Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Julie
Blowing out a deep breath, I pace his room.
I’m bored.
I’m not used to being idle. Even on my days off, I am constantly doing something because there is always something to be done.
So sitting here, essentially locked up, isn’t going well.
That and I’m hungry. So hungry.
I eye the door. Yak asked me to stay in his room, but he also said there were guys around that would watch my back.
Should I?
Indecision weighs heavily on me, but after a few more minutes, I decide to risk it.
Dressed in a pair of Yak’s sweats and a sweatshirt, I leave the room. I quietly make my way down the hall. The place is deserted, reminding me of a ghost town. My shoulders relax as I search for the kitchen.
When I stumble upon it, I smile when I see that it’s also empty and that there is a pot of coffee waiting and some fruit on the counter. Walking over to it, I pour myself a cup of coffee. Then I grab an apple from the bowl and begin to eat it as the coffee temp lowers to a drinkable heat.
Once the apple is gone, I throw the core in the trash and grab my cup, fully intending on heading back to Yak’s room, but before I can, the kitchen door swings open.
My heart stops when I see him walk in.
Aragon.
When the man sees me, his smile turns predatory. It’s so wide I swear I can see all of his teeth.
“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in and dropped right into my lap,” he sneers.
“Excuse me, I was just leaving,” I murmur, my voice oddly steady.
Aragon tsks. “You aren’t going anywhere, Bambi. We need to talk.”
“I don’t think we have anything to discuss. Now if you’ll excuse me.” I take a step forward, and he moves into my path, making me stop.
“Do you feel protected now that you have an old man? Now that you’re the president’s sister? Because let me tell you something, Bambi. You aren’t safe. I don’t give a fuck what they say. I saw you first,” he hisses as he takes a step closer. “You are mine.”
I can’t help but cringe as his breath hits me in the face, smelling like stale cigarettes. Before I can even come up with a reply, he continues with his rant.
“Besides, your man shouldn’t even be part of the club.
We all know he’s only here for Yooper, and as soon as they get sick of each other, he’s going to head back down to the States to his old club.
He has no loyalty and never should have been allowed to patch over.
Just another reason he can’t claim someone when he’s here.
Because he’s not really one of us. He’s not a King.
He hasn’t paid his time. Done his dues. No, he was handed a position based on the blood running through his veins, and it’s a fucking joke.
If I have my way, I’m going to make an example of him. ”
His ranting scares me. Not just for my safety but for Yak’s. I know things are new between us, but I would hate to see something bad happen to him. He doesn’t deserve it. He’s a good man.
A good man who’s killed two people, but that’s neither here nor there.
Aragon steps closer, making me freeze as he leans down into my space.
“As soon as I get him out of the way, Bambi, I’m making you mine. I’m going to take you in front of my brothers and show them what a real claiming looks like. Show you and them that I’m not one to be crossed.”
Cold hard fear hits me like a freight train and paralyzes me. Before I can come up with something to do to put space between us, the kitchen door swings open. I look over Aragon’s shoulder and breathe when I see Sap.
Sap speaks quietly. “Standing awfully close to a brother’s woman. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were about to break some rules.”
Aragon’s jaw clenches, but he takes a step back before turning to face him.
“You should mind your business, boy,” Aragon growls.
Sap raises a brow. “Last I checked, I’m a man, not a boy. As for minding my business, I am. Right now she is my business.”
Aragon’s fists clench at his sides. “You’re a fucking traitor. A goddamn pathetic follower. You know this isn’t right. Yak has no business integrating into our club, but you’re so busy sucking Yooper’s cock that you don’t care. As long as Yooper’s happy, you’re happy. And it’s bullshit.”
“The club put it to a vote and agreed they were good with Yak joining. The only ones who are not okay with it were you and your buddies, but majority ruled. Since he’s been here, he’s been nothing but helpful.
He respects the club and wears the cut with honor, and you can’t dispute that,” Sap tells him calmly.
“It’s not right,” Aragon snaps.
“What’s not right is you questioning our president so openly. The club has done nothing but thrive since Yooper took over. You best remember your place before you’re replaced,” Sap says.
“Yeah, well, we will just see about that.” Aragon turns toward me. “This isn’t over.”
Before Sap or I can say anything, he storms out of the room, taking his fog of anger with him.
I take a deep breath and then another as I try to calm my racing heart.
“Are you okay?” Sap asks quietly.
“Yeah, never better,” I lie.
This is all too much. I’m in over my head, and I can’t tell which way is up, but I don’t tell him that. My problems aren’t his. Not only that, but I don’t know him. Yak trusts him, so I do, but not enough to confide in him.
Yak.
Just thinking about him makes my heart race but for a different reason.
I miss him. I could totally go for some of his reassurance right now that everything will be okay. That this is almost over.
“Come on, let’s get you back to Yak’s room,” Sap says, holding out his arm.
Nodding, I follow him out of the kitchen and down the hall with one thought circling through my mind over and over.
I hope Yak gets back soon because until he does, I don’t know if I will really feel safe.
