Chapter 18
Hush
Istared at the wood grain pattern on her door for far longer than I should have.
This was what I wanted. Wasn’t it? For her to move on and find someone who could give her the things she deserved?
Not to be saddled down with a much older man who carried so much baggage an airline would have trouble accommodating him.
That’d been the plan. Only now, there was a fury building deep inside. I just didn’t know who it was aimed at. None of this was Seek’s fault, but I was so out of control at this point I couldn’t keep myself in check. I was making reckless decisions that ended with her being the one to get hurt.
I stalked over to my bike intending to leave her place before I did something stupid, like knock on her door. She didn’t need that. She didn’t need me. For her sake, I had to be consistent.
Before I started my bike, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw Lockout’s name on the screen. “What’s up, Lock?”
“Hush. Jake is in the hospital.”
Cursing, I started up my bike. “Which one?”
He gave me the name and I hung up. I cast one last look at Seek’s house before roaring off down the road. It was a quick trip over to the Hospital off Orange Grove. Jake’s misfortune gave me a much needed distraction, my attention was pulled to him and away from the mistakes I was making with Seek.
I strode into the ER and saw a group of my brothers standing around while Lockout spoke to a nurse. The entire waiting room was watching the men with looks of either wonder or caution.
Jake wasn’t a part of the MC, mostly because he had a wife and young family.
Between them and his chain of convenience stores he didn’t have time to prospect for us.
But he always gave us free food, and was always there when we needed him.
Because of that we considered him an honorary brother.
I’d known him since he was a kid and we’d formed an unlikely friendship that’d started when I helped him refurbish a bike when he was fifteen.
It was the only hobby he still made time for, even today, rebuilding a bike every few years.
He was outgoing and open and everyone loved him.
“What happened?” I asked, walking up to the others.
“Not too sure yet,” Priest replied.
“Lock got a call from Kerri saying something had happened to Jake,” Smokehouse said, a grim look on his face.
“How is she?” I inquired. Kerri was Jake’s wife and with two young sons to tend to I wasn’t surprised she wasn’t here yet.
“Lockout told her we’d be here for him. She was trying to get a sitter for the boys so she could get here. He sent over Dash to watch the kids. She should be here anytime.”
We quieted down as Lockout approached. “Cops told the nurse he was beaten during a robbery.”
It was hard to hear the rest of it with the pounding of blood in my ears. My skin heated with the rage that was overtaking me. “How bad?” I gritted out.
He didn’t need to respond. I could read it all over his face. It was bad.
“He’s in surgery,” Lockout relayed. “Internal bleeding from the beating he took. They’re hopeful that he’ll pull through.”
The worry that was wrapped around my heart like vines loosened ever so slightly at that news.
The doors to the ER swished open and Kerri flew through them.
Her face was stoic, eyes grim, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of her.
She wasn’t the type of woman to fall apart before she knew what was going on.
Lockout and I walked over to her and I pulled her into my arms. She laid her cheek on my chest, keeping Lockout in sight as he explained what the nurse had told him.
“They almost wouldn’t tell me anything,” he said, “even with you calling and giving them permission.”
We all settled down in the waiting room, each of us taking turns comforting Kerri. Lockout was in and out, speaking on his phone. I know at least a few of those calls were to Dash to check in on Jake’s boys. If I knew my friend—and president—the others had to do with planning what was coming.
The men who’d targeted Jake’s business and put him in the hospital were soon going to find themselves in a world of hurt. My lips twisted in a grim smile. After the way today had gone, I was more than ready.
* * *
“Sit,” Lockout ordered as half our usual crew of officers shuffled into the meeting room.
Lockout had left Priest and Hellfire at the hospital with Kerri.
They’d let us know if anything changed with Jake.
We’d waited for most of the afternoon and he was finally out of surgery.
They’d let Kerri in to see him for about ten minutes before making everyone continue to sit in the waiting room.
He was in critical care, but going to live.
Hearing that was when the tough shell around Kerri had cracked and I’d held her as she sobbed into my chest. Any man there would have been willing to comfort her, but she’d sought me out to hold her.
It made my already battered heart ache. She knew I was familiar with the pain that came with your spouse being hurt.
As awful of a situation as it was, it was cathartic to help someone get to the other side of that pain.
I was just grateful she wouldn’t experience what it meant to lose that person that you’d chosen to spend your life with.
As much as we all wanted to sit and wait with her, we had business to discuss. “We’re helpin’.” I wasn’t asking.
“Yes. We’ll watch the store in shifts of three.
None of his other stores have been hit so there’s no reason to think that this was a targeted attack.
I checked around with some of my contacts and they mentioned that other businesses in the area have been hit in the last few months as well.
Though, this is the first time someone’s been hurt.
