The happy ditty of his phone pulled Jules from his sleep. The windows were bright with morning light. It took a moment for him to remember where he was, but the warm softness snuggled at his side reminded him and he smiled. He looked to the side table, but quickly realized the sound was coming from lower, on the floor.

 

Rachel felt him moving and there was an annoyingly cheerful tune playing in her room. As Jules pulled away, she grasped at him. “No…” she mumbled as she flopped from her side to her stomach when he slid out from under her. “Tell them you will call back later,” she said as she slapped around with her eyes closed until she found his body… a body she tried to pull back to her.

 

“It’s Todd,” he said softly. She sighed deeply, eyes still closed, and listened, waiting for her moment to pull him back into her bed for round two. “This is Jules.” Pause. “What?” he shouted. “When?” She sat up, realizing that round two might have to wait. “Shit. Okay. I’ll be right there. Shit!” he spat when he hung up.

 

“What is it?”

 

“The clubhouse burned down last night – probably the cartel. I guess we have received our warning. You better get dressed. I guess someone would have called, but you better check on He’s Not Here. If the cartel knew about the clubhouse, you can bet your ass they know about HNH.

 

She felt a chill pass through her as she tossed the covers aside.

 

***

 

“Shit…” Jules murmured as he dismounted. Before him lay the charred remains of their clubhouse. The house was still standing but it was gutted – a total write-off.

 

“Well I guess that war you were trying so fucking hard to avoid started anyway,” Todd sneered.

 

“Yeah,” Jules said as he pursed his lips in annoyance at Todd’s attitude. This wasn’t his fucking fault!

 

“Are you finally ready to do something about it?”

 

“Yeah. We have to hit back, and hard. I didn’t want this, but the cartel has given us no choice.”

 

“It’s about fucking time. Welcome back aboard.”

 

“Yeah. Fuck!” Jules turned and stomped to his bike. A lot of people are going to die…

 

***

 

“Everything okay?” he asked as he dismounted in the HNH parking lot.

 

“Seems okay,” Rachel replied. “How’s the clubhouse.”

 

“Destroyed. The outside walls are still up, mostly, but the rest…”

 

“I’m sorry, Jules. It was the cartel?”

 

“Had to be. House and barn both burning down at the same time?”

 

“I guess you’re right. What now?”

 

“Now, we take the war to them. We’ll find a target, something soft that will hurt, and we take it out. Try to make them think twice before they do this again, but you should close up for a few days just to be safe.”

 

“Forget that! I close when I decide to close. I’m not going to let some limp dick, cokehead, piece of shit from Mexico run me out of business.”

 

“Rachel, be reasonable. This is the Andres Cartel we are talking about. They’re—”

 

“I’m being reasonable,” she interrupted. “The building is insured, as are the contents. If they want to burn it down, they will. They won’t try that when we are open or they will be picking shot out of their ass. And I can’t stay here twenty-four seven.”

 

“It’s not the building I’m worried about.”

 

“You know only the first two shots are bird shot, right? If I still have to shoot after two shots, I’m going to be pissed off. That’s when you get the double-ought buck.”

 

“Rachel, damnit! You—”

 

“Look, if you are so worried about it, I’ll have the police cruise by occasionally.”

 

“The police won’t be able to do shit! They won’t station an officer full time without a clear threat, and all the cartel would have to do is hit when the police aren’t here, which will be most of the time.”

 

“Then what do you suggest?”

 

“I suggest you stay home for a few days until we can sort this shit out.”

 

“Nope. Not going to happen. Suggest something else. Why don’t you and a couple of the guys hang around? Would that satisfy you?”

 

Jules paused while he thought it over. That would work. Three men should be enough. Three men, more or less, won’t make much of a difference on a hit and run, but they could make a hell of difference if the cartel came calling.

 

“Yeah. I’ll set it up.”

 

“I think you are worrying for no reason, but if you do this, you make damn sure you are on the protection detail. You can stay at my place to keep me safe. And warm. Not to mentioned relaxed.”

 

“Rachel… this is no laughing matter.”

 

“Do you see me laughing?” she asked with a smile.

 

“No, but I’m not sure you are taking it seriously either.”

 

“Jules, I’m more worried about you, and Forsaken 99, than I am about me. If they were going to hit the bar, they would have done so last night, don’t you think?”

