Chapter 14 Jj
Jj
The smoke is thick, hanging over us, as Cas hits his pack hard. Between him and my dad, they’re putting me off lighting up.
“We should be out there until we find them!” Myles yells, pounding his fist on the table in frustration.
Mason's eyes bore into the side of my head and I sigh. We’re all tired and it’s starting to show.
“And where would you be lookin’?” Cas demands. “They had at least twelve fuckin’ hours on us before we knew he was taken. I shouldn’t have to remind ya!”
Dad swigs from his bottle of tequila, using a glass long forgotten. The empty chairs are easier to ignore while we’re concentrating on Leo but Dad’s eyes keep cutting across to them and then he drinks more.
“What do you think, Jay?” Mason asks.
Clearing my throat, I tell him, “I think we’re wasting time sitting here going round in fuckin’ circles.”
Cas snorts and I swing my eyes toward him. “You think I'm wrong?”
“If Hopper was gonna kill him, he would’ve done it already and sent us his body. We’ve got some time.”
“Every second that passes is a second closer to him putting a bullet in Leo’s head, we all know it. We should...”
Slamming his hand on the table, Cas grunts, “You should do as I say, we have no idea where the fuck they are. We start ridin’ and learn they’re in the opposite fuckin’ direction, that could cost Leo his life and I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“You’re not wrong, but you ain’t all right either,” I argue.
Dad slams his bottle on the table and grunts, “Leo will become your generation’s Oak, and you sons will meet pain like we did.”
I’ve heard on countless occasions about the time Dad was captured and Oak was killed. I never met the guy but it’s like I know him as well as I do everyone alive today.
“Fuck’s sake, Dad, that shit ain’t helping.”
“My son ain’t dyin’!” Cas yells taking us all by surprise.
He's somewhat a quiet guy. The quieter, the deadlier. I realise that it’s only now I see fear in the old man’s eyes.
Having enough of the back and forth, I sit forward and rest my elbows on the table.
“We’ll split ourselves in two, I'll call Zach in and him, Mason and myself will ride out, not too far but far enough to see if anyone has seen them pass through...”
Cas is already shaking his head. “No, Hopper will reach out, the fucker is toying with us, he’s enjoying it. He'll make his move soon enough and we’ll be ready when he does.”
The twins both look to me, and I remember what patch I wear.
“Cas, you know I have nothing but respect for you, have done my whole life, but I'm the Vice President and when Leo ain’t around, it’s on me to call the shots.”
His laughter runs through me, icing the blood in my veins. “Until my son walks through that door, I call the fuckin’ shots.”
It doesn’t bear thinking about it, but I still ask, “What if he doesn’t?”
“Then shit around here is gonna change.”
“Have you even called the other chapters in yet?” Mason cuts in.
“Until we know where Leo is, there’s no need. It could turn out they’re closer than we are. I was your president for years, I don’t know why you’re fuckin’ doubting me now.”
He slams the gavel down and I'm the last to leave the backroom. Mason and Myles eyes follow my every step as I storm out of the bar. I should have seen this coming, especially with Leo out of the picture. Cas was never going to sit back, I doubt it’s in his blood not to.
I light a cigarette and tip my head back as I exhale the smoke sky high.
“Cas is losing his mind. You need to step on it before long.”
Mason comes up beside me and Myles hangs back in the bar. “I’m well aware.”
“He’s calling shots like this is back in the day.
Leo said himself that Hopper is irrational, personally, I think we need to act it ourselves.
Grumps said once that in order for the club to keep moving forward, it had to move with the times.
You and Leo are the times. With Leo not around, you’re the one. ”
“Mase, what the fuck do you want me to do? The way Cas is running shit ain’t what I would do but it does make sense.”
“Either way, if we don’t do something soon, Hopper will kill Leo and I don’t think this club can take another death.”
He heads back into the bar and I drop the cigarette butt, having forgotten to smoke it.
It’s quiet as I walk over to the house and let myself in. Holly doesn’t notice me as she cleans and scrubs the inside of the kitchen cupboards. The babies are sleeping in their bassinet, and Rayna is nowhere in sight.
I climb the stairs and find Harper bathing Gunner.
The floor is soaked. Usually, I'm the one getting into trouble for flooding the place at Gunner’s bath time.
Gunner and I have made a game of it, though she’s not playing.
She leans on the tub, resting her head on her arm as Gunner plays with the toy boats.
She’s tired and I don’t know how much longer it’s going to be before she breaks.
I lean against the doorframe and stand there for a few minutes before my son notices me.
“Daddy!”
I grin and Harper lifts her head to look at me. Fuck, she is so beautiful. It kills me that she ever has to feel anything but content. I know it’s not possible to be constantly happy but to me, being content is an easier version of happiness that is achievable.
“I wasn’t expecting you back tonight,” she murmurs.
“Yeah, well, your dad has taken over and is now calling the shots.” I can’t help the bitterness in my tone, not that she notices it.
“He knows what he’s doing. He'll bring Leo home, and you’ll get justice for my uncle.”
Frowning, I remind her, “We already dealt with the traitor.”
