Jasper

I slowly start to wake, feeling more tired than I can ever remember feeling. A hand is curled inside of mine, and I try hard to focus on the words around me. Just then the memory of blood spraying across Emma’s face darts to mind and I lurch up.

Fuck! That hurts.

“Jasper!” Emma calls out. “Jake, get the Doctor back here.”

“Sweetheart? Look at me,” She whispers.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

“Me? Dammit Jasper, you were shot in the head!” She replies, tears streaking down her face. “I’m so sorry, Jasper. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Darlin’. You’re really alright?” I ask, getting a nod in return. “Please don’t cry.”

“I’ve never been so scared. They were keeping you asleep but lightened up the drugs hours ago and you weren’t waking up.” She says, stroking my face.

“How long…” I start as Jake walks in the room.

“Doctor’s coming. So is Flint.” He says. “You good, Pres?”

“It’s been two days.” Emma chimes in. “We’ll talk more after the Doctor, ok?”

“Gimme some sugar to make me feel better?” I ask her, hoping for a smile. She delivers both. Then gets me some ice chips to ease the dryness in my mouth.

The Doctor comes in and boots Jake from the room before asking a bunch of questions and ordering further tests. I start to drift off at some point.

The next time I wake up, I immediately see Emma sleeping on the couch before hearing Flint’s voice.

“Want some water?” He grunts.

“Yeah.” I say, and he almost immediately sticks a straw in my mouth. “She alright?”

“She’s strong enough. Doctor thinks you’ll be alright also. They want to keep you a few more days, but whenever you’re ready, we’ll get you both home. Mack’s picking up your truck today and will replace the windows.” He starts. “Best we can figure is that a few Spiders spotted you and decided to take matters into their own hands. Our guy on the inside had no prior knowledge of a hit.”

“We have a guy, they must have a guy.” I say looking at him. “Have Gunner…”

“He is, Jasper. Vice has been contacting other Chapters and Gunner’s been on top of this since we got Emma’s call. The Spiders went into lockdown immediately after the shooting. The Russian and I paid a visit to the local Iron Savages and they are pissed over the heat they’re taking for it. Witnesses kept telling the cops it was three guys on bikes but no one was able to describe the insignias.

“The Savages have let the Spiders know the roads in their territory are no longer open to them.” Flint pauses. “A valet at the hotel was killed, he was twenty and putting himself through school. They keep showing his crying mother on TV and the Maddocks’ are eating this shit up; standing next to the Governor at all the news conferences.”

“You’re here with the Russian and Jake, everyone else on alert back home?”

“Connal’s here too.” Flint shrugs. “Everyone else has their assignments. I’ve been through shit like this before, son.”

“I get that Flint, I’m not criticizing you. I’m catching up and the fucking painkillers are messing with my head.” I assure him. “I could have lost her, Flint. I just found her and I could have…”

“Jasper,” Emma rises from the couch. “How do you feel?”

“I owe you a ring, Darlin’.” I smile at her as Flint quietly excuses himself.

“Damn right you do.” She lowers the arm on the side of the bed and crawls in with me. “Whole hospital staff thinks I’m your wife, don’t make a liar out of me now.”

Then she dissolves into tears, quickly soaking through the thin hospital gown. I know nothing I can say will calm her as much as letting her cry, so I do; I just rub her back and wait for her to be ready to speak.

Emma

Jasper holds me until I finally stop crying. Then we talk, and Jasper neither lies nor holds anything back from me. Although he leaves me wishing he had.

Tensions have been escalating with another MC; territory, suppliers, and saving face are all on the line. The shots fired at him are the final straw; that they did it in another MC’s territory brings a strong ally in on the Grizzlies’ side.

When Jasper is released, we’ll head home and live at the clubhouse for the immediate future. I’m somewhat relieved knowing that Roy will be there to keep an eye on Jasper but frustrated that we’ll essentially be cooped up there. I’ve already had to let the school know I couldn’t start working for a couple weeks, now with this looming over us; well, I could never bring this type of danger around innocent teenagers.

“It won’t always be like this, Emma.” Jasper whispers a while after we fall silent. “We didn’t go looking for this trouble. Flint cut out prostitutes, even the one strip club we have left is run as clean as can be, Darlin’. The Spiders started stepping up their flesh trade when he cut it. They saw it as a weakness. Most of us, we have our own investments in town; and with tourism, we do what we can to keep it all clean.”

“I know you aren’t choir boys,” I cut in. “I can’t say I love the whole Honey Hole part of the package either; but that other MC? They shot into a crowd of innocent people, Jasper. I can’t see Roy doing that. Gunner is really, really big and scary but I’ve seen Wrench’s son hold onto Gunner’s leg and go for a ride, giggling.

“The men who have been here with me the past few days?” I continue. “I can see the hardness in them, like you have in you; but there were families in front of the hotel. I can’t see anyone of the Grizzlies I’ve met just shoot into the crowd like that. I don’t need you to justify everything your MC does; I just need your word that innocent people will be not be an afterthought.

“I’ve already made up my mind that the good out ways the bad in the Grizzlies; but so help me God, Jasper, I’ll destroy you all if that isn’t true.” I vow fervently. 

Jasper presses his forehead to mine and gives me his word. “If innocents are hurt by one of ours, we handle it pretty fucking quick, Emma. Just give me a chance before you go dialing the Maddocks, ok?” He grins at me.