 

She has a point there. But this situation can spiral out of control… and quickly. “Yeah… you’re probably right. But your bar is the next logical target if they were to hit us again.”

 

“I guess you had better be on your guard, then, huh?”

 

Jules gave Rachel his best sarcastic smile. “Hang on and let me make a phone call.” He tapped at the screen a moment. “Todd, Jules. Listen, I think we need to put a protection detail on Rachel... Yeah, but if they were to hit again, this is where they’re likely to hit us. They must know this is our home-away-from-home… Just three men, I think… I’m thinking me, Fish, and Bell. Okay. Thanks, Todd. I’ll let them know.” Jules dropped the phone in his pocket. “We’re all set. You heard who?”

 

“Won’t Todd miss his three best guys?”

 

Jules laughed lightly. “I thought he sounded relieved I was going to stay behind.”

 

***

 

Jules gave Fish and Bell a call after Rachel left for home. With only three guys, they didn’t have the ability to guard the bar and Rachel at the same time, so they were going to focus on Rachel. The bar would be guarded by extension when she was there. Jules would cover the overnights and afternoons, while Fish and Bell would alternate evenings. He could skip out of work, where Fish and Bell couldn’t as easily.

 

After putting the protection detail in motion, Jules made the rounds and checked on his crews. He explained to them what was going on and that they knew what to do, but to call him if they needed him. He would bring Rachel with him, if he needed to.

 

He had a good laugh when one of the crews said to expect their call about every two hours. When he questioned why, the foreman told him it was so they could look at Rachel, his tone making it sound as if the answer should have been obvious.

 

Still chuckling over the craziness of his crew, he stopped by his house and packed a small bag of clothes, chucking a couple of boxes of ammunition for his pistol in the case as well. After Iraq, he had promised himself that he would never run out of ammo again.

 

He debated taking the Tahoe, but decided to take the bike again. If he had to run, the Tahoe would offer more protection, but the bike would be more maneuverable and allow him to go places a car couldn’t follow. If they had to run in a car, Rachel’s Honda Accord would probably be a better choice than his lumbering Tahoe anyway.

 

Less than two hours after he had left HNH, he parked his bike in her drive, Rachel’s Accord and the 1950 taking up the garage. He walked up to her front door, case in hand, his eyes in constant motion as he stopped and rapped on her door.

 

***

 

Rachel opened the door moments after Jules’s rap. She received a slight tingle at the sight of his bag. “Does that mean you’re spending the night?”

 

“Yes. If that is okay.”

 

“I think that is a wonderful idea,” she said flowing into him as he shut the door. He took her into his embrace and kissed her, but he seemed slightly distant. “Everything okay?” she asked as she pulled back, concerned that something had changed from last night.

 

“Yes. Fine,” he said. He sat his bag on the floor and this time he kissed her right and proper. “But I won’t be in your bed. Not tonight. Probably not for the next several nights.”

 

“You’re sure there is nothing wrong?” she asked, afraid of his answer.

 

“No. Nothing is wrong. But I can’t be… distracted. Not now.”

 

“How could I possibly be any safer than having you in the bedroom with me?”

 

“By having me in the living room, so that I can engage them before they get to your bedroom.”

 

“Jules, don’t you think you are overreacting just a little?”

 

“I hope so.”

 

***

 

“It’s time to go,” Rachel said as she walked past Jules dressed in her black and whites.

 

“Okay,” he said as he hopped out of the chair and slid his holstered sidearm into the small of his back. “But before we go,” he said as he stepped up to her and pulled her close and once again kissed her properly.

 

She pulled back from the kiss feeling flushed and breathless. He had been enjoyable company, talking with her with more enthusiasm and energy than he had shown in weeks, but he had made no move to seduce her in any way – until now.

 

“What was that all about? And why now, when we can’t do anything about it?”

 

“I have been wanting to do that all day, but I forced myself to wait until we are leaving so I can’t get… distracted.”

 

“You are a class A butthole, you know that?” she asked, her grin softening her words. Getting me all heated up right before work. Maybe I will call in sick again.”

 

Jules smiled. “Go ahead.”

 

Rachel stared at him a moment. “Shit... Let’s go.”

 

His smile grew wider. “That’s what I thought. I can’t see you calling in sick two days in a row unless you are at death’s door.”

 

“Where’s my damn phone?”

 

Jules handed her his.

