Chapter Twenty-Six
JoJo
“So Franco is gearing up for another hit, nothing new there.” I glanced from Dare to Rebel. “You want me away from here, so the club isn’t involved?”
They’d been sidestepping and dancing in circles—I glanced down at my watch—for the past thirty minutes. I needed to get back to Charlie.
“No.” Dare thumped down the legs of his chair. He’d leaned back until then. “We offered her protection. We want a strategy.”
“Isn’t one—just survive whatever they throw her way.” This was the third time I’d said it. “You got a better idea?”
Silence.
“So we don’t have a plan and that’s what has your panties in a bunch?”
“We got people to protect,” Dare growled.
“Yeah, and I got a woman to protect right now. You know what I know—make the plan and tell me.” I stormed from the council chamber, not willing to waste another minute speculating. We had no solid intel, so there couldn’t be a solid plan. That simple. I doubted Franco would hit the club—not even he was that stupid—but how would he draw us out? He’d missed us in Dallas, but he’d be ready the next time. I surveyed the main room. Mama and Elle were standing by the bar, but Charlie wasn’t there.
Viper and Bear were arguing behind the women.
I hurried over to Elle. “Where the fuck is Charlie?”
“Right...” Elle turned to see she was gone.
“He scared her into the kitchen.” Viper frowned at Bear. “He was being a prick, like always.”
I didn’t wait to hear what Bear said; I’d straighten him out later. Right now I needed Charlie. My gut churned and I got that uneasy feeling I often got when trouble was on the horizon. I didn’t like that one bit. I flipped on the kitchen light—no Charlie. The side door stood wide-open. Fuck. Surely she hadn’t gone out there without me. She could be in serious trouble.
The door to the kitchen swung open—Rebel and Viper strode into the room. “Where is she?” Rebel looked around, confused.
“Out there.” I pointed outside. “Some protection, huh.” I hurried outside, hoping no one had tried to force her to join any of our nighttime games.
I hurried to the front of the building, toward the bonfire. Couples were fucking all over the place. I tried to look at this from Charlie’s point of view but couldn’t imagine what she thought of the scenes playing out. Some brothers did body shots off women, others were playing more explicit games. Delta walked away from where one of the girls pulled a train—seven guys were there enjoying her. Fuck, that was extreme.
“What’s wrong?”
“Charlie’s out here, you see her?”
“No.” He shook his head, but then stopped. “Maybe, I saw a blonde run toward the parking lot. Why the fuck would she be out here?”
“I have no goddam idea.” Fury pulsed through me. So much for having my back. Letting Charlie wander away was a betrayal, not intentional, but it didn’t make me feel one damn bit better. “You check each group for her, I’ll head to the parking lot.”
I hurried to the parking lot and looked around, bikes everywhere. If she ran into the night, we might not find her until morning. Unless she rode away on a bike, I jogged to the back—all the loaner bikes were there. She wouldn’t have taken another bike. No one stole a bike from a biker. The unease intensified as I backtracked, checking my ride first.
Gone.
Charlie took my bike and ran. My fucking bike. Rage heated my blood. I’d have to fucking track her down, but I had no idea how much of a lead she had over me. Who would she call for help? Not me, obviously.
Danvers. I pulled out my phone and called him.
“What the fuck did you do?” Danvers shouted into my ear.
“Where is she?”
“Safe, away from you and whatever shit you brought her into.”
“She took my goddam bike!” I yelled, losing control of my temper.
“And?”
“What’s your problem?”
“My problem?” Danvers’s voice went cold and low. “I trusted you with her and you take her to some fuck party—scare her so bad she’s out there alone without even a damn gun.”
Son of a bitch. I planted my fist into the cinderblock building. “I need to keep her safe.”
“Negative. You’ve been relieved of that duty. She’s going to the FBI and wants nothing to do with you.” Danvers hung up.
Motherfuckers. They did this. I did this. Muscles tense and ready for a fight, I walked back into the club.
Dare was shouting at Bear. Mama and Elle were gone. Rebel stood next to Viper—tension crackled in the fucking air.
“You didn’t find her?” Rebel noticed me first.
I gave a shake of my head. “She’s gone, on my bike.”
Bear cracked a smile. “She stole your—”
I punched him in the mouth. He stumbled back, I hit the fucker again and again. He didn’t hit back. One more hit and I stepped back. “What the fuck did you do?”
