Strays (Red Kings MC Book 1)

by Eliza Marsh

  No part of him had ever thought about falling in love and settling down. His nights consisted of a new girl to fuck and multiple bottles of alcohol to drink as he partied with his fellow Kings. He was the type of man that laughed at all of the ordinary, boring people with two and a half kids, white picket fences, and a golden retriever named Buddy.

  And yet, here he sat next to a woman that had gotten so deep under his skin. So deep that he couldn't get rid of her, no matter how hard he tried. This was also the same woman that had made him second-guess the job he had loved for so long. And she had almost cost him his position in the club due to the odd feelings she had instilled in him when he wasn't looking.

  He wasn’t sure how or why it had happened. Jackie had come waltzing into his life and taken over without even trying. Smart, witty, caring, and able to hold her own, she complimented him in every way. She was definitely the type of woman worth settling down for.

  But in the scheme of things, it didn't really matter. From what he'd been told, Jackie had no intention of talking to him, much less staying in town, which supported his idea that they would be much better off apart.

  Because she was pregnant and he'd never wanted a child. He hated it when they screamed, and he refused to change dirty diapers. Besides, a child didn't need to be around the type of things he did for a living. Even he and his twisted mind knew that a clubhouse full of drunk, rowdy criminals was no place to raise a kid.

  So he would just have a little chat with Jackie when she woke up, make sure they were on speaking terms again, and then send her on her way with some cash to somewhere suitable for a baby and far away from him.

  That would work, right?

  Mentally reassuring himself that it was a good plan, Dean stood up and placed a quick kiss to Jackie's forehead before exiting the room. He made his way down the corridor, anger building with each step as he remembered the conversation he'd had before leaving her in Lakeside all those weeks ago.

  He met Bianca and Tyler at the waiting room down the hall, both holding a cup of hot coffee in their hands and watching his angry face skeptically.

  “Where's Jagger?”

  42

  Entering the lot at Vic's Auto Shop, Dean parked his bike and made his way to the clubhouse, oblivious to everything around him as he entered the building.

  “Dean! Hey, Dean!”

  He ignored Murphy’s shouts behind him as the smell of smoke and beer invaded his senses. His eyes found their target slouching at the end of the bar.

  The Macon biker was next to Jagger in a few quick strides, the scantily-clad ladies scrambling to get out of his path. Shaking the man’s shoulder, Dean waited for him to look up and narrowed his eyes when their gazes locked.

  “Dean, hey, man.” Jagger stood up and made to hug the other man, resignation filtering briefly across his face when Dean pushed him back.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “They came at us so fast. I dunno.” Jagger shrugged his shoulders, at a loss for words. He knew he should apologize, but he was sure that wasn’t going to be enough for Dean. Not by a long shot.

  “You don’t know?”

  “I'm sorry, man! Assholes came after me, not Jackie. She was just there.” Running his uninjured hand through his dark hair, Jagger sighed. “She wasn’t supposed to get hurt.”

  “But she did! She’s in a damn hospital bed, and you’re here, enjoying yourself!”

  “Look, man. I don’t know what you want me to say.” Throwing his hands up, Jagger turned his back to Dean. “I know sorry doesn’t cut it, but that’s just all I got right now.” He'd been beating himself up since the accident, knowing it wasn't his fault, but not able to place the blame elsewhere. He'd made a promise to look after the woman when she arrived and had managed to fail miserably in just a few short months. It wasn't like him to feel guilty, but he hated not keeping his end of a deal.

  “Goddamn right, it ain’t gonna cut it.” Mumbling under his breath, Dean grabbed Jagger’s shoulder and forcefully turned him around. Not paying any attention to the other occupants of the room, he let his fist fly, delighted by the sickening thud that echoed when it connected with his opponent’s jaw.

  Stumbling back, Jagger was barely able to steady himself against the bar.

  “Shit, man!”

