“Cage drives his Impala in it, too,” Whip said next to her. “Let’s the chief of police ride in the back.”
That surprised the shit out of her. But then, the club had only been reborn within the last two years. Maybe the current Fury members didn’t have an issue with the current batch of cops.
“Yes, he does,” came Teddy’s voice so close, Jemma jumped. Was she still rattled from seeing that car and learning about the Shirleys? “Max looks so handsome in his dress uniform with his just as hot chauffer. Christopher, I know you can pull off the disheveled look.” He glanced at Jemma for affirmation. “Right? But don’t let it get out of control so you look like one of the bums down at the tracks.”
“There are bums at the railroad tracks?” Reilly asked, sounding in awe.
“Fuck no,” Dutch answered. “All right, assholes. We’ve stood around long enough. Get the fuck back to work before I dock your pay. Rev, pull Theodore’s ‘Stang into the garage and plug his tire.”
Rev headed toward the Mustang and everyone but Cage wandered inside.
It was just the two of them and Dyna. He tilted his head and stared at her.
She tried not to shuffle her feet at his intense gaze. “Your food’s probably cold.”
“Got a microwave in the kitchenette.”
“Not the same as when it’s fresh.” She needed to get Dyna loaded and go back to the farm. “Are we going to be safe out in the trailer?”
“Would you feel better spending the day with Saylor and Daisy?”
She sighed. “No. But you should have told me, Chris. Reilly told me more than you did and she doesn’t know everything.”
“Honestly, ain’t worried about the Shirleys. We taught them a lesson and haven’t seen or heard from them since. They’d be stupid as fuck to fuck with us.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t.”
“You’re right. Don’t mean they won’t. Just keep an eye open, that’s all. Takin’ Reilly’s word that the car belonged to the Shirleys. We don’t know that for sure. If it was, they mighta had a reason to be in town.”
“So, you’re not worried.”
“Not yet. Gotta work to pay for shit. Can’t be home with you all day.”
“I didn’t ask you for that.” Nor would she. She was struggling to keep her hands to herself as it was.
“Wanna gun? I’ll get you one.”
“A legal one?”
He gave her a look and that was all she needed as an answer. “Then no.” Plus, she never shot a gun in her life. Unless she had training, she’d be worried about handling one. As a nurse, she’d seen what damage a gunshot could do.
“If you get spooked, call me. Me or one of the guys can be there in ten, if needed.”
Ten minutes could be forever in a violent situation. She wasn’t liking any of this.
“Just keep the door locked when you two are inside. Wait ‘til someone’s at The Barn or bunkhouse to head over there. Or wait ‘til I’m home.”
“That means we’ll be prisoners in the trailer while everyone is gone during the day.”
He blew out a breath and scraped his fingers through his hair. “Jem, doin’ the fuckin’ best I can here. Gotta work with me. Gonna talk to Trip and Judge.”
“I’m going to talk to my brother, too.” She chewed on her bottom lip.
He went toe to toe with her and pulled her lip from between her teeth. He brushed his thumb over the lower one. “It’ll be okay. Can’t tell you the details of what happened on that mountain that night, but can tell you we made a strong statement. Know they ain’t the smartest, but they can’t be that fuckin’ stupid, either.”
Or they could be stupid enough to try. “What are you going to do with Dyna when I’m gone? I can’t stick around much longer, I need a paying job to pay my bills. I need to settle somewhere other than here. This isn’t my life, Chris. Dyna isn’t my child. You need to seriously get your shit in order before I leave.”
His blue eyes darkened and he dropped his head slightly. “Truth?” he whispered.
“Nothing but,” she whispered back, trying not to focus on how close his lips were to hers.
“Got no fuckin’ clue, Jem. That’s the hard truth. It comes down to it, I’ll sell my Impala to pay for daycare. Don’t know what else to fuckin’ do. Can’t shit out money I don’t got.”
“Your daughter is more important than a car,” she reminded him needlessly.
“Ain’t just a car and I’ll take a loss by sellin’ it quick.”
“And you won’t be able to haul the chief’s ass around in the parade.”
Cage snorted softly. “Yeah, well. Dyna’s more important than that. But besides my sled and my Impala, the only thing that’s truly mine is her.”
“Then you need to make a plan. And soon. I’m heading home.”
Home.
She didn’t miss the slight raise of his eyebrow when she said the word. But right now, that was what it was. Even if it was only temporary.
“Jem...”
“Help me load up the stroller, will you?” She went to push it toward her Volvo, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“Jem.”
She glanced up at him. “What?”
“You don’t gotta leave.”
“I can’t stay. I can’t afford to.” In more ways than one.
She broke free of his grip and he followed her when she went to where her car was parked.
“Think about it,” was the last thing he said as she finished buckling in the carrier portion of the car seat.
“Nothing to think about, Chris. You knew what the deal was. It hasn’t changed.”
His jaw got tight as she closed the back passenger door. He remained where he stood as she moved around the car and climbed in the driver’s seat.
And he remained standing there as she backed out of the spot and drove out of the lot. She couldn’t help but glance into the rearview mirror a few times before the garage disappeared from sight.
