Her jaw works overtime, then her eyes bounce between me and the entourage. “Yes.”
“Good. Stay put.” I storm toward Austin and David, who leap back as though they’ve been struck by lightning. “Let’s talk. You’ll follow me if you know what’s good for you.” They exchange looks with each other and then their posse.
Austin sneers. “What do I need to talk to a pedo about?”
I glare at him. “This is your final warning. The only reason you all are not six feet under is because of Jessi. That consideration ends today. Follow me now or regret it.”
“Let’s go, Austin,” David says. “He’s not going to hurt us. Not if he wants to stay on this side of the jail bars.”
I march them across the grass to the other side of Jeremy’s garage, and when I judge we’re far enough away from curious ears, I whirl around and stare them straight in the eyes. “Listen,” I growl. “We have the power to blacklist you from working with any MC around—Tim’s, Mike’s, whoever’s. Despite differences in how we operate, when an MC leader asks for something, it’s taken seriously. I’ve known Mike for a long time. He has clout with everyone else in the area too. Tim respects him, and he’d be an idiot to trust you two over Mike. Besides, other MCs don’t like having loose ends that no longer serve them.” Their heads snap up at that. “So if you want to keep up your stint with the clubs, this ends today. Your pathetic hounding of Jessi. Your surprise attacks at my house. You won’t see her, interact with her, or annoy her ever again. If you do, I’ll call in a favor.”
They puff out their chests, their faces cherry red. I wait for the lid to pop off one of them. My bet’s on Austin.
“We are gods at what we do,” says David.
“Yeah,” Austin chimes. “We get away with whatever the fuck we want. No one is going to care about you or your whore. We make other MCs way too much fucking money for them to listen to your bitch asses. You didn’t get the memo the last time we walked into your club, so do you need a reminder or something?”
I slow my words. “While I know you pretty boys think you’re untouchable, you have no idea what extent we will go to get our way. What types of friends we’ve made over the years. What favors are owed. Most importantly, you have no idea how vicious people can be when cornered. You’d be shocked how easy it is to get someone to act by simply threatening to expose their skeletons.”
Their tough-guy persona slips as their faces blanch. “No way,” says Austin. “Tim will protect us to keep the cashflow. Keep shooting empty threats. How was jail? You’re not the only one with any kind of pull.”
I flash an evil grin. “Oh, Tim will kick you into the cold if Mike says the word. You’re replaceable, and you’ll be lucky if vanishing from the MC good books is the only outcome. Some things are far more painful than death.”
Their faces twist in pain and pure hatred. God, I love having the upper hand.
I lean closer. “You have two options. Either end this now and leave Jessi the fuck alone or deal with the consequences. I hope you choose the latter. I would quite enjoy removing you from this earth.”
Spitting at their feet, I spin around, leaving them to decide their fate.
“Fuck you!” David screeches behind me. “You can’t fucking touch us.”
I don’t bother replying.
When I reach Jessi, she grabs me. “What did you say?”
I busy myself with putting her helmet on and clasping the strap under her chin. “I threatened them, with Mike’s blessing. If they don’t end all of this right now, we’ll call in some favors, ending their college careers and their little drug and hacking operations. Their whole world, really.”
She stands there with her mouth open. “You can do that?”
“Yes, baby, I can. Now let’s find a dress for Becky’s art party.”
CHAPTER 61
JESSI
The scent of pine and leather mixes with the humid air blowing into my face. Jack’s smell has become my new favorite perfume. It sets my blood on fire but also calms my soul.
I hold onto him, watching the purples, blues, and oranges in the sky fade into night. A breeze makes me shiver as we drive down a tree-lined road. I wasn’t expecting a temperature change.
Jack reaches back and cups my thigh with a hand.A motorcyclist’s hug, I think. “You okay? Cold?” he asks.
I try to yell over the wind. “No, I’m perfect.” I am. In this moment, with him, I’m content and grateful for the life we’re building together.
We park in front of a pretty boutique, the storefront filled with cocktail dresses, some bright colors and others subdued neutrals. Jack has me hop off the bike while he parks it, and then he joins me on the sidewalk. Without a word, he links our fingers and leads me inside.
The dresses inside are even more incredible. “Jack!” I gasp.
“Hi there,” the shop assistant says. “Can I help you with anything?”
