by S. Nelson
“He’s probably chattin’ her up. Trying to get her number or some shit.” I doubted Tag was in any place for such an interaction, but then again, he was a guy. And the possibility of sex would certainly help his mood. It would for me.
“Not a wise idea to get too close. We need to reiterate that when he gets back out here.”
“You’re right,” I responded, sighing afterward. “The further we keep away from all things related to the Reapers, the better. ’Cause I’m sure they’ll be comin’ soon enough, if what Pike told us holds any truth.”
“I have a feeling he was.” Linc swiped the screen when his cell rang, diving into a conversation with the realtor he’d been dealing with. His voice faded while I thought about Chelsea, but the images of her disappeared when I saw Tag exiting the shop, two coffees in hand. I bumped Linc’s arm and pointed across the street.
“’Bout time,” he whispered, pulling the phone away from his mouth for a second before engaging with the woman on the other end once again.
The back door opened, and Tag ducked inside, handing me my drink over my shoulder. He slid to the center of the seat, and when I turned to look at him, he was all smiles.
“You talk to her?” I asked a question I already knew the answer to. A man didn’t smile like that for no reason.
“Yeah. She’s nice.”
“Nice?” I chuckled, cursing when I took a sip and the coffee burned the tip of my tongue. Linc ended his call, laughing at me because of my haste to consume the caffeine.
Tag didn’t elaborate on his sentiment. Instead, he told us about the odd start of their conversation. “She seemed fine until she saw me. Then she looked nervous, asking me why I was there, that she already told the other Reapers she hasn’t seen her brother. It wasn’t until I told her I wasn’t part of that club that she relaxed, although not much. When she handed me the drinks, she pulled me off to the side to ask me if I knew her brother. I guess she assumed all bikers know each other. She laughed when I said that.” Tag took a sip of his drink, not seeming to care that the liquid was fuckin’ hot. The smile he’d worn moments ago returned full force as he looked to be thinking about his interaction with Pike’s sister.
“That’s it?” My frown urged him to continue or at least answer my simple question.
“I played it off like I didn’t know anything about anything. But I did ask her if her brother was in trouble. You know, since she opened that door.” He stopped speaking to take another drink. “She said she didn’t know, that she hadn’t seen him in four months and the last time she talked to him, he seemed frantic, making her promise to be careful and for her to look after their mother. He freaked her out, and when she tried to call him back the next day, his phone kept going to voice mail.” He took another sip, then looked out the window, back over at the café.
“Listen, man. Don’t get too close.” Linc took the lead on this subject. “Our job is to just make sure she’s safe. None of us, including you, are to do anything more.” Tag’s attention was still on the shop. “Yo.” He finally turned to look at us. “You got me?”
“Yeah.” His one-word answer should’ve pacified us, but it didn’t. Maybe it was the slight upcurve of his mouth or the glint in his eyes, but something told me Tag was gonna chat her up again.
Needing to switch the topic, I chose to ask him something that was a touchy subject but something I’d been curious about since the safe house.
“How come you never tried to escape?”
He took another sip, then another. “Obviously, I thought about it. And even if I’d been in any kind of state to try, they threatened my mom and sister if I attempted.” His situation reminded me too much of Pike’s for my liking, and I hated our club had any sort of similarity to what the Reapers promised their prospect if he chose to leave. “After what was done to me, I believed my family really was in danger if I tried anything. So I stayed put.”
“You know our club would never kill innocent people, right?” Even as the words left my mouth, I wasn’t sure of their validity.
“Just like your club wouldn’t kidnap and torture an innocent?” He scoffed, the muscles in his jaw flexing under the weight of his disbelief.
“We can go ’round and ’round, man,” Linc chimed in. “But what’s done is done. And I’m sorry it went down like that. We both are.” He signaled between us. “But this is your club, too, now. And one thing you should remember is that we take care of our own, including families.”
