The next few days were busy. Cole andI kept missing each other since I was working days and he was busy at nightwith club business. There just hadn’t been a good time to tell him about thebaby. Admittedly, I could have probably found the time, but I was nervous aboutit and wanted the timing to be right. I knew it would come completely out ofleft field to him. Hell, it had shocked the shit out of me. It was unfair tokeep it from him, but I just wasn’t ready to tell him yet.
I also hadn’t shared with Cole whatKat told me about her and Sal. I knew Cole didn’t want to be in the middle ofher relationship drama. And at the end of the day, he couldn’t do anything tochange the way his friend behaved. But I knew she was struggling and I wantedto support her, so I spent a lot of my evenings with her, longing for thecocktails that I couldn’t have anymore.
I collapsed in bed on Thursday nightafter a ten hour day on my feet. I’d been working longer shifts to try to makeup for missing out on the night shifts. It wasn’t working, but I’d never tellCole that. Cole was at a meet with his pop, Benny, and Henry. Friday night we’dplanned a big get-togetherwith bothclubs and yes, myribs. Now that the negative elements of my old club life had been removed, Iwas excited to see the guys and their old ladies.
I was just drifting off when Chiefstarted to growl. That was the first I’d ever heard him exhibit such behavior,and my hackles rose along with his.
“What is it?” I asked him stupidly, asthough he’d respond. Axel was supposed to be posted out front and I jumped formy phone to call him. No answer. Shit.
Chief continued to growl and I calledCole. No answer. Double shit. I’d set the alarm, I knew I had, but of course Istarted to question myself. I called Kat, and thankfully she at least pickedup.
“Chief is acting really weird. He’sgrowling and I can’t get a hold of anyone.” I whispered.
“Shit!” she exclaimed. “Sal’s withCole,” she told me unnecessarily. Almost all the guys were in that meetingexcept for Axel.
I went with my intuition. “I think youbetter go get Cole, something’s wrong,” I told her.
“Done,” she answered without question.Gottalove my girl.
I sat in the dark bedroom hearingnothing but my heart pounding out of my chest and Chief restlessly pacing andgrowling. Should I call the police? It would bring so many questions up if Idid that. What if it was just a false alarm? All of a sudden the bedroom doorburst open and Jake stood wild eyed and huge, towering in the doorway. Well,too late to call the police anyway and what the hell had happened to the alarm?
“You have got to be fucking joking!” Iexclaimed, surprised by my anger. I was so sick of this nutcase jerking mearound.
“When the cat’s away…” he leeredsuggestively.
“Do you seriously want to die?” Idemanded. “That must be it,” I bit out, clutching the bed sheets around myself.I wasn’t wearing anything terribly revealing, but I didn’t want him to see anypart of my skin if I could help it.
Chief was barking now and growlingloudly, practically frothing at the mouth. He looked now like the ferocious dogI had first thought him to be, and I was glad for it. Jake hadn’t beenexpecting a dog and was clearly a bit more hesitant with a ninety poundsnarling monster blocking his path.
“Call the dog off,” he demanded.
“Like hell I will,” I scoffed. “Getthe fuck out of my house.”
“I’ll shoot him,” he threatened.
My blood ran cold. “Don’t,” I said,hating how much it sounded like a plea. If I showed any weakness with Jake itwould be bad news, and I was determined not to give him the satisfaction.
“Call him off,” he said again.
“I don’t know if I can,” I answeredhonestly. “He’s pretty pissed.”
“Try,” he glared.
“What did you do to Axel? And how’dyou get passed the alarm?” I asked suddenly. Axel would never just leave meunattended. All the guys took their jobs extremely seriously.
Jake snorted. “That was too easy. Thatmother fucker was completely distracted reading a magazine. Now he’s taking anice little nap. I took a few classes in security, the alarm was no thing.” Heshrugged. “Really Rosie, they should have you better protected,” he sneered.
“Don’t call me that,” I said sharply. Only my father or Henry got to call methat.
“Whatever you say,” he said as helaughed.
I mentally calculated what kind oftime I had. I had just hung up with Kat and I inwardly cringed at realizing howlong it would take her to get all the way to the clubhouse and then for Cole toget here. I was on my own. I had to keep Jake talking. I had questions anyway.
“What happened to my father, Jacob?” Idemanded.
His brows rose in amusement. “Oh, soI’m Jacob now?” He laughed. “You really want to know?” he asked as he leaned inthe doorway like he owned the place. He looked casually at his fingernails andI hated how familiar the gesture was. He’d always done it when he wasconsidering something. I hated knowing anything intimate about him.
I swallowed. “Yes, I really want toknow.”
