Jagger: SRMC #1, page 10
I wasn’t going to honor it, but I answered, “Deal.”
Jackie had spent too many years alone, and the fact she didn’t punch me in the face when I walked up told me one thing—she was ready to forgive me, but she was going to make me work for it. And I’d work every minute of every day until she forgave me. Then, I would show my little warrior exactly how much I missed her and how she’d never be without me again.
Chapter 14
Jackie
Irefused to leave my car at my house, so after pulling the clean, wet clothes from the washer and pushing them into a bag to dry when I got to Cheyenne and Trent’s house, I grabbed a few personal items and walked back to the living room.
“We won’t have room for all that stuff on my bike,” he remarked.
“It’s a good thing I’m taking my car then,” I returned and could see his jaw clench with frustration.
He should know by now that I won’t be told what to do and I won’t be dependent on anyone. So, we stared at each other for close to a minute before he sighed heavily and grabbed the bag with my wet clothes. He helped me make sure the house was locked, and as we stepped outside, a freezing cold blast of air blew around us, signaling the storm was getting closer.
I unlocked my trunk, and he pushed the bag into the space as I set my duffle beside it and closed it back.
He looked at me and said, “We’re gonna need to haul ass if we want to beat the storm into Rapid City. It’s predicted to start in two or three hours, and I don’t want either of us to get caught in the elements.”
“I’ll let my father and Granny know that I’m out of town so they don’t come to check on me.” I paused and asked, “Are you going to call Trent on the way and let him know what you found?”
“I’m sure Animal called him, but yeah, I’ll let him know we’re on the way in case we get stuck on the road, so someone can come get us.” He stepped closer, and I looked up at him as he gently cupped my cheek and said, “Stay close, little warrior.”
I nodded, and he walked to his motorcycle parked behind my car and cranked the loud machine as I got into my car and cranked it to get the heat going. When he walked his bike out of the driveway, I watched from the rear-view mirror and reversed when I saw he was pulled up the road slightly. As we made the turns to head out of our settlement, I dialed my father first, knowing he would check on me when he made the rounds of the village tonight.
“Hey, pumpkin,” my father said. “Granny said you got back a few hours ago. How was the back country?”
“It was good. I got some great pictures, and a lot of the tribe members were willing to speak with me about what they thought would make things better.” I waited for a quick second then decided to tell him the whole truth. “Dad, I’m on my way to Rapid City.”
“Why? There’s a big storm coming. I’d rather you be up here with us if it gets bad.”
“It’s necessary that I go, and I wanted you to know.” Swallowing hard, I proceeded to tell him the truth. “Do you remember when I told you a few weeks ago that I’d met a guy?” He made a noise in response, so I continued. “He’s been looking for the man who hurt Trent’s father and kidnapped Cheyenne last year, and today, when I got home from the back country, there was a box waiting for me.”
“What kind of box?” he inquired.
“It wasn’t anything special, but . . . there was something wrong with the box, so he came up here to check it out.”
“Why didn’t you call me? I’m much closer.”
I could hear the pain in his voice, but this wasn’t something he could be involved in. Whoever left the box for me had hurt someone, and the tribe couldn’t be involved in what I assumed was murder. We didn’t need that kind of spotlight on us.
“They think it has something to do with the picture I took that you gave to Nitro.” I heard shuffling in the background, but I kept speaking. “Jagger has reason to believe it was my picture that made them focus on me, so I’m going back to Rapid City until they can figure this out.”
“What’s to figure out? If someone was killed, then we need to call the authorities.”
“Dad, get real. The four officers we have on the reservation don’t have any experience with something like this, and the last thing we need is the governor sending in federal agents to take over. Historically, that hasn’t boded very well for us.”
“I feel like I need to talk to Trent,” he responded.
“Please, give him a call, but understand something. He won’t go too much into detail so that you have plausible deniability.”
“How will I know if you’re safe?”
I looked at the motorcycle in front of me, carrying the first man I could see myself with forever, and answered honestly. “Because Jagger wouldn’t let anything happen to his ol’ lady.”
Sighing, he asked, “You too?”
I chuckled briefly and replied, “He’s a good man, Dad. He just has some trust issues after his father, but I promise, there isn’t anyone on this planet who could keep me as safe as he will.”
“Well, I’m not calling him some rock-n-roll name, so tell me what his real name is so I know whose ass to kick if he hurts you again.”
“Lincoln Philips.”
“You tell Lincoln Philips that if one single hair on your head is hurt, I will hunt him down like my ancestors did our enemies and I will sacrifice him to the gods.”
“Damn, Dad, that’s harsh.”
“That’s life, my only daughter.” He added, “I want a phone call when you get there and one a day until they’ve caught this person who killed Nitro. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” I responded, trying to think if I’d ever heard my father be so stern. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, kiddo. Please be safe.”
“I promise.”
He hung up the phone, and I made a quick call to Granny. I didn’t tell her anything about the box, only that Jagger had convinced me to return to Rapid City to speak with him, and I was trying to beat the storm.
