Page 22 of Blue-Eyed Jacks (Destroyers MC: Skilletsville PA #1)

The Clubhouse—Jackson

S prout’s legs were too long. He matched my hurried stride as I crossed from the staircase to the meeting room.

“What are we doing with them?”

I grunted and scanned the bar. It wasn’t evening yet, but a couple of the hookers had shown up. “Take the night off, ladies. Upstairs is off limits.”

“Boss?”

“Not now, Sprout.”

“Boss.”

I stopped, almost exactly in the center of the room, where nineteen-ish years ago Kate puked her guts out. “What?!”

“They can’t stay here.”

“Like hell they can’t.”

He opened his big ass mouth, but looked around first. “If you haven’t noticed, this is a biker clubhouse, complete with whores, set inside a junkyard.”

My glare should have had him ducking for cover. But fool that he was, he kept talking.

“I know if it was my Danielle or Ma, I’d want something better.”

“You got a castle you can pull out of your ass?” Complete with a moat, guards, and a fire-breathing dragon?

“I’ve got three showcase houses, and I only need one. Maybe two.”

I blinked.

Somewhere between that email and holding Zoe in my arms for the very first time, I’d forgotten all about the club, the businesses we ran, and the sometimes competence of it all. “I wasn’t going to ask.”

“But I’m giving.”

If it were any other man, I’d ask what was the catch?

But this was Sprout. He was born into this shit.

His grandfather was a member. His father died for this club.

He shared millions of dollars he didn’t have to share because he believed in us.

It was about time I showed some faith back.

“I appreciate the offer. But you know Shock might fuck it up.”

He shrugged. “They’re insured. And right now none of them are making me any fucking money. So, that might be a good thing.”

I slapped the top of his head. “And while it’s getting fucked up, my woman and daughter are there. No. It ain’t a good thing.”

“But it’s better than this.” He motioned around at the squalor.

Reluctantly, I had to admit it was a valid point. “I don’t want to…” I didn’t want to what? Get their hopes up? Play house, and then have them find out I was an utter asshole? Better they find out exactly who I was first and then see a better side of me later.

Or else it would all be lies. I’d had enough of those.

“Get everyone who was on the run in the fucking meeting room. We gotta put a lid on this shit immediately.” Before Nonno or Big G, or God forbid, Shock, found out.

“On it.” He whistled, “Prayer session. Specks, you heard Jackson, the girls gotta get out. O.U.T. Now.”

One of the hookers complained. As did a member who must have shown up while we were out.

I bitched right back. “Baldy, shut the fuck up and get your ass in that room. Smoke, you can keep a lid on this shit out here, yeah?” Smoke was almost out of his prospect phase, and already shacked up with an ol’ lady.

He’d done a stint in prison between his first two years as a prospect and this final year.

He was one of the few I believed in to lead this group of misfits. And he’d already proven to be an asset.

“You got it, boss.” He personally helped one of the women off their barstool and pointed her to the door.

The other prospect, who hadn’t earned more than the name “Speck” was doing a piss-poor job of corralling.

He would not make it. I didn’t see the fire in his gut.

He was strictly here for the money he’d get someday.

I had enough of that type of asshole. With Kate and Zoe here, there were going to be no more free rides for anyone. “Sprout, put that one on the list.”

“The shit list or short list?”

“What the fuck do you think?”

He tipped his head and forced a comical frown on his face. “I don’t know, we don’t have anyone to replace him yet. But you do you.”

“Who runs this club?”

He grinned. “The ol’ ladies, of which, I think we just got another one.”

That didn’t deserve a response.

Neither did the jeers and bullshit my men gave me in our little “prayer” session.

Then again, at least they booed down Wolf’s suggestion that I take the women and run.

Maybe those fuckers wanted to see me dead?

Whichever way you sliced it, the club knew about Kate.

And worse, they knew about Zoe. From that point on, it was an endless stream of “how old was that hooker you had last month,” to “Gee, Dad, a couple more years and you’ll be a grandpa. ”

The noise followed me out the door.

Smoke had one of the hookers by the arm, a deep frown on his face, and if I wasn’t mistaken, a war storming behind his eyes.

“Why isn’t she gone?”

“Not my fucking idea,” Smoke grumbled.

The hooker, Tina, talked over him. “Shock’s been trying to pay us for info on you about Kate.”

“Trying or succeeding?”

Her eyes hit the floor. Just like I thought.

“And?”

She rallied. “And sending the rest of them home before laying down the law was a mistake.”

