AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay. I love you.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Very much, Jesse. It was instinct to come here when I heard the news. I just… panicked.”
“Marlena was in the shed on the old Jackals’ clubhouse property. After they killed Blow, they took her. Four men there and she was naked, bruised, and on a filthy sleeping bag in the corner. If we hadn’t gotten there, she’d be dead. Dead like Kailey. Dead like Jet. They already tried to kill her once by fuckin’ the brakes on her car and she’s barely recovered from that and now this? But you know what? She’s probably dead inside after what we saw tonight because I’d bet some or all of those fuckers took their turns raping her before we got there.”
“Oh my God.”
“Yeah. And you’re goin’ off unescorted when this shit is happenin’, and we’ve got enemies who don’t hesitate to rape and kill innocent women. Enemies who’ve been watching the bar and clubhouse to see who’s been comin’ and goin’, so it could very well have been you tonight, Gianna, and you need to get through your fuckin’ brain that when I say lockdown I fucking mean lockdown.”
“I’m sorry, Jesse. But…”
“Yeah, baby, no buts. Good thing you’re not sorrier.”
“But, my dad got in my head about it. About how she went into a funk after I left because of the things I said and now she’s in a bigger funk after finding out whatever she found out from her last doctor’s appointment, so…”
“So, you’re getting manipulated by them. Again. That’s what’s happening. It’s obviously what they do, G. You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true and if she couldn’t handle a bit of truth about shit – that’s on her, not you.”
“I’m gonna see her, encourage her to continue with treatment. To look after herself so that she’s got a better chance of getting better. Try to find out what we’re looking at here. We don’t even know what kind of cancer she has or what stage it is because she won’t tell us anything.”
“Again, you’re setting yourself on fire to keep her warm when she repeatedly left you out in the cold.”
She said nothing.
“I need sleep, woman. I’ll be there as soon as I can get there tomorrow. And for fuck’s sake, if you leave that goddamn clubhouse before I get there, there will be hell to pay. You hear me?”
“I hear you. Jesse, I love you, but-”
I ended the call and avoided the urge to put my fist through the brand-new drywall.
***
I was part of the convoy to Sioux Falls with a few other brothers on motorcycles along with the Mystery Machine bus holding Rob’s wife Bertie and their kid Beau, also with Skip’s and Speedy’s women and their kids who were all going to the mother charter clubhouse for now and leaving from there to stay with family a couple days while shit was being figured out. They were the only ones in this charter with little kids and it made sense they were leaving town. Who know what the fuck the Jackals were gonna pull next?
Pudge survived surgery, but Blow was in the morgue.
Three hours after we got back, a team of the cartel’s was moving in to reclaim their belongings and, if the bad drugs were still there, dispose of them. They stated they’d also dispose of any Jackals or associates that were there. Deke said the Jackals had not gone back there that night from our trail cam footage and it looked like nobody else was there either.
If they had come back, we would’ve detonated that bomb once the cartel had cleared out.
On the plus side, the club was now clear to end our association with that cartel.
***
When I got in, I strolled with purpose, set to go to the room I knew she was assigned, but I spotted her helping set up a lunch spread with Delia who was ready to welcome the convoy.
I watched Sara’s face turn ugly at the sight of my girl, but then she painted a smile on for Delia who pulled her close for a hug.
Gigi’s eyes hit mine.
My lip curled. I couldn’t tamp down how pissed I still was.
She didn’t shrivel. She met my eyes, and her brows went up with an expression I’ve never seen from her before. If there were words, I was sure she’d be saying, “Oh really?” as if she was as pissed at me as I was at her.
And I was thrown by it, but didn’t show it.
After getting a hug from Delia, I turned to Gianna.
“Let’s go talk,” I demanded.
“Just five,” she replied coldly. “I have a few more things to help with here.”
My brows shot up high.
Her eyes narrowed and then she walked away from me back to the kitchen and surfaced with cookie sheets of garlic bread with cheese in each hand, which she set on the table.
