Jase

by MariaLisa deMora

“Why don’t you come to Chicago, sit down, and talk to Mason? He can explain it better, but it will definitely be a benefit to all of us if things work out.” Red said something unintelligible away from the phone then came back. “Team schedule shows you up here next week for a game. Can we book some time with ya then?

  “Sure,” he said slowly. “I can drive up and stay an extra day that way. We play here Friday, and the Chicago game is on Saturday, so let’s plan on chatting Sunday?”

  “Sounds good. Someone will text you details. Thanks, man,” Red said, and then the call disconnected.

  He turned, looking across the room at where DeeDee was on the couch reading. “Weirdest phone call ever, baby,” he said, picking up bottles of water for both of them and walking over to sit beside her.

  “Hmmm?” She made a quizzical noise, shifting to snuggle into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Red called from Chicago. Seems Mason wants to talk to me about—” He stopped speaking, because DeeDee had straightened, turning to him with what looked like fear on her face.

  “What does he want? Nothing has happened that I know of.” Her face had gone white and she was nearly babbling. He reached up a hand and gently covered her mouth.

  “Mason has a proposition for me that Red said would be mutually beneficial. I don’t think it’s bad, baby. Breathe. It’s okay.” He soothed her with his words, reaching out to do the same with his hands and laughing when she shivered at his touch. “They were extremely cold water bottles. Icy even. I’m sorry, baby. Here,” he whispered, trailing kisses along the edge of her jaw, murmuring against her lips, “let me warm you right up.”

  ***

  “How’s she feeling today?” Jase directed the question at Gunny, watching as the man poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “No more blood in her piss, which is good. Goose said the acute pain is nearly gone, and now she’s gonna have to work out the soreness, but I fucking hate to see her move. Every fucking thing hurts; you can just tell. Fucking Goose doesn’t have to listen to her hold her fucking breath so she doesn’t whimper, man.” He opened a cabinet door then closed it. “Where the fuck is the cereal?”

  Wordlessly, Jase pointed over to the pantry door, watching as the big man strolled over. He was an impressive sight today, the tattoo and bulging muscle on his arms and shoulders in clear view since he had no shirt on, but his pale feet sticking out from under the soft sweatpants were in stark contrast. “Let me know what you need. I’ll make a run to the grocery store today.”

  “Ain’t gonna be here much longer. Soon as Shar can be moved, I’m taking her to my house.” He said this without turning around, dumping frosted wheat cereal into a bowl.

  “Is that what she wants?” Jase asked without thinking, then stilled when he saw Gunny’s head swing around, the weight of the man’s gaze palpable as it landed on him.

  “Think I’d force her? After the shit she’s been through? Yeah, she’s on board with the idea, motherfucker. What the fuck you thinking? You even seen us together the last few days? This thing goes both ways here, Jase.” Gunny’s voice was tight with anger.

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I see how she is with you.” He smiled. “I get that she likes you. What I was trying to ask before my mouth got in my way was if she was ready to move out. She…and you…can stay as long as you want. I love having her here, knowing she’s only a few feet away.” He held Gunny’s gaze with his own steady one.

  “I don’t think you get how this is for me, Gunny. Not since I was about fourteen have I gotten to see Sharon every single day. See her at the breakfast table,” he gestured at the bowls the two men had, “and if I’ve missed that, she might have too. Stay as long as she wants.” Without another word, he turned and walked up the hallway to the guest bedroom.

  Pausing in the doorway, he watched Sharon for a few moments. She was standing near the window to soak up the heat of the sun, her body swaying stiffly to the music in her earbuds. He could hear only the tiniest, scratchy sounds, nothing to correlate with her efforts, so to him, it looked as if, even with the pain, she were dancing for the pure joy of movement. At least, if he didn’t pay attention to the green and yellow bruises that covered nearly every inch of her body.

  Watching closely, he saw what Gunny had been talking about. You could see the pain in the way she held her body, in the way her arms were kept close. Deliberately, she stretched her hands, and then rubbed one forearm with a wince. Returning to the movement, she continued extending her hands, rotating the joints and slowly pushing her arms straight over her head, reaching full extension after several slow seconds.

