“No idea, babe, let him finish.”
“Just tell us, man,” Layne called out from where he sat at the table where everyone usually ate.
“This is pretty hard for me to get out,” Liam took a deep breath. “But it’s come to my attention that our very own Bianca got her degree today, and I really think we should give her that graduation party that she didn’t let us give her before.”
All eyes turned to Bianca, who stood there confused. “What?”
“This is for you,” Jagger chuckled. “Congrats on getting your degree.”
Everyone whooped and hollered for her as they all congratulated her. From somewhere, a cake was brought out, along with drinks and punch. Presents even appeared on the table where Layne sat.
“You guys, I don’t know what to say.” She bit her lip and fought the emotion that was welling up in her throat.
“Just say ‘thank you’,” Liam told her as he put his arm around her shoulder. “You really are one of us now, you ain’t gettin’ rid of us now.”
“Thank you,” she told him, putting her arms around the president who ran this club with heart and as much integrity as they could have. He had turned this group of ragtag men into a family, and she was so proud to be a part of it.
“You’ve worked really hard,” he told her. “We’ve all seen it and you deserve this. Enjoy it.”
Jagger had left her to go get himself a piece of cake, and she glanced over to where he sat in between Drew and Layne. They were laughing about something and he looked up, catching her eye. She smirked as he winked at her. Bianca knew he had a large hand in this, and he was so getting laid later.
“Congratulations, Bianca,” she heard as she turned back around.
Denise stood facing her, one hand at her back, the other cupping the swell of her belly. “Thank you so much, Mama,” she giggled, using the nickname the group had adopted for her after the past few weeks.
“Don’t even,” she threatened. “I want this child out of me so badly. My back is killing me.”
“You wanna go walk?” Bianca offered, knowing that many women triggered labor by walking.
“Nah,” she grinned, a twinkle in her eye. “I made President Liam exert his executive authority earlier, and since then I’ve been feeling some contractions.”
“Denise, you need to go,” Bianca told her.
“They’re not close enough yet, but forgive me if we rush outta here.” She stretched her back out while they stood.
“Of course. It would be pretty sweet if you did have the baby today. It would help me remember how special this day is.”
Denise put her hand on Bianca’s arm. “I wanna tell you how proud I am of you for accomplishing your goal. Whether you know it or not, you’ve become a role model for my daughter, and I hope that she keeps her eye on the prize—just like you. I can’t tell you how amazed I am at what you’ve done, and I want you to enjoy this. This is from me and Liam. I wanted to give it to you personally, that way nobody else gets jealous.” She winked, handing an envelope to Bianca.
Bianca didn’t know what to say. She truly hadn’t expected this party, much less the gifts that sat on the table for her to open. Opening the envelope carefully, she pulled out a voucher. “What’s this?” she mumbled as she tilted the voucher so that she could read it. “Oh my gosh,” she giggled as she realized what it was for. A two-day, two-nights pass at an amusement park in Indiana. “I can’t believe you got this,” she laughed.
“You and Jagger are a very fun couple who like to have fun together. I know that neither of you had the best childhood. That seriously was the one thing my children loved when I was able to do it for them. They have a water park and everything. Liam okayed for whenever Jagger wants to take the time. Those are good until the end of August, but I suggest you go during the week in the next few weeks. I hope that the two of you have an amazing time together and enjoy a nice little get away.”
Overcome with emotion, Bianca reached forward and pulled Denise into her arms. “Thank you so much for this. You and Liam both.”
“You’re welcome. Like I said, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, and my kids love you. I’m excited to see how far you go.”
Jagger sat with Layne and Drew laughing over Drew explaining the attributes of a young girl in his class. Apparently, he had taken to noticing the things that became important as boys grew into young men.
“Layne,” Steele cut into their conversation. “There was a call for you on the club answering machine. It came from Calabasas, California.”
Layne stilled and he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Was it a woman?” he asked, getting up, grimacing as he put too much weight on his leg.
“It was. She said she was looking for you and mentioned something about Nashville.”
Layne cursed softly. “If y’all will excuse me, I gotta go check this,” he indicated a message he had on his cell.
“If you need something, let us know,” Jagger offered. There was only one person he knew that Layne knew lived in California. Almost sounded like Jessica was coming to Nashville, and he wasn’t sure how Layne would handle that.
“Will do,” Layne said as he pushed some buttons on his phone and walked out of the clubhouse.
“Who does he know in California?” Rooster asked, having a seat at the table.
“Dude, if I told you, you wouldn’t even believe me.”
An hour later, Bianca sat opening the gifts that had been given to her. Some were funny, like the one she got from Steele that was a shirt that said ‘Damn, I wish I had a teacher that looked like you’. Others were thoughtful, like the gift from Meredith and Tyler, a gift card to a local teacher store for more money than she cared to admit. Meredith had told her that she knew setting up a classroom was expensive and they wanted to do their part to help her.
