Her gaze lifted for a fraction, met mine, then dropped again.“The man who says I owe him.The one who’s been watching me.”
My stomach knotted itself.For weeks, rumors circulated through the club about some asshole pressuring vulnerable people around town.He squeezed anyone who seemed an easy mark -- predatory loans, brutal collections, interest compounding faster than mold after rain.
Until now, I’d had no idea Jade numbered among his victims.“Name.”
She swallowed.“Roth.”
A slow burn crawled up my spine.The name rang familiar to every member of our club.Though not cartel-level -- at least not that we knew – but his connections made him a genuine threat.In his world, money and intimidation purchased anything he desired.“How long has he been after you?”
Her answer came thin.“A while.I didn’t understand they’d come after me until it was already too late.”
Anger rolled slowly through my chest, heavy and dark.“Your brother owed Roth money.”
“Yes, and then he got arrested.I thought the worst part had passed.I thought whatever mess he’d made stayed his problem.Those were his choices.Not mine.”
“Men like Roth don’t care about differences,” I said.
Jade nodded, eyes glassy.“A month after my brother went to prison, they appeared at my door.Called me part of the collateral.Somehow they’d learned where I work, where I live, when I came and went.Even my friends’ names.”Her voice trembled.“When I explained about having no money, their response was simple -- other payment methods existed.”
My jaw clenched until it ached.“Did they touch you?”
The color vanished from her face.She froze, then gave a single shake of her head.“They tried,” she whispered.“Made their point clear enough.A neighbor walking down the hall interrupted before…” She swallowed hard.“Afterward, I never answered knocks.Changed my routes home.Slept fully dressed because their return seemed inevitable.”
Unwanted scenes played across my mind while my fists curled, hungry for contact.“Why seek me out at our gate?”The question emerged harsher than intended.
A tear escaped, rolling down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.“You helped me near the grocery when I had a flat tire.You even followed me home to make sure I made it safely.”
Prospects rarely dated if they wanted a patch.Our time belonged to the club.An easy lay was one thing, but I’d wanted more from her.
“You were kind.You didn’t make me feel stupid.You didn’t ask for anything.”She sniffed hard.“When I saw you the next week at the diner, you remembered my name.”Her voice broke at the last word.“Whenever I saw you after that, I felt… safe.Not once did you look at me as though I were a problem.”Her shoulders curled inward.“People talked about the club.Some claimed you were dangerous.Others said nobody messed with anyone under your protection.In my mind, if anyone could keep Roth away, it would be you.”
Shame spread across her expression, suggesting she expected mockery for trusting rumors and a Prospect who hadn’t been patched in yet.I sat there and felt responsibility settle in my bones.
“Tonight he kicked my door open.”Her words came faster now, panic rising again.“Locks slowed him down, but not enough.He came in angry.He said I was ignoring his calls.He said I was running out of chances.”One hand twisted her sleeve tight.“He threw my coffee table.He pulled my hair.He told me I didn’t understand what he could do.”
My hands clenched.“How did you get away?”
“The phone in his pocket buzzed and distracted him.”Her chest heaved with shallow breaths.“He spat curses, then announced he’d return later.The way he strode out, as though he owned every inch of the building, made me think he’d get back into my apartment no matter what I did.”A hard swallow caught in her throat.“I bolted.Grabbed my keys and my emergency cash.No clothes.Nothing else mattered.I drove for miles while headlights in my rearview mirror transformed into his pursuing car.”Her gaze lifted and locked on mine.“I didn’t think it through.My head kept screaming one thing.Find Kane.”
I knew all of that.
Jade sat trembling on my couch, a purple bruise stark against her pale skin.Sending her away would be condemning her to a grave.“Did you call the cops?”I asked.
A harsh laugh escaped her, ugly and bitter.“Weeks ago.I tried.Filed a report.Nothing happened.”She wrapped her arms tighter around herself.“The next day one of his men sat in my diner, smiling as though we shared some private joke.”Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper.“When I returned to follow up, suddenly nobody had time.My problem was mine alone.”
I blew out a slow breath, forcing my anger down into something useful.Rage didn’t help Jade, didn’t protect her.It could get me killed and get the club dragged into a mess at the wrong angle.
Atilla needed to hear her full story.Through Tinker, he knew about her arrival at the gate, but the President remained unaware of crucial details.Rising from my seat, I pulled out my phone to check the time.Late.
Too damn late for another call without pissing him off.Mostly because a ringing phone would wake the kids.Still, he knew she was here.Surely, he expected me to reach out?Yeah, silence would enrage him more when everything eventually surfaced.
When I faced Jade again, her gaze followed my movements with resignation, as though she already saw herself being escorted back into the darkness beyond our compound.
“I’m calling my President,” I said.“He needs your story from you, but he needs to know the basics right now.”
Fear flickered bright.“He’s going to send me away.”
“He might want to.”I couldn’t lie to her.“I won’t let you walk alone tonight.”
