, the muscles of her face relaxed and she lost the tension in her spine. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Where I want to be. With you. So please go search your room because I’m going to be pissed off if I have to speak to you through bars tonight, when I spent a fortune on this skimpy as hell underwear for our make-up sex.”

  Hot damn!

  Copper did a shitty job of covering his laugh with a cough as Holly’s cheeks turned bright pink. A fucking stampede of wild elephants couldn’t chase him away from that sexy promise. He rounded the table, stopping in front of his woman. “Wouldn’t miss tonight for the world,” he said before giving her a quick, hard kiss. “Wait for me at the bar. I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait!” Holly cried as he stepped through the door. She darted over to him and grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him down to her. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear, as though she might not get a chance to say it later. Then she kissed him stupid. “Now go find those drugs!” she said as she shoved him away.

  Like some kind of lovesick pussy, LJ nearly floated up the fucking stairs. Holly loved him. And as soon as this clusterfuck of a day was over, he’d be giving those words right back to her.

  With a lighter heart than he should have had given the circumstances, LJ began the search of his room with his minimally used closet. He rifled through his belongings as fast as possible while remaining thorough. Though he’d been staying at the clubhouse since things went sour with Holly, he hadn’t been within spitting distance of Carli. The female snake didn’t begin to tempt him and that was before he’d known she had the balls to betray the club. The fool would be lucky if Copper let her live until the next sunrise.

  Of course, he’d have to be a free man to go after her. Fuck, Shell would be destroyed if Copper got himself locked up.

  With a huff of frustration, he slammed the closet door closed. There went the good vibes.

  Next, he ransacked his own dresser only to come up empty there as well. Nothing on the small bookshelf across from his bed either. Three minutes left if Holly’s timeline was correct. Just as he was about to leave the room and check on his brothers’ progress, his eyes fell to his bed.

  Tightly made thanks to years in the Navy, there was no way she could have hidden something under the covers. Besides, he’d slept there, alone last night and would have noticed a brick of meth next to him. Yet something scratching at the back of his neck kept him from ignoring the bed. After stripping the sheets, he flipped the mattress, giving it a good once over.

  “Well, I’ll be a motherfucker,” he whispered. Sure enough, something sharp had been used to slice a slit in the mattress. When he stuck his fingers through the slash, he encountered a plastic bag. One good tug had the fucking drugs in LJ’s hands

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered as he righted the mattress. Time being his enemy at the moment, he tossed the bedding on the mattress. When the cops came to search his room, they’d find a messy bed that looked like it’d been recently fucked in. And if they found the hole in the mattress? So fucking be it. There weren’t any drugs to be found in there, so what the fuck could they bust him for? Destroying furniture?

  Meth in hand, LJ jogged back downstairs and straight into the chapel. Holly, who of course hadn’t waited by the bar as instructed, sat at the table, chewing her poor thumbnail to bits.

  “Got it,” LJ called out as he entered and walked straight to Holly. “Holy fuck balls.”

  “Yeah, what I said,” Mav added.

  Laid out on the table were four more gallon-sized bags, identical to the one LJ had found in his room. None of them weighed much, maybe a pound a piece, but there were fucking five.

  Zach entered the room and let out a low whistle. “That’s a lotta ice, boys,” he said.

  “How much you think?” Copper asked.

  Zach bit the inside of his cheek as he scratched his chin. Then he picked up a bag. “We’re talking a pound here. Could be a little over that. Shit, Cop, each of these bags could net up to twenty Gs. We’re talking a hundred big ones. Carli musta brought this in over a few weeks. Someone sure wants to see us burn for this.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Holly whispered.

  LJ dropped in the seat next to her. “Shit, sugar, none of this is on you. You just saved our asses big time here.”

  “Not that I don’t love a good schmoop fest,” Mav said. “But we’re working on borrowed time here. Sheriff’s gonna be here any second. What the fuck do we do with this shit that now has our prints all over it?”

  “Thunder!” Copper barked out.

  The prospect snapped to attention. “Yeah, prez?”

  “Here.” Copper tossed him a black backpack. “Fill it and run it out to the box. There’s a crowbar in the corner. Use it to pry the lid off the drain. Toss this shit in there and cover it back up. Stay down there until one of us comes for you.”

  “On it,” he said as he stuffed the last of the packages in the backpack, then took off running.

  “What’s the box?” Holly asked with a quiver in her voice.

  “You don’t wanna know, sweetie,” Mav said with a wink.

  Holly looked to LJ. “It’s basically an underground bunker the club uses to handle…sensitive issues.”

  “You’re right, Mav, I didn’t want to know.” Holly dropped her head to the table with a groan. A few of the guys laughed and the tension relief couldn’t have come at a better time. Just as LJ soothed his palm up Holly’s spine, a loud banging sounded from the front door of the clubhouse. The kind of heavy-handed knock only made by one kind of person. A cop.

  “Open the fuck up!” Schwartz shouted.

  When no one made a move to welcome the cops into the building, the pounding continued followed by, “Coming in hot!”

  The door flew open.

  Bang, bang, bang.

