Chapter Twelve (A)
Jinx
I try to hide in my room, but my stomach has another plan in mind, so I’m in the kitchen eating breakfast when Winter comes into the room. I look away from her when she sits down across from me; until she apologizes, I’m not speaking to her.
Childish?
Yes.
Do I care?
Nope.
It’s hard enough being a newcomer in this family, let alone having it thrown in your face that you’re not good enough when you begin messing around with one of them.
All of them are condescending.
“I’m sorry, Jinx.”
I chew the last bite of my bacon sandwich and wash it down with a sip of orange juice. “Do you even understand what upset me?”
“I made you feel inferior,” she admits. “I’m a bitch.”
“You all preach about us being this big, happy family, but when I make a move you aren’t happy with, your words throw me out like I’m yesterday’s trash.”
“You’re not trash, J. I let my past with Lana affect my present, especially with you.”
I slump in the kitchen chair. “As far as apologies go, it’s a good one.”
Winter smiles. “You forgive me?”
I huff. “If you remember I didn’t choose this life for myself, and I’ve earned my place here. I don’t want you judging me or trying to tell me who I can and cannot talk to.”
“I promise,” she says.
A knock on the door frame pulls our attention.
Shadow.
“Am I interrupting?” he asks.
I sit up straight. “Not at all.”
“What’s up?” Winter questions him.
“Actually, I’m here to ask Jinx for a favor,” Shadow says with a grin.
“Me.” I point.
“Yes.” Shadow chuckles walking into the room. “I’m desperate. If I don’t fix my problem, Winter is gonna kick my ass.”
“Why would I kick your ass?” she laughs.
“I’m havin’ issues with the instruments distributor. I don’t know how they falsely advertised, but they did. I can’t get a refund on the shipment though.”
“Instruments? As in sex toys,” I ask.
Shadow nods. “You’re the savviest businesswoman here. I need you to help me fix my fuck up, so Winter doesn’t have you takin’ over the ordering too.”
“Winter’s right here,” she grumbles. “What do you need from Jinx?”
“Prez has given me permission to take Jinx off the compound and to the club for the meeting with the distributors, so I can fire their asses.”
“You want me to go into a sex club,” I whisper, eyes wide.
“It’s isn’t open today, J,” Winter informs me.
“When do we leave?” I ask.
“Now.”
“I get to leave the compound,” I say to Winter with a wink. “I believe your husband heard my plea.”
Winter smirks. “Don’t fuck with the redhead,” she teases me.
“Ha, ha.”
“Come on, Seneca’s waitin’ on us.” Shadow grunts.
Winter gives me a look before I leave the room, a silent one, asking if I’m going to be okay with Seneca going with us. I give her a nod, if I’m going to be stuck here in Breakneck, I’m going to have to learn how to handle newcomers and other brothers from different chapters.
“Seneca is an enforcer, Jinx. He’s one of the safest brothers to have with you outside of these gates,” Shadow tells me as we walk outside.
“What is an enforcer?”
“Easiest way to describe him would be to say he’s like our police, his job is to make sure all members are following chapter laws and guidelines. He’s trained in all forms of combat, J,” he murmurs as we near the bikes. “Can we ride my bike, or would you be more comfortable in a car?” he questions while he nods hello to Seneca.
“Go big or go home, right?”
Shadow smirks. “If you’re sure.”
“I am,” I say as I take the spare helmet from his hands.
“Where the hell you goin’?” Pyro yells as he jogs over. “Where the hell you takin’ her?”
I smile “I get to leave the compound for work; your leg feeling better?”
“Don’t change the subject, Shortcake,” he rumbles. “Where you takin’ her?”
“The new club,” Shadow answers for me.
“You’re not bein’ forced to go?” Pyro questions me with his eyes narrowed.
“No, Shadow asked me nicely.” I shrug. “I get to leave the compound and the clubs closed.”
“You watch her six like it’s mine,” Pyro warns Shadow and Seneca.
“You got it VP.” Shadow salutes him with two fingers.
Satisfied, he swings his gaze back to me. “Enjoy your time outta the slammer, yeah.”
I follow Shadow’s move and salute him but add a personal wink while I snap the helmet in place.
Shadow straddles his bike, kick starts it, and motions for me to hop on.
In no time we’re on the road and the further we get from the compound, the more relaxed I am, it’s a huge weight lifted off my chest. I toss caution out the window and unwrap my arms from Shadow’s body and throw my hands out while I tilt my head back. I can hear Shadow’s chuckle when we stop at a stop sign with ease.
“Enjoyin’ yourself?” Seneca yells when he stops beside us.
Seneca may be a stranger and a man, but I’m going to take Shadow at his word. I can make friends with these guys if I allow myself too.
“Very much.” I give him a genuine smile as Shadow lifts his leg from the ground and we start moving again.
Ten minutes later, we’re pulling into the new club’s parking lot.
“That was amazing!” I laugh while handing Shadow the helmet.
