by Jamie Begley
“No, Cash wouldn’t,” Rachel agreed, making no effort to conceal the loathing that she had refrained from putting in her answer.
“You’re not taking Rachel. Either take me, or you can sit here until the cops come to gas you out. According to you, we’re going to die anyway. There’s still time to get away. Take the only chance you have left,” Jo begged.
“One more word from your big mouth and I’m going to shoot you.” Aly pinned her gaze on Jo as she tried to call Curt again.
When Curt didn’t answer, Aly stood up, studying all the women’s the faces. Jo knew she was staring into the face of death. Aly wasn’t going to leave anyone alive to repeat the details of the murders she and Curt had committed.
Jo was about to look at Beth to tell her goodbye when she stopped in stunned amazement, seeing Jewell coming out of her father’s bedroom, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
“Is the food ready? I’m starving …”
At the sound of Jewell’s voice coming from behind her, Aly half-turned, pointing one gun at Jewell and the other at the women by the door.
“Don’t move!” Aly screamed, dropping her cell phone to the floor.
Jewell’s hands went up in the air, her face a mask of terror. Jo couldn’t understand how Jewell had come from her father’s bedroom. She had been so engrossed in the cooking lesson that she hadn’t seen Jewell come in. It took a couple seconds for her to realize that Jewell must have climbed through the bedroom window. Jo didn’t know how—the window had been painted so many times that the last time she had tried to open it, she had given up in defeat.
“You’ve been in there the whole time?”
“Yes. I was tired, so Jo offered to let me take a nap until the food was ready,” Jewell explained.
“Get over there. Stand between Diamond and Sutton.” Aly watched her closely as Jewell sidled past her.
Aly moved until she was facing the women again, her back once again to the hallway. She darted her gaze down to her phone, then to the women. Just as her eyes locked on them, her cell phone rang.
Jo managed to keep her face impassive, not wanting to give away the fact that there were two men silently coming down the hallway so fast that, if she had blinked, she would have missed it.
Gavin was on Aly before she could raise her eyes. As Shade ran by them, Jewell turned, unlocking the door, then ushering the women out of the house.
Jo only had time to see Shade jerk Rachel and Lily out of their chairs and toward the door, using his body as a shield from any bullets that Aly might get off before Jewell shoved her out the door.
Rachel didn’t make it off the porch before Cash snatched her up. The rest of the women didn’t make it much farther before unfamiliar, vest-wearing men surrounded them.
“Get behind the tow truck, then make your way toward the garage,” Cash ordered her when he saw her hesitate to go with one of the men. “It’s the Blue Horsemen. It’s cool, Jo. They’re friends of ours,” he assured her.
She finally managed to gather enough wits to let the man take her arm and lead her to the back of the truck. The last thing she saw before the truck blocked her view was Greer running inside.
42
Jo crossed her arms over her chest, trying to keep herself warm. After tonight, she would always keep a spare jacket in her garage.
She stood to the side, unable to take her eyes off the women reuniting with their husbands. Tate had taken his jacket off, placing it around Sutton’s shoulders as she cried into his chest. Cash had wrapped his arms around Rachel, practically zipping her into his jacket as she begged him to let her back inside the house. Holly, like her, stood alone, watching the couples around her.
Jo’s cold hands trembled when she saw Knox storming into the garage, the large man nearly dwarfing the garage with his appearance. Jo had to look away when his searching eyes found Diamond’s face, then dropped to her protruding belly as if assuring himself his baby was safe and snug, exactly where it was supposed to be. He was the one with tears in his eyes when he carefully lifted her into his trembling arms.
Lily was flanked by two of the Blue Horsemen as she waited for Shade to come into the garage. When he did, Jo knew any of Lily’s fears of him straying were in her imagination. Shade loved Lily with a magnified love that Jo didn’t think she understood. In the house, he had made sure his body had blocked any bullet. If Aly had killed anyone else, it wouldn’t have been Lily.