  The successive ear-ringing bursts were accompanied by blinding flashes of light and a cloud of smoke.

  Holly screamed.

  LJ tackled her to the ground, using his big body to keep her covered. All around him, men cursed and hit the ground as cops shouted for everyone to drop to their knees.

  As he lay over Holly, the buzzin in LJ’s ears grew to deafening. His fingertips began to tingle and the crushing band wrapped its way around his chest.

  No, no, fucking no.

  Not now.

  Next came the shakes and a gasping breath that only meant one thing. Full-on panic was rushing in.

  Just as his mind began to slip into that dark place, soft hands landed on his face. “Baby, you’re okay. I’m okay. It was just a few flashbangs. Don’t go anywhere. Stay with me. My father is here, and we gotta help your brothers, okay? I need you to concentrate on my voice and stay with me here, in the clubhouse. You’re not in the Middle East. You’re safe. Shit kinda sucks here now, but we got your whole family here with us.”

  As she spoke and caressed his cheeks, LJ’s mind began to clear. Within seconds, the tingling disappeared, he was able to draw in a breath, and the noise in his head dulled to an annoying buzz. “I’m good, sugar,” he whispered. “Not going anywhere unless you’re right by my side.”

  “Line up! On your fucking knees. Hands behind your back,” one of the officers yelled.

  LJ pushed off Holly then extended a hand to her. After hauling her up, he spoke close to her ear. “Do what they
say. Don’t panic. No one will fucking touch you with all of us here. Okay?”

  Saucer-eyed, Holly nodded. “O-okay.”

  “Just do what I do.” He dropped to his knees next to Screw and interlaced his hands behind his back. After watching, Holly did the same. Her startled gasp had him glancing in the direction she stared.

  Fucking Higgins was dragging Jazz out of the kitchen with about ten times the necessary force.

  “Get your motherfucking dirty pig hands off her,” Screw snarled as he began to get up.

  Someone shoved him back to his knees with a, “Stay the fuck down, asshole.” He was cuffed a second later.

  Near purple-faced, Screw’s nostrils flared, and his breath left in audible bursts as he fought the urge to buck the officer’s orders.

  “I’m okay, Screw,” Jazz said in a low voice as she was pushed to her knees as well.

  One of the officers went down the line, applying flexi cuffs to each and every man, or woman in the room. LJ could practically feel the fear wafting off Holly. “You holding up, sugar?” he asked low enough none of the cops heard.

  “Yes. I’m good.” Clearly a lie, but he admired her fucking guts.

  “That’s my girl.”

  Her lips twitched.

  Of course, her father chose that moment to stroll in the room like the big swinging dick. “Listen up,” he said. “Know all you shitheads think you’re infallible, but we’ve finally got the proof we need to put you—” His gaze landed on Holly and his steps faltered. But then he rallied, clearing his throat. “To put many of you animals behind bars.”

  With a grin, he held up a folded piece of paper then walked it over to Copper. The fucker made a production of unfolding it and holding it in front of Copper’s face as if to rub in the fact his hands were restrained. Sure seemed to love handing over warrants.

  “I can’t believe this is real,” Holly whispered.

  “Hang in, sugar. You’re doin’ great.” Witnessing Holly’s disbelief and despair cut LJ deep. The need to shield her, protect her from all this soul-crushing drama flared strong, but there he was, handcuffed like a chump.

  Helpless.

  The worst place for him to be.

  Yet, he didn’t have that suffocating sensation. He owed the thanks for that to the woman at his side. The amazing woman suffering because her father turned out to be a monster.

  “Got a warrant to search this shithole,” Lane said.

  “Oh, come on,” Holly muttered. “No matter what he thinks about the club, even he can’t think this place is a shithole. It’s fucking awesome.”

  Jesus, LJ couldn’t help it, he barked out a harsh laugh.

  “Something funny over there?” the sheriff asked

  “Yeah,” LJ said. “Your daughter, who you don’t seem to give a shit about as she’s handcuffed on her knees over here, she thinks our clubhouse is fucking awesome.”

  Snickers rose up from all of his brothers as well as looks of respect shot in Holly’s direction. The sheriff’s jaw ticked, and he appeared seconds away from cracking a filling.

  “You’re crazy,” Holly whispered.

  “Crazy about you.”

  “Cheesy too.” Her giggle was near silent.

  “Dispatch received a call from a woman who was here last night. She called in, distressed because she discovered an alarming quantity of drugs in the clubhouse. Poor girl came to have some fun and had no idea what she was walking into.”

  Poor girl? Carli? LJ nearly snorted. That conniving bitch had it coming to her.

  “Game over, Copper,” her father said, glaring down at the president. “I win.” His tone grew gleeful.

  “We’ll see,” Copper replied, cool as a fucking cucumber. With his shoulders straight, head high, and laser-focused eyes looking straight ahead, nothing about the man presented someone concerned for going to prison.

  Her father’s smile slipped a hair. “Start searching,” he ordered, glancing over his shoulder at the band of officers milling about. “I want every inch of this place turned over. The drugs are here somewhere.”

