Chapter 6 - Jenny
I find Amelia and Anna in the safe room at the back of the clubhouse, a space I'd heard about but never seen until now. Tank had mentioned they built it after the Iron Eagles attacked King and Luna at Emma's house last week, but I hadn't expected something so comprehensive.
Reinforced walls, security monitors, supplies to last weeks, the Savage Riders don't mess around when it comes to protection.
"Jenny!" Amelia looks up from where she's sitting on a small cot, Anna curled against her side. Relief washes over her face. "Thank God. Are you okay? Tank said the Eagles attacked while you were out with Beast."
"I'm fine," I assure her, closing the heavy door behind me. "We came straight back when Tank called. How's Anna doing?"
The little girl lifts her head at the sound of her name, her eyes red-rimmed from crying but dry now. She clutches her stuffed rabbit Hoppy to her chest, fingers nervously stroking its worn ears.
"Miss Jenny," she says in a small voice. "The bad men came with loud noises."
My heart clenches at her words. Anna's been through so much already. Her father's abuse, fleeing her home, adjusting to a new town, and now this. I crouch down to her level, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"I know, sweetie. But your uncles won't let the bad men hurt you. That's why you're in this special room."
"Like a fort?" she asks, a glimmer of interest replacing some of the fear in her eyes.
"Exactly like a fort," I agree. "The strongest fort ever. And I bet Beast is outside right now making sure everything's extra safe."
At the mention of Beast, a curious expression crosses Anna's face. "He's really big. Like a bear."
I can't help but smile. "He is like a bear, isn't he? Big and strong and scary to bad people, but not to us."
Anna nods solemnly, as if this makes perfect sense to her five-year-old mind. "Uncle Tank says we're safe with the Savage Riders."
"Your Uncle Tank is right," I say, standing and turning to Amelia. "How are you holding up?"
Amelia shrugs, exhaustion evident in the slump of her shoulders. "Better than I thought I would. Tank had us in here before I could even process what was happening. His military training kicks in fast."
The fondness in her voice when she mentions my brother is unmistakable.
Their relationship developed almost immediately after arriving in Blackwater Falls.
Two wounded souls finding healing in each other.
I'm happy for them both, especially after everything Amelia endured with her abusive ex-husband.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Amelia asks quietly, glancing at Anna to make sure she's distracted with Hoppy.
"Rookie got some glass in his face, and Chaos has a graze wound on his arm," I reply in an equally hushed tone. "Nothing serious, Luna's patching them up."
Amelia nods, relief evident in her expression.
"So," she says, a hint of teasing entering her voice despite our circumstances, "you were out with Beast when this happened? Tank seemed... concerned when he realized you two were together."
Heat creeps up my neck. "It's not what you think."
"No?" Her eyebrows arch. "Because I've seen the way he watches you when you're not looking. And the way you watch him back."
"It's... complicated," I admit, not ready to confess the whole fake relationship scheme. "We were at his mother's house for dinner."
Amelia's eyes widen. "You met his mother? That's definitely not nothing, Jenny."
Before I can formulate a response, the door to the safe room opens, and Beast himself fills the doorway.
My breath catches at the sight of him—tall, broad, dangerous in his leather cut with visible weapons now strapped to his body.
His dark eyes find mine immediately, something flickering in their depths before he addresses all of us.
"Everything's secure," he says, his deep voice steady and reassuring. "King and the others are preparing to head out to handle the situation. I'm staying here to oversee security. You're all safe."
"Thank you, Beast," Amelia says, her arm tightening around Anna.
The little girl stares up at Beast with wide eyes, then asks with childish directness, "Are you going to hurt the bad men who made the loud noises?"
Beast's expression softens as he looks at Anna, and something in my chest tightens at the gentleness that comes over his normally hard features.
"The bad men won't come back here," he says simply. "I promise."
Anna seems satisfied with this answer, nodding gravely before turning her attention back to Hoppy.
"You can come out of the safe room if you want," Beast continues, addressing all of us. "The clubhouse is secure, and Luna could use some help with Rookie and Chaos. They're being typical men about their injuries."
This draws a small smile from Amelia. "I'll come help. I worked as a CNA before Anna was born." She turns to her daughter. "Want to come with Mommy to help make the hurt men feel better?"
