Page 61 of Jagger
“You’re right. I’ll make the calls when we get to the clubhouse.”
“All right, let’s get your bags and get out of here,” I said, taking her hand and heading into the bedroom to retrieve her suitcases, with Rome on our heels.
“I drove Abby’s car, so we can put everything in there,” Rome informed us as he grabbed the handle of the suitcase closest to the bedroom door. “Molly, I’ll drive you to the clubhouse, and Jagger will follow us on his bike.”
Molly looked at me in confusion, and I knew she wondered why she wasn’t riding with me. “You will be too exposed on the back of my bike if that motherfucker is still hanging around and tries to follow us. You’re safer in the car with Rome, with the rest of us following you,” I explained to her gruffly.
I was impressed, and a bit surprised, when she didn’t try to argue or ask any other questions. I suspected she was still too shaken from everything to put up much resistance right now, although I didn’t really expect that to last too much longer. Molly was too feisty to go along with things without question, and in this case, I looked forward to that feistiness shining through again. I didn’t like seeing her scared and uncertain, didn’t fucking like it at all.
Trick grabbed the remaining suitcase and followed Rome down to the car. Molly picked up her messenger bag and purse and slung them over her shoulder, while I let Lucky know we were ready to head out. I set her alarm and locked the door behind us, then King and I flanked her - with Lucky bringing up the rear - as we all headed down the flight of stairs to the building entry. King and I stepped out first, each of us scanning the parking lot surrounding the building, before I motioned for Molly to step outside. I took her hand and quickly led her to the car, which Rome had pulled up to idle in front of the building with Trick waiting on his bike behind the car. By the time I had Molly settled in the passenger seat, Lucky had glided to a stop next to Trick. King and I hurried to our bikes, parked on the opposite end of the building. I took a quick second to retrieve my gun from one of the saddlebags, clipping the small holster to the inside pocket of my cut, before mounting my bike and revving the motor as we pulled out of the lot behind the others.
There was no sign of anyone following us as we made our way to the clubhouse, which wasn’t too damned surprising. Given his propensity for beating up little girls and threatening women, I didn’t get the feeling that a pussy like Chad Laskey was brave enough to go up against the MC, even if he had stuck around in the shadows after bashing Molly’s car – which was doubtful. He’d most likely scurried back into whatever hidey-hole a spineless rat like him was comfortable in. A hole that we would smoke him out of if the cops didn’t find him first.
I was pleased to see my cousin Lincoln on duty in the guard shack, with another prospect walking along the perimeter fence near the gate. We normally didn’t have anyone manning the gate unless we had a party going on, or another club visiting, so King had clearly given orders before he’d left to tighten up security.
There were a few more bikes in the lot than normal for this time of evening on a weeknight, so I figured that King had also put the word out that we had the potential for trouble kicking off. Our little caravan came to a stop, and I quickly hopped off my bike and hurried over to the car as Molly got out. Rome and Lucky grabbed the suitcases, and I took Molly’s hand and led her to the door that Trick was holding open for us. We walked into the clubhouse in time to hear King barking out orders.
“The compound is closed to outsiders tonight. No citizens, no hang-arounds, no visitors, no exceptions. Church in thirty minutes!” He ignored the grumbling and questioning looks and gestured for Cowboy to follow him to his office.
“We’ll leave her suitcases outside your door, bro,” Rome said quietly as he and Lucky passed us to head toward the stairs. I nodded in acknowledgement, then led Molly over toward the bar. Irish was standing behind the bar pulling a draft and caught my questioning look.
“King pulled all the prospects for guard duty, so we’re serving ourselves tonight,” he told me gruffly before looking at Molly. His normally grumpy expression softened slightly as took in her still-pale face. “You look like you could use a drink, babe. What can I get for you?”
She looked at him in surprise, then gave him a small smile. “A rum and Coke, if you don’t mind, thanks.”
“Coming right up,” he assured her with a wink, then turned to grab a glass from the shelf behind him.
“I’ll take a shot of whiskey,” I told him, then pulled a stool out for Molly.