  “That’s what you think, asshole,” Screw muttered.

  LJ met the sheriff’s gaze. He winked, letting the man know he wasn’t remotely worried.

  Until Holly’s father shifted his gaze to her and started in their direction.

  Then LJ grew very uneasy.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  THE PAST HOUR had been such a cyclone of mind games, Holly swore she’d wake from a nightmare at any time. She’d open her eyes to find herself tucked in her bed, all warm and cozy. Her father wouldn’t be a dirty cop who framed an innocent man for murder and was trying to set up the man she loved as well.

  But none of that happened. Instead, her stern-faced father drew to a stop in front of her. Despite the complete lack of humor in the situation Holly almost laughed. This was certainly a scenario she’d never imagined. Handcuffed on the ground, waiting to find out if her father would be sending her to prison. Sure, they’d found and removed a buttload of the planted drugs, but had they gotten it all? According to Zach, just one of those bags could cause serious trouble for the club.

  Her insides trembled as her father burned her with a glare she’d seen him use many times in the past. One full of revulsion and loathing reserved for criminals.

  And now her.

  “Holly, once the drugs are recovered, you’ll be transported to the county jail like everyone else here. We don’t have enough space at our small station for the entire MC.”

  “I don’t expect special treatment,” she said, proud of the even keel of her voice. “I chose to be here like everyone else in this room.”

  “Your mother will never recover from this. You’ve broken her heart.”

  “I broke her heart?”

  Beside her, LJ cleared his throat. They’d decided Holly shouldn’t reveal what she knew about her father’s and the deputies’ scheme. At least not yet. Copper wanted to have the information so he could control the situation and planned to drop the bomb when he felt it was most beneficial for the club.

  So instead of calling her father the nastiest names she could drum up, Holly bit her already abused lower lip so hard a metallic taste flooded her tongue.

  “You realize your life is over?” Her dad cocked his head.

  She straightened her spine despite the ache already forming between her shoulders from the unnatural position. Then she took a breath and allowed all her feelings for LJ to fill her heart. A grin took over her face. “I like to think my life is just beginning.”

  Her father grunted. “You might be right about that,” he said. “Especially if you’re referring to your life behind bars.” He turned and walked over to the officers searching behind the bar.

  Dismissed, just like that. Like she was nothing.

  “Damn, woman,” Screw muttered from the other side of LJ. “You’re something else. If this dummy doesn’t lock you down, let me know and I’ll work his ass over for you.” He bumped LJ’s shoulder with his own.

  Though Holly smiled at Screw’s faux threat, LJ remained straight faced. “Consider her locked the fuck down,” he said without tearing his gaze from her.

  Holly’s insides burst with delight.

  “All righty then,” Screw said. “Guess that takes care of that.”

  This time, neither she nor LJ paid him any attention.

  “Holly Lane, you’re fucking amazing.”

  The delight turned to elation.

  “You all need to shut the fuck up,” Schwartz yelled as he strode down the stairs.

  Empty handed.

  Holly let out a tiny sigh of relief. All around her, the men exchanged glances, their eyes sparking and most of them succeeding in hiding their smirks to various degrees.

  Not Mav. He grinned like a loon. “No luck?” he asked.

  “The fuck I just say?” Schwartz practically snarled.

  Mav just chuckled and Holly had to admit the moment called for a good laugh. See
ing Schwartz knocked down a few pegs felt damn good.

  The deputy marched straight over to her father and the two whispered back and forth. With each word spoken, her father’s face pinched tighter.

  Time crawled. What in reality was probably no more than a half-hour felt like ages. The longer the bones of her knees ground into the unforgiving floor, the more her legs ached. What started as an annoying discomfort morphed into a full-on pain traveling up both thighs. Then there was the tingling in her fingers and burning stretch in her shoulders.

  “You okay, sugar?” LJ asked after she shifted one too many times.

  “Right as rain.”

  He grunted. “How does a long soak in the tub followed by pizza and wine sound for later?” he whispered.

  “Oh man, heavenly.”

  “All right gorgeous. It’s a date.” He winked down at her.

  Despite the horrors of the day, knowing she’d be ending it with the man she loved helped soothe her. After days of no contact, she wanted to lock herself away with him for just as long to make up for the lost time. They whispered back and forth while the officer’s attention was diverted and after a few moments, Holly caught onto the fact he was trying to distract her from the discomfort and help pass the time.

  The wonderful man.

  One by one, uniformed officers filtered back downstairs, unsuccessful in their search. When there were around ten to fifteen gathered in the bar area, Holly lost sight of her father. He seemed to be at the center of the group. But then he cursed, loud. And something crashed across the room.

  Her breath caught in her lungs. Were things about to escalate? Her father set this whole charade up. What was to keep him from attacking one of the Handlers in anger? Where was the line?

  With her nerves at about a nine out of ten, Holly’s gaze darted between the group of men and Copper. The president still seemed completely unaffected by the events of the day. Had he even moved once since being cuffed? His knees had to be screaming by now, but once she thought about it, she hadn’t noticed the man so much as blink.