by Debra Kayn
She looked away from the crowd, and half turned from Thorn.
He wasn't done. "That couple at the next table is Deana and Keeffe, who is officially retired from Brikken. Keeffe was Chief's vice president during his run. While he doesn't ride with the club anymore, he's a respected member. He will be for life."
"Cash and Shore came to Brikken almost as soon as they became adults. Neither one of them has a family who gave a damn. They found acceptance from the members here, and we became their family."
"I know what you're doing," she said.
"No, you don't." He pointed a few feet from him. "That's D-Con."
"I know who he is." Her mouth tightened firmly.
"No, you don't." He lowered his mouth down to her ear. "D-Con's dad ran over his mom one night at the bowling alley after having too much to drink and arguing. He mowed her down with the vehicle, backed up, and drove over her again, killing her. D-Con was twelve years old and in the car at the time. He went to foster care afterward. At nineteen years old, Brikken took him in, and he's been here ever since."
Jessy swiped the tear that escaped. He pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her, making her look in front of her.
"Every single man here has a story. They've chosen to live their lives the way they want. Some have settled down while others refuse to commit any part of themselves to another person. With over three hundred and fifty members in Brikken Motorcycle Club, that means there are a lot of personalities in one room. But, I can guarantee you that we do not allow any abuse of women or children here. If we had known what Talbot was up to and what it cost Nikki, we would've kicked him out of the club earlier. It's unfortunate that it went on as long as it had, and I'm the one to blame. I lived with her cries—"
"It's not your fault." Jessy turned to him, her chin quivering.
"You want to prove I'm the same type of man as your ex-boyfriend because of some harassment from the others, a couple drinks, and because I will never walk away from Brikken." His jaw ached. "You are so far from the fucking truth, sweetheart, it kills me."
"I'm scared," she mouthed.
"It's okay to be scared." He wrapped his arms around her and bent his head close to her ear. "As long as you know I'll never do anything to hurt you or Nikki."
She closed her eyes briefly before she looked at him again. "I'm sorry for ruining your party."
He worked his hand up under her hair and palmed her head. "How about we go get Nikki and go home?"
"You don't mind?"
"Nah." He turned her around and led her toward the hallway.
It was after Nikki's bedtime. She'd fall asleep on the way home. Afterward, he'd make sure Jessy was feeling loved.
Chapter Thirty Six
Blood speckled Jessy's hands. She stared at the red droplets. The vibration from the cast iron skillet making solid contact against Ed's skull numbed her fingers.
She dropped the skillet.
"Wake up, sweetheart," said Thorn.
She jolted awake. They were home. She sighed. Of course, they were home. Ed was dead.
"What time is it?" She sat up on the couch and moved the kitten from atop her legs to the floor.
"A little after eight o'clock." He sat down beside her and lifted her onto his lap. "You're exhausted. Bad dream?"
"Mm." She rubbed her face against his shoulder, inhaling his intoxicating scent. The dreams were always there, replaying her nightmare. "I was only going to sit and relax after giving Nikki a bath and putting her to bed. I guess I fell asleep."
"You need to cut back on your hours at the diner now that I'm home." He smoothed her hair. "Spend the weekends at home."
"I can't do that." Her body relaxed against him. "You've done too much for me already. It's expensive to raise a family and with Nikki's school tuition..."
"We don't need money. I've got enough."
"Hm." She nibbled the side of his neck. "You're sweet, honey."
He growled. She lifted her head and kissed him on the lips. "Do you want to go to bed?"
"Can't." He cupped her breast and rubbed. "Jett's coming over to discuss club business. We'll be out in the garage for an hour or so."
She sighed. "You're still going on the run this weekend?"
"That's what we do." He rolled her nipple through her shirt. "Ten days, and then I'll be back."
She stilled. "Brikken makes deliveries."
"Yep." He traced a circle around her nipple.
Her stomach fluttered in pleasure. "What do you deliver?"
She'd gone to the clubhouse every Saturday over the last year and a half. It wasn't until he'd bought the farmhouse that she questioned where he got his money. He worked in the garage on Brikken land, for the club. It appeared all the members relied on money the club earned.
"Motorcycles." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Damn, your lips are soft, and your body is warm."
He'd changed the subject. She straightened on his lap. Her fear that the motorcycle club was into drugs or guns was soothed for the moment.
"New motorcycles? she asked.
"That's enough questions." He lifted her up and set her on her feet. "Jett's going to be here any minute. I'm going to open the garage door."
She followed him through the house, down the hall, and to the back door. "Is it a secret?"
While he'd been in prison, they had to keep their conversations to polite level, leaving any personal information out, including his ties with Brikken — Jett's orders. She'd been preoccupied with having him home over the last two weeks while working at the diner that she hadn't had the chance to talk about their life together.
Thorn turned around. "It's business that I don't want you involved in."
"It's illegal, isn't it?"
He continued to look at her. "You need to trust me to take care of our family."
"Honey," she said, her voice breaking. "I have a little girl asleep in her room that depends on me—"
"I know that." He inhaled deeply. "Nothing will ever touch her or you."