Only one reason a brother didn’t come back swinging—he fucked up. We solved lots of problems with fists, but it was rare for the other guy to take it. I needed a fight, not some fucking punching bag.
“I called her a judgmental bitch.” Bear arched an eyebrow.
I slammed my fist into his gut. He doubled over.
“He made me apologize.” He coughed out.
“A shit apology,” Ollie, one of the newest bikers in our club, said.
Bear cringed. “I didn’t mean for this—”
“You better hope he beats you unconscious.” Ollie glared at his lover.
I’d heard Ollie was the Dom in their relationship, but this was the first time I’d seen proof. Of all the hypocritical shit. “You have some fucking nerve.” I glared at Bear. “You don’t approve of my woman, make her feel unwelcome.” I eyed Ollie. Most clubs were white and straight—two strikes against Bear, but we’d welcomed him and made his lover a full fucking member. “When we not only accept you, but make Ollie one of our own too.”
Bear growled and bunched fists, ready to attack me.
Finally. “Bring it.”
“No,” Ollie barked. “JoJo’s right, you fucked up.”
Bear’s nostrils flared but he didn’t move.
I turned away from him. Rebel put his hand on my shoulder. I punched the fucker in the nose. “And you were watching her, or should I say your old lady.” I hit him again.
“I ain’t taking them standing still.” Rebel socked me in the jaw.
I reveled in the pain. The fight—the need to let go of the rage filling me. We fought, punch to punch. I snagged his knee with my foot and he fell back, I went in for the kill, dropping on top of him, but hands pulled me away. I fought. I wanted to kill something, tear it apart, and I didn’t care who.
Delta stepped in front of me and I stopped struggling. He held my head, meeting my gaze. “Where is she, brother?”
Delta was there. I could count on him even if I couldn’t count on the others.
I sucked in breaths, calming down enough to relay the story. “FBI, took my bike to them. Danvers won’t tell me shit. I fucked it up. Franco will kill her.” I felt the wetness in my eyes but I didn’t give two fucks.
“We’ll help you get her back,” Dare spoke up.
Hands released me. I stared at Dare. “No, thanks. I don’t need more of your kind of help.”
Dare stepped forward, anger ticking in his jaw.
“Stand the fuck down,” Jericho bellowed, getting between us. He stood barefoot with jeans and no shirt. Whip marks marred his back. “JoJo’s right, we fucked up. Elle and Mama were watching her and their screwup is yours.” He eyed Dare and Rebel, who climbed to his feet.
“Why weren’t you with her?” Jericho glared at me.
“Dare wanted to strategize about Franco.”
“Nothing to say, we know too little.” Jericho glared at his friend. “You need to get your shit together or step aside. I need a VP with a fucking brain.”
Dare glared at Jericho. No one spoke. Dare stormed out of the room.
“What do you know?” Jericho leaned against the bar.
I told him what Danvers said.
“And she’s not safe with them. Franco has the FBI paid for.” Jericho had come to the same conclusion I had. “We got some favors we can call in. I’ll gather intel. You and Delta head up and get ready.”
“I’m going.” Thorn’s deep voice surprised me. I hadn’t heard him come in. “I think she saw me with one of the women.” He shook his head. “I didn’t think.”
“I won’t say no, I need the muscle.” Thorn was ex-military, just like me and Delta, but even more, I trusted him. This shit with Dare and Rebel shook my confidence in the club.
No one else volunteered, and that’s the way I wanted it. Those fuckers had let her escape and I wasn’t ready to forgive them. But down deep, I couldn’t forgive myself. I shouldn’t have... Fuck, the list was endless. I shouldn’t have let her come, left her alone, get distracted with Dare and Rebel, let her down. If she died, I’d never forgive myself, or maybe even if she lived. One thing was done—our relationship. And that hurt, more than I wanted to think about.
“I’ll take a truck, you guys on bikes.” I nodded to my friends.
“I’ll be in touch soon.” Jericho nodded and then headed back the way Dare had gone.
Elle ran out of the room where she’d been. Rebel caught her before she got to me.
“JoJo, I’m sorry. I fucked up.” Tears streamed down her face and her eyes were red.
“You did.” I walked out, no mercy in me tonight. Maybe not ever again.
* * *
“Jericho got the safe house.” Thorn hung up his phone and looked at us. “Franco might have it too. He wants us to wait—”
“Fuck that.” I stood up. “She could be under fire now.” I wasn’t waiting for anything. “No one has to go with me.”
