Elling and jackie, p.15
Elling & Jackie, page 15
She looked back at Elling. If he thought she owed him two minutes of her time, he was crazy.
"Talk, because I have to go to work." She crossed her arms.
"In front of your sister?"
She blinked, closing her eyes an extra second, and shook her head. "I don't care anymore."
His gaze narrowed. She stared him down. He'd broken her trust.
She would get over falling in love with him. The man she chose to love would never betray her or use her. He couldn't hurt her any more than he already had.
His actions toward her personally only made her mad at herself. But, nobody messed with her family.
"I can't do that," he said.
Needing him out of her room, so she could get ready for work, she turned to Stassi. "Can you give us a few?"
"No." Stassi glared at Elling. "He's a Slag."
"I know." She forced her sister to look at her, pleading with her to trust her. "Please?"
"Chief's going to kill you and then me for letting him be here," she muttered.
"Then, we'll die together." She shook Stassi's shoulder. "I need to get ready for work. This won't take very long at all. I'll yell if I need you."
Stassi shot another dirty look at Elling and walked into the bedroom. Jackie noticed her sister hadn't shut the door.
"Make it quick." She crossed her arms again. "I have no doubt my sister is getting the pistol that is always in her bag and will shoot you."
"What's with the attitude?" he asked softly.
She gawked at him. "Seriously?"
"You're mad because I took off without saying anything, but it was necessary." He kept his voice low, she needed to concentrate on hearing him. "You should understand that, being raised within Brikken."
She shook her head. "You're messed up. This has nothing to do with how you treated me—you are nothing to me. You tipped off the Feds to come after Brikken. For that, I might let my sister shoot you right in the heart. Oh, wait—you don't have a heart. Now, get out."
Elling rocked back on the heels of his boots. "Jacqueline, you're wrong."
She closed him off. Half turning, she said, "Get out."
Her body vibrated. Twenty-four hours ago, he was inside her body, making her feel like the most special woman in the world. Filling her with hope that she could spend more time with him, indulging their need to keep things only between them.
She turned to tell him to leave again and found him gone. The door open.
Swallowing hard, she blinked the tears blurring her vision. "Innocent my ass," she mumbled.
She had to get to work. Stassi would have to wait until she got off later tonight for an explanation of what just happened.
In the meantime, she needed to calm down and think.
Chapter 27
Brage hoofed it across the asphalt parking lot to the side of the coffee shack situated to the right of Cactus Cove, Bantorus Motorcycle Club's bar. Elling held his hand up, halting Marcus, Rune, and Dag from following their vice president.
The security camera sweeping the lot moved every ten seconds, but the one at the back of the building remained steady. They needed to wait until Brage covered the lens, shielding them.
Through his research, he'd discovered that most of the Bantorus members living in the cabins behind the bar were gone to Federal to watch Bull box in an illegal fighting ring. From there, Slag had to assume Bantorus were working with a skeleton crew and the majority of the members would be back tomorrow afternoon.
Slag hadn't planned on hitting them only two days after finding out the information, but they couldn't miss their opportunity. They needed to get in and out, and then transport everything they could up to Seattle, so they could meet the cargo ship and get the stolen supplies to Norway.
Brage darted around the corner, out of sight. They counted on Bull being too busy boxing to catch the notifications on his phone that the cameras were compromised. It'd taken him almost six hours to find the brand of cameras installed and then he'd made an assumption that Bantorus would take advantage of the mobile notification app. As acting President of the Pitnam Chapter, Bull would want to keep track of his men when he was away.
Less than a minute later, Brage stepped into view, tearing the skull cap down off the lower half of his face and ripping the Duct tape off the front of his vest, covering his name patch.
Elling motioned for the others, and they jogged over to Brage as a group.
"Cameras are secure. Let's make it fast. Keep the noise down, because the two cabins on the right are occupied," whispered Brage, leading the way to the cabin they suspected Bantorus used for storage now that they cleaned out the body shop after the last hit by Slag.
At the door of the cabin, Brage cupped his ear. As they'd discussed prior, they'd wait for one of the diesel semi-trucks to go past the bar. The noise of the engine would help muffle the sound of the crowbar in Rune's hand breaking the wood on the door. Luckily, it only took a minute for a big rig to blow through the light, shifting gears. In the industrial area next to the Columbia River, there was always traffic.
"Hit it," said Brage.
Rune put his weight behind the bar. Elling grimaced at the crack of wood. The closest occupied cabin sat twenty-five feet away. Too close for comfort.
Watching the door for anyone coming outside, he breathed a sigh of relief when the Slag members made it inside without anyone coming out to investigate.
He shut the door quietly. Marcus tossed two towels tucked into his back pocket to him and Dag. He quickly covered the window.
"Done," he said.
A few seconds later, Dag said, "Done."
Brage turned on his flashlight. Elling scanned the room in the light beam. There were crates stacked around the twenty feet by twenty feet cabin. His pulse accelerated. His research had paid off.
There were legal weapons stashed inside the cabin, set to be transported to Federal, Idaho and manufactured where they'd be sold to the militia. Illegal in Norway, the guns would benefit the Slag Mother Chapter.
