Jagger: SRMC #1, page 2
Someone would come by and check on all the ol’ ladies and kids, which included retired brothers, their families, and, of course, Nana. We didn’t have many enemies, but striking at our families was the quickest way to hurt us, so when we patched over to SRMC, we made sure to put protections in place.
I didn’t want to be worried about Nana, and having a prospect check on her twice a day meant I could focus on what I needed to do to help Roughstock.
“Will you ask Cheyenne to stop by when she has a few minutes? She asked me about some old patterns, and I found them when I was going through the boxes you brought from storage.”
“Do you need me to get some more before I go, or are you still working through the ones I brought inside?” I asked, and she smiled as she patted my hand.
“I’ve got plenty to keep me busy until you get done with the stock show. Don’t worry so much about me, Lincoln. I’m doing okay.”
I still worried. Since losing Pappy to a sudden heart attack, I’d worried about Nana. They got married when she was eighteen and he was barely nineteen. They had my mother but never wanted any more kids, and with most of her friends either deceased or moved away, I worried about her being here in this big house alone. She insisted she could handle everything, but I took care of what I could to lessen her load.
Because if I lost her, I’d be all alone in the world.
Pushing those heavy thoughts off to the side, I stood from my seat and glanced at the clock before turning back to Nana. “I’ve got to get going, but one of the prospects will be by before dark to see if you need anything.” Leaning over, I placed a kiss on her cheek and stood up to ask, “Can you promise you won’t feed them every time they stop by?”
She smiled sweetly at me and replied, “Nope. They help me, and I bake for them. It works, and the boys love my cookies.”
I knew it was fruitless to ask, but I had to at least try. “I’m going to lock up behind me, but if you need me, have them call and I’ll be on my way.”
She pushed off from her seat, and I could see the discomfort as she straightened up. I tried to help her, but she cut her eyes at me, silently telling me to let her do it herself. I held my hands in the air and watched as she turned and began walking into the living room. I followed behind her, and with each step, her movements seemed to get easier.
Nana unlocked the front door, opened it, and lifted her face to the sun as she breathed in a lungful of air. I walked beside her as she stepped onto the front porch and took a seat under her covered table.
Smiling up at me, she insisted, “Shoo. You’ve got work to do, and I need to work on my tan.”
I shook my head and began to walk down the stairs toward my truck. Just as I was about to open the door, she yelled across the yard. “You need to think about finding yourself a wife and settling down. No one wants a forty-year-old bachelor.”
I gave her a deadpanned expression, and she just smiled brightly across the yard while I climbed into the truck and cranked it up. It was a pleasant day, and I had left the window down, so when I rested my forearm on the doorframe and put the truck in reverse, I was able to yell out at her.
“No one wants to marry an asshole like me, Nana.”
Just as I was about to pull out of hearing range, she yelled back, “You’re not your father, Lincoln, and it’s time you start to believe what we all know. You’re a good man.”
Her words struck me in the chest and were more accurate than she could’ve ever imagined.
I feared becoming my father on so many levels, it was frightening. I worried about becoming an alcoholic, so I cut myself off after two drinks, and never more than three nights a week. Yes, I smoked weed, but most people did, and that was never an issue for me. I worked my ass off, had made smart investments, and with the money left from my parents’ deaths, I was pretty much set for the rest of my life.
But what I feared was my temper and the inability to open myself up to anyone. Nobody wanted to deal with a closed-off person who may or may not fly off the handle when an argument arose. And I didn’t want to project my family’s drama and my issues onto anyone else. So, I remained single.
As I left Nana’s little neighborhood on the edge of Rapid City, I thought about what my life would be like if I opened my heart up and let someone see the darkness that resided inside. Would they still stand beside me, or would they run away? Could I trust someone with my pain and fears, or would they use them against me?
Shaking off the intrusive thoughts, I traversed the streets leading to the ranch and began to go over what needed to be done before we could head over to the auction tonight. Keeping busy allowed me to think about something other than how lonely I was most nights, or how a certain little warrior had caught my eye.
Jackie, Cheyenne’s cousin who was married to Roughstock, was the one who first discovered something was going on inside the confines of the reservation, and it was her photos that led Nitro down the path that resulted in his death. It wasn’t her fault, though she had blamed herself for a while.
She was beautiful, at least five years younger than my thirty-six years, and still carefree. Her heart was pure, her intentions were honorable, and her hypnotic eyes called to me whenever she was around. They were the shade of the leaves that changed colors before the harsh winter overtook the Dakotas, a combination of brown and an almost-yellow ring around the center that made them glow.
I felt her gaze on me over the last few months, and I always made a point to avoid her. She needed to look elsewhere, because if I ever got a taste of her, I’d probably be selfish and keep her forever.
Someone like me wasn’t good for someone like her. Jackie needed someone who could love her the right way. I didn’t even like myself, so how could I ever love anyone else?
