Page 53 of Bruised MC Bear

Vincent Belmont

Colonel Arthur Travis

“Idon’t know, but we can ask at least one of them what the fuck is going on as soon as we make it back to your house.” Axe snatched the card and slammed the safety deposit box lid shut. Forcing himself to focus, he did his best not to panic. “Let’s get some answers.”

“Wait. Can we ask Kade and Keith to meet us away from the house?” Nancy asked, following him outside. “I don’t want things getting ugly in front of the kids.”

“Fine. Tell him where we are. He can meet us at the diner across the street while I ingest an insane amount of coffee.”

* * *

Axe stretchedout in the back corner booth of the bistro Nancy had picked out. He may have been stretching, but he was in no way relaxed. Why would Mom have put these four names together, locked them in a bank vault, and hidden the key in the secret compartment of a vase? She could have written this down days, weeks or even years before she and Dad were violently murdered in their own home. It had to be big.

“Kade’s old man better have some answers,” he told Nancy.

Axe couldn’t wait to hear what his brother-in-law and panther president had to say about his father’s name, Keith Jackson, being on the list. Kade was unlucky in a way. He was low-hanging fruit, the closest and easiest person to tackle today. Axe would see Vincent pretty soon, so he was probably next. The former Director Riley was now Nevada State Governor Riley. Even he was accessible. His son, Addison Riley, was Sabrina’s best friend, and happened to be the same Addison they had rescued from the panther jail all those long months ago. The only person on the list he had no idea how they’d access was for former Colonel Travis. Today, he was General Travis, and from Axe’s knowledge, they had no common contacts, family, friends or associates. Not that he knew of, anyway.

“Are you sure we can do this in here?” Nancy asked.

“Why not? You picked the place. Plus the coffee’s pretty good.”

“I’m just worried that…promise me you won’t lose it in here, all right?”

“We can chat in his truck if you prefer. That will be completely private.”

“You’re probably right,” Nancy choked out.

Axe reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “Hey. He’s the one who’s got to explain himself. You have no reason at all to be nervous.”

“Really Alexander?” She pulled her arm away. “The grandfather of my children could have had something to do with Mom and Dad’s deaths. And Vincent too. Somehow, Mom knew something that connected the four of them. No matter what he says, our lives are forever changed because of that list.”

Axe agreed with her wholeheartedly, but the last thing he wanted to do was freak her out more. “Are you sure I’m the one you’re worried about? Because from where I’m sitting, he owes you a heck of a lot more than he does me. In any case, they’ll be here soon. Let’s try to reserve judgment, okay?”

Speak of the devil, Kade waved from the front door minutes later, motioning for them to meet him outside. Axe finished his cup of coffee, helped Nancy to her feet, and they joined Kade. No one spoke. Nancy couldn’t even look at her husband at first. She always got quiet before she unleashed her wrath, and fuck, did she ever know how to raise hell. All the designer outfits, shoes and handbags in the world couldn’t take the beast out of his sister.

They followed Kade to the side of the building where two black SUVs were waiting. Nancy was giving him the evil eye the entire way.

“Pops is here,” Kade said, pointing to one vehicle. He spun around to face Nancy. “I took the kids to stay with my mother, and left some of the boys to keep watch. So what’s this about, honey?” he asked, taking a step toward her.

“Don’t even try to act like you’re innocent,” Nancy shouted. She backed away and folded her arms over her chest so he wouldn’t touch her. “You know something. I can see it all over your face, and there’s no way your father would willingly show up today on just what I said over the phone. Tell me, what does he know about my parents’ death?”

Kade’s eyes darted all over the place. He walked over to the wall and leaned on it, almost doubled over with his hands on his knees as though he would puke.

“Dude, you’d better start talking, because right now you’re looking real sketchy,” Axe said. “And guilty.”

Kade lifted his head. “Nancy, you need to know that I had no idea about any of this until today when I picked him up from their house.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Any day now,” Axe growled when Kade took his sweet time to explain. “You’re upsetting the mother of your kids…and the one she’s carrying. Talk.”

Kade took some effort to straighten up. “Let’s just speak to Pops. He can start from the beginning.” He tried to put his arms around Nancy again, but she wasn’t having it.

Axe gave a less than polite nod to the four bodyguards Kade had brought along in the second SUV. One of them opened the rear door of the vehicle Kade’s father sat in. Axe jumped in beside him. Nancy took the front passenger seat and Kade took the driver seat.

“Good morning, Mr. Jackson,” Axe greeted the older man, out of respect for his elders and nothing else. He nodded over at him, noticing the man’s face and physical build was an almost exact carbon copy of Kade’s, except for the spattering of gray hair on his sideburns.

“So I hear the two of you found out some things about Natalie and Alain,” Mr. Jackson asked. “Care to share what you know?”