 

She took it and stared at it a moment before handing it back. “You’re still a class A butthole,” she growled playfully as she turned toward the door. “Are you really not going to sleep with me tonight?” she asked as they banged along in the HNH truck.

 

“I want to more than you can possibly know. But no… not if I can prevent myself.”

 

“But there is no problem between us, after last night, is there? I mean, you’re not trying to push me away are you? If you are, I would rather you just tell me.”

 

“Rachel… no…” he said as he turned from her to look out his window at the passing houses a moment, trying to put into words how he felt. He turned to face her again. “Something happened last night. I can’t explain it, but I feel… better… than I have in months. Years maybe. I would like nothing more than to take you into my arms right this minute and hold you forever. But I can’t. I don’t think you realize how dangerous the Andres Cartel can be. They would kill you without a second thought. You are too closely associated with us to be safe. I can’t let anything happen to you. I just can’t. Nothing is wrong, and you would be doing me a great kindness not to tempt me too much.”

 

She had glanced at Jules as she drove, and she could see how serious he was taking this. Maybe she was whistling past the graveyard. “Okay. But after this is all over…?”

 

“Then I will take you to my bed and make love to you as often as I can, for as long as I can.”

 

“Is that a promise?”

 

“You will be sick of having me around.”

 

“We’ll see about that. But in the meantime, you get on the phone and tell Todd to hurry his ass up! There is a horny woman about that needs relief!”

 

Jules was still snickering as she turned the truck into the HNH parking lot.

 

***

 

Over the next two days, they settled into a routine. Jules would spend the early evening in the bar with Rachel until either Fish or Bell would show up. While they babysat for a while, he would spend a couple of hours in the office, catching up on paperwork.

 

At about eight he would return to the bar. Sometimes his replacement would leave, other times they would stay a while and talk. It hadn’t taken long before they picked up on Jules’s improved mood and the connection he seemed to have with Rachel.

 

Jules would spend the rest of the night with Rachel, first in the bar, then sitting in a chair in the living room, his weapon near at hand. They would talk for a while as Rachel wound down from her day, then she would go to bed, but not before she sampled his lips in a tender but meaningful kiss.

 

The next day when she woke, she would find Jules nodding in the chair, looking haggard from his long night. Once she was up, he would usually nap for a few hours in the chair as she moved about, trying to be quiet. At about one he would rouse himself and shower, check on his crews and then return… and their routine would start all over.

 

Rachel hoped the ordeal would be over soon. Jules had seemed improved, emotionally, but physically, he was looking more and more tired as the strain began to wear on him.

 

Thursday she pulled Fish aside while Jules was gone. “Fish… can you or Bell cover for Jules tomorrow night so he can get some sleep? He’s sleeping only about four hours a day.”

 

“You need to stop wearing him out.”

 

“Fish, I’m serious. He’s killing himself.”

 

“I know, Rachel. Don’t worry. I have already talked to Bell about it. After the bar closes Friday, put him to bed. And let him sleep! Bell will take the three to six shift, and I will take six to whenever he wakes up.”

 

Rachel smiled at Fish. “Thank you.”

 

“No… it’s I who should thank you. You have done him more good in the last… what… week, than the entire club had in three years. I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep doing it. It’s working.”

 

“I just listened to him.”

 

“He told you?”

 

“Yes. It’s eating him from inside.”

 

“It was, but I think that maybe now it has stopped. Now he just needs to heal.”

 

“He’s a good man.”

 

“Yes, he is. Don’t hurt him, Rachel. Please don’t hurt him.”

 

“I won’t, Fish. I promise.”

 

He pulled her across the bar and kissed her on the cheek before letting her go. “Thank you. Thank you for being there for him when he needed someone. I’ve tried to help him, but… well… just thank you.”

 

***

 

“I have a surprise for your tomorrow night,” Rachel said brightly as they finished closing up the bar for the night.

 

“What’s that?” Jules asked.

 

“Friday night, after the bar closes, I have arranged for you to get a good night’s sleep. Bell and Fish are covering for you.”

 

“That’ll be good. I’m not as young as I used to be,” he said then yawned hugely.

 

Rachel snickered as they piled into her truck. “Yeah… and before you take over my security again, I have something I need you to do for me.”

 

Jules grinned. He could guess what that might be. “What’s that?”

 

Rachel’s grin matched his own as she started the truck. “I’ll show you Saturday morning.”