Wow, only two?
“First, I was wrong, Brooke,” he said. “The book is not a hit list. I still have to figure out what the names and numbers are all about, but we didn’t get the chance to skim through the hard drive’s contents. And second, I never apologized.”
I narrowed my eyes. “For what?”
“You always asked what the big deal was about this club. I told you that it’s a gathering that caters to those looking for extreme sexual encounters,” Jett said, slowly. “What I left out is that some members kidnap and drug women to rape them.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly—almost as if the secret had been too heavy to carry, and he was relieved to share it with me. “According to my father’s account, some members are pretty harmless, but a few thrive on power. They prey on fear.” I opened my mouth to speak but he held up a hand, stopping me. “I wasn’t proud of my father being part of it, and I was too ashamed to tell you.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Even if you had told me, it wouldn’t have stopped them from—” I stopped because the shock sat deep.
Getting me.
Such a stupid mistake to think I could have taken care of it myself. I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind, where I couldn’t reach them and ponder over the past.
Jett interlaced his fingers with mine and for a moment I stared at them, admiring the beauty of his hands. Strong hands. Capable.
“I’ll have to admit it was a bold move, Brooke. Sending the disk in an envelope, that is,” he whispered. I could tell he was trying to ease the tension by being playful. I decided to play along.
“You taught me bold well.”
His lips twitched with amusement. “Good. Then you’re ready for step two.”
“Which is?” I raised my brows. We were back to our playful nature, how things used to be…and I loved it.
“Living fast and dangerous. Since we’re staying with the gang for a while, you’d better get used to living in the fast lane, Miss Stewart.”
After what I’d gone through, I could handle whatever life threw my way. Joining his gang seemed to be the least of our troubles.
“When are we leaving?” I asked.
“You’re in? Just like that?“ He seemed surprised.
“Why not?” I jutted my chin out. “Your old gang can’t possibly be worse than your father’s club. No offence.”
“None taken.” A glint of amusement lit up his eyes. “Let me guess, you’re thinking a few boys hanging out, drinking bears, talking about their ‘biaches.’”
Had I been that obvious?
I rolled my eyes. “I know they’re carrying guns and stuff.”
He laughed, the delicate skin beneath his eyes crinkling, and for the first time I couldn’t help but think how stupid I had been to leave him. No day would’ve been complete without him.
“I’ve got to warn you, Brooke. They’re insane. I hope I won’t have to tell you twice.” His eyes never left mine as he lifted my hand to his mouth. I watched him kiss the tip of my fingers—slow and sensual, the motion strangely arousing.
“Insane…how?” I asked, a little short of breath. The temperature was soaring, and surely not because someone had turned up the heating.
His soft touch trailing up my arm sent a shiver through me. There was nothing more delicious than the mix of shock, lust, and the vibe of mystery and possible danger.
Yep, Jett was definitely rubbing off on me.
The possibility of seeing his bad boy past for the first time was like an aphrodisiac.
“You’ll find out tonight.” He gave me a wry smile. “If anything goes wrong, we’re leaving. Deal?” I nodded, wide-eyed, and his voice softened. “I want you to know that if you fall, I’ll fall. You belong with me, and everything we do, we’re doing together.”
“What about Liz?” I couldn’t just go and leave her behind without protection. Not that I was much protection, but still.
“She’ll be fine.” Jett smiled gently as he cupped my face and kissed me, his lips barely brushing mine. His breath smelled of chocolate and coffee. Together with his mouth, it was a heady combination. “She’ll be staying at the clinic for a few more days until we find the right place for her to stay. Sam Barn will take care of her even though I don’t think she’s the club’s target, but you never know.”
Chapter 21
AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS I felt at the prospect of leaving the safety of the private hospital behind, I also felt a strong urgency to get back to normality. Jett’s silence during the drive stifled some of my enthusiasm, though, replacing it with the growing awareness that I was about to find out more about his past.
The good, the bad, and the scary. Or maybe the sexy.
The sun was streaking the sky in shades of orange and copper when we finally left the highway and turned toward what looked like an industrial estate with warehouses. The car skidded to a halt in front of a high barbed-wire fence, behind which I could see a string of buildings. It wasn’t at all how I imagined the place to be. The three-story warehouses built a cluster of rundown walls that seemed abandoned. The yard looked deserted und unkempt. And some windows were smashed in. I would’ve doubted Jett had the right address, were it not for the high-tech security cameras at the top of the fence, their tiny black lenses flickering. I peered into one, unable to shake off the feeling that I was being watched.
