Hostage
Page 50
“Think about it. It’s not like you have to make a decision tonight; all the women are settled for the night. Talk to Genny in the morning.” Ice shrugged. “You might have to do it, but then again, you might catch a break and figure out who fed the information to the cartel.”
“Since when have I ever caught a fucking break?”
“When you became a Predator.”
“You don’t know Penni. Any chance I have with her will be gone. She’s like no other I’ve met before. How did you feel when you lost Grace?”
Ice had cheated on Grace to prove to the men that he wasn’t fucked in the head after what had happened to him in prison. And Jackal had been one of the men who had expected him to prove himself.
“Brother, I could order you to fuck the bitches, but I know you’re going to do what’s best for the club. Just as I did.” He nodded with an evil grin. “Payback is a bitch.”
In other words, the choice Ice was offering him was no choice at all.
Jackal shook off his sleep as he entered the kitchen where Genny was already at work, and it was only ten to six.
“Any coffee?”
“It just finished.” Genny nodded at the coffee pot.
Jackal liked the girl. She would cook for the men, but she wouldn’t let them take advantage of her.
“I have a favor to ask,” Jackal told her, standing at the counter as he blew on his coffee.
“What do you need?”
“Can you remember who you told you were going to the store yesterday?”
“Viper already asked that question, and he still has my cell phone.”
“Humor me. Maybe you forgot someone.”
Genny shook her head, shoving a baking sheet of hash browns into the oven. “No, because I didn’t tell anyone.”
“So it was a random trip to the store?”
Genny frowned. “No, Willa had gotten a large order for her chocolate cookies, and we were out of chocolate chips, so she asked me to pick them up and bring them when I came in today.”
“Did anyone hear her asking you?”
“Everyone; it was right after lunch.”
Fuck, he was right. He wasn’t going to catch a break.
“Can you at least make me a note of the women who were there?”
“That, I can do.”
Jackal sat down at the kitchen table, watching her work on the note as she cooked. Ten minutes later, she handed him the list.
He glanced at the names as he refilled his cup. He had already memorized the names of the women.
“Can I borrow your pencil?”
Genny shrugged. “Help yourself.”
Jackal crossed out the names of the women who were married, figuring if any of them were the one who had betrayed them, then they were already fucked. That whittled down the list.
“You sure this is all of them? You didn’t leave anyone out?”
Genny nodded. “I’m sure.”
That left him with Ember, Raci, and Jewell. It could be worse. As many women as they had, the number could have been much higher.
Jackal pulled out his cell phone, pulling up the text Viper had sent him last night of the employee’s work schedules, thinking how the women all hung around the club room when they got off work.
He stared down at the paper again. Ember had been sleeping with Train more often since he had gotten there, Raci was the friendliest, and Jewell would be the hardest nut to crack. He circled Raci’s name, thinking she was least likely, but maybe he could use her to find out about the other two.
Jackal shoved the list in his back pocket as Viper and Ice entered the kitchen, Winter following behind more slowly as she went to the refrigerator.
After taking out a lunch box, she kissed Viper on the cheek. “I’ll see you when I get home. Rider’s waiting for me in the parking lot. I already texted him and told him I’m on my way.”
“I could have taken you.”
Winter shook her head, avoiding his gaze. “Stay. I know you have business to discuss.” She then left without another word.
Maybe it was one of the married women. Jackal had been witnessing the escalated tension in the couple since he had arrived there. Maybe she was sick of playing second fiddle to a group of bikers. Razer and Shade had their own homes, so it could be that Winter was sick of sharing her husband with the men and women twenty-four hours a day.
Jackal knew Winter was one woman he wouldn’t be able to trick into revealing anything if she were the one betraying the club. To be honest, he wasn’t man enough for that job. Stump wasn’t, either. The fear of Viper was enough to shrivel any man’s dick.
Jackal waited until Viper and Ice had fixed their plates and went to the main dining room to talk without being overhead.