Tears had been shared because the gift was so thoughtful, and then Denise and Liam had left in a flurry as her water broke while she and Meredith were hugging. Bianca hadn’t been sure they shouldn’t all pack up and head to the hospital, but everyone assured her they should hold off for at least an hour and she should continue to open her gifts.
There was one left and she grinned as she saw the writing on the card. This one was from Jagger. “Read it,” he told her, his eyes leveling on hers.
Inside the card was a coupon, good for one session of sex playing good teacher, bad student. She laughed, her face burning a bright red. “Seriously?” she questioned him.
He winked. “You can use that if you want, but it’s not your real gift. I just wanted to see you blush. This is your real gift.” He lifted a large box from behind his seat. “There’s a couple things in there, so be careful.”
She nodded and ripped open the paper and box. On top was a velvet box from a local jewelry store. It wasn’t small enough to be a ring, but that didn’t matter. They hadn’t talked about that, yet she was very interested in what sat inside. Carefully opening the box, she saw a Pandora bracelet with a few charms already on it. “Jagger, it’s beautiful,” she told him, fingering the charms. There was one that was an apple, she assumed for a teacher, a music note, she assumed for their shared love of him singing, and then there was one of an infinity symbol, she hoped to symbolize their commitment to one another.
“Keep going,” he told her.
Pulling out a couple of shirts, she marveled at his ability to know things that she would like. One even read ‘Property of Jagger’ on it. Everyone laughed as she pulled that one out and showed it. The box had been very heavy though, and she had to wonder what was making it so heavy. Pushing aside the tissue paper, she saw smooth black leather.
“Jagger?” she questioned as she looked up, catching his eye.
“Look at it,” he instructed her.
With shaking hands, she pulled the feminine cut jacket out of the box, her eyes immediately going to the patch that did in fact proclaim her Jagger’s property. It also told of her affiliation with them, but all she cared
about was that patch. That was as big as an engagement ring in this world. “Are you sure?”
“I’d be honored if you wore it,” he told her, stepping forward and helping her put it on.
It fit like a dream, and she breathed in the smell of Jagger and leather, putting her hands around his waist. “I’d be honored to wear it,” she told him, pulling his lips to hers.
“Welcome to the family then.” Tyler clapped his hands, and whistles rang up as they stood there wrapped in one another.
He pulled away and she buried her head in his chest. Her story really had come full circle. Gone was the fear and indecision of not believing in herself. With this group of people she had come to know herself more than she ever had, and with that, she realized how out of control she’d felt about her life before. It was still there. But this time she welcomed it. Sometimes being out of control brought you to the most beautiful place ever.
THE END
About the Author
Laramie Briscoe is the author of the Amazon Best-Selling Heaven Hill Series.
Her grandmother sparked a love of reading when she secretly passed along her romance novels after completing them. That love of reading sparked a love of writing.
An avid TV and movie enthusiast, a nail polish hoarder, Starbucks addict, an obsessive book reader, and a lover of all things that sparkle and glitter. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her husband and her cat. She is currently writing and editing the millions of stories that roll around in her head on a day-to-day basis.
Follow along with her as she tries to make all her dreams come true!
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Acknowledgements
The fans of the Heaven Hill Series amaze me every day with how excited they are for anything that I do. If it weren’t for every single one of you, I would not be here! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Allison Jewell – We have known each other over half our lives and there is no one else I would rather be on this journey with. Thank you for listening to every single one of my worries, fears, stresses, and freak outs. Thank you for sharing in every single one of my accomplishments, excitements, and victories. I’ll always be grateful that we met on that snowy January afternoon for coffee. Seems like forever ago huh?
My family – My husband is amazing and my biggest supporter. I’m so thankful to have in my life. My sister-in-law never ceases to amaze me with the way she pimps me out and how excited she gets. I hope it always stays like that!
My friends – Thank you all for being so excited for me and supporting me, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
Shellie – Thank you for convincing me that this was worth it when I was really second guessing it!
Lindsay, Kari, Sherri, and Paul – Thank you so much for helping me bring these books to the masses! I couldn’t do it without you and to be honest, I don’t want to!
Fellow authors – KIW & Cover to Cover. Thank you so much for teaching me, listening to me, and including me in these amazing groups. I wouldn’t be where I am without you all. I look forward to forming more friendships!
Thank you all for allowing and encouraging me to do what I love!
(Coming early 2014)
Heaven Hill #4
Chapter One
Nashville traffic sucked a big one – especially when it kept Layne O’Conner from getting to the one person in the world who had the power to make him drive seventy miles without questioning why. His hands beat a rhythm against the steering wheel in time with the rock station he listened to. Today, the music that normally calmed him down, set his nerves on edge.
