Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ZERO
I wasn’t sure what the plan was for telling Jasper about me and Simone.
I figured we’d keep it to ourselves at least while we got to know each other better.
No need to complicate things if it didn’t work out.
We had crazy chemistry, but I was old enough by now to understand that chemistry wasn’t enough for a relationship.
Especially with the amount of baggage I’d be bringing to the table.
I didn’t want to confuse the kids while they were still getting settled.
After the diaper bag was properly packed and Isla was dressed and got her hair refreshed and styled by Simone, we headed out to the mall together.
I hadn’t been in a while, hadn’t really had a reason to go, so I wasn’t familiar with the layout.
Simone had to point me to the nearest parking lot to the baby store, and after we were done shopping for Isla, I figured we’d hang around a while and see if there was anything Jasper wanted while we were there.
He seemed game to look, at least, and Simone was unbothered by the suggestion, holding Isla like she’d done it a million times before and whispering to her while Jasper and I looked through some racks for a new hoodie for him.
He kept reusing the same one because he said it was his favorite.
I was hoping to find one similar enough that he could at least switch it out long enough to wash it more often.
“Why are people giving you dirty looks?” Jasper murmured.
I looked up with a frown. Sure enough, there were a few shoppers nearby glaring at me, and the cashier looked downright suspicious. I sighed.
“That’s normal. If I’m out in my club cut, people assume the worst.”
“So why wear it, then?” he challenged. “They’d leave you the hell alone if you didn’t.”
“Because I didn’t do anything wrong,” I countered.
“I’m literally just looking at clothes. If I constantly hid my connection to my crew, I’d be hiding half of myself just to fit in.
I never subscribed to that mindset. I don’t want to fit in.
I want to wear my cut without anyone looking twice at me.
Why should I be the one to change when I’ve done nothing wrong? ”
The shopper nearest us, an older man with a white goatee, scoffed.
“Maybe not you specifically, but your crew has been causing trouble for weeks. All that nonsense about doing good for our community was only a ruse wasn’t it?
A way for us to relax our guard so you could start causing trouble again. ”
Straightening, I frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
Another shopper, this one a woman with a blonde ponytail, waved her hands while she spoke. “The break-ins? The vandalism? Any of that ring a bell? Your crew has been at it for weeks now!”
Break-ins? Vandalism? That didn’t make any sense. My crew didn’t screw around like that. Prez would kill us.
My mind flickered back to the call from a while back. Butch warned me Battle’s crew was causing trouble. People were blaming us for it. Which was probably his fucking plan all along.
“That wasn’t us. There’s another crew trying to push into our territory. They don't follow the same rules we do.”
“And why should we believe you?” the old man demanded.
Opening my mouth, I was going to list off all the shit we’d done for the community in the past few months, but before I could, the sound of breaking glass and screams echoed from outside and spilled into the shop.
Simone moved automatically, pulling Isla protectively against her body and grabbing Jasper’s arm.
I looked between them and the exit, fear and determination making me hesitate.
I needed to get them out. I couldn’t let them get hurt.
How the hell was I supposed to protect them in a damn mall?
People ran past the shop entrance, looking terrified, and I knew we couldn’t get out that way. Spinning around, I looked at the cashier, who looked scared now. “Hey! Is there another way out? A back entrance?”
She jumped at my sharp tone, her eyes darting between me and the glass windows at the front of the shop. She was panicking and that wouldn’t help us right now. Moving in front of her, I blocked her view, making sure her eyes were locked on me.
“Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. I need to know if there’s another exit.”
She shook her head rapidly. “I don’t think so.”
“What about a storage room? Somewhere you all can hide.”
That finally got a sharp nod.
“Okay, good. Take these people into the back. Make sure no one makes a sound, alright? I’ll lock the door and shut off the lights–”
“You can’t!” she interrupted, her voice trembling as she hastened to come out from behind the counter. “There’s an electric box to shut the lights off. Only the manager has the key to it, and I don’t know how to turn it all off.”
That would be a problem for her, but not for me. “I’m an electrician, sweetheart. I can handle it. Now go.”
Thank god, Simone didn’t hesitate or try to argue.
She hurried to move the kids to the back of the store, disappearing into the storage room with the rest of them.
When the door closed and I heard the lock snick, I moved to the main door first, locking it before heading to the back where the panel was against one wall.
Thank fuck, it had a universal key lock on it.
I always kept one on my keys just in case.