Chapter 2
Jagger
Ihated driving my truck for too long, but the weather was predicted to turn nasty later tonight, and I didn’t want to be stuck in the snow on my bike. Sighing, I pulled the truck into the parking lot of the hotel and rolled my shoulders, not wanting to go inside.
Phantom, the club’s VP, was riding with me from the auction at the stock show, and it was his suggestion that we stop and grab a drink. Nick, a good friend to a lot of the brothers, was running another VIP room for the stock show, and he had encouraged us to stop by and enjoy the evening.
“Why did you say yes to this?” I asked Phantom as I watched a group of girls who looked like teenagers with too little clothes walk past us and into the building.
“Nick keeps asking us to stop by his various events, and I thought a drink after the long day would be nice. You don’t want to hurt his feelings, do you?”
I glanced at him and rolled my eyes as he smiled at me. Phantom didn’t care about making our friend happy. He wanted to get him some strange from one of the buckle bunnies tonight. We left our cuts at the ranch since this wasn’t club business, and I felt naked without it. I think Phantom believed he could bag a woman better without his leathers on, and since we both had on jeans, plaid shirts, and cowboy boots, he figured we would blend into the crowd.
“Don’t use Nick as an excuse to get laid.”
“Fine. I want something exotic tonight. Maybe a girl from Oklahoma or Arkansas.” He chuckled as he rubbed his hands together.
Phantom wasn’t a dog like some of the brothers, but he wasn’t a saint either. He loved women and would show them a good time, but he refused to commit to anything past one night. I didn’t even promise one night with the ladies I spent time with, and the ones who knew me, knew not to ask for anything else.
“Then let’s get inside and see if we can find you someone a little spicy. Maybe a Cajun girl from Louisiana,” I remarked, and his smile got bigger as I turned the truck off.
We climbed out, and I secured the doors before we walked into the hotel where the VIP party was being held. Every year, Nick hosted this party for something like five nights straight, and the videos I’d seen didn’t do it justice.
As we walked inside, the sound of country music blared through the speakers as the room of cowboys and buckle bunnies drank and danced. Nick was at the back of the room, and I tapped Phantom on the shoulder, showing him where I’d be as he perused the room. He nodded and began to push into the crowd of people as I maneuvered along the side of the room until I got to the clearing where Nick was.
He glanced over and motioned me to step up onto the stage as he pressed a button, changing the song. Removing his headphones, he pulled me into a half-hug and nodded to the rear of the small stage. I followed him, and as he turned his back to the crowd, he slipped a flask from his front pocket and handed it to me.
Nick and I went to school together, and he was always a straight shooter. At that moment, he knew what I needed. Taking a single swallow from the flask, I handed it back to him and watched as he wiped the mouthpiece and took a swallow. After returning it to his pocket, he yelled over the music into my ear.
“How’d the auction go tonight?”
I leaned over and yelled back at him. “We got the asking price for the whole herd, so we don’t have to be back until tomorrow afternoon’s horse auction.”
“Is he really going to part with the mare?”
I shrugged and replied, “I didn’t think so last week, but he was talking about it tonight.”
He held up his index finger and walked back to his board to change the song before he returned. “Whatever he decides, he’ll make sure she goes to a good home.”
I shrugged, not sure one way or the other. We tried to continue a conversation, but the music and the growing cheers from the crowd were drowning out any meaningful words, so I slapped him on the back and left him to his work while I went to find Phantom. Once I knew he had found someone to go home with for the night, I could finally go home and get back to the newest files I was sent by Roughstock’s cousin Adam’s. His friend, Devlin Callahan, was a leader in cyber security, and was had ways of getting information that others overlooked.
I’d been speaking with him and his brother over the last few months while they looked for Blur. I didn’t want to know how they managed to get all the documents and files they did, but I was grateful they were so willing to help. I suspected if Adam and Roughstock weren’t family, they wouldn’t be so eager to assist us.
As I stepped off the small stage and began to maneuver myself through the crowd, I continued to feel people bumping into me as I made my way closer to the bar. When I approached, I realized I was dozens of people deep in the line and sighed as I began to look for Phantom. The bartender looked over the crowd of people waiting and stepped to the side with a nod to me.
I followed to the end, and he leaned over and said, “I’m guessing this isn’t your scene. So, what can I get you to drink?”
I reached into my pocket and slapped a ten-dollar bill onto the counter. “Beer. Whatever’s on draft.”
He pulled the money into his hand and walked away as people began shouting orders at him. He poured my beer and returned to hand it to me. “Thanks,” I acknowledged, and he turned and began addressing the line of thirsty cowboys waiting their turn.
I leaned my back against the end of the bar and sipped my beer as I watched people dancing, drinking, and enjoying their evening. Phantom caught my eye from the dance floor as the song changed again, and as he swayed his hips in time with the little woman in front of him, I couldn’t help but shake my head. As I watched him enjoying himself, I silently chastised myself for not being able to relax and have fun in the moment.