You don’t gotta leave.
Yes, she did. And she needed to do it sooner than later.
Because there had been nothing she wanted more than for him to kiss her when they were standing face to face out in the lot.
She almost thought he was going to do it. And was surprisingly disappointed when he didn’t.
Disappointed or not, it was for the best.
Chapter Sixteen
Jemma clicked through her email inbox, deleting spam and newsletters left and right.
Despite warning Cage that he needed to prepare for her to leave, he hadn’t shared any type of plan with her.
She’d stopped by Justice Bail Bonds after leaving the garage that day and Judge assured her that they’d keep an eye out for the Shirleys. Not only at the trailer, but the whole farm and at all the club’s businesses. While he took the possible threat seriously, he’d kept his cool about it.
And, of course, he wouldn’t share with her what exactly, if anything, he’d do about the “inbred fuckin’ hillbillies” if the threat was real.
Her brother was far from happy when she reamed him up one side and down the other about not warning her before asking for her to return home to help Cage out. She actually heard a chuckle from Deacon as she stomped back out of their office after flipping them both off.
From there, she went back to the trailer and did what she planned, which was flood the job market with her resume again.
While jobs were plentiful, they weren’t for her niche. And the hospice care facilities with job openings were as slow as molasses when filling positions.
She glanced through new emails stating they’d received her resume and, if she was the right candidate, they would contact her soon for an interview.
The right candidate.
If they reached out to her last employer, she might not get contacted at all. She had kneed the head doctor and part owner of the private hospice center in Cleveland right in the nuts. But it had been an effective and quick way to get hi
s unsolicited hands off her ass and breasts.
Most of the nurses and admin staff called the asshole Dr. Grabby. For the most part, the female staff knew how to avoid the “accidental” brushes against their chests or rears. They also did their best to not be alone with him if—more like when—he had his sight focused on them.
However, that fateful day the doctor followed Jemma into the supply closet and crossed the line to the point he couldn’t brush it off as “accidental.” In turn, she “accidentally” knocked his nuts up into his body cavity with her knee. Hard enough he dropped instantly to the floor and actually blubbered. With real tears, too.
She then calmly walked out of the closet, went down the hall saying goodbye to her patients and went home. It wasn’t long before the HR person called her about her termination.
No surprise.
She had inappropriately touched him. Imagine that. She was also lucky he wasn’t pressing charges. Jemma laughed and hung up.
The result was her previous employer was a smudge on her resume that might be difficult to overlook by some prospective employers.
While she’d received three job offers already, either the pay or the location, or both, were shitty. She might have to take one in the meantime, anyway, just to get her through financially until something better came along. She’d barely made her last car payment and was scraping the bottom of her bank account.
No matter what, she needed to keep paying for her car and her storage unit in Ohio. Even if she had to borrow money, which she really didn’t want to do. She’d leave that as a last resort.
She needed to make a serious decision. She’d been caring for Dyna a little over six weeks now and as much as she loved her, taking care of the baby wasn’t a paying job nor what she wanted to do as a career, even if she was paid.
Her calling was to be a hospice nurse. To ease a person’s journey into the next stage of their life or afterlife, whatever that destination was for her patient. Heaven, Valhalla, worm food or a return to being stardust.
She was not a nanny.
She was not a house mouse.
She had a career she loved, even when it was heartbreaking. Though, it always seemed to be heartbreaking. Even so, at the end, she was truly appreciated by the patient and their loved ones.
She tried to be a little bit of light during a very dark time. Just like Maggie had been a shining light during Walt’s.
Her cursor landed on an email from a private hospice organization that specialized in home hospice care. Their closest office was in Williamsport, which was only about an hour away.
She opened the email to see the offer for an interview. Since it was in driving distance, it would be in person, unlike some of the virtual interviews she’d done recently.
Her heart began to beat faster when she realized they wanted to do it in only three days. She needed to prepare and put her best foot forward. She’d take Teddy up on his offer of a wash and trim and head over to Lottie’s to iron her dress slacks and a blouse.
She had crossed her fingers and toes for this job when she’d emailed her resume. It was close enough to Manning Grove to do a day visit with Lottie and the rest of her family, but not close enough to constantly stir up bad memories.
She pressed her fingers to her lips because she wanted to squeal with excitement but Dyna was napping in her bouncer on the floor next to where Jemma sat at the kitchen counter with her laptop.
She glanced down at the baby.
Fuck.
She’d be gone for hours and Cage would need to find someone to watch his daughter, or he’d have to take off from work to stay with her himself.
She needed to let him know right away. She also needed to make an appointment with Teddy as soon as possible. She’d call the hairdresser first thing in the morning, since she was sure his salon would be closed at this late hour.
Cage had already come home from work, but wasn’t in the trailer. He asked if she’d mind watching Dyna while he went to the shed to work out for a half hour or so, since he hadn’t been able to do so for the last six-plus weeks.
She agreed only if he allowed her to check his ribs before he did. She had held her breath as she ran her fingers over his bare skin, testing for any soreness or pain.
He claimed he had none.
