Page 43 of Blue-Eyed Jacks (Destroyers MC: Skilletsville PA #1)

Skilletsville—Jackson

W hen and why did I pick a junkyard to call home?

Sprout’s chartered flight offer also included a blacked-out SUV waiting for us at the local airport. Kate, Zoe, and I had no luggage. Not even a change of clothes since we fled Pittsburgh. I’d been too preoccupied to stop and see to their needs. Some father I was.

Kate’s jeans had little flecks of blood on them. I scratched at one. She glanced down, saw what I was picking at, and slapped her hand over mine.

“Cara’s.” She glanced to the front, where Zoe sat opposite the nameless guy doing his job.

“I should be in front,” I muttered for the fifth time. But Kate was determined in her quest to keep us together. I worried she was wrong. I worried about the meeting and the people involved. Big G was the one guy I did fear—for good reason. His word was law.

Kate squeezed my hand. “I love you.”

Zoe heard that. She turned to look over the seat. “I love you, too, Dad.”

My throat was too tight. The words came out hoarse. “I’ll love both of you with my dying breath.” And beyond .

“Shh. No dying talk.” Kate’s rebuke made Zoe smile.

“That’s right, Dad. We’ll kick their ass.”

These two. “I don’t deserve you two.” I truly didn’t.

“We know.” Kate’s quiet confidence was everything I’d ever wished for. I soaked it in by staring at Kate as the car came to a halt.

“You’d have been a great biker wife. You know that?”

“I hated being a biker wife.” Her eyes fixed forward, locked on the group of men who emerged from the building to usher us in.

“Marry me,” I uttered the words before I could think about them. But as I did, I knew they felt right. “Kate please marry me. Me, James. That’s all I am. Son of One-Eyed Jack and a prostitute. Marry me .”

The door on my side opened. Sprout’s grinning mug filled the gap.

“Welcome back, boss.”

I locked eyes with Kate.

“Yes.”

Like a key fitting into a lock, my life was complete.

I winked at her, then turned on Sprout. “What’s this ‘boss’ shit?

” I shoved out of the car and caught his attention.

In the small space of time before the rest of the rabble closed in, I hurried to ask a favor from Sprout, “I don’t have any right to ask you for this, but make sure Zoe and Kate are safe, got it? ”

“Got it.” He looked past me to the car. “Ladies. Welcome back.”

Kate’s glare matched my own. She joined me, fidgeting.

I nudged her. “This was your idea.”

“I can change my mind, can’t I?”

“Might be a little late for that,” I replied.

She huffed. “Sorry.”

I wrapped my arm around her. “Don’t be. I get to walk in with the two most beautiful women in the world.

” Zoe climbed out and took my free side, wrapping an arm around my waist. We stayed like that until the door forced us to walk in single file.

I went first, hoping I wasn’t going to get shot crossing the threshold.

The crowd inside was larger than usual. My crew, former crew that was, Hagerstown’s lot, at least four of the rednecks from West Virginia who were struggling to lay the foundation of a chapter in that state, a few guys down from Dad’s old chapter in Wilkes-Barre, Nonno’s entourage, and even Bandit and a couple of Pittsburgh’s crew were present. Not all of them, though.

Kate caught up to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. Zoe was on our six, quiet, and I’m certain she was deciding who to shoot first.

Yes, she had my gun. And yes, I gave it to her despite Kate’s protests. I scanned the crowd to judge what we could expect.

Noticeable was the lack of certain attendees. Not a single hanger or hooker was in sight. Big G had been seated at the bar when we walked in. But he headed in our direction.

Nonno followed him—a dog for the master.

I kissed Kate’s cheek, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time for it, and not taking my eyes off the men who held this room and the army of men outside it in their greedy fists.

Big G noticed that kiss. “Introduce me.”

I swallowed. “This is Kate.”

His eyes scanned her. “Just Kate?”

“Just Kate,” she confirmed.

He tipped his head toward Zoe. “And this one?”

“That’s Zoe, my daughter.”

The small twitch of G’s mouth made me nervous. He scanned her, too. “She looks like you. She even looks a little like old Jack.”

That she did.

“But Jack wasn’t nearly as charming. I’m glad she got some of her and your mother’s looks.”

Kate stiffened beside me. Her sharp inhale and the set of her jaw spelled trouble.

Big G smiled. “I meant that in a good way. I have a daughter, too; they don’t always listen.” His tone changed. “Jackson, I have to ask this in front of all of these men. Did you kill Shock?”

I would not look at Zoe. “Nonno knows who did.” And Bandit. I glared at him.