“Make sure that man keeps you warm,” Granny chuckled.
“I’ll try,” I replied, trying not to hurl at the thought of Granny getting her freak on.
The speedometer showed a hundred miles an hour as we flew down the road. I loved this part of the country, with its wide-open spaces, rolling green fields in the summer, giant blue skies, and very little traffic. Most of the towns were centered on a grocery, gas station, or church, and the residents lived on their ranches, far away from cities or people. They were good-hearted, hard-working people who just wanted the same things everyone else did, but they wanted it alone and not around anyone.
Jagger put on his blinker when we approached a crossroads that appeared to have two gas stations. Metropolis, I thought to myself as I pulled up behind him at the gas pump. He started the bike fueling and walked back to me as I got out of my car. The wind was whipping, and the chill was cutting me to the bone, so he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his warm body.
“We should fill your car up and grab some snacks before we get back on the road. The weather is slowing down, but we don’t want to get caught out in it.”
“I’ll grab drinks and snacks if you can start filling my car,” I offered and tried to hand him my debit card from my purse.
“I’ve got it, darlin’. Get what you want, and I’ll be inside to pay for it in a few,” Jagger instructed, and I followed his orders, though I didn’t need him to pay for things.
I had money from a few pictures I’d sold, and with my percentage of payout from the tribe, I was comfortable. Not rich or poor, but I was able to pay for a soda and bag of chips for myself. After using the bathroom and washing my hands, I walked out of the restroom and saw Jagger looking frantically around the store. When his eyes landed on me, I saw him visibly exhale as he strode over to me.
“Sorry. I had to use the bathroom,” I said, and he placed a kiss on top of my head.
“I got worried when I didn’t see you,” he explained, and I hugged myself to him quickly before releasing my hold.
“Let’s get going so we miss the weather,” I said, and we both started grabbing drinks and food for the trip.
He paid for everything, and when we got back outside, he walked me to my car and opened the driver’s door to help me inside. Leaning in, he kissed me on the lips, keeping it simple but filled with possibilities. When he pulled back, before closing the door, he remarked, “I’m going to push the next section a little faster. Are you comfortable with keeping up?”
“Just don’t be crazy and I’ll do my best.”
He made a crazy face with his eyes crossed and his tongue sticking out as he closed the door and strolled back to his bike. After swinging one leg over the machine, he cranked it as I turned on my car, and after he got himself and his drink situated, he looked back at me, blew me a kiss, and turned back as he pulled away.
We were pushing one hundred ten miles an hour, and he was starting to pull away from me. Not wanting to get separated, I pushed my little car harder than I ever had, and when light flakes of snow began to fall, I glanced at the speedometer and saw he had slowed us down to just under one hundred miles per hour.
We were still about sixty miles from Rapid, and the farther we drove, the harder it began to snow. There was a small town with a tiny motel a few miles up, and when I saw Jagger turn his blinker on, I knew he had the same idea as I did. The snow would gather fast on the roads, so it was better to bed down here for the night and try to get to Rapid in the morning. As he pulled under the awning of the small building, I pulled up behind him and watched him get off the bike.
Holding up a finger to me, I nodded, and he walked inside. Within a few minutes, he returned and dangled a key from his finger as he got on his bike and cranked it up. Pulling through the drive-thru of the motel, he circled and pulled into a space near the end of the building. I checked to see if anyone was behind me, and when I saw I was clear, I put the car into reverse until I could back into the space next to his bike.
Jagger was pulling a cover out of his saddle bag and over the bike as I turned off the engine and got out, feeling the intense chill.
“They have a dryer, so we can get you some clean clothes, and they said the restaurant will be open for another hour if we want to eat dinner,” Jagger said as I walked around and helped him finish covering the bike.
“Do you think we could place an order and bring it back to the room?” I asked, and he tugged me closer to him and kissed my forehead.
“Absolutely. Let’s get into the room so we can let everyone know where we are for the night, then we’ll start the dryer and get food. I don’t want them to close before we get something to eat or we’ll both be hangry before morning.”
Following behind him, I watched him unlock the door with an actual key, and when we walked inside and he turned on the light, I realized this wasn’t an expensive hotel, but it appeared to be clean and well-maintained.
“They only have single king rooms or I would’ve gotten you your own bed,” Jagger said as he looked in the bathroom and back to me.
“It’s fine,” I returned. “Let’s get the laundry drying and grab our food. We can make our calls while they’re cooking.”
“Good thinking,” he said.
I was nervous, but not because of him. The thought of who could have sent the box containing what I could only assume was parts of a person had gotten under my skin. I just didn’t want Jagger to see how rattled I was.
Kissing me softly, he brushed a piece of hair from my face and simply said, “You are so beautiful.”
I tried not to blush, but his compliments always made me feel special. I should’ve made him work harder for my forgiveness, but realizing he drove a couple hundred miles at breakneck speeds to save me was forgiveness enough.