“I don’t need anyone’s pity or charity.” Tag flapped open the side of his vest in irritation. “I don’t know how you guys tolerate these fuckin’ things.”
“You get used to it. It’ll become your armor soon enough,” I retorted, grinning at him quickly before turning back around. I refused to touch on his comment about pity because the guy was still sore about everything that went down. And while he might not want “charity,” the knowledge his mother’s bills had been paid and that she was now set up with one of the best doctors for her condition had to give him some relief, both financially and mentally, even though he seemed too proud to admit such a thing.
As I turned over the engine, my cell rang through the speakers of the SUV. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Ryder calling.
“What’s up?”
“What’s up is that you better get your ass over to Indulge. Carla called Marek all frantic, and you know that’s not like her.”
“Fuck,” Linc grumbled next to me, Ryder having heard him loud and clear.
“Fuck is right. Who’s with you?”
“Linc and Tag,” I answered, blowing out a breath to make room for my goddamn nerves.
“Good. I’ll let her know all three of you will be there soon.” He hung up on me without another word.
So much for an uneventful rest of my day, as if that was even possible anymore.
15
“And he left me with this,” Jaz cried, holding her left cheek while looking at me with such fear and despair I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She was terrified, and who could blame her? No one should be treated like this, especially someone who worked for our club. It was an unwritten rule these women had our protection, but as of late, shit was goin’ sideways. There was no way we could always keep every one of these ladies safe. When they were working, sure, we could manage to watch out for them, but once they left club property, they were on their own. It sucked, but it was reality.
None of us had to worry about this before. Then again, there hadn’t been a war brewing with the Reapers since I’d been a member either. I was in uncharted territory, as was Linc, Kaden, and Brick. And now Tag, who’d been thrown into all this just because of his lineage.
“Let me see.” I reached for Jaz’s hand, but she moved away from me, the tears coming faster and faster. “Jaz, I need to look.”
“I can’t… can’t… look at my face.”
“I’m trying to.”
She stuttered over her breaths when she finally lowered her hand only to grab on to Carla’s. Carefully peeling the bandage away from her skin, I saw a nasty slice running from the top of her cheekbone down to the corner of her mouth. The white gauze she’d held over the wound was soaked in her blood. Not only was she gonna need stitches, she was gonna need a plastic surgeon as well; otherwise, she’d be left with one ghastly scar.
“Who did this?” I glanced from her to Carla, then back again. “Where did this happen?”
“I was coming back from the store earlier today, and when I got out of my car, a guy grabbed me and dragged me into my house. There was someone else inside, waiting for us.” Jaz hiccupped, taking a moment before continuing. “I don’t even know how they knew where I lived or how the one guy got inside.” Carla slung her arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. “The bastard said he would’ve killed me, wanted to do it, but wanted to send you guys a message more than he wanted to snuff me out. His words.”
“He snatched you in broad daylight?” I asked. She answered silentl
y with a nod. “In broad fuckin’ daylight,” I repeated more to myself than anyone else. Crouching in front of her, I looked directly into her eyes, needing the next information to come out of her mouth to be as accurate as possible. “Can you describe the bastard who did that to your face?”
Again, she nodded but didn’t speak for a moment.
“He was…” She looked away before settling her eyes back on me, the hesitation in her voice draped around her entire body. Tears continued to stream down her reddened cheeks. I placed my hand over hers and she seemed to calm, if only a fraction.
“You’re safe now.” I hoped what I told her was true.
“He was tall. Big but not fat. Bald. Clean-shaven. In his late forties, early fifties.” Her eyes widened with each recollection of his physical attributes. She leaned forward. “He had this, um, red mark on the side of his face.” Jaz pointed toward her right temple. “It wasn’t a tattoo. I think it was a birthmark. It was an odd shape, like a jagged letter Z.”
“Good.” I flashed her a quick grin. “What else?”
“Uh…” The air left her lungs in an elongated sigh. “I know this might not be useful, but he had this blank look in his eyes that’s hard to describe.”