“Wait, was that your first time on a bike,” Seneca questions as we walk through the parking lot.
“It was.”
“Damn, lady. You rode well for your first time out,” Seneca praises.
“Really?”
“Yeah, Jinx. You did great,” Shadow murmurs as he puts in the entry code for the backdoor. “You’re a natural.”
Their praises mean everything to me, they uplift my spirits even more than the ride itself. “Thanks, guys.”
When we get inside the club, the door shuts behind us, and I hear a locking mechanism click.
Fancy.
“I keep all the doors closed to the specialty rooms, it’s more professional, you won’t see anythin’ that’ll scar you, Jinx,” Shadow assures me as we follow him down the hall and into a large room with tons of lounge furniture.
This place sure doesn’t look like a BDSM club.
“Damn, this place is nice,” Seneca chimes in.
“It’s been a fuckin’ bitch gettin’ this place runnin’ with all the changes. The fucker we jacked it from was an idiot,” Shadow grumps.
“Shadow, we’re going to talk about you leaving these lights on when no one’s here,” I scold. “No wonder the electric bill is high.”
He chuckles. “I’ll do better, boss.”
“What’s your roll in Breakneck, Jinx,” Seneca questions curiously.
“Money management,” I answer.
“That’s hot.” Seneca teases, but I honestly believe he’s serious.
“Brains and beauty.” Shadow nods.
A blush creeps up my neck with their compliments, not a sexy feature on a redhead, there’s no way to hide it.
Shadow takes his sunglasses off, hangs them on the neckline of his shirt, unclips a key from a carabiner and hands it to me. “I want you to be comfortable here Jinx; this key will get you into any room in the club. Distributors should be here in about fifteen minutes or so, use the key and go explore until then.”
I take the key from his outstretched hand. “Point me to the most vanilla room.”
Shadow’s black soulless eyes don’t laugh at my request, there’s no judgment, he merely nods and points to the right.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t leave the club, Jinx,” Seneca orders.
Why would I leave the club? I’m here to work.
“I won’t. I promise.” I say when I notice he’s waiting on my response.
*
“What in the hell could this be used for,” I whisper to myself while studying a thin metal object. “I probably don’t even want to know.”
I roll my eyes because my curiosity has me talking to myself.
I shut the drawer and study the art on the walls of the room.
Even though I don’t know crap about BDSM, I can tell this place is used only by elite patrons who practice or live the lifestyle fulltime.
It’s way too fancy.
I snort. I can’t believe I’m about to negotiate a refund on instruments used for sex.
When I hear a loud crash and then Spanish being shouted, I run to the wall and hit the light switch; the only light in the room shinning from the hallway.
The one time I leave the compound during the lockdown and I get stuck in a raid!
I dig my nails into my palms as my teeth chew at my bottom lip with worry.
Shadow and Seneca promised Pyro they’d have my six, so I slide down to the floor, and strain to listen.
I pat the pockets on my dress and remember I left my phone in my room. I can’t even be angry with myself over it, I didn’t know I’d be leaving the compound.
“Red, J,” Shadow roars, and it rumbles throughout the club. “Fuck!”
Shadow doesn’t call me J, so I know he’s trying to warn me, and where the hell have I heard red before when it pertains to the brotherhood?
Winter!
She’s where I’ve heard it.
Oh, god!
“Desk J. Remember the fuckin’ desk,” he roars again and then groans.
Desk?
I assume the desk in his office, but I don’t even know where the damn office is.
“Touch me again motherfucker,” Seneca yells with a growl. “I’ll make your death more painful.”
Really?
I learned really quick in captivity you don’t threaten your captors, they need to shut the hell up so I can think, and I can’t think if I’m worried about them.
I know from paying bills, the club has two phone lines; one for calls and the other for the fax line. I bet those lines are in the damn office too, because of the nature of the club. Privacy and crap.
My first instinct is to hide, but I know it’s wrong. I’ve got direct orders from Shadow, and I got to figure out how to get it done. The first lesson I had in self-defense was to learn to differentiate sounds; the brothers live by it too.
I close my eyes and listen to the voices speaking in Spanish.
Two low pitched accents.
One medium octave accent.
I know Shadow didn’t scream out a count because the captors would have figured out there’s another person here.
One broken accent.
My eyes fly open.
Four men!
I stand back up, palming the key Shadow gave me in my left hand, and take a deep breath. I have no choice but to leave the safety of the dark room. I got to trust Shadow wouldn’t lead me into a trap, and my path to the office is somewhat clear.
There’re still too many obstacles in my way.
I groan and happen to look up, spotting a tiled ceiling.
Please don’t be sealed shut.
Please don’t be sealed shut.
Please don’t be sealed shut.
I inch along the wall until I reach a dresser of some kind. I tuck the key into my bra and climb on top of it as quietly as I can. I push up on a tile, and it creaks as it lifts, and I suck in a breath as I slide it to the side. I waste no time pulling myself up and into the attack of the club and carefully pushing the tile back in place; not wanting to risk them seeing a missing tile if they should come into the room.