She pressed her hand to her throat. "I can't believe you're trying to tell me this is normal."
"It was normal for Rollo, Chief, Jett, Olin, and it's normal for me." He softened his voice. "You'll have a good life, sweetheart. Our little girl asleep in her bed will have a safe life full of love."
His promises enticed her but what was that teaching her child?
A motorcycle rumbled outside. Thorn kissed her forehead. "That's Jett. Go ahead and go to bed. I'll be done in an hour."
He walked out of the house. She slowly made her way to the bedroom. Opening up the closet, she grabbed a nightshirt off the shelf. A coffee can rolled off the ledge and onto the floor. She picked up the container and shoved it to the back of the closet, behind her shoes. How many years had she kept that stupid collection of rose petals?
Frustrated with her current situation with Thorn, she picked the coffee can back up and marched through the house and out the sliding door to the backyard. She stepped into the grass and opened the lid. The volume of petals had shrunk and dried over the years and barely covered the bottom of the plastic bag.
She ripped open the plastic and shook the bag, scattering the petals.
Maybe she'd found the man who would love her forever. She walked over and tossed the container in the garbage can. Or, maybe she'd found the man who would love her right now because tomorrow wasn't promised.
Thorn could be arrested again if he was doing something illegal. The runs he went on took him away from her for ten days but could keep him away from her forever.
Maybe she didn't deserve a happily ever after because she'd taken another person's life.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Jett walked out of the motel room. Thorn lifted his chin. It was the last night on the road. Tomorrow, they'd ride six hours and arrive back in Tacoma.
Jett took the spot next to him and leaned against the wall. "You can relax."
"Yep." His mind agreed, but
his body remained tight and stiff.
Brikken made the delivery of chopped motorcycles at three o'clock in the morning. With no proof of linking the bikes back to the club, he and the others were safe from any criminal charges for the next three weeks.
Anytime they stepped off Brikken property, there was a risk, and although they housed stolen bike parts in the garage beside the clubhouse and manufactured new motorcycles from those parts, they had ways of protecting their business from law enforcement if a raid happened.
"What's on your mind, brother?" asked Jett quietly. "You've been distracted the whole run."
"Does Sydney know what Brikken does?" asked Thorn.
Jett slid his hands into his vest pockets and stared out at the parking lot. "She knows the watered-down version."
"Does she know the risks?"
Jett nodded.
Thorn exhaled in frustration. "Jessy is asking questions."
"You know what Rollo believed about our women being protected." Jett glanced at him. "You also know how Chief handled it with mom and Johanna."
His grandmother had lived through a different time. Rollo had kept most of the club's business to himself, sheltering his wife. He'd made mistakes, which ultimately got Thorn's grandmother killed and later, Rollo died at the hands of an enemy he thought was a loyal MC brother.
With Chief, Johanna was the one who pushed the boundaries with him, though she was raised within the club and more aware of what was going on. Nothing came as a shock to her, and she'd come to accept the illegal business side of the club.
Jett and Olin's women belonged to them before they had children in the picture. It was different for him. Jessy had a daughter and set ways about how she wanted Nikki raised. Because of the choices Ed Talbot made, Jessy was even more determined to protect her daughter from any future harm.
Including, making sure that Nikki never lost Thorn or was touched by criminal acts.
For him, having been raised and knowing his family was responsible for everything around them, he took pride in Brikken. It was hard for him to see a different side. When you loved someone, that's all that mattered. As the man, he would do anything to protect and shelter his family. Somewhere along the line, he'd failed to make Jessy believe in him.
"Do you think this will come between you and Jessy?" asked Jett.
He grunted. "Whatever comes from it, I'm not letting her go. She belongs to me as much as I belong to her."
"She's opening up more to the women." Jett paused. "Maybe in time, she'll come to realize what we have within the club."
"Her mind has been dirtied by Talbot." He gritted his teeth. "She's struggling with taking his life. So far, there hasn't been much to encourage her to fully trust, not only me but Brikken."
"Mistakes don't happen often, but when they do, it destroys our foundation. If we had known about Talbot sooner..." Jett shook his head. "There's no going back. It's a shame that it ended the way it had. As a result of fucking up, we've already begun deeper background checks and longer probation periods for prospects. All we can do is make sure we're more diligent from here on out."
Tension continued riddling his body. He stretched his neck. No matter the progress they made, mistakes scarred their legacy.
"Where's Olin?" Thorn tucked his pistol deeper under his belt.
"Holed up in his room on the phone with Ashley."
"Tell him to have Shore ride the end, and he can take the truck and trailer. I'm going to unload my Harley out of the container and ride out in a few minutes ahead of everyone." Thorn looked at his brother. "I need to do a few things before I go home."
"Is there more going on?"
A heaviness settled in his chest. "I hope like hell there isn't but I can't shake off my mood."
Jett nodded. "Ride safe, brother."
"Always do." He walked back into his room and called Jessy again.
Her phone rang three times, and a generic voice message came on. He disconnected the call.
Four days ago, she'd stopped answering.