I turned to look at Linc. “Does this description sound familiar at all? You ever seen this guy before?”
“Nope.”
“Tag, does this guy fit the description of one of the guys you saw outside before the fire started?” It was a long shot, and I believed those guys had already been identified but I had to ask, had to double-check.
“No, sorry.”
Standing to my full height, I leaned against the edge of Carla’s desk. “What about the other guy?”
“The one who dragged me from my car?” I gave her a quick jerk of my head. “He was also bald. He was tall, broad-shouldered, had a big belly. Oh, and he had a wild beard, all bushy-like. He stunk like cigarettes and body odor.”
My eyes landed on Linc. “Sounds like Rock.”
“Sure does,” he responded, cursing under his breath. He pulled out his phone and dialed, walking away from the rest of us. I had no doubt he was either calling his ol’ man or Marek to give them this information. While he was busy on his call, I put my hand on Jaz’s shoulder, glancing at Carla before asking my next question.
“Did either of them say anything? You mentioned them sending a message?” I tried to inhale calmness and exhale stress, but it was pointless. I had a sinking feeling whatever she was gonna say was gonna be somethin’ none of us wanted to hear.
She huddled closer to Carla, keeping her eyes downcast when she replied, “The one who cut me, the one with the mark on his face… he said… he said that because the Knights took something that didn’t belong to them, they’d make sure to steal something back, and it wouldn’t be what you would think.” Jaz finally looked up at me. “Then he said I was just a taste of what was to come. He wasn’t makin’ a lot of sense, but whatever he meant wasn’t good. I felt it in my bones. That bastard is crazy.”
Linc ended his call and walked back over. “What’d I miss?” The second I filled him in on what Jaz said, his entire body locked up. I saw the fear in his eyes, and I had no doubt he was worried about Maddie, as well as everyone else in his life, namely his sister.
Trying to pull Linc’s focus off what I told him, I asked, “Who was on the phone?”
He continued to bristle with anger. “Marek.” We shared a look before he spoke again. “We need to get back.”
“Okay.” Swiveling around, I jerked my chin toward Tag. “Can you stay with Jaz for a second while Linc and I talk to Carla?”
“Sure.” He took a seat next to her, looking somewhat uncomfortable while she continued to cry, flinching when her fingers trailed over her wound.
Pulling Carla outside her office, I closed the door before beginning, Linc standing next to me. “We’ll get you the name of a good doctor Jaz can see to fix her face, but until then, you need to take her to the hospital.”
“What do we tell them when they ask who did that to her?” She tucked a strand of her short, honey-blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes bouncing between us.
“I dunno.” I was at a loss for what to tell her, too busy suddenly thinking about Chelsea and how I was gonna make sure she stayed safe during all this. It was gonna be a feat, seeing as how I ended things between us.
“I’ll call my mom and have her come over,” Linc chimed in. “She can stitch up Jaz. Then when we get the name of the doctor, we’ll make sure it’s someone who won’t ask questions.”
“Yeah. We’ll do that.” My cell dinged with an alert. Needing to focus on finishing up here, I ignored it until it sounded out again. Then again. And again. Whoever messaged me had something urgent to say, and while I wished the texts were from Chelsea, I knew better. Sure enough, when I dared to glance at my phone, I saw several messages from Brick, telling us that we needed to get back to the clubhouse immediately. The fucker used one-word texts for emphasis.
Get.
Back.
Here.
Now.
“We gotta go, Linc. We’re being summoned. Grab Tag and meet me outside.” I squeezed Carla’s shoulder. “Call me if anything else happens.”
“You know I will.” Her smile slipped seconds after forming.
I walked out of Indulge and trudged across the parking lot, my cell gripped tightly in my hand. The need to call Chelsea overwhelmed me, and even though I tried to talk myself out of it, I swiped the screen and scrolled through my recent call log.
