Page 9

Lynx

“The mayor has asked us to host the Christmas toy drive this year. She said when we ran it two years ago, it was the biggest number of families they served in the area. Last year they were only able to do five hundred low-income families, and it was only a one-hundred-dollar food voucher. The only thing, town council waited till the last second and we need to answer them tonight,” Sue states, pushing the envelope with the club’s name written on it.

“Yeah, we can start next month with drives and runs to earn money for the holiday season. It gives us at least a few months to start building up a slush fund for the gift-giving season, I respond.

“Okay, I will let the mayor know.” We stand up and leave the room.

“Is that the mortgage chick you were talking about?” Sue asks, his eyes looking toward the bar.

“There is something about her that drives this need to not only protect her, but to claim her. I can’t explain it,” I answer him as someone grabs my neck and starts to pull my head down. My eyes connect with Spun as her hand grips my cock and squeezes.

“The fuck!” Sue growls.

Maple comes marching over and grips Spun’s hair in a fist and yanks her head back. “I knew tosses you out wasn’t going to stop you. Bitch you are not welcome here. Shit here is consensual.”

“I warned you!” Spin barks at her sister, grabbing her wrist and squeezing until her hand loosens, and she lets go of my cock.

Looking up to where Jessikah was last sitting, I see her standing talking to Skoden and Slick. “Do you think she saw that?” I mumble.

“She would have to be blind as a fucking bat not to see what she just did,” Sue states, the look on his face turning into a smirk.

“Pres, I think the club is putting their vote in for the first lady.” He nods his head in the direction of Jessikah.

Her body is turned toward me, and all the club members are standing behind her, and the club girls are standing off to the side.

“Don’t you think she seems too young and na?ve?” I question as Sue laughs.

“Age is just a fucking number. I have seen eighty-year-old women act like they are seventeen and I have seen twenty-one-year-old women act like they are eighty. What matters is how you feel. If she is the one, then age doesn’t matter when the heart wants.”

“Aren’t you poetic,” I say, then snort as Jessikah walks toward Maple and Spin. She gets close, says something that causes Maple and Spin to look over at me with a shocked expression before they school their features. Then the foursome leaves the room.

“Pres, we approve,” Slick states and turns taping the bar for a round.

Maple and Spin come back in, their heads turning as if searching for something. When they land on me, they both head my way.

“We won’t say what she had to say. But that woman has seen and been through some horrible stuff. If you aren’t going to shit, then get off the fucking pot,” Maple states, pointing her finger at me before heading down the hall and out of sight.

“Pres. I won’t be as mean as Maple. But hearing what she just said to Spun makes me believe her story is one where she didn’t have anyone protecting her.

She is outside right now, speaking softly about her peace being more important than her negative thoughts,” Spin says.

She turns and follows Maple out of sight.

“The ball is your court. You need to decide if you can get over the age difference you made up in your head. Or if your heart has found its song. I will say, if you aren’t going after her, step the fuck aside, because I will.” Sue pounds me on the back and walks to the bar.

Walking to the door, I look over my shoulder.

My family is happy. They are all safe. There aren’t any issues I need to focus on, so now it’s my turn to find my happiness.

Opening the door and stepping out, I scan the area.

Jessikah is over by my car. She is leaning on the trunk and looking up at the sky.

“Are you okay?” I ask, letting her know I am beside her. She sighs, dropping her head and wiping at her face.

“It is what it is. Look, I’m sorry that I said something to that girl.

But what I said needed to be said. I won’t ever apologize for standing up against the bad.

I think I need to be taken home. I don’t feel safe out in the open,” she mutters so low it’s a wonder I even heard what she said.

I should have just taken her to dinner. I shouldn’t have brought her here.

“I still want to have dinner with you.” I reach out, running my hand down her arm. She jerks slightly, but doesn’t pull away.

“Honestly, I don’t feel safe. I haven’t felt safe for years, and now it feels like in the blink of an eye I can be removed from this place. Please, just take me home.” She stands from her leaning position, moves to the passenger’s side and gets into my car.

“Fuck.” I didn’t even get to take her on a date and I have already made her not feel safe. An idea forms. I lift the phone and dial the local diner and place and order for pickup. I may have screwed up this first date, but I plan on making it up to her.

Sliding in the driver’s seat and turning to look at her,. “I promised you dinner. Do you mind if we stop to pick something up and then go to your house and watch a movie?” She shrugs her shoulders. She has become compliant. It’s not something I enjoy in a woman.

Driving to the diner, my thoughts are on how I can make this night up to her. When I pull up to the diner, she smiles briefly. “Give me a few seconds. I’ll run in and pick up dinner.” She nods.

Walking to the door, I see an older lady selling flowers. I pay for two bundles and walk into the diner. My order is ready and I pay for it then quickly leave. The only thought on my mind is how to bring that feeling of safety back to her.

***

The car ride to her place is silent. She wipes at her face, brushing away the tears I know are sliding down her cheeks.

I need to let her know I will protect her, but more importantly, she needs to know I will keep her safe.

This woman has me feeling like the world needs to be better just so they can be in her orbit.

She opens her door and slides out before I have the chance to turn off the car. Her footsteps are quick. She isn’t running, but she is walking fast until she stops dead. Her hand comes to her mouth and then she lets out a blood-curdling scream.