  Her head tipped back and she dropped one hand to rub at the column of her throat, fingertips stroking gently along the muscles and tendons in the back of her neck. She brought her other hand to meet its mate in her hair, and he saw her arms tense and tighten as she rubbed with firm fingers up the back of her head, shoulders rotating as she tried to loosen the knots in her stiff muscles.

  “Hey, you,” he called quietly, and she twisted her head to the side, smiling at him.

  “Hey, you,” she responded.

  “Got a minute?” he asked.

  “For you, I got two,” she said with a fake pout, and he laughed.

  Moving to the bed, he sat on the edge, continuing to watch as she stretched and pulled her muscles, twisting her torso. She was moving so slowly it was hard to decide if there were places that hurt worse than others. If there were, she ignored the sore spots, pushing through to methodically stretch and work everything on her body.

  “I’m not wanting a play-by-play, but I’ve missed so much. Gunny said you are moving out soon, and I want to know everything. I want to know you aren’t going to drop out of sight again.” He startled when a voice came from behind him, then saw the soft look on Sharon’s face as she listened to the big ex-Marine.

  “She ain’t going anywhere without me.” Gunny sat in a chair he had brought into the room. “You don’t have to do a heart-to-heart, thinking this is the last time you’ll see her. She’s gonna be around.”

  “I hope so,” Jase said fervently, pulling Sharon’s eyes back to him. Abandoning her stretching, she walked over and sat on the bed beside him, reaching out for his hand and threading their fingers together.

  “I never meant to go away like I did. The Spencer pride cost us both quite a bit, didn’t it?” She wasn’t looking at him, and he let her have that bit of isolation, hoping it would keep her talking.

  “Mom and Dad didn’t know what to do with me, ya know? After having their boys, and all of you stayed so focused on the goals lined out for you, they had me, and I didn’t like anything they suggested. I didn’t have anything to work towards. After school, and then everything that happened, my eighteen-year-old stupidity said it was the best thing for everyone if I left. I’d sacrifice myself for the greater good or something like that.” She laughed, the sound harsh in the room, and Gunny shifted restlessly in the chair.

  “I drifted for a while, job-to-job, place-to-place. Made friends, but left them behind when I’d move on, not setting up anything lasting. Met Derek and it felt less temporary. We settled in Florida, got jobs, and became contributing citizens.” She laughed again, and it sounded sad. “And shit happened.”

  He sighed, tugging at their joined hands to bring her eyes to meet his. “I love you, Sharon.”

  A smile lit up her face at his words and he jumped, because he never heard Gunny move, just saw him appear as he settled on the other side of her, pulling her back against his chest, his face pressed into the side of her head. “Fucking love that smile, babe,” he muttered, and the fine hairs on Jase’s arms stood straight up. The adoration in the man’s tone was so real and true it gave him goose bumps. “My fucking smile.”

  She laughed again, but this one was light and full of joy. “Yeah, big guy. Your smile.” She wrapped her other hand around Gunny’s arm where it banded across her chest, slowly stroking his skin. “So shit happened, and
I was too stubborn to go home. I kept thinking I could get a handle on things. All I did was run; I see that now. Every time he would find me again, I’d run.” She leaned her head back, bringing her lips to meet Gunny’s in a slow, soft kiss.

  “Until this guy wouldn’t let me.” Sighing, she nuzzled the side of her face against his chest. Without looking up, she said, “I missed you every day, Ace. Missed Mom and Dad, everybody. Thanks for showing me the pictures of the boys. It’s hard to believe I have nephews.”

  “Everyone wants to see you; you know that.” He grinned. “I’ve been successful in foisting Ma off so far, but that won’t last. She’s gonna come down sooner or later.”

  “I’ll deal with that when it happens,” she said. “I know they are disappointed in me, so I’d rather it be later than sooner, if you know what I mean.”

  He nodded and stood. “Love you.” Waiting for her response, he raised his gaze, meeting Gunny’s. “You have a good man now, Sharon. Keep him safe, okay? He seems a decent sort.”

  She laughed as Gunny lifted her, placing her on the bed and stretching out beside her. “I’m on it, Ace.”

