“How long you going to be gone?” Pops asks, and I shake off thoughts of my past.
“A week?”
“Okay. Just check in with me every day and let an old man rest knowing his girl is okay. But, when you get back we’re going to have a talk about you traveling to Tennessee without letting anyone know. I have men whose life is dependent on making sure you’re safe.”
“Pops, I told you, Roxy called, and I just bailed without thinking. She’s the closest I’ve ever had to a mom,” I tell him, hating that I’m lying, but I want more time with Jax and desperate times calls for desperate measures.
“We’ll talk about it later Breezy. You know I’ve only ever wanted to make you happy.”
“I know, Pops. I am happy, I promise you. In fact, right now I can tell you I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
“You sure, Princess?” I can hear an edge of concern in his voice.
“Positive.”
“Okay. It’s best you not come home right now anyways. There’s some club business going on.”
“Are you okay, Pops?”
“Yeah. My men were blindsided. We’re fine though.”
“What happened?” I ask, pressing and hoping he’ll tell me something.
“It’s club business, Breezy,” he tells me, and I sigh knowing he won’t say anything more.
“I have a right to know if you’re in danger, Pops.”
“Honey I’m a biker, not a fucking accountant. I’m always in danger. It will work out. I got to go now Breezy. Skull is here.”
“What’s he doing there?” I ask, trying again.
“He’s bringing my grandbabies to see me of course, got to go. Call me tomorrow,” he replies and now he’s lying. It seems wrong that the two of us are lying to each other. I stare at my phone with a sigh. I know nothing more than I did before...
I look around the small apartment and curl my nose. It stinks. It’s never been cleaned. I think back to my last conversation with Jax. You’re mine Bree, and I take care of what’s mine. It makes my heart pound in my chest, and I honestly can’t imagine feeling happier than I am right now. That part wasn’t a lie to Pops.
I get an idea in my head. I want to show Jax that he’s mine, and I take care of what’s mine too. Will he think it’s stupid? Maybe, but I’m going to try. He told me to stay here, but I need to go to the store. I shouldn’t be gone more than an hour. He’ll never know it. With a grin, I head out the front door. Jax won’t know what hit him. He’ll never want to let me go!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jax
“Any word from Briar or Sabre?” I ask the men when we meet up. The look on their faces says nothing and everything.
“No sign of Sabre. Briar’s hanging on, but it’s not looking good,” Torch says. The words hit me like punches to my gut, robbing me of air and the ability to speak. I just nod my head to let him know I heard him. A couple of minutes pass before the roar of bikes can be heard.
Torch and about five of our best men, including Beast, Latch—who is in on leave, and K-Rex are here. We’re waiting on Skull and a close friend of his who is visiting, Diesel. Diesel is the president of an ally-club that runs out of Tennessee. He’s younger than me. I’d say mid-thirties, and if I didn’t know he was a badass, I’d almost call him a pretty girl. He has long hair he keeps pulled up, or away from his face. He looks like a fucking fashion model playing a biker. The truth is however, he can out shoot, out think, and out drive most bikers that I’ve met.
The cracking sounds of the pipes on their bikes announce they’re getting closer. When they pull up he’s also got one other rider with him. Dancer, the VP from the Savage Brothers club a few counties over. Fuck, I look around at all of us and realize Skull is riding in like he’s going to war. Going to war with Bree’s grandfather. Shit could go bad fast.
Skull doesn’t speak, he doesn’t even stop. He punches his fist in the air and drives on by. We all immediately fire up our bikes, falling in line behind him.
It takes an hour to get to the Saints compound. The old man set it up once he found out Katie and Beth were alive. He wanted to be closer to them. Skull agreed to it and the two have been trying to start over and become two clubs that are allies rather than enemies. It’s not been easy as old hates and attitudes die hard, especially among our kind. Yet, it seemed to be working. Which was why Briar and Sabre were on this run with Tucker’s men. Now, it seems, everything is blown to hell. The high chain-linked gate to the fence that encloses the Saint’s compound is closed. It’s at least ten feet high with a string of electric enforced barbwire around the top. Tucker is standing on the other side with ten of his men. He’s never been pretty, but today he looks like complete shit. His white hair looks as if it hasn’t been brushed or hell, even washed. His shirt hangs tight over his beer-belly and is stained red…blood. He looks pale and worried and fuck, he should be.