I motioned for Smoke to let her go. There were red marks on her upper arm. Luckily, they faded quickly, otherwise I might have lost track of the conversation. “Sweetheart, Shock’s going to find out sooner or later. It wasn’t a mistake. If I wanted to hide Kate, I would have.”

Her mouth softened. “What about the other girl?”

My eyes flicked to Smoke’s. He wasn’t the right man for this. I needed Wolf or someone brutal standing behind her. But apparently, Smoke saw enough in that quick glance to grab her by both arms and demanded. “What other girl?”

He squeezed her biceps until she winced.

I repeated his words, “What other girl?” Mine was kinder, good cop, bad cop, except of the two, I wasn’t the good cop at all.

“Is she Shock’s daughter?”

I laughed. My brothers laughed. Smoke let go of Tina and waited as I got it out of my system.

Finally, I wiped the moisture gathered at the corner of my eye.

“Tina, you can tell Shock yourself that the other girl is my daughter. Mine. No doubt whatsoever. And if he wants to come fuck with what’s mine, or what he lost? He’s a dead man. Got it?”

Her face blanched slightly. “Are you serious?”

“Everybody keeps asking me that. And I’ll tell you what I told them. Yeah. I’m one hundred percent serious about this. She’s mine. Her mother’s mine.”

Tina’s eyes dropped again but flickered up with a tilt I could read a mile away. “But is she on board with this? Or is she just using you like she used Shock?”

That’s what she thought this was?

I lifted her head by the chin and got real close so she’d hear me loud and clear. “Pack your things. You can tell Shock in person. And after you’re done ratting on us? Don’t come back.”

She scrambled to the door. I made Smoke confirm she was gone.

“What’s this? You got an ol’ lady and we can’t fuck anymore?” Baldy stuck his ugly mug in my face.

Sprout was right, damn him. “While Kate or Zoe is here, you keep that shit out of sight. I’m moving them tomorrow.”

I flicked a nod toward Sprout to make it happen.

As much as I dreaded the danger they’d be in, tucking them into a brand new show model house in the fancier suburbs we were building was the right thing for the club.

And since they’d lived in squalor for so long, it would be fitting for me to give them luxury finally.

At least until the hammer fell, and I was dead.

Then they’d get it all. That had to be better than a junkyard and a death sentence.

Although it was debatable if the latter ended with my demise.

Tina wasn’t the only hooker in our corral on Shock’s payroll. I could feel it. Which meant I needed to perform damage control, fast.

On the way up the stairs, I dialed Nonno. Big G was on my list, but not immediately. He wouldn’t give two shits about Shock’s complaints. But Nonno had to listen. That was his job.

Loud music blared through the phone’s speaker. “I’m busy Jackson.”

A good fisherman knows bait. “Too busy for an apology?”

There was a moment I thought he’d hung up on me. I waited at the top of the stairs to give him time to speak.

“What kind of stupid do you take me for?”

“I don’t. You wouldn’t be where you’re at by being stupid.” Just greedy, which, as a character flaw, he had in abundance.

“Shock told me what you did.”

There were a million things Shock could have told him. “Did you happen to hear what he got in trouble for up in Maine?” It was a long shot. All I had was a hint of a rumor through Walt.

Silence.

“It’s related. But I think you know that.” I was bluffing.

“Hang on.” There was a low rumble of voices and the music in the background faded.

“I’ve got guys from an Eastern New York feeder chapter bitching at me because two of their own are facing attempted murder of a goddamned cop.

I’ve got you calling and being all cryptic, and I got a fucking shit show brewing in Pittsburgh.

Tell me you are not to blame for all of this. ”

“I’m not. Shock is.”

“Goddammit. You’re like a couple of fucking kindergarten punks fighting over a damn toy.”

Ah-ha! I was right. Shock already knew about Kate and he’d filed a complaint against me.

“Well, I’ve got the toy now, and she ain’t going back.”

“You motherfucker. She’s Shock’s wife.”

“She’s a human being, and trafficking will get you twenty. She’s got all the evidence to bury our guy. So tell me, why shouldn’t I keep her safe, happy, and quiet?”

The door at the end of the hall shut abruptly.

I’d been eavesdropped on. Either Kate or Zoe heard me and probably caught the worst of it.

I tacked another to do tick box on my list. Fuck it, I was going to handle two problems at once.

I strode to the end of the hall and entered my office.

Kate was there flushed all blotchy and breathing hard.

She scurried to pack everything they’d brought with them, and an irate Zoe was in my office chair deliberately not helping.

Nonno was done ruminating over my proposal and spoke, “This shit is your fault.”