Anna nods, sliding off the cot and taking her mother's hand. They follow Beast out of the room, but as I move to join them, Beast puts a hand on my arm, stopping me.
"Can we talk for a minute?" he asks, his voice low enough that only I can hear.
My pulse quickens at his touch, remembering how his hand felt on my thigh during dinner, how my pussy throbbed each time his fingers moved higher. I nod, stepping back into the safe room.
Beast follows, closing the door partway. Not for complete privacy, but enough that our conversation won't be overheard by casual passersby.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his gaze sweeping over me as if checking for injuries.
"I'm fine," I assure him. "Just worried about everyone."
He nods, seeming relieved. "I'm staying. You'll be safe."
"I'm not worried about myself," I say, then hesitate before adding, "Your mother… Will she be okay? Do the Eagles know about her?"
"No, they don't know about her. I've kept her separate from club business. But I've arranged for Shadow to drive by her place tonight, just to be sure."
I nod, relieved. In the short time I've known Elaine Murphy, I've grown fond of her warmth and straightforward kindness.
"About Sunday dinner," Beast says, running a hand through his hair. "Given what's happening, maybe we should—"
"Cancel?" I finish for him, ignoring the little stab of disappointment I feel.
"Postpone," he corrects. "Just until this situation with the Eagles is resolved. For safety."
"Of course," I agree, though part of me was looking forward to another evening pretending to be his girlfriend, feeling his hand on my thigh, his eyes on my body. "Your mother will understand."
"Yeah." He shifts his weight, seeming uncomfortable. "About Tank... he's not happy about us being together tonight."
"Not a surprise."
"What are we going to tell him?" Beast asks. "Stick to the fake relationship story, or come clean?"
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, watching as Beast's eyes track the movement. "I don't know. Part of me wants to just tell the truth, but with everything going on with the Iron Eagles, it seems like such a trivial thing to be worrying about."
Beast's jaw tightens. "Nothing about you is trivial, Jenny."
I swallow hard, trying to maintain focus on the conversation.
"I just mean... maybe we keep up the charade for now," I suggest. "At least until this crisis is over. Then we can figure out how to untangle the mess we've created."
"If that's what you want. But Tank won't let this go easily. You know how protective he is of you."
"He doesn't get to be protective now," I say with sudden heat. "Not after abandoning me with our father for four years."
The moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them.
Tank and I have largely made peace with our past. I understand why he had to leave.
Our father's abuse had nearly broken him, and the military was his only escape.
We've talked through much of the hurt, but in moments of stress or anger, the old wounds still bleed.
Beast's expression darkens. "He never talked much about it, but always said your old man was a mean drunk."
I laugh bitterly. "Mean drunk is putting it mildly. He was a monster when he drank, which was most of the time. Used his fists freely, especially after Tank wasn't around to take the brunt of it anymore."
Beast's expression hardens, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "He hit you?"
The raw anger in his voice surprises me. "It was a long time ago," I say, trying to sound dismissive even as old memories surface.
The sound of a belt being pulled through loops, the smell of whiskey, the sting of a backhand across my face.
"That's not an answer," Beast says quietly, stepping closer.
I look up at him, at the intensity burning in his dark eyes, and find I can't lie. "Yes. He hit me. Often. Said I was worthless, just like my whore mother. Said I'd never amount to anything."
A muscle jumps in Beast's jaw. "Where is he now?"
The question catches me off guard. "Why?"
"Just curious," Beast says in a tone that suggests his curiosity is anything but casual.
"I don't know," I admit. "Last I heard, he was still in the same shitty house in Cedar Falls. Probably drinking himself to death."
Beast nods, filing this information away, and I realize with a start that I've just potentially put my father in danger. The thought should disturb me, but I couldn’t care less. He deserves everything bad in the world.
"Look," I say, changing the subject, "about this fake relationship thing. For now, let's just stick to the story. There's enough chaos without adding more."
Beast doesn’t seem sure but still nods. "Alright. But your brother's not going to like it."
"I can handle Tank," I say with more confidence than I feel.
A commotion from the main room draws our attention. Raised voices, the sound of something heavy falling. Beast is immediately on alert, hand going to the gun at his hip.
"Stay here," he orders, all softness gone from his expression as he transforms back into the biker I first met.