Jake’s Silence Read online

  “Can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asks. To my surprise, Jake moves toward her. She looks almost terrified the closer he gets, but when he starts talking, her features soften, her pink lipstick painted lips spreading into a smile. “Of course, sir. We can get her in. Just have her fill this out, and I will go back and let the doctor know.” She hands Jake a clipboard and saunters off.

  “Jake,” I protest, but he thrusts the clipboard my way and finds a seat, ready to wait out my appointment.

  Exactly an hour later, I’m back out with a prescription for glasses and two boxes of contacts, though I’m not sure how much use I will get out of the contacts. Putting them in was awkward. “You can go through all the frames there. Let me know when you decide on a pair, and we will get them ordered for you,” pink lipstick lady says, directing me out of the room and over to the wall of glasses.

  As soon as Jake sees I’m out, he gets up to stand by my side, giving me that “I told you so” look. “Fine. I can’t see,” I sigh, turning to look over the frames. I try on a few pairs, laughing each time at how they look. Me in glasses is strange. Jake finds a pair of black rimmed frames and hands them over. Instantly, I know these are the ones. They almost make me look smarter.

  “These are perfect. You like them?” I ask, turning from the mirror to get Jake’s opinion.

  “Yep,” he responds, turning abruptly and stalking toward the desk to talk to the lipstick woman once again. What was that? Did he not like them and was just tired of waiting for me? Instantly, I’m down over the whole ordeal again, but bring the frames over to the woman so she can order them.

  It’s almost dark outside when we get back to the bike, and the parking lot is near empty. “I’m sorry I took so long in there, but I told you we didn’t need to…” I start, but before I can get any further, Jake wraps me up in his arms, pulling me closer.

  “No being sorry, Key. Looked sexy as fuck in them. Ever need something like this, you say it,” he instructs, his voice so soft and caring as he takes his time to speak. I can’t help but notice he’s starting to string together longer sentences. “Okay?” he asks, stroking his thumb down my jawline.

  “Yes. Okay.” When he lets me go to grab our helmets, I hand him over the bag of contacts and solution for him to put in his saddlebag. “Jake,” I squeak out, getting his attention once again. “Thank you for this. I never asked Ellie because I didn’t want to burden her with it. She has her own kids to worry about.”

  “No,” Jake grits out, his voice sounding strained from the harshness of his tone. “Never think that. Hers just as much as they are.” He clears his throat. “Vin and Ells wouldn’t have it any other way. They love you, Key. Let’s go,” he tells me, reaching his hand out for me to take.

  Conversation ended.

  Ten

  Jake

  We are all gathered around our makeshift table in the workout room that has been designated as the chapel for the time being, discussing a couple venues in town we are looking to buy. Storefronts, to be exact. We need a source of income, and Rock’s old lady wants to run a clothing boutique. Win-win for the club. We invest, we get profit. Only problem is trying to raise our name from the ashes around here. The club is known, but not how it used to be. After the shooting, the feds labeled us as outlaws. Now, we aren't outlaws, per say, but we dabble a little in the transportation and security of some illegal items. But we do not deal, we do not house, nor do we condone human trafficking. Rumors got around saying that was exactly the kind of stuff we were into. I can only assume the rumors were the makings of the few traitors out there we haven't gotten our hands on yet.

  “Now, with the clubhouse up, I'm going to need some women to get the inside done up nice. Can’t be my Buggs, though. Got her knocked up again. She ain't gonna be on ladders painting and shit,” Rock reveals with a cocky, proud smile. All the brothers at the table call out their congratulations.

  It’s been two weeks since we got here, and the damn people Rock found to build the clubhouse did an excellent job. Granted, it did take them longer than the week they claimed, but that was due to weather. Fucking rained for two days straight. Now, though, the place is up and ready. The interior is the only thing missing.

  “Got a couple girls from town who are game. Though,” Sage pipes up, pausing to look over to Gin, “one is Lish,” he says, getting a growling, pissed off Gin in return.

  “The fuck? She ain’t coming here. That bitch ain’t welcome. No fucking way, no how.” He stands to his feet in a rush, knocking his chair to the floor.