Yak
The run is smooth, and I can tell it’s putting the guys on edge. They are waiting for the shoe to drop, but it won’t. Because they don’t know what we are doing outside of a run, they are forced to follow.
Granted, I think the four men I picked are all clean, but I can’t be too cautious. Not when it comes to this.
Still, the smooth sailing is already proving me right on one front.
It’s Aragon.
He’s the issue. The one causing all the problems. The real test will be when we all load up though.
Slowing down, I signal for us to get off on the next exit that’s quickly approaching.
Through my mirror, I watch as they all fall into line behind me, letting me take the lead.
Keeping my eyes on the road and the mirrors, I make sure that everything is going according to plan. That no one is following.
When we pull into the docks, I lead us to a building where the bay doors are already open, just enough for us to drive through. As soon as Wolverine, the last in line, pulls in, the doors shut behind us, encasing the place in darkness.
“What the fuck?” I hear Timbit mutter as the lights flick on.
“Your brother warned me you were one for dramatics,” a man says as he steps out of the shadows.
I get off my bike and hold out my hand as I approach him.
“I hope you don’t mind. One can never be too cautious,” I tell him.
The man smiles. “I must say, I kind of like it. It was definitely a change of pace from what I’m used to.”
“Everything ready?” I ask.
He nods, tipping his head to the semitrailer and cab. “She’s all gassed up. All we have to do is load.”
“Then let’s get started.” I turn toward the guys. “Let’s help them out.”
As we walk toward the semi, I hear the guys muttering to each other.
“What the fuck is this?” Wolverine asks.
“How the fuck are we going to get this home? Does anyone know how to drive a truck this big?” Mowtown asks.
“This explains why he had all of us ride,” Timbit adds.
“I kind of like it,” Yukon confesses.
Validation rolls through me.
It’s nice knowing they think my plan is solid. They’ve been doing the same thing for so long it’s amazing they haven’t been caught yet.
Diego, our contact, hands me a clipboard, and we start going through what should be on the shipment while the guys help load the crates.
Missiles. Grenades and grenade launchers. Fully automatic machine guns. Pistols, both semi and fully automatic. Enough ammunition to sink a battleship.
“Thank you for doing business with us,” Diego says when the men finish loading.
“Thank you for indulging us,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Of course. I hope to do business with you again and see what you come up with next time.”
“I’ll make sure it’s good.” I wink, making him laugh.
The guys and I stay still until the men clear out.
“What’s going on, Yak? That wasn’t our usual contact,” Yukon asks.
“And how the hell are we supposed to get this back?” Wolverine adds.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to face them and lay it out.
“I asked for a different contact. I wanted to test the waters and to see what would happen if all the players were different,” I admit.
I watch as understanding fills everyone’s eyes.
“This was a test,” Mowtown mutters.
I nod. “It was.”
“I’ve never been on a ride as smooth as this one,” Timbit mutters.
“Strange, isn’t it?” I smirk.
“Okay, so you switched up the players. What now? How do we get this all back? We don’t have a transport vehicle,” Wolverine says.
I raise a brow and turn toward the truck.
“Wait, don’t you need a special license for one of these?” Timbit asks.
“I have one,” I tell them.
“So how are we getting your bike home?” Wolverine asks.
“All of our bikes are going in the back of the trailer, and we are all riding together,” I tell them.
They eye the cab. “You expect to fit four fully grown men in the cab of a semitruck?” Yukon asks.
“It’s got two seats and then a bed area. We will fit. Trust me.”
“This is fucking nuts,” Timbit mutters, wiping a hand over his mouth.
“Are you guys in?” I challenge.
“Fuck it. It’s gone well enough. Why not?” Yukon says.
“What do we have to lose?” Wolverine shrugs.
“Then let’s do this,” I say, clapping my hands.
Quickly, we load up our bikes. Once the back door is shut and locked, we head for the cab. As I get into the driver’s seat, Yukon and Timbit start fighting over the front seat.
“I’m the sergeant at arms, my guy. I sit in the front,” Yukon grumbles.
“Yeah, but I get carsick in the back seat,” Timbit whines.
“You’ll be fine,” Mowtown says as he shoves him into the back where Wolverine is already sitting.
I readjust the seat until I’m comfortable. I feel a little rusty, but I’ve got this.
“Jesus fuck, we are crammed in here like sardines,” Wolverine mutters.
“It will be a great bonding experience. Everyone ready?” I ask, adding cheer to my voice.
Yukon looks at me in disbelief as I turn on the truck. “I think your idea of something great and mine are two different things.”
“Probably.” I shrug.
“Are you sure you know how to drive this thing?” Mowtown asks as I start to move.
“Yep.”
What I don’t tell them is that my CDL expired about two years ago, and I never got it reissued, but I don’t plan on getting caught, so it won’t matter.
The cops expect to look for a group of bikes surrounding a box truck. Not a semi, and no one at the clubhouse, not even Yooper, knows what we are rolling in today.
It’s going to be fine. I know it. Now all I have to do is prove myself to them.
Which, honestly, at this point shouldn’t be too hard. I’m fucking awesome.