Page 33 of Blue-Eyed Jacks (Destroyers MC: Skilletsville PA #1)

Jackson

T he Skilletsville chapter’s meeting room was sacred. But that word wasn’t in Shock’s vocabulary. I tried to pull my men aside for a quick huddle, but he strolled right in, sat his ugly ass in my chair, and surveyed the room like it was his own.

I took one look at him and his men filing in and noped out, grabbing Bear and Wolf on my way out the door to do a circuit around the junkyard. One of Shock’s assholes dropped his cigarette and made to follow.

With a quick flag to Smoke, that idea was cut short.

I noted his quick thinking to Wolf. “Fast track him.”

“Don’t know why you’re making him wait.”

If Wolf was in my shoes, he’d have done the same thing. Speaking of… “Alright. I ain’t strolling around the fucking scrap heap for my health. Wolf, are you ready to step up?”

His jaw worked sideways. “You’re borrowing trouble.”

Not from my vantage point . “Nonno is on his way here. You know damn well that unplanned visits always signal a regime change.”

Wolf stopped in his tracks. “Is that what you’re expecting?”

“I can’t rule it out. Shock is a little too fucking cocky. He’s arranged something. And that can’t be good for me.”

“None of this is good for you,” Wolf stated the obvious.

“Kate’s good for me.” Of that, I was positive.

Wolf snorted. “You’re fucking suicidal.”

“Am not. That woman loves me.”

I noted Bear didn’t laugh. “What?” He knew something.

“Are you sure?” Bear faced the club. I checked over my shoulder to confirm we weren’t going to be ambushed.

“Why do you say that?”

“Shock sent a package to Kate.”

Ah . “So her mood isn’t from Sprout and his Ma riling her up? What was in it?” I scanned the rusting vehicles and the fence that surrounded the entire lot.

“Photos.”

Shit . “Of?”

“You. Fucking hookers. About twenty photos.” He shifted, almost bracing for a blow. He reached into his coat and pulled out a thick envelope. I took it and handed it to Wolf. I’d lived it, ‘didn’t need a reminder.

“She knows I’m no saint.”

Wolf scrunched up his nose like something smelled bad. He peeked inside, and his expression soured more.

“You got a smart-ass comment for me?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think you can count on her support.” He peeked at another photo.

That was a given. “I need you to get those to the geek squad. Find out where the cameras were. Check where the security leak happened.”

Wolf tucked the flap back inside the package. “Tits has a team on standby to get Kate and Zoe out if needed. They are holed up in a motel along the highway.”

“Good. How fast can they get here?”

“Ten minutes,” Wolf confirmed.

I triangulated which hotel was within that estimate.

“Good. Loop Hickey in on the call; make sure he’s monitoring the gates.

” We had cameras in place, but most of them faced the street, not the cars in the lot.

They were there to protect the club, not to prevent theft.

No idiot in their right mind stole from us. That was a good way to end up dead.

“Trackers?” I asked Bear.

“Done. Stuck an AirTag under the lining of Zoe’s sneakers, and Kate’s GPS is in the pocket of the leather coat Poppy picked up for her. She’s wearing it.”

Good . “Range?”

“About four hundred feet on Zoe’s. North America on Kate’s.”

“Can you get a GPS on Zoe?”

Bear shook his head. “Takes time to program the fucking thing. Skinner’s working as fast as he can.”

Damn it . I needed them both tagged. I ran through the rest of the shit we needed to worry about. “Shock’s hookers are a wild card.” Ours were back, minus Tina, of course.

He’d brought a handful. Three brunettes, a redhead, and a bottle blonde.

They ranged in age and ethnicity. Too bad he didn’t take care of his stable as well as we did.

They all looked over-used and scared, except maybe the oldest. She was a Latina woman with some miles below the belt.

She wasn’t scared at all. If my quick glance was true, she had an agenda.

Which was one more thing to worry about.

There were too many variables in one place to watch them all. Which meant I was screwed.

My men needed a reminder to stay on their toes. Not only for Kate and Zoe but for their own livelihood as well.

“Wolf? The club’s future is at stake. Not just ours. Shock’s playing a game with Nonno. I can feel it. I think he’s blackmailing him for a murder sixteen years ago.”