  The offer

  “Jeeze, Mason. That’s an awful generous offer,” Jase said with a frown.

  “Then what’s got your face all scrunched up like you just heard latex snap behind you?” Mason’s laughter rolled through the room, echoed by a chuckle from Slate.

  “I’m trying to find the catch, man. In my experience, there’s always a catch when the offer seems too good to be true. Which, no offense intended, this slots directly into that better than expected category, eh?” Shifting in his seat, Jase propped one elbow on the arm of the chair, hand suspended in the air. He flicked one finger up. “One, it’s a hell of an expense for the club to take on. No matter how you slice it, getting a degree is expensive.” The second finger flicked up. “Two, there’s no clear payoff for you. I don’t have influence, no wealthy relatives in my closets whose connections you can leverage.” A third finger flicked up, followed quickly by a fourth. “Third, and maybe even fourth, you aren’t putting any clauses on the offer. No time limit, no early termination, nothing. If I took this to my old man, he would smack my head for even considering it, because again, in my experience…there’s always a catch.”

  Mason nodded, pressing his lips together in irritation; he wanted to talk Jase into at least thinking about this offer. “I hear ya, but there’s no catch, man. Seriously. The club will foot the expense of your schooling, and in return, you agree to consider managing the Fort Wayne businesses. If it works out, we’ll make it back fast; I know that for sure. Myron has more than he can handle with Chicago, and now he’s had to layer St. Louis and Memphis on top of that.”

  He eyed Jase, evaluating his reactions and attitude. Jase still looked unsure, holding his four fingers up in argument. “DeeDee has taken over a lot of the business side of things for our shit in the Fort, but that spreads her too thin for my comfort. Hell, she pretty much has her hands full with Slinky’s; forget all the extra shit. She wants to open a private gentlemen’s club, but unless we can cut her free from some of what she’s doing now, that won’t happen. That’d be one of the payoffs.” Mason held up four fingers and wiggled them at Jase, then folded them all down against his palm, bringing his hand down to his knee. “There’s no downside here, man. I see benefits all around. No strings…no catch. If you decide it’s not for you, then that’s okay. Way I see it, in any case, your degree will benefit DeeDee, and she’s family.”

  “What if I decide to play for another five years after I finish the degree? Would you be willing to wait that long? Somehow, I don’t think that would play into your favored scenario. I’m not saying I plan on it, or even could, but look at Daniel, eh? He’s got nearly fifteen years on me and he’s still playing. Every year, he says it’s the last, but then come late summer, he’s out there conditioning. I know there are no guarantees in this game, but it doesn’t seem a fair payoff for you unless we set some terms to the deal.” Jase shook his head, reaching up to tug at his earlobe. “I can’t believe I’m telling you to lock things down. My old man would have my ass.” He laughed.

  As one corner of his mouth lifted in a wry grin, Mason placed his hands palm-down on the desktop. “See, that’s one of the best reasons right there. Honest to a fault, loyal as the day is long. And you don’t mind working hard for what you want.” He snorted. “Hell, look at DeeDee. You gave up thousands of dollars a year in salary, set your career back by a half a decade, all in order to get the girl. Let me do this, Jase. It’s the right thing…for both of us.” He shifted back into his seat, propping his elbows on the desk. “Tell you what, why don’t you take some time to think about it, go ahead and talk to DeeDee. Let’s say a month from today you give me or Slate an answer, yeah?”

  “I can do that, man.” Jase nodded.

  “Alrighty then, business out of the way. How’s my cousin treating you? You’re looking pretty good.” Mason smiled at him.

  He watched as Jase’s face split with the widest grin he had ever seen on the man, his happiness shining through his expression like a blinding light. He was one happy man, and apparently, life with DeeDee suited him. Some of the joy left Mason though, and he stopped listening to Jase, because his mind was wandering back to the woman in Fort Wayne who had held his interest for months now. Willa Grace Shipman. They spoke on the phone a couple days a week since he took her to Slate’s wedding, but she was under his skin now, winding herself into his thoughts throughout the day, becoming necessary. Hell, a few days ago, I nearly took off Slate’s head over an imagined threat to her. Slate, my brother in every sense but blood.