  “It’s all right, Gin. Just sayin’.” Sage raises his hands in defense. “Why I asked, man. Calm your ass. Shit, I'm sure Ellie and her girl can help. What’s her name? Kim?” He’s just on a roll, ain’t he?

  “Yeah, we can ask Ells, but that girl of hers is away at college. Sure V would help in some way too,” Rock says, eyeing me right along with Gin. Shit, maybe Kimi would—no, fuck that. She doesn’t belong here. Me spending time with her is only so she can experience things she should have been able to growing up. Like bowling. Shit, the look on her face that day was priceless. So fucking sweet and innocent.

  “I'm going to be riding out of town for a couple days,” Gin announces after they start discussing something about a shipment Rock is sending Sage and Brawn on in two days. I was too busy thinking of a certain raven-haired woman to hear what was said. “Got some business to take care of. Something for an old friend,” he says, and I can only think of one person Gin was taking care of from the grave. Fuzz. He was a member who got killed in his efforts to help Ellie. They were thick as thieves. Gin being Pres, and Fuzz his VP. I didn't know him all that well—shit, I only met the guy days before he died. Fucking shit deal. But after he died, it came to light that he had a daughter who didn't know him, but he looked after. Suppose now the job fell to his best friend.

  “‘Nough said, Gin. Take your time. You could use a little space, I think,” Rock says, getting head nods from the rest of the club.

  “Thanks, assholes. You sure are subtle about my mental state,” he chuckles out. “All jokes aside, I ain’t going to lie and say being here is easy. I'm not a feeling type of guy, but this place holds my demons. Hopefully when I get back, and the new place is up and running, it will start to feel like home again,” he says, baring his soul to our table. Rock only gives a nod of understanding, then concludes the meeting. We all get up and go our separate ways, Gin sticking behind to talk to me.

  “You going to be all right with me gone, Jakey Boy?” he asks, reaching for a cigarette and lighting it. I give him a curt nod, and take a step toward the door. “Going to see that girl of yours?”

  “Not mine,” I rasp in annoyance.

  “She’s yours as much as you think she isn't,” he tells me, sounding all riddley and shit. Fucker.

  “Business,” I say, telling him with one word to fuck off and mind his own. He knows what I mean, or else he wouldn't have scoffed at my turned back.

  “Yeah, suppose I will. But you remember this, Jakey. She’s alive,” he tells me once more before I walk out the door headed to see an old friend.

  Last time I was at this place, I was riding far away with no intent on coming back. Now, here I am, parking my bike outside this bed-and-breakfast-turned-loving-home to see the occupants about their daughter. Having a connection with a knack for hacking, I now have two folders full of information on Zeke Mandel and Blake Saunders. Not too much to tell except they were both, on separate occasions, accused of drugging a girl. Sure, you can fill in the rest. Being from families who struck it rich in the short North Dakota oil boom, the girls were paid off, and the boys got away scot-free. Not fucking happening this time. They fucked with the wrong girl.

  Knocking on the door, I'm greeted by a flustered Ellie. Jesus. She swings the door open, still looking like she was trying to get her breathing under control. “Shit. Jake! It’s so good to see you!” she shrieks, bounding at me to get in a hug before her possessive ass husband g
rowls out in disapproval. “Oh, you hush, you broody old man,” she scolds him.

  “You going to hop up there and hug another man while my cum is still inside you, woman?” he asks, getting closer to the open door and crossing his big ass arms over his wrinkled white t-shirt. Shit, he’s been bulking up.

  “You did just not say that, Vin. My god!” A now very red, pissed off, and embarrassed Ellie storms back into the house, smacking her husband on the way. “Caveman,” she scoffs. I just shake my head. I know the guy well enough, and when he isn't in a life or death situation, he can be quite the smart ass, but mostly he’s a brooding asshole.