Feeling as if she was evading their vulnerable moments by gawking, Jo glanced away to see Lucky come inside, kissing Willa between prayers of thanking God for her safety and telling her how much he loved her. Jo gave her own thanks to God. If Aly’s cell phone hadn’t rung when it had, one or more wouldn’t have been in the garage among them.
“Are you okay?” Holly crossed her arms over her chest, shivering as badly she was.
“Yes. You?”
Holly nodded as Greer came into the garage. Her husband looked like he was about to vomit at any second.
“Let’s go. Dustin is outside,” he told Holly as he fussily wrapped a blanket around her.
“You should have sent Dustin in to get me.” Holly berated, smilingly at her husband.
“I don’t need anyone taking care of my wife but me.” He scowled. “This is the last time you leave me home alone while you go gallivanting around.” He ran a possessive hand over the mound of her stomach that was the same size as Diamond’s.
“I wasn’t gallivanting around,” Holly protested with a tender smile as he bundled her closer to his side.
“Were you home?”
“No.”
“Then you were galivanting away.” Greer had the same grouchy tone of voice he always had, but the look in his eyes was pure love. “Let’s go, Tate.”
The two couples left.
Jo was becoming colder by the minute. Shivering, she walked over to where Knox and Diamond were standing when his cell phone rang. Jo waited impatiently for the one-sided conversation to end before she tapped him on the shoulder.
“Knox … has the ambulance for Mag left yet? Do you know how she is?”
“The ambulance left with her. I heard her cussing at the driver to go slower, so it’s safe to say she’ll make it. We can go now. Trip and Viper are waiting for the coroner van to arrive. They’ll lock up your house for you.”
“What about Aly? Has she been arrested?”
“Aly didn’t make it. When Gavin tried to grab the guns from her, one went off and shot her through the heart.”
Jo frowned, walking beside Diamond as they left the garage.
An SUV she recognized pulled to the side. Knox went to the back door of Razer’s vehicle and helped Diamond inside as Razer jumped out, running to the garage as Beth came out.
The heart-tugging reaction of Razer cupping Beth’s face as she sobbed at seeing her husband was one she would never forget. She couldn’t hear his words when he pressed his forehead to hers, but she didn’t have to. Jo knew he was telling her how much he loved her.
Knox took her arm. “You’re freezing. Get inside, Jo.”
She got in the third-row seat so Knox and Diamond could sit together, and once everyone was inside, she stared out the window as Razer drove by her house. Several Last Riders stood outside her closed front door. Jo was relieved she didn’t have to go back in there yet. She didn’t know if she could with the memory of F.A.M.E and Mag on her floor.
“Are we going to the police station?” She raised her voice so Knox would be able to hear her.
“No, we’re going to the clubhouse. I’ll take everyone’s statement in the morning.”
“But Aly told us that Curt is the reason my father died. You need to arrest him—”
“Jo, there isn’t anyone left to arrest. Curt is dead. The electric company found him. He blew a transformer so The Last Riders would lose power and they could attack in the dark. He used a broom handle to blow it—”
“How would—”
“The broom was metal. It had bee
n painted to look like wood.”
Jo started to laugh, hearing the edge of hysteria in her own voice. “I told Aly he wasn’t coming. I just didn’t know how true that was.”
“Razer, drive to the hospital. You need a sedative,” Knox told her.
“No!” Jo bit down hard on her lip to make herself stop laughing. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. Is Rider okay? Were any of Curt’s relatives able to get into the club?”
“Rider’s fine. He’s working. Mercury is waiting for you at the club. She’ll help you get settled in Rider’s room. He’ll see you as soon as he’s able.”
“So, no one was hurt? He’s okay?”
“Rider’s fine, other than being pissed he’s still working when he wants to check on you.”
“I don’t have my phone … He can’t call me.”
“He can’t talk right now. He’s contacting F.A.M.E’s family. He served in the military with him and spent time with his family. He wanted to be the one to tell them.”