We grabbed the bags from the trunk, and after placing mine into the room, we grabbed the wet clothes and found the small laundry room two doors down from us. He placed the clothes into the dryer while I got quarters from the machine, and after turning the dryer on, we walked out hand-in-hand.
The restaurant was at the end of the building, and when we walked inside, there was a man and woman waiting for us. “Welcome. Our daughter said there were two of you. Would you like a booth, or is the counter good for you?”
Jagger looked at me, and I whispered, “Booth.”
“Can we order something to go and camp out while we wait?”
“You sure can. I’ll bring some menus over if you want to pick a booth,” the lady said, and Jagger escorted me about halfway back from the counter.
She placed the menus down and said, “I’ll fill up a thermos of coffee in case it gets really cold tonight. We live in the first two rooms, so we’ll make sure you two have something to eat in the morning.”
“That’s very nice. Thank you,” I said.
“I’ll be right back with you.”
She walked away, and I quickly decided on a few things, just in case we got hungry later. Jagger looked over the menu, then we both placed them down, signaling we were ready to order. She returned, and after taking our large order, she turned and walked into the kitchen.
“Did you call your father to let him know you’re down this way?” Jagger asked.
“I told him what was going on,” I began, and when he opened his mouth to say something, I held up my hand, requesting he hold his thoughts. “I know you want to keep this club business, so I didn’t go into much detail, but he was the one who gave the picture I took to Nitro, and if I’m in danger, I’m not going to hide it from my father.”
“What’s he going to do?”
“Nothing. He was going to call Trent and speak with him, but he knows this is beyond tribal business, and the last thing we want is anyone from the outside coming onto our land and investigating something that isn’t our business.”
Jagger exhaled, and then I added, “And he told me to tell you that if one hair on my head is hurt, he’s going to deal with you the way our ancestors did their enemies.”
We both chuckled, and he remarked, “Then I’ll just have to make sure you’re with me every second of every day.”
I smiled, and he reached out to offer me his hand. Linking our hands together, I felt something inside of me click back into place. Whatever was wrong seemed right, so I wasn’t going to question it.
A few minutes later, the waitress motioned for us to come to the counter, and the man came out from the back with a box loaded with to-go containers. Everything smelled wonderful.
“We made your order and added some desserts, a few extra drinks, and cream and sugar for the coffee. There’s silverware, plates, and cups in your room, and if you’ll stop by the office, our daughter has some extra blankets, pillows, and if you need it, some warm clothes.” Jagger slid two hundred-dollar bills across the counter, but the lady shook her head. “This is too much.”
He wrapped his arm around me. “You’re providing shelter, food, and clothes to me and my wife during a storm. It’s the least we can do to repay the hospitality.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”
“You’re not, and I insist. Who knows? We may be here a few days,” Jagger remarked.
“Well, breakfast is on me then,” her husband replied as he took the two bills and slid them into the register as Jagger picked up the box of food.
I took the thermos and a bag with a few smaller boxes, and we wished the nice couple a good evening before walking out. Jagger walked us to our room and placed the box on the table.
“I’m going to grab the stuff from the office so they can close for the night. I’ll be right back.”
“I’m going to text Cheyenne and my father so they don’t worry,” I told him, and he gave me a gentle kiss before walking out.
I turned the heat up slightly, needing to take the chill off the room as I sat on the bed and sent my messages.
Me: The weather beat us to Rapid, so we’re in a motel for the night. I’ll drop a GPS pin so you know where we are, but we’re safe, warm, and have food for the evening.
Dad: Thank you for telling me. I’ve got the deputies patrolling your area in case whoever it was comes back.
Me: Thanks, Dad. I’ll let you know when we get into Rapid City tomorrow.
Quickly, I fired off another message to Cheyenne.
Me: Here’s where we are for the night. Snow started to be too much to keep driving.
I dropped a GPS pin for her as well, wanting them to be aware of our location.
Cheyenne: Be safe, have fun, and find a way to forgive him.
Me: Already done.
Cheyenne: Yay!
She was a hopeless romantic and silly at heart, so the response was exactly what I expected from my cousin. A knock sounded into the room, and I checked out the window to see Jagger’s arms overloaded with warm stuff for us. I opened the door, and he tossed everything onto the bed.
“She made sure we had enough to survive the next Ice Age, but I didn’t want to tell her no,” he explained as I laughed at the enormous pile of blankets, pillows, towels, and jackets.
We divided up some of the food and ate silently at the small table while the TV played something mindless. I couldn’t help but feel the nerves building in my stomach. I’d already forgiven Jagger, and I was secretly hoping tonight would lead to loving, but I wasn’t sure he was on the same page, and I would feel stupid if I made a move and got shot down.
But when I looked across the table and deep into his eyes, I saw lust and hunger staring back at me, threatening to eat me alive.
And I hoped he would.
Chapter 15
Jagger
We ate dinner, then I put the rest of the food into the mini fridge before returning to the small table near the window. Jackie was sitting back, looking at something on her phone when I cleared my throat. She looked up and placed the phone on the table as she gave me her attention.