“Move your ass,” he shouted as the person in front of him tapped their brakes. It was times like this, he wished he could always drive his motorcycle. If he had been on the back of it right now, he could have maneuvered through this mess in ten minutes flat. Instead, he had been sitting in almost gridlock for over an hour. He’d also been flipped off more times than he cared to count, what he wouldn’t give to show these drivers the kind of artillery he carried with him. Probably one of the reasons he shouldn’t carry his artillery with him.
A trip that should have taken an hour and a half at most – was well into its second hour. Cursing loudly, he picked up the phone that sat in his cup holder and dialed Jessica Shea’s number. The fact that she was on his speed dial was telling considering the only two other people on his speed dial were Liam and Jagger. He refused to look deeper into that as he waited on the ringing of his phone.
“Hey,” he forged ahead when she answered. “I haven’t forgotten you. This traffic is a mother fucking mess. I’m tryin’ to get there, but there’s a shit ton of Sunday drivers,” he yelled for good measure.
“I know,” her voice was soft on the other end. “I figured you were on your way.”
“You’re okay, right?” He had to ask her because something didn’t sit right with him. They were friends, great friends, but not friends in the way that you just show up at each other’s home. In the past when they had gone to see each other, it was planned for weeks in advance. He’d had hours this time. His intuition and instincts were on high alert.
The silence was deafening. “I’ve been better, but I’ll be fine until you get here. I’ll just find a place to sit. Let me know when you’re close.”
A harsh laugh escaped from his mouth. “I’ve been close for over an hour, but this damn traffic won’t move,” he honked his horn and disconnected, throwing the phone back into the cup holder.
Traffic made him twitchy. In his time in the Army, with the Rangers, he had seen more than one roadside bomb on a highway as congested as this. Another reason he loved his bike, he wouldn’t on this congested road if he was on the bike of that thing. He would have easily taken the emergency lane and gotten to his destination. Finally inching up so that he could see the exit he needed to take, he noticed there in fact was an emergency lane. Using his training from the military to his advantage, he looked behind him, noting there was just enough room for him to back up. Throwing it in reverse, he jerked the wheel hard, ignoring the horns honking at him and then maneuvered the front end of the car so that he had enough room to jockey it out of line. Clear of the car in front of him and the car behind him, he checked his rearview to make sure no cops were around. Once he saw he was in the clear, he used the Dodge Charger (thank you Uncle Sam for your disability compensation when medically discharged honorably) to its full capability, blowing past the line of vehicles.
Now on a clear stretch of road, he could breathe easier. The hair on nape of his neck didn’t stand on end, his palms weren’t sweaty, his stomach not rolling with awareness. He took a deep breath as he eased his foot off the accelerator. He didn’t need to get a ticket – not after everything he’d already gone through to get to the airport. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he saw his destination and picked up the phone, once again calling Jessica.
“I’m almost there, where are you?”
She rattled off a coffee shop inside the airport, one he wouldn’t have to pass through security to get to while he went to find a parking spot.
“I can come out to you,” she offered.
“I’ll be damned. You aren’t carrying your luggage through that place. I’m parking right now. See you soon.”
He got out of his car, leaving his cut inside for the time being. Airport security tended to get nervous when they noticed the leather and patches that showed his membership into the Heaven Hill Motorcycle Club, Bowling Green Chapter. Going through the automatic doors, he took his sunglasses off and let his eyes adjust to the muted light inside the building. Quickly reading the signs, he made his wa
y towards where Jessica had indicated she would be.
Jessica sat in the corner of the coffee shop, her head down, bent over her phone. A couple of people had already recognized her, even with the changes she had tried to make to her appearance. What she wanted was to be out of this place and soon. Glancing up, she caught sight of Layne making his way towards her. Tamping down the urge to run to him and throw her arms around his waist, she quickly got up from the table and slowly walked towards him.
“Layne,” she called out to him once she was close enough.
The smile that spread across his face told her more than words that she had taken the right chance. She had come to the only person that could help her.
“You wanna get outta here?” he asked, as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tightly to him.
The kiss he dropped on her forehead caused her to close her eyes. She breathed deeply and willed the tension to leave her shoulders. “I do,” she nodded.
“How much luggage do you have?”
“It’s over there,” she pointed to the table she had been sitting out.
There he saw a duffle bag and three suitcases. “You plannin’ on stayin’ a while?”
She nodded, but didn’t comment.
If there was one thing Layne didn’t like, it was flying blind. “You know that when we get back on the road, you’re going to have some explaining to do. I have a lot of shit going on right now.”
“I know,” she nodded, swallowing hard against the lump that had risen in her throat. “I didn’t mean to put you out at all.”
“Now, I didn’t say you put me out. I just want you to understand, there’s a lot of shit going on right now in Bowling Green and with the club. You sure you want to be involved with that?”
The double meaning didn’t escape her, she knew the things he was involved in were sometimes illegal. “I just need to get away and you were the first person that I thought of. I need to disappear for a while.”
Losing Control (Heaven Hill Series) Page 22