  “You get what you needed?” he questions, stepping aside to let me in. I nod and pass him the folders. I figured he didn't want Ellie knowing what was up with my visit, so he embarrassed her enough for her to go running away for a bit to calm down. Like I said, asshole. But, man, does he love that woman and his family. I do too. Shit, we were in this very house when I got to know Ellie. We found her on the floor of some makeshift bedroom in the basement of a warehouse Avil used as a holding area for his “cargo”: women he dealt with in trafficking. We thought Ellie was one of those women at first, but it turned out she was his fiancé who tried to run. Kicker was she was about to burst with his baby—the reason for her captivity. I still cringe when I think about it. Tiny ass chick with a larger than life belly on her, she clearly hadn't been properly taken care of during her pregnancy. We took her from that basement and brought her to this place they now call home. It was our safe house at the time. My aunt and uncle actually owned the place before it was abandoned to the elements. We took care of her here, Finn and I, and…well, Vin. I never understood the way he looked at her that night until I saw Kimi for the first time—blood covering parts of her face, knowing she had gone through some terrible shit. I still don’t know how bad the shit was. I'm not sure I ever want to know.

  “These fuckers are something, ain't they? I got Reek tapping into surveillance, keeping an eye on the pricks. Thanks for getting this to me, man. If Ellie knew I was doing this shit, she would have my ass. She’s all, ‘don’t kill anyone, Vin’ nowadays,” he says, making me silently laugh at his impression of her.

  “Good woman,” I say, swallowing hard at the dryness. Stepping past him, I grab a glass and fill it with water.

  “Throat still giving you trouble?” he asks, and I give a quick nod, then tip my head toward the folders still in his hand.

  “I'm on them,” I say, swallowing down a few large gulps, relieving my parched throat.

  “Something happen…to her?” Vin asks slowly, not wanting to know the answer, but needing to at the same time. Another nod from me makes his face turn ashen with an overlay of fury.

  “Didn't get far. Roughed ‘em up. Pestering her. Said they stopped,” I say, getting out the few words before my throat gives up, the tingling pain becoming too much, sending me into a small coughing fit.

  “Keep an eye on her for me. She’s a grown woman now, but shit, she’s the same age Ellie was when she met that prick. Don’t want my daughter getting that shit hand.”

  Right when I'm about to say I’ve got her, Ellie comes walking in with Dawn, their newest addition. Seeing that kid in her arms makes me wonder what Kimi would look like with our child cradled against her.

  “You have time to stay for supper, Jake? I was going to make lasagna,” Ellie says, placing Dawn in a highchair near the kitchen table.

  “He needs to get going, babe. Got some stuff for the club to take care of,” Vin says, coming to my aid. I give Ellie a nod and move to give her a quick hug, ignoring Vin when he lets out his possessive growl. Turning back toward the door I give him the finger before I open it and leave.

  Eleven

  Kimi

  I feel like I haven't seen Jake in forever, but in reality, it’s only been a week. He hasn't texted me at all, and after we went bowling and he dropped me off at my car, there was no goodbye, no kiss, no hug—nothing but a damn chin tip. I know he doesn't like to talk much, but it still drives me crazy.

  “Anything you want to do tonight?” Ari asks as we walk from my car to the dorm rooms. It’s Friday, classes are out, and we have the weekend ahead of us. “Sam asked if we wanted to go to a movie after practice was over. Said he would pay,” she says, waggling her eyebrows, making me laugh.

  “So I can be your third wheel? I don’t know, Ari…” I say, letting the door close behind us as we walk for the stairs. The dorms are typical. Three stories high, filled with rooms and lots of students. The big brick buildings have been here for years and need updates, but it’s still a cool place to call home for the time being.

  “Oh, you know it isn't like that, Kimi. We are friends. All of us,” she pushes. “Let’s go. Please? It will be fun,” she pouts.

  “All right. But only because you said he was paying.”

  We get ready, and by seven, Sam is waiting for us out in the lot in his giant truck. I take a hopeful glance around when I think I hear a motorcycle, but my hopes are dashed when I see nothing. I get in the truck and listen to Sam and Ari flirt back and forth on the way to the theater. Third wheel my ass. I laugh to myself. I know how much she’s into the guy, but I wish she would just get on with it already. Him too.

