Page 6
An hour later I’m sitting in church. Whack called in all officers and myself for some reason, which isn’t unheard of and usually means he has something on his mind for us to discuss, as in, new options for businesses or such like.
Griller, our enforcer, is sitting with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Resting while he can is what he always says when asked why he sits like that.
We all sit a little straighter when Whack, along with our VP Cannon, walks into church and takes their seats. Whack doesn’t speak immediately but looks from one of us to the other. “Okay, first I want to update you all on the cremation business. It is at the go-ahead stage now, and Pens along with Bank have near enough wrapped up the purchase. The walkthrough went well, and the guys are happy with the existing layout and equipment. They said that it could do with a makeover to bring it up to date, but that shouldn’t be a big deal for construction to fit in. Pens and Bull are already looking at any regulations and compliance areas that we need to be on top of.”
“I want to be a fly-on-the-wall when Winger does his IAOPCC certification,” Bull throws out. “The International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories, what a mouthful! Apart from the usual procedures and shit, they teach you how to be compassionate.” Winger is out of his chair and halfway to grabbing Bull’s throat when Breaker and Griller grab an arm each and hold him back.
“Fuck you, Bull. I can show compassionism when I need to,” Winger spits out.
“You can’t even fuckin’ pronounce it. You’ll have to stay at the physical end of the business, away from the hoomans.” Bull loves poking the bear, and if he doesn’t stop, Breaker and Griller may just let Winger loose.
Saddle, our Road Captain speaks, and we all turn to look as he is usually quiet in these meetings. “The crematorium is a good idea, and I think you chose the right brothers to run the thing. When people are upset, they have lost their pets, it’s no laughing matter. Being able to be understanding and sympathetic and also to adjust to any situation is a must. I think it will bring in a lot of money once people know that we can run a good business with the emotion that goes along with it.”
“It’s in a position we won’t have trouble if we must do any dirty work, and any of that work will be incinerated so there is no evidence left behind. We can throw the ashes in with pets, who the fuck would know?” Bull snorts showing some amusement at the end of his comment.
“Yeah, that’s very compassionate isn’t it, Bull?” Bull glares at Winger’s comeback, having left himself open to it.
“Next I want to talk about Jamie.” Whack takes a breath before continuing. “She was run off the road by someone who has a vendetta against her, or against the club. We need to know who and why, and we need to be able to take out any threat. Jamie, although not an old lady of the club, is club. I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks, she is club and will remain so. That means she is under our protection.”
Cannon is nodding and has the pissed-off look that he gets when something has annoyed him more than usual. “Jamie has been nothing but loyal to the club. She has come at any time of the day or night. It doesn’t matter when we need her - she responds. Every time we’ve had a brother cut up or worse. If we can’t protect her after what she does for us, then we are not the club I thought we were.”
Whack takes up the conversation. “Jamie came to us right after she started practicing here. When we had that issue with the Savage Aces MC. Bandit was a mess and we didn’t think he was going to make it. It was right after his sister was trafficked and then shot herself. He was a loose cannon and flung himself in front of me, taking the bullet with my name on it. Jamie saved him, and Fury, if you fuck with Jamie too much Bandit will take you out. He’s protective of her, so be warned.”
“I hear you, Pres,” I reply because what else can I say!
“Are you going to claim Jamie, Fury?” Whack asks, and I jolt in my seat. “Oh, I can see that question surprised you. How long have you been sneaking around to see Jamie, you know, thinking nobody would or is noticing? Six Months? Nine? A year?”
I look at my lap for a moment because I’m not one for being under pressure, and pushed too hard, I’ll live up to my name. “I’ve been...about a year,” I finally reply.
“About a year. So, you have no intention of claiming Jamie at this time or in the near future.” Whack rubs his chin as he’s staring at me, then sits a little straighter in his seat. “Stay away from Jamie. I won’t lose her because you are being an asshole. You’re too scared to admit that the woman is yours. We all would love to meet our woman, grab on and hold her. Look at Breaker, he got his forever, and she’s a fine woman and someone any of us would be proud to call old lady or wife. You need to sit down and see what’s in front of you, Fury. Before it’s too late and you lose your chance, but that may have already happened. Stay away from her. We’ll find out who ran her off the road, and you carry on sticking your dick in the club women.”
