Warlords MC: Book 3 – Jack : Chapter 2

After they landed, they got in an SUV and made it to the ranch.

They went into the house. It was just an average home, brick, five bedrooms, three baths and on a rural street. There were no neighbors for a few miles though. It looked like it had at one time been a ranch home. With land and cattle. Not now though. It had been taken by the government. Jack figured the rancher had defaulted on his mortgage? But who knew?

They were being backed by the State department that had ties with the CIA and FBI. Otherwise, Jack didn’t care to know. He was in this for one reason and one only. To find out who killed Eagle and his family. They’d staged it as a home invasion, but Ace, him and all his brother’s knew better. It had been a planned, premeditated murder.

What they did not know was why.

He escorted Jade inside and she stared all around as little Annabelle clung to her hand.

Deuce came into the room. “Hey Bro.” He nodded to Jack then looked over to Jade. “Your room is ready.” He motioned toward a hallway. “Has everything you should need for now.”

“Everything?” Jade asked.

He shrugged. “Clothes for you and her. Toiletries and the like?”

She turned to look at Jack. “How did you arrange all that?”

He raised his hands up. “Hey, don’t look at me. I just work here.”

A smile tipped at her lips. “Ok.” She peered down at the little girl. “Come on Belle.”

The little girl looked back at Jack. “We’re gonna leave the smiling guy?”

Jade stared at her then up at Jack. “Yes, for a little while.”

Jack chuckled. Smiling guy. Yeah, that was him. He stepped forward. “No worries, I will be here but you and your Aunt Jade need to sleep, then shower. Then we will have pancakes.”

Her cornflower blue eyes lit up at this. “With blueberries?”

He looked over at Deuce.

Deuce looked unsure then nodded. “Yep and whipped cream right?”

“Ohh… that would be lovely.” She took Jade’s hand again.

Jack stepped ahead of them.

“Second door on the right,” Deuce called.

Jack waved his hand and led them to the door. Opening it, he guided them in.

The pair looked around.

“Nice,” Jade said.

It was nice too. Large queen bed with a blue bedspread. The paint was a sky blue. There was a large window. Flowers in a vase. Antique furniture with three chairs and small table

“OH!” Annabelle cried. “A teddy and a doll!” She looked up at Jack. “Can—can I play with them?”

Jack looked over at the bed where the mentioned toys were then stared down at her. “They are yours, I would assume.”

“Really?” she asked.

He nodded as he knelt down to be able to look at her. “Really and there will be outfits for you too, probably.”

“Wow,” she gushed. “This isn’t at all like…” Her small voice fell away and she suddenly seemed to change before his eyes. Her face took on a frightened look as she scooted behind Jade.

Jade took her arm and knelt down in front of her.

Jack took a step back.

“We will never be at that house ever again, Belle,” Jade stated firmly. “You hear me? And we will never see that man again.”

The little girl stared at her with overly bright eyes as tears sparkled in them. “Really?”

Nodding, Jade kissed her cheek. “That is all over.”

“S-so, that means Mommy will be here soon?”

Jade seemed to freeze then she sighed. “Maybe. I will have to see what—” She choked up a little. “We will see ok?”

Nodding, Annabelle then seemed to be like she’d been a moment ago. She instantly bounced back to the carefree child again, as she rushed over to the bed and stared down at the toys.

Jade stood up and looked at Jack. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jack simply stared. So, not cold blooded. But human through and through. He felt the need to reach out to her and pull her to him. She looked so lost and—

She spoke, breaking into his thoughts, “We will be all right now. Thank you, umm…”

“Jack,” he supplied.

“Jack, yes. Well…”

He patted her arm and fought the part of him that wanted to grab her and hold her until that look in her eyes left permanently. “If you need anything at all, just ask.”

Nodding, she swiped her tears away and turned to go over to the bed where Annabelle was.

Jack stepped back to the door then through it and shut it. He stood in the hallway staring at the closed door. Damn, he almost wished she had stayed aloof and calm. When she cried, he had to keep himself from holding her. Shit, this was going to be hard. He hadn’t thought so before, but now he knew. Handling Jade would be more than a challenge since she’d already seemed to affect him in some odd way.

Turning, he headed down the hall into the living room.

Deuce stood there. “So, Ace said you were to debrief her and be her bodyguard.”

Jack paused at this. Yes, he knew this already but he wondered about it now. “For how long?”

Deuce tilted his head at him. “I don’t know but you sound like…”

“Like?” Jack raised his brows.

“Like you love and hate the idea.” Deuce laughed. “Oh, man. That ain’t it is it?”

“Is what IT?” Jack was getting a bit angry at this line of questioning.

