Chapter Sixteen
Jinx let her tears fall as she held Bekkett. His pain and loss hurt her like it was she who’d lost a child. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to live without a piece of himself.
“Don’t cry, Jinx. It’s in the past. I’m doing better.”
She sniffed. “I’m not crying.”
He wiped his eyes and smiled. She could see the strain in his face.
“Nancy was still alive when they found them. I hated her. I refused to see her. My mom helped me plan Sarah’s funeral.
She...she looked perfect. A broken neck.
That’s what...why she didn’t survive. Nancy was beaten all to hell and back.
Her mother came to the funeral, begging me to visit her daughter.
She said that Nancy was suffering and needed me to tell her it was okay.
I told her to tell Nancy to go to Hell. Fuck, I meant it.
I still hope she’s burning for all eternity.
She died a week after I buried my daughter.
My mother came to me and asked if Nancy could be buried next to her daughter.
Fuck. I was so pissed. My family knew she’d killed Sarah, and they were asking me to allow her murderer to rest beside her.
And then, they informed me they’d said yes.
I had no say. They owned the plot and gave it to Nancy’s family.
I packed my shit and returned to Harvard.
I met Hollywood, that’s one of my brothers in the MC.
He offered me a place to stay in California after I graduated, so I took it.
He had connections and hooked me up with the Royal MC.
It was easy to hide in plain sight when you have men like King and Duke Royal.
They’re the President and VP of the Royal Bastards Santa Clarita Chapter. That’s my home chapter.”
“So, that was like five, six years ago?” she asked, doing the math in her head.
“Yeah. I kept my distance for a few years until my dad had a minor heart attack. Every year, I came back and visited Sarah’s grave, but I didn’t go home.
I’d come up, spend a few hours at the cemetery, and then head out.
I still do, but now I go home to see my parents.
My relationship with Samson is the only strained one.
He blames me for our dad’s heart issue. I told him it’s his fault because he doesn’t take on enough of the workload.
He’s too much of a pussy. You know, normal sibling bullshit. ”
She let him change the subject, knowing he needed the respite. A question popped into her mind. “Where are her parents now?”
He stiffened. “They moved down to Florida to be near Nancy’s grandparents.”
She kissed his bare chest. “Thank you for sharing. I’m sorry for your loss. It seems such a weak thing to say, but truly, I’m sorry.”
Viking palmed the back of her head and rocked them side-to-side. “Thank you.”
They stood in the center of her kitchen, letting the silence be their background while their hearts beat a rhythm. She closed her eyes, memorizing the moment she capitulated that she’d fallen completely and totally in love with Bekkett Larsen.
On the counter behind her, a buzz interrupted the quiet. She groaned, unwilling to leave his embrace. When the buzz stopped, she sighed, and then it went off again.
“Are you expecting a call?” he asked, leaning back slightly to stare down at her.
“No, not usually. Maybe it’s the tow guy about my truck.”
He turned her around, keeping his hands on her hips. “Better answer it. It would suck if he said he couldn’t get to your rig, or if he fucked it up. I’d hate to have to kill someone while I’m visiting my family.”
She peered over her shoulder, wondering why he sounded as if he were being honest. As if killing someone was something he’d done on more than one occasion.
Jinx swiped up her cell phone just as it began ringing again. “Hello?”
“Jinx? Thank god you're safe. Where are you?” Fred yelled.
She pulled the phone back from her ear. “Calm down, Fred. Why are you hysterical? I’m home. Where else would I be?”
Jinx stepped away from Viking, pacing a path in front of her long counter while her best friend spoke to someone in the background.
“The bar was on fire, and your truck is in the back. We thought you were inside,” he muttered.
“Wait, what? When? How bad is it? Fuck. I’m on my way. Is your dad aware? Shit, is Jordan with you? Are you both okay?” She hurried toward the stairs, intent on getting her purse and heading to the bar. “Shit,” she cursed, turned, and slammed into Viking.
“Easy, Vakker. I got you.”
“Whoa. Who’s there with you?” Fred asked.
She looked at Bekkett, who smirked down at her with a knowing grin.
“That’s my friend Bekkett,” she said.
Viking picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
She stifled a scream but kept hold of her phone. “I’ll be at the bar in twenty minutes. Will you be there?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna grab some brunch. We should be back by then. By the way, Frank is pretty upset. He was worried you were...were inside the rubble.”
She closed her eyes, imagining the horror they’d felt seeing her truck outside and thinking the worst. “I’ll call him.”
She and Viking pulled into the parking lot of Taps, navigating around several vehicles until they reached the back lot.
Her truck, with its two flat tires, looked sad and lonely, sitting under the glaring midday sun.
Viking backed his big truck in next to hers, keeping his focus on the people in front of them.
“This is a fucking circus. They need to clear all these people out of here, or any evidence is getting trampled.”
She jerked her head toward him, stunned at his words. “What do you mean, evidence?”