“Jessikah!” I shout, jumping out of the car and running toward her. “What’s wrong?” I ask from behind her.

Her hand extends, finger pointing at her front door.

Looking over her shoulder, I take in the scene.

There is a stuffed cat in the scared position on her doorstep.

The words ‘FOUND YOU’ in red paint across her door and the walls around her door.

In the middle is an envelope with a switch blade holding it in place.

“Go and get back in my car. I am going to call the police and I will take you back to the clubhouse where my brothers and I can protect you.” She doesn’t move. Her mouth is hanging open, eyes are large, and she is frozen in place.

Me: * sends address* Get here quickly.

Sue: On our way.

Wrapping my arms around Jessikah, I guide her back to the car.

Placing her in the front seat, I kneel and look her in the face.

“I am going to call the police. When they get here, we will go inside. I want you to pack a bag and bring what you need with you. Until I know your house is safe, I want you close to me.”

“Moose, I need Moose,” she whimpers. Shit, her dog. I hope they didn’t do anything to him.

“We will get him and everything needed for you. Sit tight. Sue is on his way, and I am going to call the cops.” She nods her head as I close the door. Quickly calling my contact at the local police station and getting them to get here quicker than their normal response time.

Walking back up to the door, I begin to take pictures of the scene. I can hear Moose inside, barking and letting me know he is there. “Good boy,” I convey, hoping he hears me.

The blue and red flashing lights let me know the boys in blue are here, and the sound of the bikes rumbling down the street let me know Sue didn’t come alone. In fact, he brought all the brothers with him.

“Hey, what do we got?” Officer Rosette asks, she is one of the smaller officers on the force, but I have seen her take down a six-foot eight man like he was a tree she was chopping down. Next to her is her partner, Officer Lynn, another female officer, but her story is one that would scare anyone.

“My girlfriend and I were coming home from a date, and when she approached her door, that is what she found. We haven’t touched anything, including the letter in the door,” I tell them, as Sue walks up, nodding to both officers.

“Okay, let us do our thing. We will need to talk to your girlfriend, and she will need a safe place to stay. We can set her up with the local shelter…” I stop Officer Rosette.

“She will be staying with me at the clubhouse. I will need to take her inside to get her dog, laptop and a few items of clothing, though.”

They nod and encourage us to step back and let them get to work.

Sue and I step off to the side as Slick, Pigeon, and Skoden step into our circle.

“I am going to need Neo to run a deeper search on her. If she has trouble licking her heels, I want to be prepared. Call the brothers from the Montreal chapter and have them run a deeper search on her, there tech guy, Sherlock. skills allow him to digdeeper than Neo does.” They nod.

“She will be staying at the clubhouse, and she is bringing her dog. Let the brothers know to give them a heads up. I’m not going to tell them to change who they are, but I will ask them to be respectful of the outsider coming in.” I finish, looking at my car.

“Is that all she is to you, Pres, and outsider?” Slick asks, an eyebrow arched on his slim face.

“No, she is more to me than an outsider, but she doesn’t know it yet. After what happened at the clubhouse tonight and now this, I need to ease her into the aspect of being mine. Which means I need the club girls to be on their best fucking behavior.” Everyone nods.

“Can we speak to her now?” Officer Lynn asks, nodding to the car. Jessikah’s head is hanging, but you can tell she is crying because her body is shaking as she breathes.

Walking over to the car, I tap on her window before opening the door.

“Hey, darling, the officers need to ask you a few questions, and then they will let us in. Moose is barking at the door. He wants his mommy,” I say softly, before stepping back and watching as both female officers take a knee and ask their questions.

I watch as they listen to her speak, writing down information they know will help.

Officer Rosette stands and walks over to me.

She hands me a piece of paper and says, “She asks that you and someone named Skoden go into her house. She says she doesn’t feel safe right now going in.

The dog’s stuff is in the kitchen; her laptop is leaning against her desk in her office, and she says she has a go-bag in her closet to the right.

She told me to tell you to make sure to lock up and to check all the windows before leaving the house. ”

“Got it,” I state, as the officer asks to follow me inside so she can check and make sure things are safe on the inside.

Opening the door with the code she gave me; I immediately crouch down so I can get to Moose’s level and catch the dog. Grabbing his collar, I step into him and bring him to my side as Skoden and Officer Rosette enter.

“Skoden, hand me the lead to your right. I will take Moose out to Jessikah and come back in and help secure the residence.” He nods, handing me the bright orange over the shoulder lead and watches as I hook him up and head to the car.

Jessikah throws open the door and Moose jumps in, licking her face and snuggling into her body.

Walking back inside, I motion for the guys to surround my car until we come back out.

Then I continue inside. “I will grab her belongs and the things she needs. I’ll make sure her office and bedroom are secure if you two want to make sure the rest of the house is.

” We all split up and head in different directions, me to collect Jessikah’s things and them to secure a house that was already more secure than a military bunker.

We have Jessikah’s belongs and are locking up her house, when Tina her assistant and some big guy come barreling in.

Jessikah has fallen asleep in the front seat of my car, Moose lying across her lap.

I ask them to follow me to the clubhouse and tell them we will talk there once I have Jessikah inside and safe.