“Just don’t do anything stupid. Take it easy,” she ordered as he walked out of the trailer wearing only long, loose nylon shorts and an actual pair of sneakers. She had wondered if any of the brothers owned anything other than biker boots. Now she knew.
She closed her laptop and slid her feet into her flip flops, gently scooped up Dyna and groaned softly at how heavy she had become. She had to have put on at least four pounds since Jemma had come back to Manning Grove, but then, she ate like crazy and pooped as much, too. They were flying through the diapers.
She did a quick diaper check before heading out of the trailer and across the grass. She hoped to get to the shed and back before Dyna woke and demanded her next meal.
The shed that had been converted into a mini-gym wasn’t far. It actually was closer to the trailer than The Barn. She had explored it one day with Dyna when she was bored. It wasn’t anything fancy. It didn’t have any cardio equipment, like treadmills and stair-steppers, but had free weights, some weight benches, a speed bag and some heavy bags. Just the basics.
What the guys would consider “manly” gym equipment.
As she got closer, she heard Enter Sandman by Metallica blasting and wondered if Cage was alone.
She glanced down at Dyna in her arms. Somebody would be awake soon from the loud music if she continued.
Good. Then it would be on Cage to take over her care for the evening if Metallica woke her up and she began to fuss.
She hesitated outside the propped open door to the shed, took a bolstering deep inhale and walked inside.
Dyna immediately awoke in her arms, but she didn’t start crying... yet. She’d eaten not long ago, so her belly was full. Luckily, for the most part, she was an easy baby. Thank fuck.
Jemma’s eyes skimmed the shed, which was much smaller than the one the guys parked their sleds in. She was searching for the radio to turn it down, but her gaze locked on Cage first.
His bare, tattooed back was turned toward her and his skin glistened with sweat. A rolled bandana around his forehead held his hair back from his face, but, from what she could see, beads of sweat still slid down his temples. His loose, light gray shorts were soaked at the small of his back and the silky fabric clung to his ass cheeks like a second skin.
He stood in front of the heavy bag in the corner, a loud grunt escaping him with each punch. His hands were protected by black gloves that were thicker over the knuckles but open at the ends, leaving the ends of his fingers visible. A flap of Velcro secured the gloves tightly.
Cupping Dyna’s head, Jemma rocked back and forth to keep the baby quiet as her feet remained frozen in place. She watched his muscles ripple and flex with each powerful strike.
That couldn’t be good for his just-healed ribs. She told him not to do anything stupid.
But, in reality, stupid was standing and watching him when he had no clue she was there. She couldn’t pull her eyes from him and her thoughts tumbled like clothing in a dryer.
She imagined his back and ass flexing as he pumped into her over and over. Not with his fingers, like that night in the rain, but instead, with his cock. Thick and long, sliding in and out of her.
A trickle landed in her panties. Christ, this was what he did to her.
She’d resisted for weeks. Weeks. Convincing herself that doing anything more than what they’d already done would be stupid and reckless.
She didn’t do casual.
She didn’t do casual.
Fuck.
She did not do casual.
Touching him like she wanted to would only complicate their situation. It would only make things messier when she left.
She knew that.
Unfortunately, he
r brain didn’t want to hear common sense.
No, her mouth wanted to taste the salt on his hot skin. Her fingers wanted to slide through the sheen of sweat on his back and chest.
She wanted to grip his ass tightly as he plunged deep inside her, to encourage him to go even faster. To make her come as intensely as he had that night weeks ago.
All she had to do was ask.
All she had to do was offer.
All she had to do was say yes.
Because he’d been waiting. Patiently. Like he knew there would come a point when she wouldn’t be able to resist anymore. She did, too, but she’d hoped to be gone before then.
However, here she stood. Watching the man she wanted but couldn’t—shouldn’t—have. Holding his child in her arms.
That child, and the reason she came to be, should be enough motive to resist.
But it wasn’t.
It wasn’t.
Everyone made mistakes.
If anything, Cage had done nothing but owned his mistake and did his best. Day after day. Night after night.
His actions impressed Jemma.
Dyna made a little noise like she was trying to call out to her father. She was staring at him just like Jemma was. She actually smiled and then cooed, her legs kicking and her arms flapping. She wanted her Daddy.
She wasn’t the only one.
Jemma finally located the radio and went to turn down the volume so Cage could hear her. As soon as she did, he spun toward her with his fists still up in the ready position. He quickly masked his surprise and dropped his hands to his side, his slick chest pumping.
“What you doin’ in here?” he asked, out of breath. He swiped his damp forearm over the beads of sweat collecting on his forehead. After grabbing a towel hanging on one of the nearby weight benches, he scrubbed it down his face and ran it haphazardly over his chest.
Jemma followed the motion, then tried to swallow.
She couldn’t.
He walked over to a banged-up minifridge in the corner, opened it and grabbed a bottle of water. Cracking open the top, he tilted the water to his lips and Jemma watched his throat undulate as he guzzled it down, a little bit of water escaping the corners of his mouth and disappearing into his short beard.
Blood & Bones: Cage (Blood Fury MC Book 5) Page 22