Strays (Red Kings MC Book 1) Page 12

  He was the traitor, whose betrayal had allowed a rival gang to gain a stronghold over the city.

  He was TJ, who had been teasing him endlessly about his relationship with Jackie.

  But most of all, he was Luke, who'd been doubting his loyalty to the club for months now.

  Dean knew that Luke had talked to Jackie because she was now leery of being in the same room with the man. And that only made Dean angrier. He was going to use this punk to take out all of his frustration that a punching bag at the gym just couldn't relieve.

  So wrapped up in his rage, Dean barely registered Luke calling him off. “That's enough.”

  The voice only grated on his nerves even more, and his fists flew harder into the bloody face below him. The next thing he knew, Mack and Murphy were pulling him off of the unconscious man.

  “Shit, D. That was a bit much,” Mack said hesitantly. Dean easily shook the two men off but didn't try to resume the beating. He stood there breathing heavily, slightly disappointed when Murphy indicated that the punk was still alive.

  Luke sighed and motioned to Mack. “Get him to a damn hospital. When he wakes up, make sure you tell him not to remember anything. And take the prospect with you.”

  Mack nodded dutifully and gestured at Taco to help him pick the punk up. “Let's get him in the back of the van,” he said casually, looking towards the street to make sure the fight hadn't drawn too much attention.

  Dean grunted and ran a hand through his dark hair, still very wound up. He paced in tight circles as he tried to calm his breathing, but the mere sight of the bright red car sent him into another round of anger and frustration. He wasn't even mad at the punk anymore. The moment had just been the perfect opportunity to let it all out. But now he was having serious trouble reigning it back in. Self-control had never been a strong suit of his.

  He looked past the sports car, hoping to push it from his memory. But what he saw brought it all rushing to the surface tenfold — the whole source of his current pile of problems.

  Jackie.

  Jackie stood in her original spot, completely horrified by the act of violence she had just witnessed. She had never seen Dean like that before. His fierce power and air of danger that usually gave her a deep sense of security now had her fearing for the welfare of herself and their unborn child.

  No, her child.

  There was no way that Dean could take care of a baby. Not now, not ever. His violent temper was not something that Jackie wanted to have her baby around. She just wouldn't tell him. She could raise this baby on her own, Elaine and Tyler would help and support her.

  Tyler. She hadn't even told him about the baby yet. He had gone with TJ to South Carolina for club business two days ago. She would have to tell him when he got back later that night. Now she just needed to get out of the lot while everyone was preoccupied. It was at that precise moment when her eyes met Dean's, the blood draining from her face quickly.

  Dean growled and cursed under his breath, trying to control his anger. He moved towards Jackie but was stopped once again by Nash's arm. The man gave him a knowing look, but Dean shrugged him off and continued on his way. Nash rolled his eyes and slowly moved to follow him, waiting for round two that he knew was about to go down. Luke stood next to him, the pair watching from a short distance as Dean approached the woman.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Dean said roughly, quickly moving into Jackie's face.

  She swallowed and looked past the man as Mack and Taco tossed a limp body into the back of the club's black van.

  “I asked you a question, dammit!” He banged his hand on top of her truck, his eyes staring wildly into hers.

  Jackie stared at him hesitantly, still in total shock over the last few minutes. “Jesus Christ, Dean. You could have killed him.” It came out as a whisper as she stared at him. “What is wrong with you?"

  “This is what I do! I hurt people. I fucking kill people. I always have, and I always will, and I fucking enjoy it!”

  The gleam of excitement in his rage-filled eyes scared her, and she took a few steps back, bumping into the side of her truck. “What are you talking about?”

  “I'm talking about the fact that I'm a murderer. You remember the first night we met? When I almost slit that guy's throat? That's the real me. I'm a cold-hearted killer. I torture people for fun.” His ranting turned frantic as the words he had been bottling up started to pour out. “I've tried to keep my shit away from you to give you something better, but it's so hard. I'm tired of having to shelter you from who I really am.” The anger coursing through him made the words fall from his lips in uncontrollable waves. It felt so good to get the truth out. He was so sick of hiding himself from her.

  Dean closed the distance between them and stared down at her, the words suddenly monotone and lifeless. “I could kill you in an instant. I wouldn't blink. I wouldn't give it a second thought.” She stared in horror up at him, at the blank expression on the face of the man she thought she knew. “Is this what you wanted to hear? Every time you asked what I was doing, what was going on – is this what you wanted me to say?”

  Jackie shook her head slowly, trying not to let the tears fall down her face. Dean's eyes shot to the right as he felt a hand grasp his upper arm. “Let's go, Dean,” Luke said carefully, looking from the biker to a shaky Jackie. “You've done enough damage.”

  When she looked back on this later, Jackie would marvel at the fact that Luke was the one to intervene, though not necessarily on her behalf. Dean snorted but followed Luke toward the clubhouse.

  “Oh, by the way.” Dean turned around to face her but continued a backward trek, a wicked grin on his face that she didn't recognize. “That man you saw me almost kill? He was shot to death in his lake cabin a few days ago.” It didn't take Jackie long to figure out the connection between his statement and his disappearance that same day. Dean only seemed to laugh at her obvious shock, but entered the clubhouse before anyone could say a word.