Big G’s gaze shifted to Zoe. “Yes, he told me the events. But I need you to speak the truth to all of these men.”

That was an order . “Truth? The truth is, I don’t have to say anything. Nonno kicked me out.” I stepped forward, pulling on Kate to slide her behind me.

We were dead . I’d just killed my family with my defiance. But I’d be damned if I tossed Zoe to these wolves. Shock deserved to die. But saying that would get us killed faster.

“Nonno? Is that true?”

“It was temporary.”

Fuck me . I glared at Nonno.

“For good reason, right, Bandit?” Nonno motioned Shock’s enforcer forward. “For the record, what did you see that night?”

Bandit glanced at Zoe. I stepped sideways so he’d see me instead. He locked eyes with me. “Shock collected blackmail on the club, on the members, the presidents, even the national leadership.”

A rumble of male whispers swept around the room from one wall to the other. With each whisper, the sound grew.

Nonno held up a hand. “Quiet!”

Big G studied me like a bug. “I heard a rumor that he planned to leak it to the Feds.”

Kate shifted beside me. She curled her fingers through the crook of my elbow. Big G’s eyes locked on her. “You did me a favor, killing him. Thank you.”

The room sucked in a breath. I felt Zoe’s palm on my back.

Kate smiled. “He wasn’t killed to protect you.”

Big G’s expression hardened. “No?”

“Shock wanted my daughter. I’d kill anyone because of that.”

There were no lies there despite how it sounded.

I liked this ruthless version of Kate. “Ditto to what she said. But someone beat me to it.” Let them think Kate did it.

She had more than enough reason. All my men knew about that.

Walt’s crew likely knew her story, too. But Bandit could bring us all down.

I still hadn’t lied…only omitted some facts.

“Understandable.” Big G scanned the crowd of Destroyers. “You said temporary, Nonno?”

“That’s right.”

Big G stared at my chest. “Where’s his vest?”

Wolf motioned to Smoke, who stepped into our meeting room and returned with my cut. He handed it off to my former VP, who then handed it to Big G. As he turned away, he winked at me.

That damn son of a bitch. He had to have known. I wondered how much he stuck his neck out for me, looping Big G into this fiasco.

“Here.” Big G handed me the leather vest. I noticed the hole where my president’s patch should have been. I slipped it on anyway. If I wore it, I could protect Kate better. Especially in this crowd, with her false confession lingering in their memories.

“That’s better. Nonno? There’s a gap in your leadership. You’ve been without a regional president too long. I think there is a man ready for that job.”

Big G reached out and put his finger on the spot where my officer patch had been.

“This chapter has leaders in place that he groomed. He’s proven loyal not only to the club, but in his defense of the club.

” There was a bite to his tone. He aimed his next words directly at Nonno. “I think Jackson is your best choice.”

A couple of men near the back spoke out of turn, but no one within the circle around us. Bandit even dipped his head at me, then Kate.

My men cheered. Assholes .

In the commotion, I quietly asked Kate if she was okay with the offer.

“I can turn it down,” I whispered against her hair.

But if I did, she and Zoe were in danger.

She must have read that on my face, because she shook her head.

Then she mouthed, “We.” There was a fierceness embedded in her silent guidance.

Nonno tried to quiet the room again, with marginal success. I held up a hand. My crew quieted immediately. Big G raised a finger and his men glared at anyone still making a sound.

“One condition.”

Big G straightened, not accepting my request, nor denying it.

“I asked Kate to marry me, and she said yes.”

“Fuck yeah, called it!” Sprout’s voice carried around the room. Bear shoved him into silence.

Nonno studied Kate. “Is that your condition?”

“No. My condition is that, we stay here in Skilletsville as a family. I’ll go wherever you want, but my base is here.”

“Not Maine?” Nonno’s question caught me off guard.

Someone muttered, “What the fuck is in Maine?” He was quickly silenced.

“Maybe in the summer. It gets fucking cold up there in the winter.”

Zoe couldn’t catch the laugh before it burst out of her.

Under her breath, Kate whispered, “Crystal Ann is going to need a raise.”

Big G tapped Nonno’s shoulder. “Give him whatever he wants, as long as he stays out of Chicago. Too many people die around him.”

Nonno smiled, knowing exactly how those rumors were true. “He’s better on our side than not.”

Big G didn’t blink. “I believe that. Good luck with him.”

He didn’t stay to party with the clubs. Apparently, being the power behind the throne got you perks like that. Zoe and Kate retreated to Wolf’s office with the key he gave them. Smoke stood outside the door as a guard. I stayed downstairs to take the backslaps and lies like a true lackey should.