  “—move out. I think he’s tired of us chaperoning.” Jase laughed.

  Mason furrowed his brow, trying to catch back up. Slate took one look at him and laughed, then took pity on him, saying, “Gunny’s gonna move the gal to his place. He’s sayin’ she’s his old lady now.”

  Surprised, Mason frowned. “Gunny? That mean motherfucker took an old lady?”

  Seeing Jase shift in his seat, Mason patiently clarified, “No disrespect for your sister intended, man. You know us calling a woman an old lady is a title of respect. It’s like being married, but bigger, more. Loyalty from the club includes his woman, and she becomes family for us all. Any Rebel would die for her now. I’m surprised, because Gunny wasn’t ever in the market for a steady hookup. He’s a good man, good brother, rock-solid member, but never even fucked around with club pussy. It’s one of the reasons he was a good fit for the strip joint, because he wasn’t tempted to dip into the girls.”

  Jase’s eyes darted up, gaze catching on Mason’s. He opened his mouth and closed it, then opened again. Slowly, he spoke, “He told me something that’s stuck with me. He said when they were taking her to the house that by the time they got there, he wasn’t able to let her go. The whole time they’ve been staying with us, I don’t think she’s been more than an arm’s length from him more than two or three times. The look on his face when he watches her…it looks like how I feel about DeeDee.” He cut his eyes over to Slate. “How you feel about Ruby.”

  Mason rubbed a hand over his scalp, feeling the bristle of hair against his palm. “Sometimes, when you know, you just know. Out of the blue, like lightning, yeah?”

  The two men nodded along with him, all in agreement that the ways of love were mysterious.

  ***

  “Jesus Murphy, man.” Jase gasped for air, bending over, hands on his waist. “Are you trying to kill me, Dugger?”

  Lee laughed at Jase, continuing to jog in place. “Where’s that famous Spencer stamina? Come on, we’ve only covered seven miles. Three more to go before we can even call this a real run.”

  Shaking his head, Jase stepped back onto the path, beginning to jog onward at a slower pace. Side-by-side, they ran in companionable silence for a few minutes. Lee pressed him again, gradually increasing their speed until they were once more at a fast run, but not quite a sprint. Loo
king sideways at Jase, he asked, “You healed?”

  Nodding, Jase pounded out a few more paces before he responded, dragging in air between phrases. “Yeah, Adam says one-hundred-percent. Feels good, too. That groin had been tweaked for a couple months before it finally went. Being on IR forced me to give it real time to heal.”

  “I heard you had an interesting meeting in Chicago a few days ago.” He was looking straight ahead, and even though it wasn’t couched as a question, Jase couldn’t miss the tight, interrogative tone in the man’s voice.

  “Not sure interesting is the right word. I just met with some friends from my Chicago days.” Jase was having to work hard to control his breathing; the pace Lee set was faster than his usual run. “Why? What’s up?”

  “Nothing,” Lee said quickly.

  “Lotta something for nothing,” he said in return.

  “It was mentioned at a league meeting.” Lee looked sidelong at him again, apparently gauging his reaction.

  Jase pulled to an abrupt stop, his chest rising and falling with his hard pants for breath. “A league meeting? What the hell does the league care who I hang out with in an away city where I used to live?”

  Lee had circled back around and now stood in front of him. “It’s mostly back up the chain to NHL, but when you’re the co-captain and burgeoning franchise player, they care. They don’t want any clouds to stain their idea of what a team leader should be. Malinowski questioned me pretty hard about your association with a known criminal figure.”

  “Known criminal figure?” Jase’s voice held a tone of frank disbelief. “You talking about Davis Mason?”

  Lee nodded, pulling up the tail of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. “That’s the name they were most interested in, yeah.”

  Barking a disbelieving laugh, Jase said, “Did you know he’s on the Chicago City Council? He owns at least a dozen businesses in Chicago, and another near dozen here in Fort Wayne. He’s also my girlfriend’s cousin, and my friend. You and Malinowski can back the fuck off, man.” He shook his head in disgust. “Was this the reason for the invite this morning? Thought you’d grill me while we ran? Fuck this. I’m going home.”