Jo didn’t envy him the job. She remembered when she had been notified of her father’s death.
When Rider’s SUV came to a stop at the base of the steps, Jo gratefully accepted Knox’s hand as she stepped out. Her whole body was beginning to shake.
Razer, Beth, and Diamond remained sitting inside, waiting for Knox to come back before driving them home. Killyama had been babysitting for Willa. Jo was willing to bet she and Lucky would be holding their son for a long time that evening before putting him to bed.
Diablo started to open the door as she and Knox approached, but Mercury opened it before he could. Knox stopped to speak quietly to Diablo as Jo passed him to go inside.
“Let’s get you in a hot shower.” Placing a comforting arm over her shoulders, Mercury led Jo upstairs. “I’ve already put a pair of pajamas and a robe in there. You’re freezing, you poor thing. If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be right outside the door.”
“Thank you.” Going inside, Jo turned on the shower before undressing. When it was warm enough, she opened the shower door and stepped inside, feeling the warm water rush over her. When she lifted her face to the spray, her tears started falling, mingling with the water as the events unfolded in her mind.
She blamed herself for ever inviting that woman into her home. Hated herself for allowing Aly inside while trying to make peace with the woman she detested. The southern hospitality that had been ingrained in her since birth had nearly gotten everyone killed.
She also blamed herself for not reacting faster when Aly had suddenly shot F.A.M.E. Her guilt had made Jo second-guess herself right up until she found herself in the garage, not remembering how she had gotten there.
Sinking to her bottom, she hugged her knees, letting the water rain down on her until she heard Mercury knocking on the door.
“Jo, are you okay?”
Jo unsteadily got back to her feet, turning the water off. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Toweling off, she put on a pair of pink fluffy pajamas with Valentine hearts on them. Finding a smaller towel, she wrapped her wet hair before opening the door.
“Girl, I was getting ready to come in there after you. I went downstairs and got you some hot chocolate. I put some marshmallows in it for you. Do you like marshmallows? I do.” Mercury carried the hot chocolate into Rider’s bedroom for her, placing it on his nightstand. Turning the bed down, she then raised dark cherry eyes to hers. “You get to bed. My bedroom is right next door. If you need anything, throw something at the wall.” She looked around as if searching for something she could give her to throw.
“I don’t need anything.” Jo sat down on the side of the bed.
“I know.” Mercury walked to Rider’s dresser. Opening the top drawer, she took out a tube of tennis balls, taking one out before putting it back and closing the drawer. “Here you go.”
The woman’s kind concern had Jo taking the ball from her.
“You try to get some sleep, and if you need anything at all, just throw that ball.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“I am glad to help.” She started for the door, then came back, giving her a comforting hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Jo gave her a watery smile as she released her. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Anytime.” Mercury pointed to the hot chocolate. “You drink that. It’ll help warm you.”
“I will.”
Jo sat listlessly after she left, making no effort to lie down or drink her hot chocolate. She was unable to comprehend how the night had gone so haywire. Unable to make sense of it, she finally reached for the lukewarm cocoa, sipping it as she took the towel off her head. Carrying it to the hamper in Rider’s closet, she went to his dresser for his brush. Not seeing it, she hesitated before opening the drawer to see if it was in there. Mercury hadn’t worried about opening it, so why should she? Still, it didn’t make her guilty conscience feel better, but if she were to lie down without brushing her hair, it would be a rat’s nest in the morning.
Sliding the drawer open, she saw the brush strewn among the other contents of the drawer. She stood, looking down at the items before taking the brush out and closing the drawer. Sitting on the bed, she brushed her hair, lost in her own thoughts.
Jo didn’t know how long she sat before realizing her hair was almost dry and her cup was empty. Placing both on Rider’s bedside table, she lay down, closing her eyes, uncaring that her pillow was damp from drying her hair.