  “What do you guys want to see?” Sam asks as we all get out of the truck. I shrug my shoulders. This isn’t something I’ve done before and I really don’t know. A pang in my chest hits me, and I wish Jake was here to experience this first with me.

  “I…uh, I don’t really know. I read more than I watch TV. I'm sure whatever you guys decide will be fine,” I say, giving a shrug. I am more of a reader, having only a couple books to comfort me as I grew up, movies not so much. Luckily, I had learned to read before my life as a pawn in men’s games started.

  “You sure? I, uh…” the words die in Ari’s mouth as her eyes widen into saucers at something behind me. My skin starts to prickle from the look on her face. Slowly, I turn to see what has my friend speechless to find a big, bad ass biker—a biker that looks a lot like Jake, but this one has a neatly trimmed short beard along with a fresh haircut.

  “Jake? What?” I ask, knowing full well he won’t answer me, but he surprises me and does. Leaning into my personal space, he whispers, “Movie.” His voice causes the prickles on my skin to tighten even more.

  “Hey, man. I'm Sam. Seen you around before,” Sam says, thrusting his hand out for Jake to shake. At first, I don’t think he will take it, but he does, surprising me further.

  “This is Jake, guys. He’s a friend from Cental,” I say, still looking at him, shocked he’s here.

  “Holy shit, Kimi! You didn't tell me you were friends with bikers,” Ari whispers, sounding more interested than disgusted or scared. Oh boy. Jake nods his greeting to both of my friends, and I almost say something to explain why he isn't talking, but Jake beats me to it. Leaning his head to the side so they can both see the scar on his throat, he rasps, “Voice fucked.”

  “Sucks, man,” Sam says, then turns to me. “We were just waiting for Kimi to decide what movie we were watching. So, what will it me, Keems? We in for some sappy shit or some comedy?” I think for a second, looking to Jake for guidance. He doesn't give me much, just shrugs his shoulders.

  “Here, hon, scroll through this. Those are all the movies playing,” Ari says, handing me her phone. I scroll through and see some animated thing about a fish, a war movie, and something about moms. I'm not sure what to pick, but when I look closer at the fish movie, I remember seeing something like this years ago when my parents were still alive…

  “I remember something like this, only it was Finding…something…else. I can’t remember,” I say, frustrated.

  “Oh. Nemo, Finding Nemo. This one is the second to that movie. This time they are looking for Dory,” Ari says. “I wouldn't mind watching that one,” she says with a smile. “Sam?”

  “Hell yeah. I’ll go see it. Dory is funny as hell,” Sam chuckles, gripping Ari’s h
and and pulling her toward the theater to buy our tickets.

  “Contacts?” The brush of Jake’s lips on the shell of my ear sends millions of goosebumps prickling down my covered arms as he leans in to whisper to me. The tingles are back again, only this time, they are low in my belly, going right for an area that only makes itself known when Jake is around.

  “Uh, yeah. I’m still waiting for the glasses,” I explain, and he nods. “You sure you want to see a kid’s movie? You are a badass biker and all.” I smirk at him, wanting to bypass whatever this man does to my body.

  “With you,” he says, gripping my hand much like Sam did to Ari, but he pulls me closer to wrap his arm around me, clutching my hip with his large palm as he leads me inside.

  * * *

  “Great choice, Kimi. That movie was adorable,” Ari says as we all walk out of the theater. It really was a good movie, even though I cried throughout the whole thing. I was heartbroken over the fact that the poor fish got separated from her parents and couldn't remember how to get back. I could relate in a way. I don’t remember my parents much, but I know I will never find them. They are dead.

  “It was, wasn't it?” I smile, looking over to gauge Jake’s reaction. Still stoic. Throughout the movie, he held my large bag of popcorn for me, only taking a hand full once.

  “What are we doing now?” Ari asks, and Jake grabs my hand, giving it a tug. Looking up at him, he nods toward the parking lot at his bike.

  “I think I'm going to go with Jake for a bit. You guys go do something together. Have fun,” I say, leaning in to hug Ari, who gives me a knowing smile. “Be safe,” I tell her in a softened tone.