“How would you think that?”

I sent him a look that plainly showed my amusement. “Have you met me?”

He’d not only met me, but helped me with at least two murders. “Oh.”

“The funny thing about that is Shock has the wrong leverage.” I glanced at Wolf’s prosthetic.

“Use what you know if they start fucking with us.” Wolf had more dirt on Nonno than Shock could dream of.

Added to that, his wife probably had enough dirty deeds documented to bury all of us.

Wolf was going to be in the right place, with the right arsenal; he just had to use it and damn any sentimentality toward me and the leadership. “Don’t fuck up,” I reminded him.

“What about you? I think Shock is angling to kick you out.”

“That’s the least of it. To him, I’m a dead man.

Taking my patch is just step one. And that’s the only way I see it going down.

You need to be ready.” If Shock didn’t kill me, Nonno might.

And if neither of them did, then probably Big G or one of the people I’d worked for somewhere would want me quiet.

I’d done too much to live outside the bonds of the club.

Both men were uncomfortable.

I addressed them both. “Look at it this way. All those times I was an asshole to you? I got what was coming.”

Bear frowned.

“You got a problem with that?”

He winced. “Yeah. See, the thing is? You’re our asshole.” He kicked the dirt at his feet. “I kind of got used to your bullshit.”

The feeling was mutual. But I’d be damned if I wussed out now. “Yeah? You’re still ugly. Wolf? Do I need to insult you, too?”

He laughed. “Fuck no. I’ve seen through you since I was a mere speck.”

I dipped my head at him. “That’s why you’re where you’re at. I need both of you ruthless for the next bit. I can’t tell you it will be quick. Shock’s been trying to get revenge on me for over sixteen years. He’s patient.”

Except for one thing. Zoe was the age he liked best. I couldn’t voice that fear out loud because I knew both Bear and Wolf would have a huge problem with that.

I wouldn’t like ‘em if they didn’t have that code of honor running through them.

Sure, both were damn dangerous, and both had done more than their share to contribute to the club’s illegal activities, but they also were good men. Ones I was proud to call “brother.”

I finished my little diatribe. “So when shit blows up, put the club first. Got it? Ruthless.”

There was a commotion at the gate. Two blacked-out sedans and a bevy of bikes rolled in. “Nonno’s here.”

Sprout strolled outside, those long legs eating up the distance between the building and our little group. He had his hand in his pocket as if he hadn’t a care in the world, but that speed wasn’t his usual saunter.

He noted the entourage arriving and kept walking until he met up with us.

“What’s wrong?”

He stared at the cars, then turned his back so no one could read his lips except our little circle. “Nonno’s got Kate and Zoe. Ma called as soon as she could. He pulled rank on the security team.”

Fuck .

I tapped Wolf on the shoulder. “Make that call. Let’s go. Party’s starting.”

I’d never been much of a gambling man. In every deal, every transaction, every plan, I always made sure I stacked the deck.

But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t the one holding the cards. And that was dangerous territory. I wanted to pull the plug on this little farce immediately. But first, I needed to see my family.

Which meant I beat even Sprout’s long-ass strides to get to the cars first.

I stood no more than an arm’s-length back from the guy opening the first car. I glanced at the second one. There were four bodies in that one. I’d picked wrong. Nonno climbed out of the first car, and I pretended I’d been rushing to greet him.

As usual, he ignored my hand.

I tipped my head to the second car. “I see you met my family.”

Sprout helped Zoe out of the car, keeping a protective arm around her as he hustled her from the vehicle and to our little group. He made a fuss of straightening her hoodie and grinned like an idiot. “Check out that eyebrow, Nonno. Looks just like our man J, doesn’t she?”

He was not helping. Nonno didn’t like being told the obvious.

Nonno proved me right by ignoring Sprout and focusing on Kate, who was bright red with fury. One of Nonno’s guys got handsy as she exited the car, and she spat rapid-fire words at him. “You already searched me once at the lake house. Get your fucking hands off my ass!”

The corner of Nonno’s mouth went up.

I jumped into the fray. “That’s my woman. Show some respect.”

Only then did his minion back off. Fucker .