The room is quiet, and the brothers are either looking at me as though I’m an idiot or not giving me eye contact.
Bull speaks, “Fury, we can’t lose Jamie’s help. She is our emergency doctor when any of us need help. We cannot see her walk away because you can’t man up, and that’s what it boils down to. Yeah, we know you had a shit childhood, but some of us did too and we’d love to get our hands on an old lady. Look at how Breaker, Bank, and Saddle each love their women. Get over your childhood, step up, see a counselor, do something, but for fuck’s sake don’t lose the best thing that ever came into your life.”
“Once it is seen you are stepping away, there are a lot of brothers that will step up, Fury. They won’t be shy about claiming Jamie, so be sure you don’t want her. I’d happily step up—she’s fucking amazing, and she’s a woman anyone would keep for the long haul. Well, except for you, it seems.” Cannon sits back in his seat, folds his arms over his chest and returns the scowl that I’m giving him.
“Last time, Fury, stay away from Jamie.” Whack gives me a stern look, and I can see he’s not fucking around. “Let me change the subject. Pens is having a problem with the seller of the bar. They want more for the place than the offer we’ve put in. I’ve told Bank to step in and give them our last offer, and if they don’t agree then we are done. We’ll look for another business, or not. The barber shop, mechanic's shop, roadside recovery, storage facility, and construction are doing well. We are adding the crematorium, so we don’t need the bar. We have enough for the brothers to be busy and earning, so if the bar falls through so be it.”
The officers nod and agree. Me? I keep my mouth firmly closed. I’m pissed at myself for not fighting for Jamie, and now I’m under orders to stay away from her. Fuck’s sake, this is a total shit show, and I caused it myself.
Chapter 4
*~* Jamie *~*
The first night out of the hospital, I didn’t stay at the house next to the practice. When I woke up in the chair, I had an anxiety attack about being in the house alone, so I packed an overnight bag and found a quiet, clean motel and booked in for one night. I told only Molly what I was doing, so she knew where I was and wouldn’t worry that I had just vanished or been kidnapped. I didn’t want anyone popping into the house to see how I was and offer me sympathy, especially not Fury.
The woman at the motel reception was lovely, yet no matter what I said about my bruises and the accident, I know she was convinced I was running from some abusive partner. She insisted on having me in the room next to the reception area so she could watch over me. She even told me she would get her husband to keep an eye on me when they swapped shifts for the night. As I turned to walk away, I heard her move something on the shelf behind the counter, and it sounded heavy, like a baseball bat or even a shotgun maybe!
I slept surprisingly well, and in the morning, after checking out of the motel, I stopped at a diner for a coffee and decided that breakfast smelled too good to pass up. I arrived back at the practice house and started the process of healing fully.
A long, hot shower was the first thing to be ticked off my list of things to do. Looking at all the bruises tells me how lucky I was. It could have been much worse. The bruise from the seatbelt is clearly defined across my body, and it hurts like hell to the touch. My neck feels so sore and the next patient that complains to me of whiplash, I won’t be so dismissive now I’ve felt it first-hand!
Getting dressed in loose-fitting joggers and a sweatshirt, I head to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. Sitting in the lounge by the window, cradling my coffee, I give some thought to how I’m going to spend my days that aren’t going to be filled with work. Not too much springs to mind as I just sit here daydreaming.
A month ago and I would have thought about asking Fury to join me, and we could have enjoyed spending some chill-out time together. It’s amazing how good things can go to shit so damn quickly. I take a deep breath because I feel my eyes watering and I’m determined not to shed any tears over that asshole. I shed enough when it went to shit, I’m not doing it again.
Hearing a knock at the door, I tense up. This is why I went to the motel. I don’t want pity, sympathy, charity, or a damn inquisition either. Starting for the door, I hear a key in the lock and the door swing open. Charging into the hall, I’m about to commit murder at the intrusion when I see Tim struggling with bags trying to squeeze through the doorway.