  Dean was vaguely aware of the other guys jumping into the fray, but he had no intention of continuing his attack.

  “Jesus Christ, Dean!” Nash moved in on his traveling companion, standing in front of him as Lincoln tended to Jagger. “What the fuck, man? You trying to lose all your friends in one day?”

  “Asshole deserved it.”

  “Right.” Lincoln scoffed, glaring over his shoulder at the Macon hothead as he handed Jagger some ice in a rag. “It wasn’t his fault, Dean.”

  “Nah, he's right.” Jagger shook his head and wiped a bit of blood from his lip. “I deserved it. Jackie was my responsibility. I should’ve kept her safe.”

  “You’re damn right you should have.” Making his way past a reluctant Nash, Dean stared the bloodied man down before going behind the bar. He got two beers out of the fridge and then sat down heavily. Opening one bottle, he took a swig from the amber liquid before laying his head in his hands.

  Nash and Jagger exchanged glances before Jagger sat down next to the man and opened the other beer.

  “Look, Dean.” The Lakeside biker held the cold bottle against his face, relishing in the soothing effect it had on the bruise already starting to form. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your girl.”

  “I know.” Taking another pull from his beer, he nodded in the other man's direction. “So am I.”

  That’s how Vic found them when he entered the clubhouse twenty minutes later. He cocked an eyebrow when he saw Jagger, a grin forming on his lips.

  “You run into a door, Jag?” The president looked at the other two men and shook his head. “A door named Dean?”

  “We had some… issues to resolve.”

  “Well, you done with that, or should I come back later?”

  Nodding, Dean thumped Jagger on the back. “I’m done. Now…” He twisted around on the stool and looked Vic in the eyes. “…when do I get to kill somebody?”

  “We’re just about to figure that out.” He gestured toward the meeting room. “Everyone in."

  The group of men quickly settled around the table, expressions hard. Finn spoke first as he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it.

  “Look, you can’t just bust down their bar and demand for Tiago to give up the pricks that went after Jackie. He probably doesn’t even know who she is.” Finn took a drag from his smoke and looked Dean in the eyes.

  “He’s right. This was about Jagger, not the girl.” Johnny nodded and leaned on the wooden table. “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “That bullshit is not gonna fly. It doesn’t matter if they were targeting Jagger or not. She’s still the one lying that ended up in the hospital.” Looking around the table, Dean’s gaze settled on Vic. “Retaliation for Jagger? That’s just a bonus for me. The shit that happened to Jackie? Heads are gonna roll.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, brother, I do. And you’ll get your revenge, but we gotta be smart about this. That attack wasn’t about the girl, and it wasn’t as much about Jagger as it was about the club.” Running a hand over his clean-shaven face, Vic sighed. “This is war, and half-cocked just isn’t the way to go. As much as I want to kill the assholes that are responsible for this mess, we also gotta kill whatever ambitions the Saints have about moving their product through our town. Digging a few graves along the way is inevitable.” Smirking, he looked at the killer. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” Lighting a cigarette, Dean smiled. “As long as someone dies, everything’s fine.”

  “We take them down, their whole fucking charter,” Jagger spoke up, rocking back on his chair. “You’re right, this is war. Kill or be killed. We off Tiago and his crew, put
an end to this problem.”

  “And you think that’ll be all?” Benz shook his head at him, a grim look on his face. “What happens when someone else takes his place? Nah, that would just make things worse.”

  “Then what do you propose, oh all-knowing one?”

  “We take out their Jacksonville heroin warehouse.” Tyler’s voice was hard as he said it, his eyes focused on the president.

  The whole table turned to look at him, surprise written on every face. He’d been silent the entire time, the thing with Jackie taking a toll on him. He was the one that had been hit the hardest with everything since they were as close as two people could be. A silence descended on the bikers, every person mulling over the suggestion. Finn was the first to speak up, supporting the prospect’s plan.

