And until I find them, I won’t rest.
12
BONNIE
I’m sitting in the common room helping Jamie inventory medical supplies when Jackal’s name lights up the screen. I nearly drop the box of bandages in my rush to answer.
“Where the hell have you been?” I demand instead of hello.
“Nice to hear your voice too, sis.”
“Jackal, I’ve been calling for days!”
“I know. Sorry. Things have been crazy out here.” Background noise carries through the line. Engines, male voices, the sounds of a clubhouse in motion. “Are you okay? You escaped from the wedding.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” I move to a quieter corner, away from Jamie’s curious ears. “What happened with Dad? How did he get arrested? Why did he get arrested? Who snitched?”
Silence stretches for too long.
“Jackal?”
“It’s complicated,” he finally says. “I can’t explain over the phone.”
“What the fuck, Jackal?”
He sighs. “Look, I’m coming back as soon as I can. I’m still recruiting members for the new chapter, but once I have enoughguys, we’re heading your way to help with the Savage Legion situation.”
“When?”
“A few weeks, maybe a month. Depends on how fast I can build a solid crew.”
A month. It might as well be a year with how fast things are moving here.
“Jackal, I need to know what’s going on. Did you—” I lower my voice even more. “Did you have something to do with Dad’s arrest?”
“We’ll talk when I get there,” he says, which isn’t a denial. “Face-to-face. Too many ears on phone calls these days.”
Frustration burns through me. “That’s not good enough.”
“It has to be. I’m sorry, Bonnie. I know you want answers. But trust me when I say this isn’t a conversation we can have remotely.” His voice softens. “Are you safe? Is Ash taking care of you?”
“Yeah. Actually…” I take a breath. “We’re getting married. Next week.”
“What?!”
“Strategic marriage. Protection. With Dad gone, I’m vulnerable. Ash proposed, and I said yes.”
“Bonnie—”
“It makes sense,” I cut him off before he can lecture me. “Marcus is still claiming I belong to him. But if I’m Ash’s wife, I’m untouchable.”
“There are other ways to protect you?—”
“Name one that doesn’t involve hiding me in a safe house for the rest of my life.”
He can’t. We both know it.
“Does Ash know how you feel about him?” Jackal asks carefully.