“You’re going to get old and fat in this job,” Griz joked.

“Me? Fat? Never.”

“Two years, you’ll be looking like Walt.” Sprout was not funny. I shook my head.

“I ain’t fat.” Walt pulled up a barstool and ordered two whiskeys. He slid one under my nose, the other he lifted in toast. “You know, I wanted the regional spot. But I think I don’t now.”

The small glass dangled from his fingers like his words.

“Why is that?” I asked.

He smiled, almost in depreciation. “Sounds like a lot of work. And fuck working.”

Liar . He worked ten times harder than I ever did. But a toast was a toast.

“Fuck working.” I lifted the cup and waited to see if he’d drink to my sentiment.

He didn’t. Instead, he mused. “Politics means a whole lot of folks lying to you so they can get what they want.”

“I’ll fit right in.”

He blinked. “No, you won’t. And that’s why you’re the best man for it. You lie about two things, women and fish. Anyone who doesn’t know that about you, doesn’t know you at all.” He grinned. “To women and fish.”

He had me pegged. “To women and fish.” I drank with him.

Once the whiskey hit bottom, he leaned in. “She was worth the trouble. I see that. Congrats.”

Had I properly thanked him yet? Probably not . “Kate’s prettier than Mary, isn’t she?”

Walt’s expression shifted. “No one’s prettier than my wife.”

I expected that statement.

I also expected the quick succession of Sprout and Wolf putting their wives into the contest. Walt’s own men began listing their women, including their newest victim, I mean “ol’ lady.”

Speaking of, Kate was upstairs. I wanted her in my arms. I wanted to go to our borrowed showroom home and wake up with her.

But there was one thing I needed to do before that happened.

I found Bear in a circle of my men. They’d always be mine.

I trusted them like no others. It helped that I had a hand in picking all of them.

I sat down and leaned in to make a request.

“Bear? Do me a favor.”

“Anything, boss.”

Hell, that felt good. Boss . “Run razor wire under my balcony. Make sure it is sharp enough to cut a man’s hand off.”

“You’re not messing around, are you?”

Nope, I was dead serious. “Either that or tear the fucking thing off. I want it gone or protected before I take Kate and Zoe home.”

“I’ll do you one better.”

I was listening.

Bear explained. “Sprout set me up in the house next door. And Wolf said, now that you’re regional president, I’m officially on your detail.”

That was comforting, but also a concern. I motioned to my VP… my former VP. “Wolf?”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Bear still gets a cut here, right?”

Wolf nodded.

I exhaled in relief. I wanted no bad blood soaking the ground where my family would live. “Who’s taking Bear’s place?”

“We moved Griz to Sergeant, and Smoke’s an enforcer as of tomorrow’s vote.”

Those were good moves. I let him know that. “I knew you’d make a good president.”

Wolf opened and shut his mouth. Finally, he simply said, “Thanks. I learned from the best.” He used my shoulder as a crutch to stand, keeping the weight off his bum leg.

He was letting me see his weakness. “You good?”

“Will be when I get home.” His voice rumbled, laced with a quiet yearning.

I understood that.

He studied me.

“What?” I asked.

“Kate’s going to make one hell of an ol’ lady. I can tell. She’s got that… I don’t know.” He moved his hand in front of his face and chest.

“The word is command or compassion. Both are great qualities in a wife.” I kept my words quiet, hoping he’d understand I meant his wife no disrespect.

Tits had command in spades. Compassion? Only if you were a blade, or shot bullets, or were Wolf.

Everyone else could fuck right off. I respected that sentiment immensely.

Bear ruined the moment. “The only quality I want in a wife is sucking a mean dick.”

“Oh, you just cursed yourself, dude.” Sprout leaned on him, obviously drunk. Or faking it well enough that even I couldn’t tell.

Griz and Hollywood joined Team Bear. They rambled on about who gave the best blow jobs and what that entailed. Notably, Sketch was quiet. “You got insight, crazy man?”

His eyes, usually sharp and scary, weren’t. “Blow jobs aren’t everything.” He stood up to leave. I caught his arm.

“Is your ex still giving you shit?”

He slumped. “She wants to move to fucking Delaware.”

He had a kid he barely got to see even though he lived in same town as his ex did. Delaware? Shit . “Come talk to me tomorrow. I’ll get a lawyer on it.” Being regional president had to count for something, right?

Sketch smiled. “Thanks, boss.” The slump didn’t quite leave his shoulders as he quietly exited. I felt every step of that weight on him. I was once that man. Living without my family. Not knowing or being there for the milestones and the little moments.

But that was going to change. Starting immediately.