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Taking a drag from his cigarette, he blew the smoke out and explained his view on things. “That’s why all of this started in the first place, right? The Saints were pushing their business into Lakeside. We take out the factory, and we put a stop to that shit. They’ll stop trying to move through town because they won’t have anything to move. Slow down the heroin trade, get a message across to the assholes. Put a stop to the bullshit they’re doing.”

  “Okay, I like that idea. We need to take a vote on this thing?” When the occupants of the room shook their heads, the charter president nodded. “Now… you got a plan figured out, prospect, or was this stroke of genius a one-time thing?” Vic smiled at Tyler, waiting for his answer. The kid wasn’t the smartest when it came to anything that wasn’t electronic, but he had to give it to him, this wasn't a bad idea.

  “Oh, I've got a plan.”

  43

  The following morning, Dean found himself sitting on his bike in front of the hospital, internally groaning as he mulled over the situation. This was just not something he was used to. Busting heads, partying, drinking himself into oblivion – that was what he did best.

  He never thought he’d find himself in this position. Jackie was carrying his baby and he was going to be a father, that terrified him. If she was awake, he would have to face her and accept what was happening. He wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for that. Hell, he wasn’t sure he would ever be ready for that.

  Shaking his head, Dean lifted himself off the bike and snorted. What was he, a fucking pussy? He stubbed his cigarette on the ground with his boot and walked across the parking lot, entering the hospital. He rode the elevator to the third floor and got out, making his way to Jackie’s room. His hand hovered over the door handle for a few moments before he snatched it away and went to sit in one of the plastic chairs in the hallway. Yeah, he was a pussy.

  His whole being was screaming at him to get out of there, get on his bike, and drive as far away from Lakeside as possible. He just knew that the moment he set foot in that hospital room, he would be a goner. He was going to get in there, look into her pretty eyes, and say things, make promises, that he was sure he couldn’t keep. She just had that effect on him. And as much as he wanted to just get away from the hospital and the town, he knew he couldn't.

  He was so deep in thought that he missed the opening of the door opposite him and the biker that exited the room.

  “You gonna sit there all day?” Murphy startled him out of his reverie and grinned, delighted that he’d caught him off guard. No one ever caught Dean off guard.

  Looking up at him, the tattooed man shook his head. “Nah.” He stood and turned away from his friend, ready to walk off. “I was just leaving.”

  Murphy rolled his eyes and thumped him on the shoulder. “Just get in there and see her.” He moved down the hall as he made his way to the elevator. “It won’t hurt you, Dean. I promise.”

  Watching as his friend disappeared from view, Dean turned back to the room at the end of the hall and approached the window. He could see an elderly nurse inside, fluffing Jackie’s pillows, propping her up, and fussing around her. His girl laughed at something the woman said, her smile tugging painfully at his heart-strings. She used to smile like that at him too.

  The nurse headed towards the door, and the biker took a step back from the window and faced her as she exited.

  “Well, she is quite the popular lady. I've never seen so many visitors.” The nurse watched as a small frown marred his features and gave him a gentle smile in return. Patting him on the shoulder, she winked, her eyes twinkling. “I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you nonetheless. Go on in.”

  Dean thanked her and pushed the door open, ignoring her mutterings about 'young people.' Leaning against the doorframe, he smirked at Jackie, taking in her surprised expression.

  “Only been here three months, and you're already getting into trouble.”

  Giving him a small smile in return, she laughed softly as she tried to avoid getting choked up. “Yeah, well… you know me.”

  Jackie couldn’t believe he was here, in her room. She thought she’d seen him when the old nurse had taken her leave. He had been there looking through her window one second and was gone the next. She'd chalked it up to the drugs the doctors had given her. And then the door had opened again, and there he was, leaning against the door frame in all of his tattooed glory. It was just too much, seeing him again combined with everything that had happened in the last few days. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, and she hastily brushed them away, sniffling.