“Right.” Delta rolled his eyes. “We’re all in.”
Thorn nodded.
“So what’s the plan?” Delta grinned.
“We go and take what’s ours.” I wanted maximum damage.
“And fuck up anyone in our way.” Delta nodded.
“What if the place is quiet?” Thorn said, making me turn back to him.
“We take my bike and my girl.”
“But if Franco’s coming, do we wait? Won’t get a better chance to put the dog down.” Delta made sense.
Dammit, I didn’t want to wait, be strategic. I wanted scorched earth, now.
“That’s good planning,” Thorn agreed. “Plus you get to save your woman, again.”
They all made sense, too much sense. “Fine, but let’s go, they might be there.”
Armed and ready, we grabbed our gun bags and headed to the SUV. Thorn and Delta each kept a hand gun but threw their main bag into the back.
* * *
Pain pulsed deep in me just thinking of living without her another day. I ignored the stabbing pain that had deepened every day we were apart. Yet, this pain was manageable. If I told her I might love her and she rejected me, that would be a thousand times—no, a million times worse.
We parked down the street from the safe house. Thorn did a drive-by in front and Delta drove down the alley behind the house. All was quiet.
“What should we do?” Delta spoke through the Bluetooth connection.
I knew what I wanted and what was the right thing to do—too bad they weren’t the same thing. “We wait.”
I hated stakeouts because of the boredom, the inactivity and most of all the way they dulled my senses. Reactions slowed when you waited for hours.
I wanted Charlie in my arms, safe. I needed to apologize, to let her yell at me for leaving her, but I just sat here growing mold.
Both doors to the SUV opened and my gun was in Rebel’s face.
“Put it away and shove over.” Rebel slipped into the driver’s side.
I scooted into the middle of the Rebel and Elle sandwich.
“You didn’t think we’d stay home.” Rebel studied me. “I’m here for you, no matter what you think.”
I knew it. I’d just been so fucking pissed.
“And I royally fucked up. I forgot my mission.” Elle squeezed my arm. “Sorry isn’t enough, so I’m here, despite Rebel’s complaining.”
“Dangerous,” Rebel muttered.
“I’m the one who fucked up, leaving her in the first place.” I said it aloud for the first time. “I knew better, but I didn’t follow my instincts.”
Rebel nodded. “Hard to be pulled in different directions.”
“I only have one direction now.”
“And we do too,” Elle said. “We’ll keep her safe and kick Franco’s ass, again.” She grinned at me. “We’re family, even family fucks up from time to time.”
“Yeah, they do.” I felt better for the first time since Charlie disappeared. “Thanks for coming.”
“Done hugging yet?” Rebel grunted. “Think company has arrived.” He pointed to a black sedan that rolled down the street, barely moving. It turned and disappeared.
“Thorn’s got the sedan,” Delta said in our ears. We had all our phones in a group call, with our Bluetooth buds in our ears. Not as sophisticated as the military setups, but just as effective.
“Circling back, be ready,” Thorn said.
“I’ve got them now.” Delta took over from Thorn.
We moved out of the truck to the back and grabbed our go-bags. Each of us pulled out the semi-automatics and spare clips.
“Don’t think the flash bangs and other toys will help.” I threw the bags back into the SUV. We carried Delta’s and Thorn’s weapons so we could pass them off when we set up the operation.
“Report,” I said.
“Stopped a street over. I’m heading back to you. Thorn is in back.”
“Fuck.” Rebel took off with one of the weapons. “I’ll take this to Thorn.” He ran behind the house.
“Got three coming on foot, sedan is leaving, not sure how many,” Thorn reported.
“I’m taking the bushes. Delta the garage. Come back and provide cover from here, fill in where needed.” I gave everyone marching orders.
“Give me Delta’s weapon and I’ll deliver it.” Elle grabbed the gun and jogged off.
She was back seconds before the sedan pulled in the driveway, and two men in suits stepped out. Shit, this was a shift change. Were the bad guys pretending to be FBI or were they really FBI? This complicated shit. I didn’t want my brothers going to jail for shooting cops, even dirty cops.
“Stick to the plan.” Rebel spoke in our ear.
Shots sounded from the back—an agent inside stepped out on the porch and one of the suited men shot him. So they weren’t FBI, which made it all easier. I shot, taking the shooter in the thigh. The other one ducked.
