Page 26 of Love Me Back (Diamond Creek #2)

Jessie

I watched as Grayson and Tyson went inside with King, Cash, and Gunner. My mind whirled with assumptions and theories about what they could be talking about.

“ Yessica .”

I turned to my uncle. “Yes?”

“It seems as though the hospitality here in Nebraska is not as warm as I expected it to be.”

“What did you expect?”

“I expected mi sobrina to foster some goodwill.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at my uncle. Did he honestly just say that to me? “I told you when I left, I wanted nothing to do with your business.”

“I am not asking you to be involved.” Uncle Mando took a deep breath.

It was a sign that he was on the verge of losing his temper.

“The underworld is not a simple place to live. It is an even harder place to leave. King may not run his club the way Steele does, but he is still very much a part of the underworld. Whether he wants to be or not. He may not want to admit it, but he will need powerful allies on his side very soon. I am a powerful ally. Make sure he understands that.” He leaned in and lowered his voice.

“I will protect my family at any cost, sobrina . That includes you. He does not want me on the wrong side of the war he created.”

My uncle walked away to join my father, who stood talking to Matlock, the club’s lawyer. No doubt getting some free legal advice. Though I wasn’t sure how that would help him in Mexico.

I thought about what he said. He wasn’t wrong. Uncle Mando was powerful, and King would benefit from having him as an ally. I waited for Grayson and the others to come back outside before I approached King.

“Can I speak to you?”

“I will not change my mind, Jessie,” King said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Take a walk with me and hear me out?”

King nodded, and I led him to the barn that held Thunder’s stall. We walked down the large aisle between the mostly empty stalls until I came to the one I was looking for.

“Every morning, Emerson comes outside before anyone else is awake. He feeds the horses and opens all the pens to let the horses out. Except one.”

I clicked my tongue, and Thunder appeared in the open gate that led to the paddock. He walked to me slowly, warily watching King until he was close enough for me to touch him.

“This is Thunder. He is Grayson’s horse.”

“The one that was stolen.”

It wasn’t a question. Tyson kept King in the loop about everything that happened on the ranch. He probably told him as soon as they knew Garcia was coming, even before they knew he was my uncle.

“Addie has to come out after all the other horses are in the fields and open his gate, letting him into the paddock. Once he goes outside, she steps into his stall and gives him food and then leaves. He tolerates her because Grayson can’t feed him right now. But even she can’t touch him.”

I rubbed my hands up and down Thunder’s neck. Pulling a couple of carrots from my pocket, I held my hand out, and he took them.

“Thunder is temperamental. Everyone on the ranch thinks he’s a demon horse. Grayson is the only one he doesn’t hate.”

“He seems to like you well enough.”

I smiled as I looked at King. “Trial by fire.” I stepped back and opened the stall door, stepping inside and moving to his feed bag. I pulled a handful of grain and held it out. King watched as Thunder ate it from my hand.

“I fed him this morning.” Thunder nuzzled his head against me as a thank you. I leaned on the stall door, Thunder at my back. “Walk to the door.”

“What?”

“Walk toward me,” I said. I needed him to understand, and an object lesson was the best way to accomplish my goal.

King started toward me, and Thunder snorted. The closer he got, the louder Thunder became, until he nudged me away from the door and kicked it.

King jumped back, and I placed a hand on Thunder’s back. I waited until he was calm and then I stepped out of the stall, making sure the door was latched tight.

“Yesterday, Hudson told us they found Thunder, but he was on a part of the ranch that could only be accessed by walking in on your own two feet, or horseback. Grayson isn’t able to do either yet.”

I looked at Thunder over my shoulder, amazed at my lack of fear with the beast.

“I had been walking down here every day and talking with the horse. Neither of us wanted to get close to the other, but we came to an understanding. I rode my first horse yesterday behind Hudson as we went looking for Thunder.

“When we found him, the plan was to lure him out to the clearing, where Grayson waited in a truck with sugar cubes. He was nervous and skittish, so I sent Hudson and the others out to the clearing, and I was left alone with who is commonly referred to as ‘the demon horse’.”

Thunder snorted and shook his head as if he was offended by the name, and I was offended for him. He wasn’t a demon horse. Just a little misunderstood.

“He didn’t want the sugar cubes, but he was letting me lead him out without them. I spoke quietly to him as I walked beside him. Not in front of him dragging him along, or behind him pushing him out. But beside him. We both had the same goal. Getting out of the forest and back to Grayson. ”

King hadn’t interrupted. He stood quietly against an empty stall and listened. I think I needed to hear this story as much as he did, because even though I had lived it, it didn’t quite hit the same way as when I heard it out loud as I shared it with King.