They seem to be working the area south of sixth street, east of the highway.
So for now, we’re only watching his store in that area. ”
“I’m on first shift,” I told him and Lockout nodded in agreement.
Butcher scratched his chin and looked deep in thought as he spoke. “That convenience store is near the college. You suppose it was kids?”
“We can’t rule that out yet,” Riptide replied.
“It’s definitely a possibility, but I can’t imagine a couple of college students getting the drop on Jake.
Or being that violent. Petty vandalism and theft, frat boy prank type stuff is what I’d expect from a college-aged punk. But we won’t rule anything out.”
“If there were enough of them they wouldn’t need to get the drop on Jake,” I pointed out. “Only so many people you can take on at once and be successful.”
Riptide picked up a couple of papers and flipped through them. “Police report says there were three assailants.”
“The fuck? Where’d you get the police report?” Butcher asked, snatching it out of his hand.
Riptide rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to take the papers back. “From a friend.” His smile was wolfish as he crossed his arms over his chest, unwilling to name his source. He knew that would drive Butcher insane. The guy was a bit neurotic, and that was on a good day.
“Odds of those guys comin’ back are slim to none,” I said, getting the conversation back on track.
“Unless they didn’t get what they came for,” Riptide responded.
“Or they’re too egotistical to let it go,” Ricochet added, speaking up for the first time.
“I’m banking on one of those,” Lockout replied.
“The cops showed up before they got into Jake's safe. Each of his stores has a drop safe, like a mailbox, where they can secure cash so that the register doesn’t get filled with hundreds or thousands of dollars. Cops showed up before they had a chance to try to open or steal the safe. My bet is they’ll try again.
Otherwise, it’s going to be a lot tougher to track these guys down.
I don’t plan on letting them continue to terrorize the people living in that area.
If nothing else, an added presence will help settle things down. ”
“We’ll find them,” I growled. “Any weapons used?”
Butcher nodded and flipped the page. “They had a gun, but didn’t fire it.”
“One gun for three men?” My brows shot up. “Description?”
“They had ski masks over their faces, but witnesses put them all between five-eleven and six foot…” He trailed off as he read. “One had a tattoo on the back of his hand. Rose and dagger.”
“Original,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes. “Probably has barbed wire around his bicep and wears white sunglasses.”
The others laughed at my observation. “What’s the plan for when we catch them?” Riptide asked.
“We leave them for the cops to deal with,” Lockout answered, his eyes boring into me, then Butcher. He knew we were the two who’d be most likely to cut our pound of flesh directly from their hides.
“Aw, come on, Prez,” Butcher muttered. “What’s the point of us being vigilantes if we can’t have a bit of fun?”
“You get to have plenty of fun, Butcher,” Ricochet scoffed.
“Not this time. Since Jake got hurt the cops are all over this one. We don’t need them up our ass for taking matters into our own hands. If they are, we’re not going to be able to keep doing what we do.”
“Can they at least fall down the stairs a few times?” Butcher pleaded. “Maybe impale themselves with-”
“There’s no stairs at the store.” Lockout said, putting an end to the negotiation. “Keep it clean.”
Butcher pouted in silence after that, but we all knew Lockout was right. It was imperative we keep a low profile. The police knowing what we were up to would just make it harder for us to keep helping our city. “We can do that,” I agreed.
“Good. We start tonight.”
Lockout ended the meeting, asking me to hang back. I watched him warily as everyone filed out, leaving us alone.
“Jamie get home all right?”
“Yeah.”
He knew me well enough to read the barely there nuance in my tone. Leaning forward, his forearms on the table, he pinned me with a determined look. “What happened?”
“Nothin’.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. What happened, Hush?”
Grinding my back teeth together, I told him, “Broke it off.”
His brows shot up at that. “You broke up with her after one night together?” He shook his head. “It’s farther than any other woman’s gotten, but damn, Hush.”
“I’d just end up hurtin’ her,” I admitted.
“So you broke it off now to keep her from getting hurt?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I stared down at the table. Hearing it out loud, said in his sarcastic-ass tone made it sound stupid.
“That means you care about her.”
My only denial was a disgusted snort. He wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.
“You do. If all you wanted was to fuck someone you’d take Pixie up on her numerous offers.” His head cocked a bit to the side as he studied me. “This really what you want, Brother? To be alone and miserable for the rest of your life?”
Shoving out of my chair, I ignored his question. Pausing when he called out to me, I waited while he said his piece.
“Don’t make me break out the big guns, Brother.”
Ignoring his threat, I strode out of the room, heading toward my own so I could get ready for tonight. Lockout didn’t bother to follow me. He knew he was already in my head, making me second guess every choice I’d made from the moment I’d met Seek.