Chapter 28 – Zeb
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Zeb
Zebulon: I paid for the last ounce I bought. Wrong Blackwood.
Oske: Information related
Zebulon: Whatever
Oske: Janelle Norris
How the fuck does she know that name?
Zebulon: Quit the games.
Oske: Zelle, PayPal, CashApp, Venmo
She pisses me off. Oske heard me using a word she didn’t like for women from her racial background and ever since she got it into her head that I’m some kind of racist, she treats me in the most despicable way. I know she would have charged Cody Hollingsworth half of what she’s charging me.
Zeb: I don’t have $750
Oske: Cool. See you at the next meeting.
She sends me a CashApp request. The next time I see one of Oske’s brothers, I’ll beat the brakes off him to send her a message. This time, I’m too desperate for information to withhold. I send her the money she wants and pray that this raggedy little bitch is honest with me.
Oske: Brinley saw her with a Muslim woman of some kind.
Who the fuck is Brinley again? I run through the list of white girls I know affiliated with the club and I’m pretty sure that Brinley is a Sinclair, which might be useful for not just finding Janelle, but for the whole situation between Isaac and Tylee that might rip the club apart if it gets too far out of hand.
Zeb: Where did you see her?
Oske: Might be a problem. They’re on the same route controlled by Iron Frontier MC
Those are the guys who came after us before.
Best guess we have from Tamiya is that they’re somehow related to border patrol or homeland security.
Might be a group of current or disgraced officers.
For all we know, they could be operating well within the mandate of the federal government – even if they’re just kidnapping, assaulting, and beating the shit out of people.
I wish Oske hadn’t kept this potentially valuable information to herself.
Zeb: How long have you known?
Oske: I have money problems these days, Zeb. I can’t help you for free
Zeb: You are so fucked up. I’m going after Janelle now. Tell me where to go.
She tells me the last place that Brinley saw Rana and Janelle.
She also tells me about a situation that happened about three hours east from that spot which Brinley heard about through the grape vine.
Our people don’t control that highway, but we know a few of the folks who own gas stations and motels around those parts.
Deacon and Magnum would know better than I would.
I find Ruger feeding Eden in the kitchen when I bring this information to him.
Zayna went out to the library in town with Talitha to pick up a few thrillers to read over the weekend, so he’s on his own with the kid.
I can’t remember any of the men in our family spending as much time with their kids as I’ve seen Ruger spend with Eden. He seems comfortable in the role too.
“Oske told me that Brinley Sinclair saw Janelle.”
“Where?” Ruger asks. “Is she safe? Does she want to be found?”
“Obviously she doesn’t want to be found but… does it matter?”
Ruger looks over at me. “It doesn’t.”
“I love her.”
Ruger scrutinizes me and then shrugs. “I guess I believe that.”
“I mean it. I haven’t been right since she left.”
“What the hell drove her away?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do,” Ruger said. “It’s not like the two of you were particularly quiet…”
Ruger has good hearing. I’ve always known it, but I conveniently forgot about it when my dick was rock hard.
I had way more important things to pay attention to – like Janelle’s soft nipples and the wet patch between her thighs.
I forgot that Ruger might have heard every minute of what went on between us.
“She wanted that.”
“Sounded like she was dying.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m serious. If you took something she didn’t want to give–”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe she wanted me?”
“Well…” Ruger says slowly. “She did high tail it out of here.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
“If you found out from Oske that she’s safe, maybe we ought to let it go.”
“I can’t,” I snarl at him. “And if you’re going to be a dick, I can head out on my own and find her without you.”
Ruger cracks a smile which just pisses me off more. This shit is far from casual for me.
“I think you do love her.”
“That’s what I said,” I say to him, desperate to steady my voice and hating the violent emotion pouring out of me. My protectiveness over Janelle makes me completely weak.
“I never said I wouldn’t help, but you understand if I have my conditions for getting her back.”
“Such as?”
“Marry her,” Ruger says. I search his face for any lack of earnestness.
“You can’t be serious.”
Ruger isn’t the playful type, but I didn’t realize he was that committed to marriage as a concept.
“I’m dead serious.”
“What if she doesn’t want to marry me?”
Ruger grins. “Tell her I’ll shoot her if she doesn’t.”
“Sounds like the foundation for a healthy relationship.”
Ruger thumps me on the back. “One day, when you’re all alone holed up with the flu and your sexy black wife brings you some peppery mysterious soup… you’ll thank me.”
Zayna pulls up to the house and comes running to the front door clutching Talitha and looking frightened out of her mind.
“Ruger. Some man approached me at the library and handed me this letter.”
“Who was he?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want Talitha to see me pulling out my g-u-n on him–”
“All that taking her to the library, she might be able to spell that by now.”
Zayna glares at him. “Ruger. A biker found me at the library with our daughter. Isn’t that a problem?”
“It would be a problem if he laid a finger on you.”
Ruger opens the letter calmly. I can tell Zayna doesn’t feel calm in the slightest and judging by the way she’s glaring at me, I can tell that she sees me as mostly responsible.
We don’t even know that any of this has shit to do with me.
Ruger gives me a confrontational stare from the other side of the paper.
“It’s a ransom note,” he says.
“Ransom?!” Zayna repeats shrilly. “I know he didn’t follow me home, but this is bad Ruger.”
He gives her a stern look. “Last time there were intruders on my property, I handled it just fine.”
“I understand that,” Zayna says. “But the girls are older now and I’m here too.”
“And I’m here to help protect both of you,” I chime in before Ruger takes more dirt on his name than necessary. Zayna returns my offer with a scrutinizing look.
“Let’s hope the rumors about you are true then. Because if there are intruders here, I expect nothing less than viciousness.”
“Put Eden and Talitha to bed, Teach,” Ruger says, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. “I need to discuss this ransom situation with my cousin and some of what we say might not be too pretty for a woman to hear.”
“I’ll be out once she settles,” Zayna says. “Get the funky business out of the way before I’m done.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ruger says.
He watches Zayna’s ass until she’s out of sight.
I don’t dare even steal the slightest look, although when I was single I did glimpse her butt once or twice.
It’s nice. I understand why Ruger feels possessive over her.
Janelle has a better ass, obviously, and I relate to Ruger’s possessive drive over it.
That’s where I’ll tattoo my name once we get married.
Once he’s sure that Zayna is properly out of earshot, Ruger turns his attention back to the matter at hand.
“They want $50,000 for Janelle. They claim that they have her about fifty miles away,” he says. “Not like they’re specific about the town. They want us to call a number and get an address.”
“We’re not paying a ransom.”
“I know that,” Ruger says. “They were careless. Let Zayna see their faces. My wife is smart with a great memory and our cousin Gideon married a smart woman too. We’ll figure out where they are and pop up on them. Fuck this ransom.”
Agreed. Fuck the ransom.
“And remember,” Ruger continues. “We get her back, you marry her.”
“I will,” I tell him. “Promise.”
“Good man,” Ruger says. “Let’s get Zayna out here and figure this shit out.”