  Stepping fully into the room, Dean took a look around. He couldn’t stand to see Jackie cry, so he focused his attention on the various gifts which had been added to the collection of flower vases on the window sill. Settling into the chair beside the bed, he kept silent for a few moments as he reacquainted himself with the woman that had been his world only months ago. Her face was a bit rounder, her breasts fuller, and her stomach noticeably larger. There was certainly no doubt that she was having his kid.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”

  She froze, surprised they were starting so far into the conversation.

  “I… I wanted to,” she replied nervously after a pause. Twisting her fingers around her blanket, Jackie took a deep breath and looked up at him with watery eyes. “I was going to, I really was. And then you...” They both vividly remembered the disastrous day that their relationship had shattered. “All that stuff you said. I got scared.”

  “You think I'd hurt you?” His eyebrows furrowed as he tried not to get angry at himself. “Jack, I'd never lay a hand on you, I swear. All that stuff I said-”

  “I know,” she said quickly, wishing she knew how to voice the thoughts in her head more carefully. “I know that... now. At the time, it was such a shock, although I guess on some level, I sort of knew what was going on. I mean, I had to have known. I think I was just in denial.” She spaced out for a second as she tried to think back on her state of mind before their rather traumatic breakup.

  “And now?” She blinked as he spoke, missing his train of thought. “Still hate me for what I do?”

  “I never hated you, Dean.” Jackie tried to put as much conviction as she could into the statement, to get him to understand what she was feeling, what she had always felt. “I could never hate you. Believe me, I tried. It would have made all of this so much easier. But I couldn't.”

  “Even though you knew I was a murderer...” he said quietly.

  The idea of that still made her cringe a bit, but her talk with Jagger had settled some of the doubt in her mind. “I hated that. For ruining how I saw you. For ruining us. And yeah, it scared me. It still does. You've had a lot of people fighting in your corner the past few months, though, trying to explain to me why you do what you do. And I didn't really get it until I talked to Jagger yesterday.”

  Dean suddenly felt kind of bad for punching the man the previous night. Not only was it a shock that Jagger had delved into that part of his life with the woman, but the idea of him having any sort of heart-to-heart was astounding.

  “He basically said you do it to protect the club. You kill people
that are a threat... to protect the ones you care about.”

  “Exactly. Just like I'm gonna kill the fuckers that put you in this hospital bed.” He said it with such a calm certainty that Jackie's eyes shot up from the spot on the blanket to stare at him.

  “Dean-”

  “No discussion. If you end up hating me for it, fine, but they're dead regardless.”

  She watched him watching her, both with so much to say, but lacking the words. “I don't want you to end up in jail over this.”

  “I won't. We'd be going after these guys anyways. They're trying to move drugs through Lakeside, and we can't let that happen.”

  Jackie nodded reluctantly, knowing that nothing she said could change his mind. Dean always did what he wanted, what he thought was right, and nobody could ever tell him otherwise.

  “I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was pregnant.”

  Dean sighed and moved the chair a bit closer to the bed, taking one of her hands in his. He felt obligated to make things right between them since part of him felt that this situation was entirely his fault. But what the hell was he supposed to say? Everything was overwhelming him to the point of sheer exhaustion, so he decided to start talking and see where he ended up. “It was probably a good thing that you didn’t tell me you were pregnant a few months ago. I’ve never thought about having kids before yesterday. Hell, I don’t even like kids. I can't be a dad. I don't know shit about parenting.”

  “Dean…”

  “No, just… just listen.” Shaking his head, he silently pleaded with her not to interrupt. He was ready to make an exception for her and talk about his feelings. The least she could do was hear him out. “I'm no good for a kid. I would completely fuck up its life. I didn't exactly have a good role model back in the day. I'd probably be as shit at it as my old man was for the five seconds he showed up. The best thing I can do is help you get as far away from me as possible. You can make a new start for yourself and the baby. I'm not what you or this kid need.”