“Anything new?”
“Shade took Genny’s phone after I gave it to him. No one texted her yesterday. Genny didn’t have any texts for the last month other than Willa, and those were all work related.”
“Damn, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.” Jackal stared down at the empty coffee cup in his hands. “I talked to Genny. She said Willa asked her to go to the store yesterday. She made a list for me, and I’ve managed to narrow it down to Ember, Raci, and Jewel.” He had debated over telling Viper, knowing Viper had asked her the same question.
“I’ll text Shade and tell him,” Ice said. “He’s already pulled everyone’s messages and phone calls. It will save some time.”
“All three women followed the club from Ohio,” Viper told them. “I’ll call Moon. The clubhouse there is on alert, as well. I’ll ask if any had any contact. If Shade and I question the three women, though, it will make them suspicious.” Viper pushed his plate away, staring at them.
Jackal didn’t respect many men, but Viper was putting the club’s safety ahead of his pride, and that was worth his respect.
Ice and Jackal hadn’t intended to tell him about their plan. He still didn’t, and now he wouldn’t have to. Viper already knew.
The three men didn’t need to discuss the strategy to catch the traitor; they all knew time wasn’t on their side.
“One thing for fucking sure: today is going to be an interesting day.” Viper’s eyes focused on him.
“Yes, it is.”
29
Penni brushed the tickle attacking her noise away as she woke up. Blinking, she stared up at the baby blues of her nephew. Lily’s giggle had her turning her sleepy gaze toward Lily as she picked up John.
“I’m sorry. He was playing on his blanket when I went to make his breakfast.”
Penni raised up on the couch she had fallen asleep on last night after Jackal had left. “That’s okay. I didn’t mean sleep so late. I’ll never get back on schedule when I get back to work.”
“Maybe Kaden will fire you, and you’ll move to Kentucky. I’m going to miss seeing you every day.”
“You have plenty friends to keep you occupied.”
Lily’s face fell as she sat down on the couch beside her. “Are you mad at me because of Killyama?”
“Kind of.” She and Lily had been friends long enough that she felt Lily could have given her a heads up.
“Since when have I ever caught a fucking break?”
“When you became a Predator.”
“You don’t know Penni. Any chance I have with her will be gone. She’s like no other I’ve met before. How did you feel when you lost Grace?”
Ice had cheated on Grace to prove to the men that he wasn’t fucked in the head after what had happened to him in prison. And Jackal had been one of the men who had expected him to prove himself.
“Brother, I could order you to fuck the bitches, but I know you’re going to do what’s best for the club. Just as I did.” He nodded with an evil grin. “Payback is a bitch.”
In other words, the choice Ice was offering him was no choice at all.
Jackal shook off his sleep as he entered the kitchen where Genny was already at work, and it was only ten to six.
“Any coffee?”
“It just finished.” Genny nodded at the coffee pot.
Jackal liked the girl. She would cook for the men, but she wouldn’t let them take advantage of her.
“I have a favor to ask,” Jackal told her, standing at the counter as he blew on his coffee.
“What do you need?”
“Can you remember who you told you were going to the store yesterday?”
“Viper already asked that question, and he still has my cell phone.”
“Humor me. Maybe you forgot someone.”
Genny shook her head, shoving a baking sheet of hash browns into the oven. “No, because I didn’t tell anyone.”
“So it was a random trip to the store?”
Genny frowned. “No, Willa had gotten a large order for her chocolate cookies, and we were out of chocolate chips, so she asked me to pick them up and bring them when I came in today.”
“Did anyone hear her asking you?”
“Everyone; it was right after lunch.”
Fuck, he was right. He wasn’t going to catch a break.
“Can you at least make me a note of the women who were there?”
“That, I can do.”
Jackal sat down at the kitchen table, watching her work on the note as she cooked. Ten minutes later, she handed him the list.
He glanced at the names as he refilled his cup. He had already memorized the names of the women.
“Can I borrow your pencil?”
