Jessamy
Driving away and watching Mace and the others get smaller and smaller as I gazed out the back window made my chest hurt and my stomach roll. I hated to be leaving him. I wanted to be where I could get to him if something happened. I detested bringing my problem to so many and placing Hunters Creek in more danger by staying with them. I prayed that this would be over soon and everyone on our side would come out okay in the end.
“You know that they’ve got this, right? Mace, the others, and even prospects aren’t going to allow lowlife scum like the Black Outlaws and whoever they run this pipeline and other crap for to touch this family. Just do what Bull and his club say, and you’ll see. You and the others will be home in no time.”
Atticus was trying to be positive and cheer me up. I appreciated it. “Atticus, I hope you’re right. And I appreciate the hell out of you, all the Pagans, and the others putting themselves on the line. Just make sure you don’t do anything crazy and end up like Iceman or worse.”
“I promise to do my hardest not to. And Jessamy, know that I’ll always stand between you and danger.”
I reached forward and squeezed his shoulder as he glanced back at me in the rearview mirror. “Thank you,” I told him.
The drive seemed to take longer than it should, but I knew it was my impatience. I sighed in relief when we went through the gate at the Warriors’ compound in Hunters Creek. The closer we got to it, the more I paid attention to my surroundings. They lived in a lovely area. I wondered if Dublin Falls was as pretty as this. This was my first time in Tennessee. I wanted to come back when this was over and explore it. It was so similar to Cherokee.
When the car and our escort of bikes came to a stop outside the clubhouse, Atticus almost didn’t get a chance to shut our SUV off and get out before I pushed my door open. He held it so I could stand. I stretched and inhaled the air. As I did, the door to the large clubhouse opened, and out strolled Bull. Right next to him was Jocelyn. They were smiling. I was slightly surprised when Jocelyn moved ahead of Bull. She came straight to me and gave me a big hug.
“Welcome. It’s so good to see you, even if the circumstances suck. I can’t wait to get better acquainted. We didn’t have enough time during the poker run and the wedding. I hope you’ll treat this as your home. Anything you want or need, just ask,” she told me softly.
I squeezed her and fought not to let the tears that filled my eyes escape. “You’re a gem, Jocelyn. Thank you. I swear, I’m praying my troubles stay away from here.”
“Honey, we all have them, and they crop up all the time. These men and yours know how to handle it. Alright, enough of this. Let’s go inside. You have to be in need of something to drink. We’ll give you a tour in a little bit. If you prefer to rest, just say when. You’ll be staying at our house. I promise the twins won’t be a bother,” Jocelyn continued.
Bull joined us. He smiled at me. “Do I get a hug, or has Mace issued an official notice that if any man touches you, even just a hug, they’ll be in a world of pain?”
“What a way to greet her! Why would you even say that?” Jocelyn scolded. I wanted to laugh because it sounded like my man. He was rather possessive of me.
“Because that’s what I would do if it were you. We protect our women. However, even though I’m saying it, I’m still stealing a hug, and Mace can bite me.” He grinned.
I let go of his wife and embraced Bull. He was fun and made me feel safe. Bull was a handsome silver fox who gave off a fatherly vibe. I had never experienced that, so I soaked it up, and he gently patted my back.
“You’re welcome here anytime, honey. I know this is all scary, and you’re worried, but we’ve got this. I’ve been fighting battles like this for years.”
“Thank you both. I know you have, but I hate being the one who brought this down on the clubs. All because I escaped, and Twisted was nice enough to take me home with him and Zari.”
We were walking toward the door. Atticus was behind us. More Warriors came out. They were greeting him with handshakes and me with smiles and pats on the back and arm. I was kinda shocked that so many were home. It was still technically during working hours, and it was a Friday. Shouldn’t they all be at work? Didn’t they have businesses like the Pagans did?
We were in the clubhouse by then, and I was checking it out. Most of the things in the main area were like ours, except the shell and the building that surrounded it were different. I was taking it in when a guy came up to me. I couldn’t recall his name, but he was a prospect.
“Can I get you anything to drink? What about you, Pres? Jocelyn?”
I was thirsty, so I asked for water. Jocelyn requested iced tea, and Bull said it was late enough that he could have a beer. Bull told Atticus to help himself and to ensure he got a tour soon. My escort came in behind us, and we received drinks and greetings from some of the other members.