A quick twist and it popped open. I turned off all the lights, but not the security cameras and alarms, hoping if they still tried to break in, the alarms would go off and scare whoever was causing trouble from looking too closely inside.
I was just closing the panel when a shadow passed in front of the glass front of the store.
I ducked out of sight, peeking around the rack of clothing.
I couldn’t see shit from back here, and I wanted to see if I could identify the criminals causing trouble. Pulling out my phone, I moved, staying low as I snuck through the racks until I was close enough to the front window to see out.
“Where’d he go?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know. I saw the cut, and did what Battle asked us to do. I didn’t think we needed to chase the asshole around.”
“The whole point of this shit is to make it look like it's the damn Dirty Devils,” the first guy hissed. “We can’t do that if none of their guys are in the damn area!”
Zooming in on the guy talking, I hoped my phone could pick up the conversation. With the distant alarms and the way the windows and locked door muffled their voices, I couldn’t be certain I was getting anything decent.
“He can’t have left. We’ve got guys in the parking lot. He’s probably hiding like a little bitch.”
My eye twitched at the insult, but I stayed out of sight. They could spout shit all they wanted. I wasn’t risking my life to confront them like some kind of damn hero. Prez said to avoid them at all costs. I had too much to protect to pick a fight.
“Which store did he go in?”
“I thought he went in that one, but the lights are off and the door’s locked. It’s gotta be closed.”
“That or they locked it to keep us out.”
My stomach tightened uncomfortably. I’d hoped they weren’t smart enough to think of that idea. Only real idiots would stick around in a mall when there were already alarms blaring in another area.
“Should we break the window? If he’s in there, he’ll look guilty.”
“Do it. Then we need to go. I don’t want to get caught and end up in jail. This shit is stupid. We should be just taking them out like we normally would.”
My blood turned to ice in my veins at that comment. It didn’t take a genius to guess what they meant by that. The Dirty Devils didn’t carry weapons. We weren’t that kind of crew. If Battle’s crew attacked, there would be fuckall we could do about it. And with kids in and out of the club…
The front window shattered and I heard a muffled cry from the storage room that sounded a lot like Isla. Shit. If she started screaming, it’d give away their location. I’d have no choice but to confront the assholes. Armed or not, I wasn’t letting them near those kids. They’d been through enough.
Looking around, I spotted a metal bar that looked like part of a clothing rack under the register.
I’d have to cross the aisle to get there, but if they came in, they’d see me anyway and I needed something to protect the people in the storage closet.
I kept recording because I knew I’d need the proof to clear the club’s name from this mess, but didn’t pay much attention to what it was filming.
I peeked from behind the clothing rack I was using to hide, watching the two idiots knock off some overhanging glass that hadn’t fallen before stepping inside.
I was gearing myself up to run for the metal bar when someone shouted behind them, making them both turn around.
Using the opportunity, I lunged across the aisle, snatching up the bar without any finesse whatsoever.
“There he is!” one of them shouted. I heard the crunch of their boots as they came closer, tightening my grip on the bar as I prepared to fight guns with nothing but a clothing rack bar to protect myself.
This shit was messed up. I joined this club for a reason.
I never wanted to deal with shit like this.
“Piston! Gravestone! Let’s go!”
Holding my breath, I waited for them to decide whether it was worth it to confront me or not. They must’ve decided it wasn’t because the crunch of their footsteps sounded like they were walking away, not getting closer.
“Fucking pussy,” one of them called into the store. “Tell your prez Battle is running out of patience. He can leave town or we’ll face him directly. His choice.”
They ran off without waiting for a response, and when I risked a look and saw the empty storefront, I slumped against the register desk, letting out a long breath.
I noticed my phone on the floor where I’d dropped it when I lunged for the bar, snagging it and stopping the recording.
I sent it immediately to Prez and Wraith, pushing to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I went to the back and knocked on the storage door.
“They’re gone. You can come out.”
The door opened and to my surprise, Jasper was the first to come out, latching around my middle with a tight grip.
I dropped the metal bar in surprise, stumbling on unsteady legs before I caught myself and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.
I shot a questioning look at Simone, who looked a little pale, Isla still cuddled close against her chest.
“He was worried about you.”
Hugging him a little tighter, I rested my cheek against the top of his head. Sort of felt like I needed the comfort as much as he did. “I’m alright. It’s going to be alright.”
The sound of boots running toward us made me stiffen, but before the police could start pointing fingers, the older guy from before stepped in front of me and Jasper. “It wasn’t him. He locked this place down and helped us hide. You’re looking for the wrong guy.”