Genny shrugged. “Help yourself.”
Jackal crossed out the names of the women who were married, figuring if any of them were the one who had betrayed them, then they were already fucked. That whittled down the list.
“You sure this is all of them? You didn’t leave anyone out?”
Genny nodded. “I’m sure.”
That left him with Ember, Raci, and Jewell. It could be worse. As many women as they had, the number could have been much higher.
Jackal pulled out his cell phone, pulling up the text Viper had sent him last night of the employee’s work schedules, thinking how the women all hung around the club room when they got off work.
He stared down at the paper again. Ember had been sleeping with Train more often since he had gotten there, Raci was the friendliest, and Jewell would be the hardest nut to crack. He circled Raci’s name, thinking she was least likely, but maybe he could use her to find out about the other two.
Jackal shoved the list in his back pocket as Viper and Ice entered the kitchen, Winter following behind more slowly as she went to the refrigerator.
After taking out a lunch box, she kissed Viper on the cheek. “I’ll see you when I get home. Rider’s waiting for me in the parking lot. I already texted him and told him I’m on my way.”
“I could have taken you.”
Winter shook her head, avoiding his gaze. “Stay. I know you have business to discuss.” She then left without another word.
Maybe it was one of the married women. Jackal had been witnessing the escalated tension in the couple since he had arrived there. Maybe she was sick of playing second fiddle to a group of bikers. Razer and Shade had their own homes, so it could be that Winter was sick of sharing her husband with the men and women twenty-four hours a day.
Jackal knew Winter was one woman he wouldn’t be able to trick into revealing anything if she were the one betraying the club. To be honest, he wasn’t man enough for that job. Stump wasn’t, either. The fear of Viper was enough to shrivel any man’s dick.
Jackal waited until Viper and Ice had fixed their plates and went to the main dining room to talk without being overhead.
“Anything new?”
“Shade took Genny’s phone after I gave it to him. No one texted her yesterday. Genny didn’t have any texts for the last month other than Willa, and those were all work related.”
“Damn, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.” Jackal stared down at the empty coffee cup in his hands. “I talked to Genny. She said Willa asked her to go to the store yesterday. She made a list for me, and I’ve managed to narrow it down to Ember, Raci, and Jewel.” He had debated over telling Viper, knowing Viper had asked her the same question.
“I’ll text Shade and tell him,” Ice said. “He’s already pulled everyone’s messages and phone calls. It will save some time.”
“All three women followed the club from Ohio,” Viper told them. “I’ll call Moon. The clubhouse there is on alert, as well. I’ll ask if any had any contact. If Shade and I question the three women, though, it will make them suspicious.” Viper pushed his plate away, staring at them.
Jackal didn’t respect many men, but Viper was putting the club’s safety ahead of his pride, and that was worth his respect.
Ice and Jackal hadn’t intended to tell him about their plan. He still didn’t, and now he wouldn’t have to. Viper already knew.
The three men didn’t need to discuss the strategy to catch the traitor; they all knew time wasn’t on their side.
“One thing for fucking sure: today is going to be an interesting day.” Viper’s eyes focused on him.
“Yes, it is.”
29
Penni brushed the tickle attacking her noise away as she woke up. Blinking, she stared up at the baby blues of her nephew. Lily’s giggle had her turning her sleepy gaze toward Lily as she picked up John.
“I’m sorry. He was playing on his blanket when I went to make his breakfast.”
Penni raised up on the couch she had fallen asleep on last night after Jackal had left. “That’s okay. I didn’t mean sleep so late. I’ll never get back on schedule when I get back to work.”
“Maybe Kaden will fire you, and you’ll move to Kentucky. I’m going to miss seeing you every day.”
“You have plenty friends to keep you occupied.”
Lily’s face fell as she sat down on the couch beside her. “Are you mad at me because of Killyama?”
“Kind of.” She and Lily had been friends long enough that she felt Lily could have given her a heads up.