Because of the importance of making the delivery, he had to push his personal problems to the back of his head. For her to shut him off from communicating with her and Nikki worried him. He couldn't put off finding out what was going on any longer.
NIKKI STUCK THE HEAPING spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Jessy passed her a napkin. Instead of taking her to the Brikken daycare, she'd decided to let her daughter spend the four hours she had to work at the diner and then take Nikki over to Jett and Sydney's house to play with Chee afterward.
"You're going to give yourself a brain freeze." Jessy raised her brows.
"I don't like brain freezes." Sydney wiped her mouth. "Chee does. He says they make hair grow on his chest when he eats ice cream at the clubhouse."
"Well, isn't that enticing," she mumbled.
"What's enticing mean?" Nikki scooped another spoonful.
"A temptation." She paused from wiping off the counter, knowing her daughter wouldn't know that word either. "You know how I tease you with staying up past your bedtime if you clean your room?"
Nikki nodded, smacking her lips.
"I made your choice of doing your chores more enticing than not doing them."
"I don't get it." Nikki giggled. "I don't want hair on my chest. I want boobies."
"Oh geez," muttered Jessy. "You're silly."
A customer came in. She warned Nikki about being a good girl and hurried to take their orders. When she returned to the counter, Bee sat with Nikki, and they were in a deep conversation about school. She let them have time to visit, considering Nikki's social life had dwindled to being around Brikken lately.
"Miss?" A male customer sitting at Table Four waved her over.
She approached the man. "Is everything okay?"
"Terrific." He patted his stomach. "I was wondering if I could take pictures of the kitchen. I'm a journalist doing an article about haunted motels and restaurants around the Tacoma-Seattle area."
"I..." She looked at Bee for guidance and found her still talking with Nikki. "I'm not sure. I'd have to ask the owner."
"Have you had any experience with ghosts?" The man straightened in interest. "Or, any odd things that have happened—noises, things being moved, sightings while you're working that you can't explain as natural occurrences?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Has the atmosphere changed since Ed Talbot was murdered in the building? Any flashes of cold air as you work?" he said.
Her pulse raced, and she jerked her gaze to Nikki, afraid she'd overhear. She would know her father's name.
"Excuse me." She rushed to Bee and whispered, "I need to speak with you privately."
Bee frowned and stood from the stool. Jessy rubbed Nikki's back and told her not to move.
Taking her boss into the kitchen, she stood by the door and peered out through the round window, making sure the man wouldn't approach Nikki or speak to the other customers. "See that guy at Table Four?"
Bee looked. "Yes."
"He's a journalist, and he's here to find out if the diner is haunted and wants to take pictures," she whispered.
"I'll offer him a free piece of pie for his trouble and send him on his way." Bee laughed and straightened her apron. "People these days...we don't need a hook to drag people in to eat. Charlie's cooking does that for us."
"He thinks Ed's ghost is here," she whispered, her throat burning at the audaciousness of the man. "I can't have Nikki in there with him. I have to leave."
"Of course, dear." Bee frowned. "Go ahead and go. Stassi's capable of doing your work for an hour until we close. I'll wait to get rid of the man until Nikki is gone."
"Thank you." She hugged Bee. "I owe you an extra hour of work next Saturday."
She gathered her purse and went back into the dining area. After wiping Nikki's mouth off with a napkin and shoving it in her pocket, she hustled her daughter outside and to the car. All the while, feeling as if someone chased her, ready to break N
ikki's heart again.
Shut in the car, she almost forgot about going over to Jett and Sydney's. Turning at the last intersection, she drove straight to their house.
The kids played in the yard. She opened the back door of the car and Nikki ran to join the fun with her Chee.
Sydney popped her head out the front door and waved her in. "Come have a drink of lemonade with me while the kids play."
Rattled from the encounter at the diner, she took up the offer to visit and tried to calm her nerves.
"Hard day at work?" Sydney walked through the living room to the kitchen. "I wasn't expecting you until after three o'clock so maybe it was an easy day for you."
"It was a normal day." She leaned against the counter.
Sydney double glanced at her before handing her a glass and motioning toward the living room. "Are you sure about that?"
Not wanting to explain about the journalist at the diner or Ed because it would put her in a position to lie about his murder, she sat down. "Just stressed. With Thorn gone, the days seem longer."
"Tell me about it." Sydney put her feet up on the coffee table. "I was talking with Ashley last night, and we were both complaining about being tired. She not only has Trik in half-day kindergarten, but she also has a two-year-old to take care of by herself. I am so glad mine are past the need-me-all-the-time stage. I do get a break, and I can go over there anytime I need baby cuddles."
Her cheeks hurt from forcing a smile. She couldn't even take care of Nikki by herself. Look at what had happened when she'd tried. Ed had traumatized her daughter.
"Jett laughs at me because I always swear we're having no more babies every time he comes back from a ride, but after a couple of days of having him home to help me, I'm contemplating having one more," said Sydney.
She couldn't concentrate on what Sydney was saying. It was a huge mistake taking Nikki to the diner. If she found out her father was murdered, she'd remember that her whole life. She was too young to know murder even existed, much less understand the ugliness of the world.