When I’m encased in the darkness, I allow myself a moment to pull myself back together, and then I undergo a slow crawl along the crawlspace beam. I use the feel of the surface to guide me down the length of the narrow space, if I push against something that isn’t this beam, I’m screwed. I hear the Spanish voices louder now, and I know I’m growing closer towards them. My heart beating so fast, it’s painful. I continue to breathe in and out, doing my best not to panic. It’s the last thing we need to happen right now. I have two men counting on me.
The tips of my fingers brush a wall. I move back and feel to my right, a beam. I feel to the left, another beam.
Which way do I fucking go?
I choose left because I know the parking lot is to the left of my direction and I stop when I come to a crawlspace ventilation vent.
This tacky thing I know isn’t in a public room, so I lean my face down and peer through the cracks, shocked to see an office type of place. My luck can’t be this good, there’s no darn way. I try to lift the metal vent, and it won’t budge, so I check the corners; which I find screwed in. I wiggle them around to loosen at least two of them, cringing when it makes a small sound. Satisfied they are loose enough, I push down a few times, and one side pops open. I pull back, shut my eyes and strain my ears, checking to make sure I wasn’t heard.
After a few minutes, I push the vent down and squeeze my body through its half-opened space. There isn’t any furniture underneath me, so I must drop down; a hiss escapes my lips when I scratch my arm all to hell. I won’t complain to Shadow about the light bill again, it’s saving our butts right now.
I land on my ankle wrong but ignore it. I turn around, my eyes falling on a desk with a business landline nestled on top of it.
Shit!
I totally messed up my left ankle.
Disregarding the excoriating pain, I pick up the receiver; no dial tone.
Those guys must have cut the phone lines.
All the drawers are locked, and there’s no computer.
If we get out of this alive, things are going to have to change in here.
A Panic Button is number one on my request list for Winter.
Get your mind back on task, Jinx. Your fucking lives depend on it.
He said desk, so I drop to my knees, using my hands to feel around the underbelly, my fingers brush two items taped to the wood. With my fingernails I peel the tape away, the sticky sheets pull back, the items drop to the floor.
A gun and a hunting knife.
I snatch them up, the gun’s safety is off, so I’m assuming it’s already locked and loaded. Sniper’s phrase.
There are two doors in Shadow’s office.
I scurry to the less fancy one.
A closet.
I shut the door behind me, search high and low for items which could help us get out of our predicament alive.
I score a handful of cheap prepay cell phones, the first two don’t power on, but the third does.
The only number besides 911 I know off the top of my head is Breaknecks garage number. I dial it, the other end rings multiple times, the garage answering machine picks up.
Damnit!
I press end, try again, answering machine picks up again.
“This is Jinx, we’re at the new club. I’m hiding in a closet in the office,” I hiss. “Shadow and Seneca were captured. We need you!”
I hang up, take a deep breath weighing my options.
If I call 911, Braxxon will end me for dragging a headache into club business, but all be damned if I’m going to die because he doesn’t want a mess to clean up.
No answer.
Click.
I tilt my head against the shelves in the closet, debating on what I should do when the phone vibrates in my hand.
“Hello,” I whisper.
“J, it’s Sniper, we’re on our way. Stay in the fucking closet, do you understand me?”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“I know you’re not,” he says calmly. “Do you have anythin’ to protect yourself with?”
I gaze down at my ankle, cringing when I see the softball size swelling. “A gun and a knife. Found it under the desk,” I hiss.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I shattered my ankle.”
“Fuck,” he yells.
In the background of his call, I can hear Pyro asking what’s going on with me, Sniper fills him in on the ankle, and Sniper isn’t thrilled I’m hurt. “Let me talk to her,” Pyro orders Sniper, and he refuses.
I hear the doorknob in the office jiggle. “They’re coming in, they must’ve got Shadow’s key,” I say quietly, barely audible to my own ears.
Sniper sucks in a breath with worry on the other end of the line.
I tuck the phone into my bra to hide it, just in case I’m about to get caught in the closet.
When the office door opens, I put the gun on one of the shelves, and grip the knife in my hand. A gun shot would lead the others to me or they could hurt Shadow and Seneca. I shove my body in between the wall and shelving units. I hear one set of footsteps come closer to the closet door, when the man enters the room looking straight ahead, I use all the courage I have to move out from my hiding spot, he has no time to register my presence behind him before the knife in my hand enters his neck. Blood squirts all over my face when he turns around, his own knife stabbing me in the stomach. I stumble backward, falling to the floor. The man reaches up, clawing at the blade in his neck, his Spanish words garbled by the blood spilling from his mouth.
I scramble backward with his blade still in my stomach, I no longer feel the pain in my ankle. I’m numb all over. I can faintly hear voices coming through the phone tucked in my bra when I’m thrown into a black abyss.
∞∞∞