“Just saying. Allowing all these locals to be so close to a possible crime is dumb as shit. You work there. Can you think of a legitimate reason for a fire to have broken out? Were there old wiring or shortcuts that you could see that might’ve led to a blaze of that magnitude?”
When they’d driven up, the front, which had been glass-encased in brick and stone, didn’t have any glass.
Smoke billowed from the open window, and the roof appeared to be gone, but she imagined it still rested somewhere inside the building.
Her heart hurt for Frank and the rest of her team.
Hell, she loved working at Taps, but she didn’t need the income.
A knock on the window next to her startled the crap out of her. “Shit, Fred,” she gasped. She opened the door, enveloping her friend in a hug. The seatbelt kept her locked in place as he tried to pull her out, making her grunt.
“Holy shit. You’re with Mr. Sexy Grumpy Guy from the other night. How the hell did that happen? Girlfriend, you owe me deets.” Fred winked.
“Hey, Fred. How are you feeling?” Bekkett asked.
Cold wind blasted through the open door, making her shiver.
“Hold that thought. Can I climb in the back, and we talk while we all stay warm?”
Bekkett nodded. Jinx pulled her feet back inside and slammed her door shut once Fred cleared the space. Her friend hurried into the back, rocking the truck with his exuberance.
“You’re like a big kid,” she joked.
Fred held his hands over his face, blowing into the clasped fingers. He stared between the seats, eyes bouncing between the two of them. “So, what’s up with the two of you?”
“Never mind all that. What happened here?” Jinx waved toward the building behind them.
Fred sat back with a dejected sigh. “We don’t know yet.
The Fire Marshal says it will take time, but they should be able to find where the fire started and work from there.
The actual source can take anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on complexity.
He said he could give Dad a quick assessment in a day or two.
Still, a full, detailed report with forensic analysis can take months, especially if there is suspicious activity or extensive damage, which may require detailed examination of burn patterns, witness statements, and physical evidence.
In this case, the only witnesses are you since you were the last one here. ”
Jinx twisted in the seat, staring in dawning horror. “Do they think I had anything to do with that?”
Fear became a pit in her abdomen.
Fred’s eyes widened. “Oh, lord. No, never. We were scared at the thought that you might be a casualty. When I called you, it was after my dad phoned me asking if you’d stayed at the bar overnight.
He sounded worried. I had to drag the reason out of him.
Only after driving over to the bar myself did I understand his question.
You know, Dad loves you like you were the daughter he never had.
Oh, look, there’s him and the Fire Marshal. ”
She shifted back around, taking in Frank's slumped shoulders and worn appearance. The man who’d hired her when she’d applied without references because he said he saw potential, paying her under the table, looked years older. “Poor Frank. He loves Taps.”
“He can rebuild. You could’ve been inside. It was a good thing he told you to go home.” Viking reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Oh fuck. Oh shit. I didn’t think about that. Fred, I need to know if that fire was an accident.” She moved to push the door open.
Viking reached over, grabbing her arm. “Wait. If someone set the place on fire, thinking you were there, we need to be thinking about your safety.”
“You think someone set the place on fire, hoping Jinx was inside?” Fred asked.
Viking glanced over his shoulder, meeting her best friend's gaze. “You said it yourself. The Fire Marshal and your father are asking questions. The fact that her rig was here all night means it’s possible that the blaze was set on purpose, then whoever is responsible might have intended to hurt Blair, or they might consider her a witness. Either way, she needs to keep a low profile until the truth is known.”
Jinx blew out a breath. “Well, that sucks.”
“She’s got a great way of putting things.” Fred patted her shoulder.
“He’s like an annoying puppy you really want to take back to the original owner, but you can’t because they moved states.” Jinx crossed her arms over her chest.
“Ouch, that was rude. Have you ever had a pet?” Fred asked.
“No, because they’re like living things you have to take care of.
I am smart enough to know when you decide to take on that sort of responsibility, you need to be prepared to be all in.
Unlike some people we know.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke, knowing they both were aware of his roommate’s penchant to take in strays and then fob them off on others.
They’d tried to get her to adopt several times.
“That must be your dad heading this way. Thank fuck most of the looky-loos decided to head home or whatever. I can’t believe they allowed everyone and their brothers to trample all over the lot before gathering evidence.
” Viking still sounded disgusted by the situation. She was glad he’d been with her.
The older man wore a thick coat and gloves, but his face appeared red from exposure. His gaze locked on Jinx’s. His steps faltered slightly, and then he veered toward them.
“Here comes daddy,” Fred muttered.
“Dear God. Don’t say it like that,” Jinx said, looking over her shoulder at her crazy friend.
“Ew, you nasty.” Fred swatted at her head.
She rolled her window down, waiting for the older man to walk across the parking lot to where they were parked. Viking turned the heat up. His hand slid over hers, giving Jinx a reassuring pat.
Frank stopped next to Viking’s truck, his dark eyes scanning Jinx for injuries.