“Maybe they’re distracting us because of the deal,” Nate said. “They know what we did with the strippers. How we saved them. So they gather us here and let Vin ensure the gun deal.”
That was very possible. Hell, that was very probable. Blaine trusted that Miller wasn’t buying any of this.
But something wasn’t sitting right with Blaine.
He grabbed his cell and turned, calling his house.
Nobody picked up.
He called the number for the cell he gave to the prospect. The son of a bitch didn’t pick up.
Blaine gritted his teeth and called Jessa’s cell.
As it rang, he looked to Victor. Victor stared right at Blaine. Their eyes met and Victor swallowed hard then turned his head.
Jessa’s voicemail picked up.
“Shit,” Blaine said. “It’s not about the guns… it’s about Jessa…”
Blaine jumped away from Nate and ran toward Miller and Gaige. Victor dropped down and tried to reach back for a gun. Blaine took out his gun and pointed it right at Victor.
“Fuck you,” Blaine said and pulled the trigger.
“Jesus Christ!” Gaige yelled.
The tension exploded.
“He has Jessa!” Blaine yelled. “This is a set up to get Jessa!”
“Fuck,” Miller said.
Miller, Gaige, and the rest of the guys drew their weapons and kept the Eight Under crew under control.
Miller put his gun to Levi’s head. “Is that what this is?”
“Say goodbye to your club,” Levi said. Then he looked at Blaine. “Say goodbye to your family, again.”
Blaine wanted to kill them all.
But first, he had to save Jessa.
***
Blaine pulled to the side of the road. The office was up ahead. Jessa’s car in the parking lot. The prospect’s motorcycle in the parking lot. After going to the house and finding it empty this was the only other logical place Jessa would be. Somehow, Vin had set it up to get her there.
Nate was right behind him.
“What are we doing?” Nate asked.
“Trapping him,” Blaine said. “He hears the engines and we’re fucked.”
“What do we do?”
“You take one door, I take another. We sneak in and find him. Save Jessa. Get Vin. Don’t shoot him. I want him.”
“You got it, brother,” Nate said. “Hey. We’ll save her. We’ll save your family.”
“Unless she’s already dead.”
Nate didn’t respond to that.
They started to run toward the parking lot.
As they approached, Blaine pointed to the back of the building and that’s where Nate went. Blaine took to the side door. That’s where Jessa’s car was parked. That’s where she had entered the building. In his mind all he saw was his baby. His child. The life inside Jessa’s body. When he blinked, it was like flipping through pictures. Because then he saw Janey. Playing with her dolls. Setting up a tea party with all her stuffed animals. He blinked and saw Meghan in bed, wearing something skimpy, wanting to relax Blaine after a long day of work.
He blinked again and saw them… gone. Their bodies on the floor. The two caskets. The two graves. The two headstones.
Blaine grabbed the door and pulled it open. He entered slow and quiet. Before taking one step, he saw something on the floor.
It was the prospect.
Shot dead.
thirty-three.
Vin went to work fast. He grabbed Jessa by the back of her neck and ordered her to sit on the table. He then grabbed Terri by the hair.
“Don’t hurt her!” Jessa yelled. “She didn’t do anything…”
Vin opened the second door in the room. “Everyone walk with me.”
Vin locked Terri in a closet.
There was a split second to make a decision and Jessa did.
She screamed.
Vin then grabbed her by the throat and walked her back into the exam room. He slammed her against the wall and then swung a backhand, connecting with her mouth. Jessa felt the white hot pain surge through her face and neck. She slid down and instinctively grabbed for her belly.
She had to find a way to protect her baby.
Vin tore open the exam room door and stepped into the hallway. A second later, he lifted his gun and shot. The boom echoed all around.
“Fucking idiot,” Vin said.
That’s how Jessa knew the prospect was dead. He must have ran right through the door. He didn’t try planning anything.
Jessa leaned to her right and felt her stomach flip. She had all but killed the prospect. She believed Terri and left the house. She thought she was doing right…
“Get the fuck up,” Vin said.
Jessa looked up at him. “What do you want?”
Vin pointed the gun at her. “Get the fuck up.”
Jessa climbed to her feet. Her hands still touched her belly.
“You let him knock you up?”
“It happened.”
“Filthy whore,” Vin said. “My little kitty. Sit on the table.”
Jessa inched onto the table. Her hands then gripped the edge. “I don’t know anything, Vin. I went to Blaine because you came here first.”
“That’s right,” Vin said. “So now I have everything under control. Guns. Drugs. Back Down Devil MC will be emptied by the end of the week. Then I’ll move in on Ethan and take control of everything. The charters will slowly collapse under my weight.”