“Not just him. Hopper’s the one who showed up here and opened fire. He needs to die too. Dad has dealt with men like him for years and he’s still here. He knows what he’s doing,” she repeats.
“He’s not the president anymore,” I also remind her.
“Fuck, Jay, I don’t know. Work with him, you both want the same outcome.”
She looks back to Gunner and reaches for a towel. “My dad isn’t your enemy, babe.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“What are you saying then? Cause your complaining sounds exactly like you did.”
“I think he’s wrong.” I explain how Cas wants to deal with the situation and she suggests, “Why don’t half of you stay here for his call, and the rest of you head out and start looking?”
I smirk. “That was my plan but he shot it down.”
She tosses me the bath towel and asks, “Can you get him out for me, please?”
“Sure.”
She pulls the plug and moves out of the way as I step into her place. Wrapping my boy up in the towel, I lift him out and carry him through to our room. His pyjamas are already laid out on his fold up cot and I dry him off and get him ready for bed.
“You don’t look tired, son.”
“I’m not.” He grins.
“Well it’s bedtime,” Harper tells him, and I roll my eyes behind her back, making him chuckle.
“Why don’t we watch a movie?” she asks him.
He nods and runs across the room, jumping on the bed. Harper makes herself comfortable and the vacant gleam in her eyes sets me on edge.
I lean over and kiss the top of Gunner’s head and then press my lips to Harper’s.
“I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Night, Dad”
“Goodnight, son.”
Harper grabs the remote and looks up at me. “Don’t get yourself snatched.”
I do my best to smile. “I’ll try not to.”
I stop in the doorway on my way out and silently vow to hurry this the fuck up, life needs to get back to normal.
Downstairs, Holly is filling the sink bowl with clean soapy water and gazing out of the window. I lean across and turn the faucet off when it runs over.
“Sorry, I zoned out.”
“It’s all good. Don’t worry about it.”
“Harper has been rambling a lot over the last couple of days, not making sense.”
I’m not surprised to hear that. “I was going to ask a favor. I know you’ve got enough going on, but can you keep an eye on her and call me straight away if she gets worse.”
“Sure. As busy as it is, I need her around.”
“Thanks. I should head over to the bar. I’ll have my phone on me.”
“See you later.”
The twins sit alone at Pope’s table, and I take a seat at the bar. The prospect hands me a beer and without Cas’s smoke fog filling the place out, I light my own and inhale deeply.
I'm soon joined by Mason and I close my eyes. “Sitting on our asses is bullshit,” he grunts.
“Don’t start again, I can’t deal with you repeating shit I’ve heard before.”
“You’re our VP, figure it out and tell us what to do.”
He walks off and I sigh. I'm fucking sick of sighing. My dad used to tell me it was a sign of thinking too much. I know Leo, I trust him to keep himself alive as long as he possibly can. He knows how to handle himself. In return, he knows me. He’ll trust that I’ll be doing what I can to bring him home.
“Do you want some company?” a soft voice asks, and I look around to see who she’s talking to.
Turns out, it’s me. I go back to drinking my beer and ignore her.
She moves closer and the smell of her perfume is sickly sweet. “You look like you need to forget about the world.” She runs her hand over my crotch, and I grab her wrist.
“Touch me again, and I’ll hack your hand off,” I warn her.
Fear flashes in her eyes but then she smiles and leans even closer.
“I bet you could show me a thing or two if we were to go somewhere more private, or I could definitely show you a thing or two.” Her lips brush against my ear as she whispers, “I can do this thing with my tongue, it’d make you come so hard you’ll pass out. ”
Without hesitation, I tell her, “So can my wife, now fuck off.”
With one last smirk, she tells me, “I’ll be around if you change your mind.”
“Not fuckin’ likely,” I grunt and leave myself.
I need to be out of here. It's driving me crazy. My phone rings and the one person other than Cas I don’t want to deal with right now is calling.
“Luca,” I answer.
“My dad wants me riding to Willow’s Peak with my chapter. What are you saying?”
I snort. “Your dad is making it fuckin’ clear he’s takin’ the lead on this.”
“You’re the fuckin’ VP.”
“You ain’t got to remind me.”
Though that seems to be what everyone is doing.
“You’re not agreeing with him?”
“Not at the moment. He’s not listening to my suggestions.”
“Get a plan in motion and let me know.”
The fucker hangs up and I ache to smash the shit out of my phone.
As much as the asshole annoys the shit out of me most of the time, he’s an asset to the club.
It’s been a while since I stopped seeing him a kid, and saw him for the man he’s become.
I’d trust him at my side as much as I do his older brother.
The fucker can fight and has less fear than I do.
Heading over to the garages, I open the secret floor hatch and take out three boxes of ammunition and store one each in mine and the twins saddlebags.
Every inch of this place is in my blood, it’s all I’ve ever known and I have no interest in it ever changing.
But this place won’t be the same if we don’t bring Leo back.
Dad would be right, I would know what the old timers feel after losing such a close brother.
But unlike them, I’m not going to let it happen.
Over my dead body will Hopper take out my best friend and my brother.