With all my focus on the small device, I wasn’t paying attention to the car that pulled into the lot, inching closer to me as I continued toward my SUV. And by the time I noticed, it was too late.
I saw the barrel of a gun, then another and another, three occupants of the vehicle all pointing their weapons at me. There was no time to do anything except release one breath only to pull another into my lungs.
The loud popping sound of the guns discharging was deafening, the bullets slicing through the air and whizzing all around me like a scene I’d only seen in movies. Unfortunately, one of those bullets ripped through my flesh and knocked me to the ground in a haze of confusion and burning pain. They said one’s life was supposed to flash in front of their eyes during a traumatic event, but the only image in mine was Chelsea.
Her laughing.
Her yelling and throwing shit at me.
Her squirming beneath me.
The squeal of the tires pricked my ears and pushed away all memories of the woman who’d rejected me. As I lay there in the dirt, my breathing evening out after the sudden attack, I heard Linc shouting my name, but I couldn’t answer.
I couldn’t do anything other than succumb to the blackness creeping in on both sides.
16
“So, are you gonna ever tell me what happened between you two? What did you tell him?” Riley crossed her legs, leaning further into the couch. It seemed our favorite place to have chats was on sofas. Her eyes danced over my face, widening several times during the silence after her questions.
“What do you think I told him?” I finally answered, only to ask a question in response.
“Knowing you as well as I do, I think you shot yourself in the foot. You’re too damn proud and stubborn for your own good.” She reached forward and grabbed her glass of ice tea off the coffee table, taking a swig before putting it down. “I don’t know why you torture yourself, Chels. You’re awesome. You deserve to be happy.”
“What makes you think I’m not happy?” My bottom lip slipped between my teeth, nibbling as a way of distraction. But it didn’t last long because my bestie was all over me.
“Because, like I said, I know you.” She scooted next to me, taking my hand in hers. “I love you like a sister. I just wish you could lower your walls enough to let someone in.”
“I have you.” My attempt at humor failed.
“I mean it. You can’t continue to let your father and Sam close y
ou off to having a meaningful relationship.” I tugged on my hand, but she only strengthened her hold. “Stop being so pig-headed and give the guy a chance.”
“Why? So I can be disappointed again? I already know how everything will turn out in the end. No, thank you.” When I pulled on my hand again, she released me, shaking her head, and looking more like a disappointed parent than a supportive best friend.
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“I don’t need to put my hand on a hot stove to know I’d get burned,” I countered, frustrated because our conversation kept going ’round and ’round, my words wasted on an even more stubborn person.
“Are you tellin’ me you’re never gonna let anyone get close? Like ever? You’re content to grow old without anyone by your side? So, marriage and kids are off the table for good?”
“Whoa,” I said, jerking my head back in surprise. “Where is all this comin’ from? I’m only twenty-two. I’m not even thinking that far ahead. I just wanna have fun and live in the moment.”
“Yeah? How’s that goin’ for you?” Riley hopped off the couch and strode toward the kitchen before giving me a chance to respond. Not that anything I’d say would tamp down her flash of annoyance toward me.
“I don’t need this,” I mumbled to myself, following Riley toward the other room, snatching my purse and keys on the way. “I’m leaving,” I shouted, more than annoyed that we couldn’t have a civil conversation.
“No, you’re not,” she answered back, reappearing with a bag of chips. “We’re not finished yet. You’ve been clamming up on me for months about Ace and I’m not standing for it anymore.” Her tone was harsh, but when I saw the ghost of a smile tilt her mouth, I relaxed, albeit marginally.
My lips parted and I sucked in a pull of air, but before I could give life to my words, Maddie appeared from around the corner. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her bangs swept to the side. She wore a pair of jersey shorts and a camisole, her frame filling out a little since I’d first seen her. Riley told me everything that happened with her before she came to be with her brother. I’d been jealous when I thought Ace had flirted with her at the salon but learned afterward, he was only checking on her.