It didn’t take long for everyone to have something to drink. Atticus went to talk to the person who served us while I sat down with Jocelyn and Bull, my two-man escort team consisting of Predator and Stalker, plus a few others who gathered around us. I bet my escorts were glad to be home, although I wasn’t sure how long they’d stay. No one told me what the plan was.
Everyone was asking us how the drive went. Did we see anyone following us? Did they think we were followed? I mainly let the guys answer. I found that I was exhausted. The night last night had been restless, even after Mace had made incredible love to me. I kept dreaming about Leland and those two men who originally took me. I didn’t tell him that when I got up, but I think he knew I’d been having bad dreams.
Over the next couple of hours, besides talking to many of them, I was given a tour of the clubhouse and the compound itself. It was wild to see what a fully mature one was like. With all the things inside and out they’d done and then to see all those houses! It made me want to have our compound look the same. The single guys needed to get a move on finding women or men. I didn’t care or know their preferences. Then, build those houses. Or be like Hulk and Wire, do the house, and then find their women.
It made me think of Natalya’s threat to put them up on dating sites. I wondered if she’d actually done it. If she did, who knows? Maybe one of the women could be ideal for one or more of the single guys. I chuckled slightly under my breath.
“What’s so funny?” Jocelyn asked.
I verified that Atticus or none of the men were close enough to hear me. I didn’t want them warning our guys, so when I saw it was only women, I leaned closer and told her. When I was done, she clapped her hands, and her eyes sparkled.
“Oh my God! I love that. I mean, sure, most of the women may be terrible, like what comes to hang at the clubhouse, but there’s always a chance they get one who’s perfect. Why didn’t I think of that? Tell Natalya that I’m stealing this idea. We have close to ten still single when you throw in prospects.”
This caused us both to giggle, which prompted the other women to ask what was up. Soon, they knew the reason and volunteered to help Jocelyn do it. Our silliness helped to lighten the heaviness in my chest. Not long after, I was shown Jocelyn and Bull’s house and my room. Atticus brought in my suitcases. He made sure I knew all I had to do was call him if I needed anything. While we were here, he’d be helping where he could, but his primary duty was to me. That was made clear to both of us before we left.
After unpacking, I sat on the bed, staring down at my phone. I was dying to call Mace. I’d sent him a text to let him know we made it, but it wasn’t the same. What held me back was not knowing what they were doing. I didn’t want to interrupt something vital.
???
Sitting in the bathtub, I let the tears fall. I’d held out for hours. I spent time with Jocelyn, helping her make dinner, although she said to sit and relax. It was a big family affair. Her daughter, Devyn, her husband, Ace, and their son, Hayden, joined us. Corinne and Caeden, Bull and Jocelyn’s twins, were only a few months younger than Hayden. It was a slightly chaotic yet fun family meal.
During dinner, I was told the story of how the two couples met, and Bull shared how the Warriors were formed. They did a good job of keeping my mind occupied, but eventually, I excused myself. Now, I was crying due to the call I’d just had with Mace.
He was the one to call after I texted to see if he was okay. He’d called me rather than text me back. We talked for a good half hour. When it was time to say good night, we said I love you, and I reminded him to be careful. He said the same. It was the love part that broke me. I muffled my cries with my hand. I didn’t want anyone to hear me. I felt like such a wuss for doing it. I had to be strong. I was a biker’s woman. They had nerves of steel. I wouldn’t make Mace ashamed of me.
Eventually, after I cried myself out, I finished bathing and crawled into bed. My head was hurting and stuffy. I shut out the lights and tried to get comfortable. I was exhausted. After the night and day I had, I desperately needed shut-eye. It took a while, but as sleep began to take me under, I prayed, Lord, please keep them all safe and let us be able to return home soon.
???
It had only been two days that I’d been with the Warriors. They were unfailingly kind and did their best to put me at ease and to keep me busy so I wouldn’t sit and worry. But I still did it. I was in contact with Mace but allowed him to contact me since I never knew what he was doing. He made sure to text at least a couple of times a day, and I’d get a call. So far, the call had been late at night.