Elling removed a heavy-duty screwdriver from his pocket. It only took a few attempts to pop the lid off the crate. He reached down into the cedar chips and pulled out the barrel of a long-arm rifle. Unpacking the rest, he found enough parts to make eight guns.
"We're not going to be able to take them all. Not with the weapons unassembled." He glanced over at Marcus. "How many are in your crate?"
"Eight."
"Same," said Dag. "There's probably twenty crates. We're talking 160 rifles."
Elling whistled an airy breath. That were more weapons than they usually shipped with the cash to Norway.
"We've got a dozen men a block away. Fifty more waiting at the entrance to I-5." Brage shined the light at the ceiling, putting a soft glow in the small area.
Elling shook his head. "We can't risk it with everything in pieces. We'd be lucky to carry the parts for four rifles per person without leaving a trail behind us."
"That'd only be twenty for our crew. This is our one chance. Bantorus will never give us another opportunity." Dag tugged on the front of his vest. "I could run back to the others and bring them here. That'd be forty-eight more we could take out."
Brage scratched his beard. "We're risking everything with just us being here and bullshitting. We don't have time to bring the others in. Someone's going to realize the cameras are covered and investigate."
"Unless we rip off one of the cars in the parking lot and load up what we can." Elling looked at Rune. His MC brother could pick any lock. "Think you can do it?"
"Ja." Rune grinned. "In my sleep."
"I'll call Glenn's crew and have them ditch your bike until we can bring you back for it." Elling made a quick text. "Everyone else start cracking the lids. Dag—you're young, you can be the runner while we get the rest of them open."
"Give me five minutes and start sending them out with Dag," said Rune.
Brage turned off the light while Rune left the cabin. When the door clicked shut, he turned the flashlight on again.
They'd all came expecting to get caught. It would be a fucking miracle if they got away with half the loot Bantorus had in storage.
Elling worked at loading Dag up with rifle parts. He wouldn't worry about keeping the pieces together. His Slag brothers in Norway would figure out how to assemble and make them whole again.
He sent Dag with the first group and diligently laid out more pieces on top of the crate for the next run. Sweat coated his back under his vest. Each minute seemed like an hour.
Half expecting sirens, flashing lights, and the door to open, he worked fast. The last thing he wanted was to be thrown in the slammer. He still needed to convince Jacqueline he would never use her to get to her family.
The last time he attempted to talk to her, it went all to hell with her sister there. She wasn't willing to listen. He'd left, not wanting to make more trouble for her. She was mad enough at him, she could've even gone to her family and outed their whole relationship to get back at him.
In that case, he was a dead man walking.
Over the next half hour, thanks to Dag's swiftness, Elling estimated they loaded the car with half the supplies. At least eighty rifles—once they were put together.
"Be prepared for the Bantorus skeletal crew to hear the car start." Brage stood in front of the door. "Grab the towels in here. I'll wait until you guys have cleared the area and remove the coverings from the two cameras on the bar."
"Wait." Marcus stood in the corner of the room.
Brage shined the light illuminating Marcus as he slowly turned, holding a cash box, and smiling.
"Look what we missed." Marcus walked toward the door. "Now, let's get the hell out of here."
Outside, Elling sprinted in the dark. He arrived at his Harley winded. Thirty-eight years old and the life of a biker was catching up to him. He needed to lay off the smokes and drinks.
"Come on," he muttered, ready to start his motorcycle as he watched for Brage.
They weren't home-free yet. Elling wouldn't relax until every member arrived safe and sound back at the clubhouse.
Chapter 28
Barely inside the Brikken gate, Stassi opened the car door. Jackie reached out and grabbed her sister's wrist, keeping her from jumping out of the moving vehicle.
"Wait." She continued driving, skipping the parking area in the field, and going to the side of the garage to the left of the clubhouse. It was the closest she could get to the walking bridge over the creek where she could go to her parents' house.
"I saw their bikes." Stassi put her foot outside the car. "Hurry."
Leaving her keys in the ignition, Jackie followed her sister, running across the bridge and awkwardly navigating the pebbled path to the deck of the house where she could see her family.
Stassi launched herself on Thorn. Jackie landed in Jett's arms, squeezing him tightly, kissing his bearded cheek before moving on to Olin, and then Thorn. Tears of relief mixed with tears of guilt wet her face.
It was as if the stars had disappeared in the sky when Elling came back to her and tried to convince her he had nothing to do with her brothers and the Brikken men getting arrested and brought in for questioning. Her father, busy trying to keep his sons out of prison, wasn't able to personally return her phone calls until he finally contacted her to tell her that Jett and Thorn were home and the Feds were unable to charge them with any crime.
How that was possible, and why were none of them saying anything to her?
Because of the good news, she felt it was best to keep her connection to Elling to herself until she could go home and find out what happened. The only person who knew all the ugly details about her secret relationship with Elling was Stassi.
Her sister hadn't stopped lecturing her until she'd given her the truth and spilled her heart.
"Where're the girls?" she said, asking about her sisters-in-law.