I moved forward with my gun. The driver I’d already shot fired again. We exchanged fire, then Rebel covered me, moving forward until he had the driver pinned. Delta and Elle had the other one pinned. I sprinted toward the front door. The agent was dead on the steps.
“Charlie!” I shouted. “Get your ass out here.”
She stumbled from a side room. “JoJo?” Eyes wide with fright, she glanced to the back. “The other agent went that way.”
“Follow me.”
She fell in behind me as I cleared the dining room, then the kitchen.
“You see an agent in back?” I spoke to the group.
“Shot but alive,” Thorn reported. “All three down in back, no one dead.”
“Two down in front, wounded but alive.” With everyone safe and accounted for, I turned back to Charlie. “The agent in back is wounded. We’re calling the cops. Agent who went out front is dead.”
Her eyes widened more. “How? I’m...how did you find me?”
“We’ve been sitting on the place most of the day, word was Franco was going to hit the safe house.”
“You...came for me.”
I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms. She held me tight, shaking.
“Darling, we’ve got to go. Tell me my bike is here.”
She sniffed. “In the garage, but we need to wait for the police.”
“No, we don’t,” I insisted. “We shot people—none are dead, but the cops still will frown on that. Besides how do we know who’s in Franco’s pocket?”
“Right.” She stumbled. “I can call Danvers, though. He’ll clear it up.”
“No. We do this my way.”
She gave me her stubborn stare but I tugged her behind me to the garage.
“On the back of my bike,” I ordered her.
She did what I told her. “Are you mad?”
“Oh hell yeah.” I didn’t look back. “You stole my bike.” I revved the motor and raced down the street. “Heading out. Meet you back there.” I didn’t want to be too specific in case someone was listening.
“Following you,” Delta said.
“We’ll make sure we’re clear,” Rebel added.
I sped through the city, needing to get Charlie back to the motel we’d been using as base.
I pulled in with Delta beside me. Charlie got off the bike and looked at Delta, then cringed away from him. “I saw you...”
“Inside first,” I told her.
She glared at Delta but hurried into the motel room. “That poor girl...was she drugged?”
“No,” I snapped. “We’ll talk about everything.” Including how you took my fucking bike.
She leaned against the back wall of room and pointed at Delta. “You all were raping that girl.”
“No, she was willing, sober and enjoying herself.” Delta sat on the bed. “Not that you should have seen all that, alone.”
“Why did you leave Elle?”
She bit her finger, then jumped when the door opened. Thorn, Rebel and Elle filed inside. “Can’t we talk about this later?”
“Nope.” I crossed my arms.
“I’m not talking about—”
“How you saw me fucking a girl.” Thorn gave her an appraising look.
“Choking her.” Charlie frowned. “I thought you were—”
“Stop,” I told her. “We were talking about you...why did you leave the clubhouse?”
“I had to get away from that guy. He scared me.” She looked from one to the other of us.
“But why outside?” He wouldn’t let it go.
“I was curious, all right? But I didn’t expect to see... It was like a nightmare.” She shuddered.
“What did I tell you when you begged to come with me?” I prowled closer, I couldn’t stay away.
“Your rules, stay with you, do what you say.” She glared at me “Do you do those things?”
“What things?” I peered at her.
“Depraved things,” she whispered.
“Do you want me to?” I answered in a whisper.
“You can make up later,” Rebel called.
She yelped.
“We need an exit plan,” Thorn reminded them.
Rebel glanced down at his phone. “Franco is done, that’s the word. We’ll see if it’s true. With this attack fucked I expect Mighty Mickey will be history soon.”
“Really?” Excitement shone in her eyes.
Rebel nodded. “Franco has lost a fortune trying to kill you. Now that you’re back with us, you’re untouchable.”
“I am not back with you.” She bristled next to me.
“Yeah, you are.” I was done chasing her. “Until this is over, you’re with me. No arguments.”
“Maybe.”
I grinned, glad we hadn’t fought about it. We’d have plenty to fight over later.
“Thorn and I will stay next door, making sure you have backup.” Delta stood and the two of them left.”
“JoJo, I need a word.” Rebel stood at the open door.
“Call me.” I didn’t move.
“Now,” Rebel growled.
“You want to talk to Elle?” I wasn’t excited about leaving them alone again.
“Yeah, you can guard the door so I don’t get away,” she teased.
“I will.” I wasn’t teasing.