Chapter 16
Flint
It’s been three weeks since we recovered that fuckin’ sedan with the blood stains in the trunk.
Morgan ran the fingerprints, and the ones he was able to identify were linked to the Terrance family.
But what good is that without evidence of a crime?
We’re still waiting for the DNA match to come back.
We haven’t heard anything about mobsters roaming the streets of Cedar Falls, so we’re back at work. Truth be told, we were both going stir crazy hanging around the clubhouse night and day.
“Jules, is everything okay?” I ask, coming to my feet.
She startles and then forces herself to relax. “Yeah, I’m just hungry. It’s getting to be lunchtime. I’m going to run out and get some sandwiches from the pub. Are you okay watching the counter while I’m gone?”
I slowly nod, feeling uneasy about her being out by herself while knowing I can’t control a grown-ass woman, not if I want to keep her.
“Sure, just go straight to the pub and straight back, though. I’m pretty sure we scared those assholes from LA off for good, but I don’t want to take unnecessary risks. ”
“I won’t be long. Do you want your usual?”
“Yeah, steak and chips.”
She grabs her purse and walks out. There is some kind of nervous energy to her movement that I don’t like.
Seeing her like this makes me worry. Then again, she’s still wearing my property cut.
I don’t think anyone in this town, or state for that matter, would be quite stupid enough to mess with a woman wearing a Sons of Rage property cut.
While she’s gone, I can’t help but think about how right being with Jules feels.
We wake up every morning together, work side by side, recreate together, problem-solve together, and fall asleep wrapped in each other’s fuckin’ arms. I’m living my best life right now, and I’m not about to let anyone destroy what we’ve built.
Not even Tommy. His club sent him to Arizona to negotiate an alliance with another club, so he hasn’t been around to talk to about this. He’s going to explode, and although I don’t blame him, I’m not going to let him force us apart either.
Jules eventually comes back with an oversized paper bag that smells delicious. But when she looks up, her face is pale, and her eyes dart away. Something has wrecked her morning. She’s still pale, but instead of the nervous energy, she’s moving slowly, as if her energy has been drained.
And suddenly, I don’t give a damn about Tommy, the mobsters from LA, or the sandwiches. I walk over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay, darlin’?”
“Yeah, of course I am.” She normally has a certain brightness in her voice. Right now, her response is muted and out of character for her.
When I take the bag from her hand, our fingers brush. Her hands are cold, even though it’s not cold outside today.
The protective instinct that’s been riding me hard since she left to get lunch doubles and then triples. Setting the food down on the front counter, I ask, “What happened? What has you so shaken?”
“Nothing. I already told you I’m fine.” For some reason, she can’t seem to maintain eye contact with me right now.
I tilt her chin up so I can look into her eyes. “You wanna try that again?”
Before she can answer, the bell jingles on the front door.
We both glance over to see Onyx walking through the door.
He’s in dark jeans and a white button-down underneath his cut.
He has his laptop bag slung over one shoulder.
He rarely carries around his laptop, so that lets me know that something is up.
I ask, “What’s up, brother?”
“The three of us need to talk,” he responds curtly.
Jules asks, “Did I do something wrong?”
His head comes up fast, and he’s surprised by her question. “What? Of course not! I didn’t mean to startle you or send that kind of vibe.”
“No problem. I guess my anxiety just ran away with me there for a second.”
“Yeah, I imagine it did.”
His response feels like an accusation to my ears. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Onyx studies Jules for a second before asking, “Have you checked your bank account lately?”
“No. Why would I? My pay goes in there every week, and I hardly spend money on anything, so I’ve not really had any reason to check it recently.”
I gesture towards the far side of the room where my workbench is.
“Whatever this is about, let’s talk about it privately.
” The two of them move over to my work area.
I step over to the door, turn the lock, and flip the sign over to say closed.
By the time I get there, Onyx has his laptop open on my workbench.
“What’s this all about, cuz?”
“Jules had her bank accounts frozen this morning.”
Jules gasps. “I don’t understand. Why would my bank do something like that?”
“I checked on that for you. Your accounts were put on hold secondary to suspected fraud.”
“How could that be? Did someone try to access my account? I’ve heard of banks shutting down accounts to protect the client’s money.”
Onyx shakes his head. “Someone deposited stolen money into your checking account yesterday using an ATM in Long Beach.”
Both Jules and I are stunned. I feel my anxiety start melting away, and something hardens in my chest.
“Whoever this was, they used her account number and the last four digits of her social,” Onyx explains calmly. “The bills they deposited matched the serial numbers from a bank robbery in Inglewood.”
Jules finally lowers herself onto the stool beside my bench. “That’s a long way from Cedar Falls, and I was here this whole time. I’ve not left Cedar Falls since I arrived weeks ago.”
“Hell, Inglewood is north of LA, which would add another two hours to a four-hour drive. The bank must have realized it wasn’t her. Don’t they have video surveillance?”
“Yeah, the LAPD are pulling it even as we speak,” Onyx responds.
“So why has no one contacted me?” Jules asks.
“I’m guessing they know it wasn’t you and flagged it as suspicious. Did anyone contact you? Your bank might have tried emailing, sometimes it goes into the junk folder.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” she asks, while scrolling through her phone.
Onyx takes a deep breath. “Your bank flagged the account for a human review. Whoever was eyes-on made a referral to law enforcement, which in turn was sent to the feds. Depending upon what they find, they’ll likely want to interview you.”
“What do you mean by the feds?” I ask.
“The FBI. Bank robbery is a federal crime.”
Jules tears up, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. That’s enough to get me moving. I come up behind her and wrap both arms around her shoulders. She leans back against me and turns her face into the crook of my arm.
“Tell me this wasn’t those fuckin’ mobsters,” I say.
“Who else would it be? I already double checked the location and discovered the ATM they used sits in a strip mall owned through a shell company connected to Anthony Terrance.”
I begin grinding my teeth without meaning to.
Jules begins to cry.
“They can’t physically get to her,” Onyx explains. “Not while you and the club have her under lock and key. So, it makes sense that they’re trying to apply indirect pressure. It’s not gonna work though. I spoke to Morgan before I came here, they know you didn’t deposit the money.”
“They know we got our hands on that sedan, and they’re messin’ with Jules to get at us.”
“I’m tired,” Jules whispers. “I just need it all to be over.”
“Hey,” I say, tilting her face up again. Her eyes are scared, and it hits me that I should be leading a full-frontal assault on the Terrances instead of waiting to get an ID on the victim from the trunk. I can’t prioritize finding him over protecting Jules.
“You two aren’t dealing with this alone,” Onyx states firmly. “The club is here for you. Jasper thinks the two of you need to close up the shop again and come back to the clubhouse where we can protect you.”
“What do you think?” Jules asks quietly.
“I agree with Jasper. The Sons compound is a fuckin’ fortress. My old man designed it for moments like this.” After a pause, he continues, “The two of you were happy at the clubhouse. Coming back under the club’s protection shouldn’t be a hard choice.”
Jules speaks before I can. “It’s not. I love the clubhouse. It was just starting to feel like a perpetual vacation. I like working here, are you saying I need to be on some kind of lockdown?”
Onyx finally relaxes. “I know it’s hard, but it’s not forever. Maybe Tessa can find you something to do. There’s a lot that needs doing around the clubhouse. Keeping busy might take your mind off this shitty situation, at least until we can resolve it.”