“Oh, shit.” Deuce just stared at him. “Damn, first Ace, then King, now…”

Jack shook his head. “Are you insane? I have known the woman for…” he paused and swiped his phone to get the time. “Three fucking hours.” He raised his gaze up. “And you got me married already?”

Deuce chuckled as he raised his hands. “Hey now, I was just observing. I just work here you know?” He laughed outright as he threw Jack’s earlier line back at him.

Jack shook his head and headed for the kitchen. “It is a job, bro. Just an assignment.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Deuce’s voice followed him. “I’ll be back.”

Jack turned as his brother headed for the door. “Where ya going?”

“Blueberries and cream, remember? Then I figure hot coca, macaroni and cheese, pizza and cookies.”

“That’s some list.”

His brother gave him a wink. “Maybe some candles and flowers for you and the girl.” He shut the door behind him before Jack could reply.

“Fucker,” Jack huffed as he went to find some juice or something. He couldn’t sleep until Deuce returned. Someone had to be on watch 24/7.

He got some orange juice and he’d noted that the fridge was fully stocked. They always did these safehouses to a high standard. Someone had one job. Come in, stock, clean do the bedding and leave. All without any knowledge of who would really be here as it wasn’t their job to know.

Plus, Captain Truman Bridges-Ace had top status as did the entire team. Jack sighed, a lot of good it had done though, as all this time they hadn’t found out the truth. Why did Eagle die? And why did Chapman have to die before they could get to him. Now, they found he wasn’t alone behind it all… that he wasn’t in charge. “So who was in charge?” he asked aloud.

“Harquebus.”

He flipped around and stared at Jade.

She stepped closer.

“What?”

“That’s his name,” she told him.

He frowned. “That’s what you overheard?”

“A few times, that is what Oscar called him.”

Jack swiped his phone and texted Ace, so they could hunt down the name. Then he realized it. He raised his head. :Harquebus is an old name for a gun. Oscar was known as the Gauntlet, now this man is the Harquebus?”

“Yes, then Widowmaker and the General.”

Jack blinked. “All names of weapons.”

Jade shrugged. “He wasn’t fond of any of them. That’s all I know.”

Jack titled his head at her “No, I think you know a lot more.”

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away.

He cleared his throat. “Debriefing is later, so I won’t probe. Did you need something to drink? Or are you hungry?”

She looked back at him and nodded.” Is there orange juice?’

He smiled. “That was what I just got.” He turned and got the juice out, pouring her a glass.”

She peered into the fridge.

He stepped to the side. “You can have anything you want. It is fully stocked.

Silent, she moved closer and looked through the fridge. She then brought out some grapes and sliced cheese. “I like how they sliced it and put the grapes right on the plate.” She set it down and took the saran wrap off. “Someone was thoughtful and totally organized.” She peeked up at him.

He sipped his juice then shrugged. “I don’t know anything about it. They stock these places like five star hotels.”

“They?” She popped a grape into her mouth then moaned as she chewed.

At the sound, Jack went instantly hard. He felt surprised and hard at the same damn time. What the fuck? He stared at her. No, he wasn’t going to answer her question. He really didn’t know exactly who they were anyway.

Jade ignored him totally, as she ate the cheese and alternated with the grapes. She took a sip of juice and let out a satisfied sound again.

There again, his cock throbbed at the small sound. His eyes rounded. Fuck! What the hell was happening? He gulped his juice like it was a much needed shot of whiskey and went over to the sink to wash the glass.

She came over and stood next to him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He refused to look at her as he nodded and rinsed the glass. He needed to take a cold shower or think about his grandma or some shit to get rid of this boner. “I’m fine.” He then turned his head to look at her. “I should be asking you that. After what you’ve been through.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, I’m gonna need lots of therapy.”

He stared at her face to see if it was a joke. Nope, she looked serious. “Self diagnosis?”

Jade’s smile slipped. “No way. Even I know I can’t fix myself like that. Not after…” Her voice faded away.

He let out a breath and studied the forlorn look on her face. Somewhere along the last few minutes, she’d let that tough mask slip. He held his arms out, offering a hug. He’d learned from Ace’s woman that females appreciated hugs when times were tough, so he decided this was a tough time and it warranted one.

Jade froze and stared at his outstretched arms.

He smiled. “Everyone has a time when they need a hug.”

Batting her eyes, she stared at him. “It would be like hugging a live wire…” Her whisper fell away as she turned and left the kitchen. It looked as if she was nearly running from the kitchen in fact.

Jack allowed his arms to drop. Damn, she’s right. If I touched her, we would both be electrified. This fact slammed home to him. He vowed to not touch her. But he knew even as he made the vow that he couldn’t pull it off as his fingers even itched to feel her skin and touch her all over.

“Shit!” he growled aloud.