"They're in the clubhouse, organizing the food for everyone." Jett looped his arm around Jackie's shoulder. "The older kids are watching the younger kids, so they're around here somewhere."
She turned her head and kissed Jett's right hand on her shoulder, knowing he probably couldn't feel her worry for him because of his permanent injuries. She wiped the tears from her cheeks under the watchful, tilted gaze of Chief. Seeing her father's concern only brought her emotions closer to the surface. She glanced at Stassi, hoping her sister wouldn't open her mouth about their talk.
Stassi was as stubborn as Chief, believing that every enemy of Brikken was an enemy of hers. She'd been disappointed in Jackie. Sure, her sister never told her that directly, but she could sense the unsaid accusations about betraying the family.
Her mom carried a stack of food containers out of the house and set on the outside table. Jackie left her brother's side to help. Anytime someone returned from prison or from being held for questioning, Brikken Motorcycle Club always came together to celebrate.
But it wasn't the only reason she was here.
She selfishly needed to be around family right now.
After talking with Stassi and getting her input, she'd come to the realization she couldn't go to Chief or her mom for advice when it came to Elling. Even Stassi couldn't understand how she could open herself to getting hurt by a member of Slag.
The best thing she could do was stay close to those she loved and hope her heart would eventually stop hurting.
"How's work going for you, honey?" Her mom removed a bag of ice from the freezer and handed it to her.
She fisted the plastic and held the bag at her side. "Staying busy. The summer season brings more guests because of all the activities going on in downtown Portland but also a higher turnover rate in the housekeeping and maintenance departments as the younger workers decide having a social life is more fun than earning a paycheck. So, between my regular duties, I find myself having to oversee the new trainees and making sure the guests are happy during their stay."
"I bet you meet such interesting people." Her mom picked up a sack of food. "I can't imagine traveling for a job or being away from home. I think it would be too lonely."
"Hm." She never thought about her guests and what they do away from the hotel. "I don't know. A lot of travelers seem happy and excited to explore a new city."
"Well, don't let one of the male guests capture your heart and sweep you far, far away from us." Her mom's bottom lip extended, and she looked around the kitchen. "Okay, I think that's all I'm taking over to the clubhouse. Let's get the boys to pack this stuff over for us while they're here."
She followed her mom out onto the deck. Chief hooked her neck, bringing her to his side. No matter his age, her father always made her feel like a little girl again. She handed the bag of ice to Thorn and wrapped her arms around Chief's waist, rising to her tiptoes to put a kiss on his cheek.
"Love you, Jacqueline. Remember that." He kissed her forehead. "Best we get over there and feed the men."
Her mom handed off the supplies to everyone else and with her arms now free, held Chief's hand. Jackie walked on the other side of Chief. They fell back from the others, letting those walking faster go on the bridge first. There was something about being embraced by her family that made the years disappear.
She would never be too old for the support, love, and acceptance of her parents.
Being unable to talk to them about what was important to her hurt her already broken heart.
On the one hand, she had her mom hinting about finding love. The gentle nudging was expected at her age, and she had always dreamed about finding the right man and forming a life with him. But, to love what she couldn't have had never been something she wanted for herself.
On the other hand, her father always made her feel pressured to come home. He gave her every reason why she could have her pick of men out of the Brikken membership roster.
That wasn't enough for her. Every Brikken member would always be 'less than' for her. She had Rollo's blood inside her veins, as did Jett, Olin, Thorn. There would always be that line a Brikken member couldn't cross out of respect for the Stanton family.
She set her foot on the walking bridge and strolled across it with her mom and dad, finding irony in the path they all took toward the Brikken clubhouse. It always came back to coming home.
Maybe she was wrong, and the smartest thing would be to accept her fate in life. She looked down at the leaves floating in the creek. No, she would never be happy if she settled on doing what was expected of her. She needed to follow her heart.
"There's a new hotel being built in Tacoma." Chief never missed a step. "It's supposed to open up next year."
"Where at?" she asked.
"Over in University Place on the water."
That was one of the safer areas of Tacoma. Lovely waterfront property. Close enough to Seattle to gain some traction, and yet far enough away from the crowds.
"I thought you might like to know. Maybe there's someone you can contact early on in the construction process, see about getting a job," said Chief.
Her mom waved to someone in front of the clubhouse and left Chief's side, leaving her alone with her dad.
"I'll think about it." One hopeful look from her dad, and she added, "I am happy working in Portland."
"You were." Chief rubbed the back of her neck. "Something has happened. I can see it. Your mom can see it. If you're not ready to talk about it, then I trust that you'll know what you need to do. There are other opportunities around you, and they have nothing to do with your family wanting you closer. Keep your eyes open and think smart. Got it?"
"Yeah." She inhaled deeper. "This adulting is hard, Chief."
"So is getting old." He kissed her forehead. "Go on and visit with the others. I'm going to go talk to Keefe and see what his lazy ass has been up to lately. Make sure you spend some time with your mom before you leave to go back to Portland. She misses you."
She hugged him tightly, wishing she could go back in time when her dad could make everything okay. But his sense of fixing her problems wouldn't work for Elling.