The Warriors were on alert, and they were patrolling the compound. They had guys taking turns standing guard and doing patrols through Hunters Creek, watching for strangers or unusual activity. Stalker and Predator stayed until this morning. Then, they left to return to Cherokee. When I talked to Mace last night, he verified that all the clubs had sent a few men. The main showdown would most likely occur there or in South Carolina, so they wanted to be sure they had enough men. Since I was here and the prime target, Bull hadn’t sent as many as he intended originally. Even though Dublin Falls was hosting Agony’s family, they had over two dozen members. As for the Pagans in Oconee and the Marauders, they were all single and had only the ones they were hosting to worry about.
To at least feel I was doing something, I helped watch the kids for whoever needed a break. I missed teaching, so it was easy to gather and keep several of them occupied. I’d been praised more than a few times for my ability to engage them, and they were not only having fun but also learning. However, tomorrow was a school day, which meant the older ones would be in school. I could still deal with the little ones.
When I spoke to Mace earlier, which was before his usual time, he sounded tense. I asked if everything was alright. He assured me it was, but I couldn’t tell if he told the truth or not. Without being able to see him, it was hard to tell. Unable to stand my bedroom’s silence a moment longer, I went downstairs. Bull and Jocelyn had told me to make myself at home. I tried not to interfere with their family time in the evening. However, the kids were in bed.
I was in the hall headed to the stairs when I heard sounds coming from their bedroom. Sounds that told me they were making love. And the way Jocelyn was crying out, Bull had the right moves. Not wanting to listen to them like a creeper, I tiptoed down the stairs and went to get a drink in the kitchen, then curled up on the couch in the living room. I turned on the television and flipped through the channels. Nothing caught my interest, but I stopped on a comedy movie. I’d seen it before, but it was a way to fill the void. Maybe it would lift my spirits. I made sure to keep the volume turned down low.
I would’ve gone outside, but since I was here and there was a potential threat, they locked the house and set the alarm. I knew from being on the Pagans’ compound at home that bikers weren’t much for locked doors or alarms. If I disarmed it and went outside, I’d never hear the end of it. I’d been there about thirty minutes when the sound of bare feet on the floor had me turning. It was Jocelyn. She was dressed in a robe. She came over to me. I got a sympathetic look.
“Let me guess. You’re going crazy, and the walls are closing in on you in your room.”
“You got it. I wasn’t too loud, was I?”
She smirked as she shook her head and said, “We weren’t too loud, were we?”
My cheeks grew warm, and then I laughed and shook my head. She sat next to me.
“You have to work in the morning. Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep?” I asked.
“I do, but I’ve always been one who only needs a few hours of sleep, and I’m good. I think it was from all those years of working and raising Devyn alone. I never got much sleep, so I learned not to need it. Now, I can’t break the habit. Bull threatens to knock me out sometimes. He grumbles that I just like making him feel old because he needs more sleep.”
“Just what a macho biker loves to feel,” I joked.
She laughed. “Exactly. If you want to talk, I’m all ears. You’ve been doing a good job of pretending and keeping busy, but I know you’re worried, and it’s driving you crazy. The men are all for telling us that everything will be alright, but we still worry. Even if they had the entire US military behind them, we would.”
“Thank God someone understands. I don’t know what they’re up to, but Mace seemed different tonight. It could be just that he’s tired, but I hate not being there. I keep thinking, what if the worst happens? I don’t have anyone who truly cares about me other than him and the club. I don’t have close friends or family back in Arizona. I want desperately to have this whole affair over with so we can move forward with our lives. It’s been crazy how my life has changed in two months.
“I was horrified when those two men grabbed me. I was fighting the first one and almost got away when the other one snuck up on me. They had me for two days before I was handed off to the trucker, and then he began adding more women and girls to the back of that truck. I was terrified I’d never be heard from again and of what they planned to do to us. It hurt when I had to run and not free them. If only Leland had stayed inside five more minutes, then we could’ve all gotten out and hid.”
“Jessamy, you can’t blame yourself for not getting them out. Who knows? You may have inspired them to try after they saw you did it. Some of them may have gotten free. And it’s because of you that we know about those men and their disgusting business. Our guys will figure it all out, put a plan together, and bring that whole house of cards down. You’re a beast,” she told me. I giggled at her description. She hugged me.
Jocelyn hung out, talking for an hour before she excused herself to get some sleep. I was back to feeling sleepy, so I turned off the television and went to bed. I fell asleep quickly but woke up a couple of times before morning. Another day faced me, and I vowed to be as productive as possible.