“Your arms broken?” Irish asked with a snicker. “You work in a fucking bar, so you know how to get your own damned drinks. Now, here you go, babe,” he told Molly in a much nicer tone, as he handed set her drink down with a flourish. “Enjoy.”
I rolled my eyes as I made my way around the end of the bar, shoulder-checking Irish as he walked by me to go sit on a stool to Molly’s right. I grabbed a shot glass and the bottle, and set them on the bar top, only to see King walk up and grab them both as he took the seat on Molly’s left. I watched him pour himself a generous shot as I reached up for another glass for myself. Before I could get back around to the front of the bar, Lucky, Rome and Trick all walked up and parked their asses on the other open stools, ordering their own drinks. I figured I owed them for their help, so I poured beers for the three, then hustled out from behind the bar before I ended up serving the whole damn club.
I circled around to stand directly behind Molly, reaching over her shoulder to grab the bottle of whiskey from in front of King. I poured myself a shot and tossed it back, then quickly poured another before King took the bottle from me and poured another for himself.
I leaned down to drop a kiss on Molly’s head, smiling down at her as she leaned back to look up at me. “Grab your drink and let’s get you settled in upstairs before I have to be back down here for Church.”
I gripped her free hand in mine as I led her up the stairs, letting go just long enough to fish my keys out of my pocket and unlock the door to my room. I opened the door and gestured her inside, handing her my whiskey so I could grab both suitcases from the hallway and bring them inside as well. I kicked the door shut behind me, then set the suitcases next to the closet door, as Molly set both drinks down on top of the dresser and turned toward me. I took a couple of steps to close the distance between us, then grasped her hips and pulled her flush against me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my neck, and I could feel the shudder that went through her body.
“You doing OK, Angel?” I asked, then cursed myself for asking such a stupid question. She’d been threatened and had her car vandalized, of course she wasn’t fucking OK.
She gave a soft laugh, then pulled back enough to look at me. “Not really,” she said with a sad smile, “but I’m feeling better now than I was earlier. I think the shock has started to wear off a little. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do now though.”
“Well, you need to make those calls to the detective and to your principal. I’ll have Church with my brothers, and we’ll come up with a plan to run that sonofabitch to ground before he comes near you again.”
I could feel the tension in her body as she sighed and shook her head. “I hate that I’m dragging you and your club into this mess, Cole. I mean, I appreciate that your family and friends want to help me, but the whole club? I don’t even know most of them. Why would they be willing to go to the trouble? I heard what King said about closing the compound, but I don’t understand. It seems pretty extreme.”
“Closing the compound to outsiders is standard operating procedure whenever there is a possible threat to us or one of ours, at least until we have a better understanding of the situation. And you, Angel, are one of ours, make no mistake about it. You have been since the first day I brought you here.” I could see the look in her eyes, and knew she wasn’t ready to give in on this just yet.
“You’re mine. My dad and my brothers know that. Aside from wanting to protect you, we don’t take kindly to men who abuse children or threaten innocent women. This Laskey bastard needs to be stopped before he does any more damage. If the cops can’t do it, then we will, end of story,” I assured her gruffly.
“But – “
“But nothing, Angel. End. Of. Story.” I placed my finger over her soft lips as she tried to argue with me again, then quickly replaced my finger with my own lips before she could react. She didn’t respond to my kiss for several seconds, then I felt her relaxing against me as she opened her mouth under mine. I quickly took advantage of her momentary compliance and deepened the kiss before reluctantly stepping back and putting some distance between us. I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t make it out of this room anytime soon. Missing out on the chance to get between my woman’s sweet thighs because of all this shit gave me one more reason to want to rip Chad Laskey limb from fucking limb.
“I’m going to head downstairs for Church so we can come up with a game plan. Make your calls and come down whenever you finish. You can hang out in the main club room if I’m not done, and if you’re hungry, just help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen.”
Molly nodded and gave me a sad smile before rising onto her tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on my cheek. I slipped out of the room as she pulled her phone out of her purse, a look of resignation on her face.