“Someone started shooting at us. I couldn’t see who it was, but Thunder reared up, and I was thrown on the ground.

He stood in front of me, protecting me until I stood on my feet again.

When I did, he kneeled beside me and nudged me until I climbed on his back.

I held on as tight as I could while Thunder rescued me from the danger we couldn’t see.

He didn’t care what my motive was. He knew I was in danger, and he did what he needed to do to make sure we were both safe. ”

“What’s your point, Jessie?”

I turned back to King. “My uncle doesn’t make a habit of picking sides in a war that doesn’t involve him.

But if my life is in danger in any way, he will.

And don’t get me wrong, he will absolutely use it to his advantage.

But he will pick the side that makes the most sense to him.

I want him on your side, King. More importantly, you want him on your side. ”

“Jessie, I can’t—”

“I’m not asking you to do business with him.

I’m not even asking you to like him. I’m asking you to hear him out.

Let him make his case for why he is better to have as an ally than an enemy.

My uncle is a lot like Thunder. He’s mean and ruthless when he has to be, but he’s also willing to do what needs to be done to protect the people he loves. ”

“And your best friend being married to one of my men isn’t enough for him to pick the right side?”

I studied the man in front of me. He was smart. He knew what I was doing. I was using my relationship with the club to get my uncle an in with King.

“It might be. But what could it hurt having the head of the cartel in your pocket?”

King stared at me and lifted an eyebrow.

“Okay, yes, I heard it. No one ever has the cartel in their pocket, but I am asking you as a friend to hear him out before you cast him aside.”

“Alright, Jessie. I’ll hear him out. If he allows one of my men to bring him to the clubhouse tomorrow, alone. No brother, no guards. Just him as a sign of faith. I will hear him out.”

“Thank you.”

“Come on.” He put his arm around me and led me out of the barn. “I heard Ryder brought three cakes from his mom. If they’re all gone by the time I get back, the deal’s off.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I hid one in the pantry then.”

King threw his head back and laughed. Abby Thomas’ cakes were legendary in Diamond Creek, and everyone fought over them.

I caught Addie as she swept by and asked her to bring out the cake I hid, and make sure King got the first piece cut from it. Then I looked around for Grayson. When I found him, he held out his hand, and I walked straight to him. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, my uncle asked me to set up a meeting with King.”

“Jessie.” Grayson’s groan was filled with warning.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask. King agreed. Assuming my uncle agrees to his conditions. If he doesn’t, then he has only himself to blame.”

“I don’t want you getting involved in that shit.”

“Grayson, there is a war in the underworld. I’m part of that underworld, and no matter how many miles I put between me and my family, I’ll never get away from it. It’s why I tried to keep you at arm’s length.”

“I know.” He sighed.

I followed his gaze to where King was speaking to my uncle. My uncle nodded, then he and King shook hands. When King walked away, he looked at me and winked. I smiled back and then looked at my uncle.

He wasn’t happy, but he nodded and lifted his beer at me. I nodded back. Deals were made at events like these.

“So what did Uncle Mando say about the horses? ”

“He picked two he wants to take home with him.”

I hated the fact that my uncle used Grayson’s business as a ruse to come here. But at least he bought a couple of horses. I knew Grayson didn’t sell them cheaply.

I looked around the yard at all the people who milled around.

The old ladies sat with Patty, whom Carson had invited.

Grayson said he had been spending some time with her son, Tyler, at the hardware store.

Trudy had also come along. She said she’d had to force Patty to close early so they could come, but Patty needed to get out and spend some time with people, rather than always being cooped up in the kitchen.

Abby and Mark were walking back from the baby barn with Chrissy, Tabby, and Charlie. The young boy following behind, I assumed was Tyler.

The men stood around talking. Bikers and cowboys mixed together. It was a book club dream. The only real difference between them was that half of them wore cowboy boots and hats, and the other half wore biker boots and leather cuts.

“What are you thinking about that has your smile so big?”

“Just thinking about what life could be like living here. Our babies in their cowboy boots, and Ellie and Ryder’s babies in their biker boots.”

I chuckled thinking about it. When I looked at Grayson, his face was serious. My smile dropped, and he swallowed hard before he spoke.

“You want to have my babies?”

“Do you not want babies?” I asked him, worried I had read everything wrong.

“Baby, I want all the babies. I just wasn’t sure you did.”

“And what if I didn’t?”

“Then we wouldn’t have any. We’d be the cool aunt and uncle they all came to when they needed bail money.” He smiled so brightly that I barked out a laugh.