Part 21 (1/2)
Twenty.
Beau Hunter: Just got here. All good.
Me: Thanks I reply back to Hunter's text, feeling a little lighter knowing I can stay focused now there are eyes on her.
”Was that Mackenzie?” Jesse leans over the cab of the van trying to check my phone like a f.u.c.king nosey old woman.
”Will you just watch the d.a.m.n road?” I pocket my phone, close my eyes and rest back into the chair.
”Well, aren't you in a chirpy mood tonight.” He scoffs when I don't play along.
”Don't know what you're talking about.” I keep my eyes closed and don't fall for his bulls.h.i.+t. He's right. I'm far from f.u.c.king chirpy. I had plans tonight. Plans that included my c.o.c.k in Mackenzie's p.u.s.s.y, maybe try to work her up a little more, have her coming on my face again. After her first o.r.g.a.s.m last night that revealed a little something extra, I wasn't able to get her back there. Instead, I'm stuck on a f.u.c.king run with Jesse.
”So how is everything with Mackenzie?” I tense, wondering if he knows, but relax when I realize there would be no way.
”Off limits.” He laughs at my reply, still not getting a clue. There's no f.u.c.king way I would ever talk to this a.s.shole about Mackenzie.
”So f.u.c.king whipped.”
”You really wanna go there, Jesse?” I counter, ready to pull every f.u.c.king thing he has done the last seven months since Bell's been on the scene.
”I have no problem going there, Beau. Unlike you, I own it. Yes, I'm p.u.s.s.y whipped. I don't give a f.u.c.k who knows it.” I ignore the smarta.s.s and start counting down the hours I have left with the f.u.c.ker.
”The girls are having a night out next weekend,” he says after a few minutes.
”Why would I care?”
”Oh, didn't Mackenzie tell you? She'll be there too.”
”Shut the f.u.c.k up, Jesse, you're starting to p.i.s.s me off.” I don't bite like he wants me to, but I store the info in the back of my mind to bring up later. I don't give a f.u.c.k if Mackenzie goes out, but the club will have eyes on her. I still don't trust her a.s.shole ex. Even if it's been over two months and there has not been one sighting of him. I'm just waiting for something to happen.
”Maybe she'll pick up someone. I know a few of the guys around the club are keen on her.” Before he can add in another word, my left hand reaches out, grabbing him by the back of the neck.
”Seriously f.u.c.ker, I'm about to kick you out and you can take your sorry a.s.s home on your own.”
”I'm gonna f.u.c.king crash, a.s.shole.” He laughs louder, rarely taking anything serious. I squeeze tighter, keeping my grip firm.
”Okay, I'll quit it,” he relents. I give his neck one last squeeze before releasing him. I'm not f.u.c.king kidding. If he doesn't quit it, he's out.
He manages to keep quiet for another forty minutes before breaking the silence. Again.
”So, I'm thinking of asking Bell to marry me.” I let a few minutes pa.s.s to take in what he just said before commenting.
”You sure you're ready?” It's not like I want to question his reasons, but Bell and Jesse just dealt with some major s.h.i.+t. The last thing they need to be doing is rus.h.i.+ng into marriage.
”She's the one. There's no one else for me.” He sounds so sure and I don't want to be an a.s.shole, but I ask anyway.
”How do you know?” It hasn't even been a year. They've only lived together for a short time. h.e.l.l, Mackenzie and I've almost been living together for the same amount of time.
”f.u.c.k you're such a cynic. Of course you don't believe in love, Beau.”
”Didn't say I don't believe in love. I just think giving yourself over to it is dangerous.” I shrug, not shy in sharing my thoughts.
”Dangerous? How so?”
”It hooks you with ties stronger than death, Jesse. You of all people can understand that.” I give it to him straight. The man just lost his father this year. He should f.u.c.king get it.
”Jesus, Beau. Bit f.u.c.king deep, even for you.”
”It's the f.u.c.king truth. I'm not saying you don't love Bell. But are you ready to hand it all over, knowing if anything ever happened, it would hurt more than anything?”
”Hey, maybe it's flawed and complex to you, Beau. But it's not just one layer. It's multiple f.u.c.king layers. Not giving yourself over to it because later it might hurt makes no sense. Death can't cancel it out because it's f.u.c.king pure. It cancels everything else out.” I don't respond right away, my mind still trying to catch up that I'm having this conversation with Jesse.
It takes me a while to respond, my head still trying to process it from a different point of view. ”The f.u.c.k you come up with this s.h.i.+t, Jesse?”
”I'm in love, brother. When you know, you know.” His deep laugh resonates from within him and fills the van.
”If you say so.” I shake my head and rest back in my chair. The next time he asks me a question, I pretend to be asleep. He's already schooled me enough tonight. I don't need him to know I was already affected by it.
We pull into the clubhouse early the next morning. After picking up the woman in Henderson, we drove her back to Rushford and set her up in one of the safe houses we have here. She will stay there for a week before we move her again with a new ident.i.ty.
”The gate's open,” I say aloud, but more to myself than anything.
”Maybe Nix is in.” Jesse sits up a little straighter. Both of us on alert. I know Nix said he would lock up after we left, so the gate being open puts me on edge.
”At five in the morning?” I pull out my cell and bring Nix's name up. Jesse opens his door and walks toward the gate, pus.h.i.+ng it fully open so I can drive through.
”Yeah,” Nix grumbles, coming out of sleep.
”You at the clubhouse?”
”No, why?” His voice becomes more alert at the mere question.
”Front gate is open.”
”I left after you took the van out. Locked that s.h.i.+t up tight 'cause no one was in.”
”Nix?” Kadence's whisper comes through the line.
”Shh, go back to sleep, babe.” I hear rustling and I know he's moving through the house. ”Check it out and call me back.” He hangs up as Jesse gets back in the van.
”Got your gun on you?” I ask, knowing he probably does.