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Clearly, that meant the Shirleys were bad news.
Maybe Max wanted to avoid the same as what happened in Waco, Texas, with David Koresh. He didn’t want women and children getting caught up in a war between a cult and law enforcement and possibly paying the ultimate price.
Even though she’d been warned, she’d been doing drive-bys down Copperhead Road at least two times every night she worked, looking for Rook and the other biker named Easy.
Easy.
She shook her head. She wondered how Randy Dietrich earned the nickname Rook.
Didn’t matter. What did matter was she hadn’t seen either of them or any other Fury member on Copperhead Road. She also hadn’t spotted any more vans heading up the Shirleys’ mountain lane.
It didn’t mean they weren’t arriving during the daylight hours. It also didn’t mean Rook and Easy weren’t going up there in the light of day, either. And maybe even other Fury members, too.
But those bikers had to have a reason to be heading up to somewhere they didn’t belong in the middle of the night.
Jet wanted to know why. She planned on finding out, too, one way or another.
Her aunt and uncle, along with Jet’s parents, were settled in next to the fire as the babies were being cuddled, the younger children played games on the floor and the older children had their noses buried in electronics. The middle generation sat around talking, laughing and drinking. With three generations of Brysons, the living room was tightly packed and loud, like normal for one of their family gatherings.
She bit back a yawn. She’d only gotten about three hours of sleep before dragging herself from her warm, comfortable bed and into a hot shower, so she could be on time for the huge Thanksgiving spread.
Maybe she could catch a little shut-eye during her shift tonight if the radio stayed quiet. That was, after she took a ride down Copperhead Road to check for any suspicious activity. She wouldn’t put it past the bikers, or the Shirleys, to be up to something, even on a holiday.
Her gaze circled her family again and landed on her boss. Max was holding Devlyn, the newest Bryson born earlier this year to Marc and Leah. The chief had a soft smile on his face as he bounced his niece gently.
At this point, her Uncle Ron’s side of the family was done reproducing. There were now six grandchildren on their side, not including Max’s wife Amanda’s special needs brother Greg, who Ron and Mary Ann also considered their grandchild.
Now the pressure was on for Jet and her brother Adam to give their parents grandchildren, too. Hopefully, they weren’t expecting six. Adam wanted at least one. Being gay, he and his husband Teddy would have to bring children into the world by adoption or using a surrogate.
And Jet?
She grimaced.
She had no desire to have children at this point. Even if she had a partner to have them with. Doing her time in the Marines, then joining another male-dominated career, law enforcement, the mothering instinct seemed to have been beaten out of her. Maybe for good reason.
But then, she had time yet. She only turned twenty-nine two months ago. A lot of people were having kids later in life nowadays. Like her cousins.
“Don’t get any ideas,” Adam murmured behind her.
She turned to face her brother. “On having kids?”
“Yes. Teddy and I are next.”
“You have at it, brother. I’d rather be an auntie than a mommy.”
“For now.”
Jet lifted one shoulder sloppily and let it drop.
“You’ll break Mom and Dad’s heart if they don’t get as many grandchildren as Ron and Mary Ann. They act like it’s a competition. And if it is, they’re already losing big time.”
She bugged her eyes out at her older brother. “Then you and Teddy better get cracking. And by cracking, I mean cracking some surrogate eggs with your sperm. Because they better not rely on me to pop out five or six grandkids.”
“Only one is the plan for us right now.”
“You could line up six surrogates. Three for you, three for Teddy.” She grinned and nudged him playfully. “Raising six babies at the same time would be a blast.”
Adam looked at his husband across the room chatting animatedly with Amanda, the hairdresser’s best friend. “Let’s see how Teddy does with one first.”
“He’ll do fine.”
“With one. Six... Probably not.”
“Would you want six?” Jet asked in surprise since she’d only been joking.
Adam snorted. “Fuck no.”
Jet laughed.
He also laughed softly when he said, “That’s why Mom and Dad are relying on you.”
She shoved him. “Eat shit, brother.”
He patted his very flat stomach. “I don’t think I can eat anything else after that meal, so I’ll pass on your sweet offer, sis. By the way, good luck staying awake on your shift tonight after all the turkey and carbs.”
“When do you work next?”