My chaotic upbringing, coupled with being on edge about Nitro and Blur, meant I was usually too high-strung to cut loose. When another woman walked past Phantom, he turned his head and watched her, practically ignoring the woman who had caught his eye earlier. Realizing he was moving from person to person, I knew I wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. My beer was halfway gone, and after, I would switch to water or soda while I waited for him to pick someone up for the evening. Or he may strike out and I’d have to drive his mopey ass home.
When I finished the last swallow of beer, I pushed off the bar and pointed outside, making the phone gesture to Phantom, letting him know I was going outside to make a call. The noise was too much, and I didn’t want to yell at Nana, so I walked out of the hotel and leaned against my truck as I dialed her number.
“Hey, Lincoln. Did you have a good evening? Was the auction a success?” Nana asked when she answered.
“The auction was good, and we just stopped for a minute, but I wanted to check on you before you went to bed. Did the prospect stop by and check on you?”
“He did and he was very nice. He offered to take me to the post office tomorrow so I can get some stamps.”
I chuckled, knowing she wasn’t afraid to ask the brothers to help her with whatever she needed, and in return, they got to enjoy her cookies, pies, and cakes. It was a miracle none of us had gained weight with all the sweets she liked to bake for the club. Sometimes, I thought she believed we were a simple gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.
If she knew some of the shit we’d been involved in over the years, I was sure she would scold all of us. Or not. With her, it depended on the day.
She and I made small talk for another few minutes as people walked past me in and out of the hotel. When I heard her yawn, I wished her sweet dreams and hung up the phone. I knew she would watch something on TV until she went to bed, but I didn’t want to be the reason she lost sleep. It was my job to take care of her, and if that meant not talking so she could rest, then that’s what I did.
I began to scroll my social media page, seeing the few people I kept in contact with from school and my time in the oil fields, when I heard a voice that I recognized coming from around the side of the building.
“I can’t,” the female voice giggled. “My ride share is almost here.”
“Cancel your ride and we’ll make sure you get home.” The man’s voice sounded much clearer than the females, and on instinct, I pushed off the truck and stepped onto the sidewalk, getting a better visual of the side of the building.
There were two large cowboys with their backs to the parking lot, and in front of them, I could see small woman’s boots. Whoever she was, they were twice her size, and I didn’t like the looks of what was going on.
Continuing to watch, I made sure to listen, trying to figure out how I recognized the woman’s voice.
“I appreciate the offer,” she began, and I watched her feet stumble as one of the guys reached out and held onto her, “but my cousin is expecting me back at the ranch soon.”
“Don’t be like that,” one of them said. “We paid for your drinks, so the least you could do is repay us.”
“I never asked you to pay for my drinks,” the woman said as I began to get closer to the situation.
My phone was still in my hand, and I fired off a quick text to Phantom, hoping I didn’t need the backup but deciding it was better for him to step outside than it was for me to try and handle two drunk cowboys alone.
Me: I need you outside. Right side of the building.
Pushing the phone back into my pocket, I silently walked closer to the edge of the building. The voices were getting clearer, and the closer I got, the more I was certain I knew the woman. And I wasn’t going to let these two assholes think her body was theirs because they’d spent a few bucks on some liquor.
“You bitches are all the same. You’re a cock tease until it’s time to pay up.”
The clear sound of someone getting slapped echoed at me, and I took two more steps closer as one of the men grabbed his cheek and began to yell.
“You’re gonna wish you didn’t do that,” he said.
The door opened to my right, and Phantom stepped outside. I made eye contact with him, and when I looked at the door, Nick was sticking his head out, silently asking if we needed help. I shook my head, and he disappeared back into the party. I didn’t want him involved, and I knew these two assholes weren’t any match for Phantom and me.
The woman still being shielded by the two men stepped to the side, and it was then I knew there was no way they were going to lay a finger on her. Jackie, the beautiful little warrior, stood in front of the men, looking for an escape route. Her eyes lifted, and I instantly saw the fear in them. The relief on her face as she darted away from the cowboys and straight into my waiting arms was evident.
I glanced at Phantom before looking back at the approaching cowboys. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make sure Jackie was safe, even if it meant claiming her as my own.
Chapter 3
Jackie
Inever expected tonight to go this way, and if I didn’t come up with a plan quickly, I feared these two assholes were going to hurt me. Cheyenne and I brought food to the guys over at the stock show this afternoon, and I’d hung around for a few hours before I got bored. Knowing Trent’s friend, Nick, was working the VIP room for the week, I called a ride share and came over for a drink.
Content with enjoying myself as I watched the people dancing their cares away, I was pleasantly surprised when the two guys offered to buy me a drink. I didn’t see the harm in one drink with them, and I’d admit, the attention was nice. For months, I’d been fawning over Jagger, but every time I tried to make a move, he’d walk away. So, I decided to quit trying and let the universe work things out for me.
After finishing my drink, I thanked the guys and made my way outside, ready to get back to the ranch for another long day tomorrow. What I didn’t expect was the two of them to follow me out and corner me on the side of the building. They insisted that I owed them something for buying me a drink, and when one of them made the comment about being a cock tease, I reacted without thinking.