“What is their deal anyway?” I ask. “They’ve been all over TV for days.”

“Ann Maddock is from Rowansville. They still have land and her mother owns slightly more town property than the MC. You’ll hear talk of Mrs. Riley, her mother, if you haven’t already. Really, the Maddocks are just power hungry, so they spend their time in Boise. They got the Governor elected and hold positions on his staff.” He starts.

“So Ann Maddock wants the MC taken down so she can buy up the rest?”

“Y’know, really? It doesn’t make sense. Her father and Flint had a decent relationship and she’s like a fucking MD or something. Her husband’s from upstate but just joneses about taking us down.” He kisses me after this explanation. “Got to take more pain killer, Emma. We good?”

“Go to sleep. I love you.” I kiss him back, seeing him push the button for his meds out of the corner of my eye. I sleep beside him, even when a nurse comes in and tries to move me.

Gunner

President will be moved back from Boise in the next day, so we’re keeping eyes on the Spiders. If all goes as planned, going to keep them tied up with a little surprise tomorrow night. It’ll mean bringing our inside man home.

“Gunner, get your ass back here!” Vice yells from the hallway just as I’m about to stick my dick in a new Honey Hole. She groans and arches back onto me, but I push her off. Seeing Deb smirk at me outta the corner of my eye pisses me off even more.

Ain’t fucking touching that bitch no more, I remind myself. I ball up my condom and zip up, wanting a smoke but don’t have a free hand for it right now.

“What?” I bark at Vice, once I enter Jasper’s office.

“Nothing,” He laughs. “I had that one last week and had to go to the clinic, something’s off there.”

“Goddamn, just throw her ass out then!” I nearly shout.

“Busy enough, can you handle that for me?”

“Fucking asshole.” I growl, heading to the john to flush the condom then finally lighting up a smoke after I wash my hands. Luckily I get back out there before Probie slams his unwrapped dick into her. Fucking dirty ass skanks coming around more and more…Shit. SHIT. FUCK! That imaginary light bulb from cartoons flashes above my head.

“Anyone without a dick who isn’t an Ol’ Lady gets out of here now!” I bellow. Looking around, Betsy looks terrified so I amend my statement. “Fucking out of here now! Frank, you get out to the gate and give them orders. Betsy, Ol’ Ladies, wives and children – no other females allowed in.” The women all scatter, knowing something’s up.

“Betsy, follow me.” I’m still yelling, pissed as fuck. Betsy’s been a Girlie for a couple years and lives and breathes this club, no reason not to trust her.

I grab her arm as she approaches and drag her down to the office.

“Vice,” I start talking as we enter. “Been listening to talk, in the past six weeks I’ve heard of more VD type issues than I have in the past two years.

“Betsy, how many new girls have there been around here in that time?” I look between them and see all the color drain from Vice’s face.

“Betsy?” I ask again in a harder voice when she doesn’t respond.

“A dozen or so. Oh Fuck. A lot more new faces than usual, Gunner.” She whispers. “I mean, I’ve mostly been with Vice or the Russian lately, there are just so many girls coming in to party.”

“Those bastards are weakening us with skanks, Vice. Probably the whores they run that get dirty.” I tell him my thoughts, knowing deep down that the Spiders are sending dirty chicks our way. He looks like he’s gasping for breath.

“Church. In an hour. Get me Flint on a clean line. Right. Fucking. Now.” He replies after a moment. “Betsy, honey, need you to run by the clinic now and get yourself checked. The MC’ll pay for anything you need.”

“Fuck that, I just kicked six women out of here and locked the place down. If the Spiders are targeting us with girls that have VDs, then anyone of them would have called it in. Betsy…” I cut in.

“Take her Gunner, get yourself checked too. You’re excused from Church if you can’t make it back in time.” Vice says, understanding the situation and putting Betsy’s safety in my hands. “I’m going to lay it out, make everyone get checked. Fuck. I know about three guys with Ol’ Ladies who still stick it into other holes. Those bastards figured out how to make shit go toxic within our ranks.”

“I should have kept some of the girls back, Vice.” I state the obvious. “It just hit me so fast I didn’t think.”

“Fuck, Gunner, I never made any connection at all. That’s the least of our worries.” Vice replies, as I’m bringing a burner online, giving him a chance to call and explain this to Flint.

“Let me go find a truck to take into town. Meet me out back, Bets.” I nod at her, softening my voice. She’s a tough one but I can see how rattled she is.

Climbing in next to me a few minutes later, she reaches out to hold my hand. “I’m scared Gunner.”

“Vice thought of you first back there…” I try to make her feel better.

“Vice is never going to land with me, Gunner. Don’t fucking shove sugar down my throat.” She says back. “This is bad. I, I mean, Russian, I don’t see him with anyone else but I actually swallowed him the other night. FUCK.” She pounds the window. “I never do that shit.”

We drive in silence for a while until I hear her let out a laugh and look towards her.

“How does it work out that you’re the smart guy here, Gunner?” She asks. “I get that we never did it for each other, but I fucking see you out there. You even fucking use a raincoat for BJs, for fuck’s sake.”

“Never heard you swear this much, Bets.” I say, not wanting to think of my mother. Of what a determined woman would do with any of a man’s jizz she can get her hands on – or mouth around. Of how I came to be.