  Jackie stared after him, completely stunned by his outburst. One half of her brain tried to play it off as his anger towards the customer, but the other half knew that had only been the start of it. Dean had used it as an outlet to say things he had been holding back. He had meant every word that he said.

  He was a murderer. A killer.

  A monster.

  All this time, she had been in bed with someone that could have ended her life in a heartbeat. How could she not have seen it? She cursed herself for being blind to all of the obvious signs. She should never have gotten involved with him in the first place, should have listened to all the warnings.

  She certainly wasn't telling him about the baby now. She could never subject a baby to that kind of man.

  Her tears finally fell as it hit her that whatever was between them had just well and truly ended. Jackie leaned back against her truck and covered her face with her hands as reality set in.

  She was pregnant with a monster's child.

  21

  Nash stood in the parking lot, watching Jackie crumble from a distance. When he looked at her, he no longer saw the sweet, innocent artist who had loyally followed her best friend into unknown territory. He saw a young woman that was in way over her head.

  She was a wreck.

  He felt sorry for her. Until now, he had thought that Jackie was good for Dean, as she had made him calmer and more in control of himself. He had thought that the biker was good for her, too – he looked out for her, treated her right, gave her the confidence she was previously lacking. But at that moment, Nash realized there was a lot of work to be done if those two were ever to have a solid relationship.

  Jackie was leaning against her truck, wet tears cascading down her cheeks. Nash just stood and looked at her for a few minutes, waiting for her to pull herself together. When that didn’t happen, he sighed and made his way to the truck. Taking her by the arm, he helped her stand up and steered her to the driver’s side door. She looked at him with watery eyes, blinking
slowly.

  “Can you drive?” Her stare was blank, and he was sure that she hadn’t heard a word that he said. He repeated himself a second time, and when that didn’t garner a response, he took her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Jackie, can you drive?”

  Focusing on him, Jackie tried to clear her mind and nodded her head. “Yeah, I can drive.”

  “Good. Go home.” In an attempt to reassure her in her frazzled state, he gently added, “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Another nod from her, and she was slowly climbing into the truck and starting the engine. Nash shut her door and jogged to his bike, pulling out of the lot after her. He’d take her home, make sure she got in okay, then get back to the clubhouse. He needed a drink.

  Thankfully, the drive to her apartment was short and uneventful. He was glad that she was trying to keep her cool, at least for a while. The last thing Nash needed was for the woman to cause a car accident.

  Parking his bike, he waited impatiently for her to get out and enter the building. When she hadn't moved a few minutes later, he sighed once again and got off of his bike, then crossed the lot to where the truck sat. Jackie was staring straight ahead, lost in thought, so he knocked on the window and watched as she jumped in surprise. Realizing Nash was waiting for her to get out, she unbuckled herself and opened the door.

  She allowed the biker to lead her up the front steps and into the apartment complex. She was still out of it, the events of the day repeating themselves in her head. She saw Dean swinging at the customer, saw Mack and Taco carrying the bloodied body away, heard Dean’s words loud and clear. He was a killer. More importantly, he liked it.

  Unlocking her door, Jackie walked in and threw her keys on the kitchen table. Nash stopped just shy of entering the apartment and leaned against the door frame, watching the young woman carefully as she turned on the light by the couch and sat down. She put her head in her hands and shut her eyes tightly, letting out a breath. What was she going to do? There was no way she was telling Dean about the baby, not after what had happened. It was better if he didn’t know, better for him, better for her, and, most importantly, better for the baby.

  She sat there and suddenly became aware of Nash’s gaze on her. He had been a stable figure in her life ever since she had gotten caught up with the MC, even though he wasn't always aware he was helping her. He was the sensible voice of reason, her silent supporter. And here he was now in her apartment, trying to figure out if it was safe to leave her alone. For all the time she had spent in the clubhouse and around the bikers, Nash was the one that she couldn’t entirely figure out. He was quiet, never saying more than a few words at a time, and constantly analyzing things around him. He had an intelligent look about him, though he was stocky and gruff, and he wasn’t one she wished to have as an enemy. And somehow, he tolerated her, maybe even actually liked her.

  She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear the tired sigh that came from the biker. She didn’t see Nash rubbing a hand over his head, looking at her with all the sympathy in the world. She did, however, hear him clear his throat. From the corner of her eye, she saw him shifting, looking over his shoulder and then back at her. It was obvious that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

  "Do you need anything?" he asked her quietly, casting another glance over his shoulder.

  She shook her head, continuing to stare at the wall in front of her. Nash nodded his head slightly and turned to leave, not making it two steps before hearing her speak.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Her words stopped him in his tracks, and he turned around slowly to look at her. Pregnant? That sure as hell complicated things. He reentered the apartment carefully and sat down next to her, not quite sure what to think. Was she going to cry again? What was he supposed to say?

