Ollie turned to Steel expectantly. His big blue eyes were wide as he waited for his father to say something.
“That’s, uh, a lot of glitter you’re wearing, son.” When Ollie’s smile dimmed slightly, Steel cursed. “But it suits you. I think you look great.” Ollie rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Steel’s torso. Steel might not understand Ollie’s fashion, but he’d be damned if that ever stopped him from returning one of his son’s hugs. Steel put his arms around Ollie’s shoulders and squeezed him tight. “Drive safe,” he pleaded with his son. “And don’t get mistaken for a disco ball.”
Ollie laughed and backed off. “You taught me everything I could possibly need to know, and a lot I likely will never need to know but now do, about driving, Steel. I’m agooddriver. I promise. No speeding, no recklessness, no shenanigans. We’re just going out to dinner.”
Steel cupped his son’s face. Ollie was very tactile compared to Carter and Jordan, and that little smile he did when Steel showed him paternal affection was sweet enough to melt even Steel’s heart. “Curfew is still ten.” After Ollie nodded his understanding, Steel looked up at Aaron over Ollie’s head and narrowed his eyes. Because he could. “I am entrusting you with my son. You better return him to me in theexactcondition he is leaving this house in.”
Aaron swallowed hard but did not cower. “Yes, sir.”
Jenna’s hand slapped his navel again. Damn their audience.
Ollie gave Jenna a hug before grabbing Aaron’s hand and walking to the front door. “Bye!” he shouted at them.
Both Steel and Jenna waved. As soon as the door closed, Steel sneezed up a pile of glitter. “Christ, how do I get this stuff off me?”
Jenna laughed and held her hands up to him. “By carrying your wife upstairs and taking a bath with her.”
“Fuck yeah,” he growled.
They were barely settled in the steamy bathwater when Steel’s phone rang. It was Chip, the club’s newest prospect. Steel had ordered him to discreetly follow Aaron and Ollie on their date. With Shaw still at large, Steel was taking no chances with his son’s safety.
“Steel! Something’s wrong with—fuck!They just crashed into the guardrail!”
CHAPTER 9
It was a parent’s worst nightmare to hear their child was in danger and they were too far away to do a damn thing. Jenna didn’t remember what Jack even said to her, only catching on to the fact that Ollie’s car had crashed on their way to dinner. Jack was moving fast. He got them out of the tub and into their bedroom in a heartbeat. Neither was fully dry of the hot bathwater before he was getting them dressed. Jenna normally could dress herself but she couldn’t seem to get her fingers to work.
“What’s happening?” she demanded. She was sitting on the edge of their bed, trying to keep her panic down, but she could feel an attack coming. It wasn’t like the others where she suddenly lost feeling in a part of her body and then her other symptoms followed. This was like every nerve ending in her body had suddenly been electrocuted, causing her extremities to spasm and leaving her with no control.
Barefoot and only in unbuttoned jeans, Jack hurried over to her phone. He still had his phone up to his ear with Chip on the line. He dialed on her phone and then put it to his other ear. “Carlos! Chester Road, get there now! Ollie and Aaron were in an accident. I don’t know details, but assume the worst.” Then heturned his head into his phone and said to Chip, “We’re on our way.” Into her phone, he said hastily, “Yes, yes. Just now. I’m not sure, but Chip said they hit the guardrail.”
Jenna’s eyes widened and she gasped in fear. Chester Road was a long stretch out of town, passing a lot of Amish fields and not much else for miles. There were thick drainage ditches on either side of the road to also help prevent cattle from escaping. Reckless drivers got into a lot of trouble on that road, and a good number of those accidents occurred due to an escaped cow.
Jack’s face darkened as he said to Carlos, “He didn’t say. Just get your ass there!” Then he hung up both phones, pocketing them. He started rushing about again, gathering both their shoes and the remainder of their clothing. “We’re going to be moving fast. How are you?”
Jenna gritted her teeth. Her neck and shoulders were tightening, like her head weighed too much. She tried to take several calming breaths, but they only did so much. “I’ll survive. What’s going on with Ollie?”
“I’m not sure. I had to get off the phone to get us ready.” Jack’s mask was back, but his eyes were blazing. Still, his hands were gentle as he got her socks and shoes on. “Chip said he started swerving uncontrollably and hit the guardrail. The cage flipped.”
Fear pierced her heart. “Oh, God,” she pleaded reverently. She touched her neck where she normally had her cross necklace. Jack had taken it off her before they’d gotten in the tub, along with her earrings. The only jewelry she was wearing now was her wedding band, which had once belonged to Mrs. Zarin. She wanted her cross now, but it would only slow Jack down. They needed to get to their son.
Jack pulled his shirt on and then helped her into her bra and shirt. They were as dressed as they needed to be. “They’re alive,”he told her, taking her face between his hands. “Chip couldn’t see beyond that, but he saw both moving.”
Jenna’s chin quaked as she nodded. “Thank you, God.” She took a single second to send up a longer, silent prayer. “Let’s go. My purse is downstairs.”
They were halfway down the stairs, Jenna in Jack’s arms, when Jack’s phone went off. “Shit,” he cursed. The chair lift made holding her up and down the stairs a tighter fit but not impossible. Unfortunately, Jenna did not have enough dexterity at present to reach into his pocket and get his phone for him. He picked up his pace, getting her into the living room.
Jenna slumped on the couch. Helplessness and frustration warred with her constant monologue to stay calm. If she had a full attack now, she would be completely useless to Ollie. It was bad enough she was a burden to Jack. She refused to not be there for her son in his time of need.
By the time Jack got his hands free, the phone had stopped ringing. He dragged it out anyway. “Carlos,” he muttered, hitting the button to call the sheriff back. Just as he put the phone to his ear, their front door burst open. Jack kept his phone where it was and had a gun trained on the door area in a swift, single motion. Jenna had no idea he’d been armed. Seeing her husband so readily defend her should not have been so hot.
It was just Bulldog, though. “We heard. Tessa’s on duty at the ER. Bear’s already on his way with Angel and Cage. Abby and Frankie have the kids. What do you need?”
Jack lowered the gun as he said into his phone. “What?”
Whatever it was that Carlos said to him, Jenna saw Jack’s cheeks pale. Her heart started beating faster. What had happened? Had Chip been wrong andbothboys weren’t alive? She was losing her fight to stay calm.
“My coat,” she told Bulldog when Jack didn’t answer him. Her voice was slurred, but he understood.