“You finally admit you fucked up,” Nonno observed.

I pointed to Zoe tucked in at my side. “That’s right, plus evidence. Is that good enough for you?”

He acknowledged Zoe. Then he tossed an accusation at me. “You lied to me.”

“When? Name a time and place.” I knew he was searching for something to pin me with. But in all my dealings with people, I kept the truth tucked right inside neat little packages of deflections and bluster. “I never outright lied.”

His eyes narrowed. “You lied to Shock.”

“Again, when?”

“Sturgis.” Shock strode up with a big grin on his face. “Nonno, thank you for coming.”

“I didn’t lie. I said no one stole your wife. Kate? You left all on your own, didn’t you? I didn’t steal you.”

Her glare was not comforting. “To set the record straight, yes. I left that asshole willingly.” She pointed at Shock.

His grin dropped, and his color darkened. “I still own you.” He snapped his fingers and that fucking marriage certificate got shoved back into his mitts. He handed it to Nonno, then requested the other document.

That fucking court order for Zoe.

“I own her , too.” He flashed the document at Kate but handed it to Nonno.

Nonno glanced at it. He shoved it back into Shock’s gut.

“No.”

Shock opened his mouth to speak, but Nonno cut him off.

“Any idiot can see the resemblance. And all of you idiots have seen Jackson’s fucking around.

He’s made no secret that he’s had his dick in almost every woman within a seven-mile radius of this place.

I’m surprised he doesn’t have a dozen kids. ”

Nonno paused and motioned Zoe to his side. “You. Come here.”

She looked at me for advice. I didn’t know what Nonno was playing at, but he’d started well. I sent her a small nod, but I was going to watch this closely. She didn’t exactly cuddle up with Nonno, but was within arm’s reach.

I didn’t like it one bit. Neither did Kate, who pushed herself between Nonno and Zoe. “Look, don’t touch.”

“Mouthy, aren’t you?”

Her jaw stiffened. Wisely, she didn’t smart off to the national president.

Nonno stared over their heads at me. “Does she talk to you like this?”

I grinned. “All the fucking time. I love it.” I meant that. My eyes locked with Kate’s. I meant that. She wasn’t a mind-reader, so I had no clue if she could see the message on my face. But I stuck it there for the whole world. And with that, I went all in and mouthed, “I love you.”

She frowned and shook her head.

I glanced around to see who was paying attention.

Nonno wasn’t. But Shock was.

A slow grin formed on his face. I didn’t like it one bit. It held a promise of pain.

I’d exposed my weakness in front of him.

And you know what? I would not feel bad about that at all. Let the whole fucking world see me being a sap. Loving Kate was the best thing in the world. It was time the world knew. Even if she didn’t love me back.

Nonno cleared his throat. “Keep a leash on her, then.”

Zoe made a noise of protest.

He quickly added, “ Both of them.”

This time, Kate shushed Zoe with a look, and a single finger held up. She didn’t have to say a word, and my daughter obeyed.

I marveled at the way those two could communicate. On the heels of that, I mourned the years I’d missed with them. If I made it out of this shit alive, I’d spend the rest of my life learning their ways. God willing.

Shock mouthed off. “At Sturgis, you made me look like a liar in front of Nonno.” He motioned toward our leader.

I noticed he left out Big G. Smart man, but also really dumb.

“Shock, have you ever thought about the women you’ve ruined. Like really thought about them?”

“Jackson,” Nonno warned, “Not here. Let’s go inside. Officers only. Now.”

As I handed Kate and Zoe off to a prospect so he could take them to my office, Shock bumped my shoulder.

Under his breath, he muttered, “You’re pussy-whipped.”

I fired back, “At least I’m getting some.”

No sooner than he was out of earshot, Kate whispered to me, “That was immature.”

“You want maturity?” I pointed at Shock’s back as he entered my meeting room. “He’s at least ten years older than I am.”

She narrowed her eyes as I stared her down. But we were interrupted.

“Jackson, get your ass in there. I got these two.” Baldy took over for the prospect, motioning Kate and Zoe up the stairs. “You don’t want to keep Nonno waiting.”

Right .

It was time to face my doom.