  Nash took a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of his jeans and lit one, staring absentmindedly ahead. For a long time, neither of them spoke, both at a loss for words. In the end, Nash was the one who broke the silence, his words a failed attempt at lightening the situation.

  “I always thought Murphy would be the first to knock up some chick.”

  Jackie looked at him and cracked a small strained smile. She looked more troubled than before, and her tears soon replaced the smile. She didn’t want to cry, and Nash sure as hell didn’t want her to cry, but there was nothing either of them could do about it. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, trying to provide her some kind of comfort.

  “Have you told Dean?”

  She shook her head adamantly. “I was about to when…” She trailed off, and Nash understood what she was trying to say.

  “Okay.” Taking another drag of his cigarette, he exhaled. “When are you telling him then?”

  She took in a sharp breath, and her expression became determined. “I’m not.” When Nash’s eyebrows rose in surprise, she hastened to add, “and neither are you.”

  “You can’t keep it from him, Jack.”

  "I have to." The hesitation was evident in her eyes. She thought she was doing the right thing, but she was far from sure of her actions. "You saw him today, Nash. I don't want him around this baby when I know that he won't love it. He doesn't want a child. And I won't raise a baby around that kind of environment, with a father who kills people. Dean can't know."

  Nash sighed, wondering how in the hell he had gotten dragged into this shit. Relationship advice was not his area of expertise, but here he was. “You know Dean. Despite what he said, he's a good guy. He'll do right by you and the kid.”

  “I don't know a damn thing about Dean,” she replied vehemently, her eyes hardening as she recalled his words saying that exact thing to her.

  “What are you going to do then?”

  She looked ahead and didn’t answer his question for a few minutes, thinking. What was she going to do? She was going to keep the baby, that was for sure. And she wasn’t telling Dean. That was as far as she’d gotten in figuring things out. He was bound to find out, as she was going to gain weight and start to show in a few months. And as hard as it was for her to admit it, there was only one solution to the problem. Looking back up at Nash, she fixed him with a resolved stare.

  “I’m leaving.”

  22

  Dean entered the clubhouse even more enraged than he had been in the lot. The beast inside of him was unleashed, and even after the events of the previous twenty minutes, it still wasn’t satisfied, it still wanted more. The biker’s wild eyes roamed around the clubhouse, and he grabbed the first thing they focused on, a chair, and threw it across the room. It smashed against the opposite wall, pieces flying everywhere. The biker then grabbed a nearby table, turning it over without even sparing a thought to the bottles on top of it. The room, which had contained a few occupants moments ago, was now empty. No one wanted to get caught in his warpath.

  The room was a mess by the time he finished his destruction, the only survivors being the pool table and a few upholstered pieces of furniture that didn't smash well. He stood in the middle of the carnage, looking around and breathing heavily. He felt spent, tired.

  Dean hoped that driving Jackie away was the right thing to do. He hadn't meant to do it, but the unplanned fight had led to an opportunity to get her away safely before things got worse around here. He was certain that he’d made her hate him, made her fear him, and he didn't regret losing his temper one bit. It was better this way.

  A sudden thought entered his mind, a solution to his current problems. The woman cared for him, sure, but there was one man in her life that she loved even more.

  Tyler.

  Deciding he had to follow through with the plan that had formulated in his head, Dean went to find Luke. He marched out of the clubhouse, finding the president sitting at one of the nearby picnic tables smoking a cigarette. The lot was almost empty, and there was no sign of Jackie or her truck. Dean made his way to Luke, sitting down next to him silently.

  “You done destroying my clubhouse?” Dean
nodded slowly, staring at the row of bikes across from him. “Good. You know you're helping the prospects clean that shit up, right?”

  Dean snorted at the response and turned his head to stare at Luke. “Speaking of prospects, I want to send Tyler to Lakeside.”

  Luke’s eyebrows rose at that. “Oh?” His voice was full of curiosity. “And why’s that?”

  “You know Jackie will go wherever he goes.” He wasn’t one for bullshit. For him, straightforward was the best way to do things. So he didn’t make this out to be anything other than what it was. “I want her gone.” He realized that the man in front of him wasn't the one that needed convincing.

  Luke was momentarily speechless at this sudden turn of events. This was completely worth a trashed clubhouse. “It’s done then.” Dean nodded and moved to rise from the bench when the president’s voice stopped him. “Why Lakeside?”

  The biker shrugged in response, not making eye contact. “Heard they need a new prospect.”

  “Mhm.” Luke was mulling over his response. “Call Vic and set it up.”

  Dean nodded and watched as Luke got up from the table and headed towards the clubhouse. It was true, Dean knew the Lakeside charter didn’t have a prospect, but there was another reason behind his decision. One that he didn’t deem necessary to tell Luke.

  Jagger was in Lakeside. He’d keep an eye on Jackie for him, make sure she was safe.

  He pulled his phone out, punching in Vic’s number and listening to it ring as he waited for the Lakeside charter president to pick up. He’d set things up right away, so Tyler and Jackie could be gone as soon as possible.

  “Yeah?” The gruff voice that came from the other end was hard to hear. It seemed there was a party going on in Florida. They’d started early.