Scooting over, she switched the pillows out in the dark on the side that Rider always slept on, curling into his mattress as if her heart was breaking. She lifted her fingers to the necklace she hadn’t removed since he had put it on, curling it around the metal.
Burrowing her face into the pillow, she forced her fingers to release the heart, letting it dangle to the side of her neck.
Some pictures were worth a thousand words; she was going to find out what hers was worth in the morning.
Jo pushed the swinging door open, going into the kitchen. She found more Last Riders up than she’d expected. It was barely past six. She had assumed they were still sleeping or just getting up.
Mercury looked up from scrambling eggs to run a critical eye over her. “They fit?”
“Yes. I appreciate you letting me borrow them.”
“Anytime. Most of the clothes around here end up in each other’s closets. Grab a plate. The toast is done and there’s bacon on the counter.”
“No thanks. I’ll just take some fruit.”
There was a large bowl of fruit sitting on the counter. Taking a handful of grapes, she turned back to Mercury, watching her cook the eggs.
“Were you able to sleep?”
Jo nodded absently, staying beside the stove. She leaned back on the counter next to it, facing the swinging door, watching the occupants at the table as they ate.
“Viper, when you finish eating, do you mind giving me a ride to the hospital?”
Jo felt Winter’s curious eyes on her at the question.
“Rider’s on his way from the security room; he can.”
Again, she nodded.
She responded whenever Mercury made a comment, but other than that, she stayed silent, watching the interactions between those who were sitting there.
Looking uncomfortable, Beth gave Winter a wary glance.
Taking a grape from her hand, Jo chewed it slowly, enjoying the tart juice filling her mouth.
“Are you okay, Jo? I can fix you a bowl of cereal or oatmeal,” Willa offered, giving her husband a sidelong, questioning look.
“No, thank you,” she answered politely.
“There’s a lot to choose from,” Willa tried to coax. The cereal boxes were lined up on the counter for everyone to eat for breakfast.
Jewell picked up her plate from the table. “You can have my chair. I’m done,” she said, carrying her dishes to the sink.
Jo waited until she had set them down before telling her, “Jewell, I can never th
ank you enough for what you did last night. You saved us.” Jo bit down on her trembling lip. Forcing her shoulders back to give herself strength, she met her eyes. “Aly could have shot you when she saw you. That you were willing to sacrifice your life for your friends’ is a true testament to your loyalty to The Last Riders.”
Jewell had a strength of character Jo had always been able to see. The woman never hid how much she cared about the people who filled the room.
“I did it for me, too. The best cooks in the club were in that house. It was self-preservation.” With that, she went to retrieve her coffee cup from the table and was refilling it when Rider came through the swinging door.
Jo popped another grape into her mouth, thoughtfully watching his reaction. His eyes went around the room, latching on to hers. Walking toward the counter, he went to the cabinet to grab a bowl, giving Jewell a fist bump as he passed her to set the bowl down on the counter before coming to her side.
She stood stiffly as he pulled her into his arms. “Bluebonnet, how are you doing?” he asked, running his cheek alongside hers.
Jo trampled down her desire to melt into his arms. It was the shadow of his beard abrading her skin that gave her the strength to move away from him.
Stepping away, she reached for another handful of grapes, putting one in her mouth. “I’m fine. When you’re done eating, I’d like to go to the hospital to see Mag.”
“We can do that. I’ll eat quickly.” Rider gave her a curious look as he went back to the counter to pour out a bowl of Cap’n Crunch.
Going to the refrigerator, she set the milk down next to his bowl. Focused on him, she hadn’t noticed the room had gone quiet.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” Rider nodded toward the table as he poured his cereal. “We were going to talk about last night anyway. That’s why Knox and Diamond are here. He felt it would be easier to talk here than at the station.”
Jo felt everyone’s eyes on them. When she looked toward them, they hastily returned their attention to their food.
Rider opened the milk, splashing it down on his cereal.