We reached a gate with an intercom. I almost expected Jett to press a button and the gate to open, but instead a tall guy with the arms of a bodybuilder appeared from somewhere to our right. He nodded at Jett and opened the gate to let us through, his glance a mixture of mistrust and resentment.
“Do you know him?” I asked as we drove through the gate into a yard the size of a football field.
“Yeah.” Jett stared ahead, his hands clutching at the steering wheel so tightly I feared it might snap in two. Maybe he had personal issues with the guard, in which case it was none of my business.
Jett navigated to the back, and I realized the buildings were arranged in a “U” shape with a strip the size of a two-car lane in between and with parking spaces on either side. Some of the parked cars looked just like mine at home: old and battered. I counted them: twenty-three. Jett pulled into an empty space near the front and killed the engine.
“Why are there so many cars?” I asked.
“They’re waiting for us,” Jett said gravely. “Ready?”
I nodded, and we exited. Walking past the first two buildings, I scanned the dark windows. Movement on the rooftop caught my attention, and I craned my neck to get a better view. Something—I guessed a piece of fabric—fluttered in the evening breeze. Someone was up there, no doubt about it.
“Don’t look, Brooke,” Jett said. “This is their territory, and we have to show respect. They don’t take snooping around kindly.”
“But you said they’re expecting us.”
He nodded, the movement of his head barely noticeable. “They are. But there are rules.”
I turned back to Jett but kept watching the buildings from the periphery of my eyes. Jett did the same—I could tell from the way his eyes scanned the area without him turning his head.
“Do they have anything to hide that they keep guards?” I whispered.
“They all do.”
I waited for Jett to elaborate. He kept quiet. From the corner of my eyes I caught someone on the rooftop signaling something.
“They’re being careful,” Jett said eventually. “There’s a lot of rivalry going on.”
Rival gangs—I knew the stories from newspapers, though they always seemed to belong to a different world. Being here made it all seem real, and scarier than I imagined.
Jett stopped in front of the fourth building. I looked up at the dirty windows. Behind them stretched darkness. No movement. No light. No life. Just shabby old walls in dire need of renovation.
“Are you sure we’re at the right place?” I asked. “It doesn’t look like anybody could possibly live in here.”
Jett shot me a sarcastic smile but didn’t comment. Instead he said, “The people you’re about to meet used to be my friends. Some of them still are, but don’t trust them until I say so.”
“Why’s that?”
“I broke a few rules.”
“Some rules are meant to be broken,” I said.
“I’m not sure about that.” Grimacing, he opened the door and, pressing his hand against the small of my back, he guided me inside. It was one of his overprotective gestures—a gesture that was both meant to mark his territory and keep me close. I snorted inwardly. Like anyone would start hitting on me when they had more pressing issues to deal with.
We walked through a large empty hall and reached a staircase. Hushed voices carried over from downstairs. Jett instructed me to keep quiet as we headed for them, a million questions circling through my mind.
“We’re down here,” a male voice echoed. Jett gave me a knowing look and tilted his head to the left. Only then did I notice the security camera and intercom installed in the wall.
We climbed down the last flight of stairs and reached what I believed to be the basement. It was freezing cold and dark; the air smelled of chemicals. With sure steps, Jett led me through a corridor, and we turned another corner before we finally reached an open space with a bar and sitting opportunities.
At least forty people had gathered—most of them male. The moment we appeared all conversations stopped, or maybe it felt like it because it all seemed so quiet and tense. I scanned the accusatory faces and noticed Sylvie and Kenny among them. She waved at me, and I fought the urge to wave back. This was Jett’s world. To fit in, I had to behave accordingly. My heart dropped when I noticed some of the people carried weapons.
We were intruders.
They didn’t like intruders.
In fact, with their hard stares they looked as if they didn’t like anyone. Period.
Jett let go of my hand and motioned for me to stay. At the same time, a guy stepped forward. He wore a snug, short-sleeved shirt—the kind that did nothing to hide his strong, tattooed arms. But that’s not why I stared. On his left arm, reaching up to his neck, he carried the same tattoo as Jett.
“Never thought I’d live to see the day you came back, bro. That took guts.” His voice sounded strangely familiar, and then it dawned on me. He was the one who had called out to Jett right before gunshots rippled through the air and Jett rescued me.
Brian.
That was his name.
Jett snorted. “Neither did I.”
“Is that your girl?” Brian inclined his head toward me, his gaze scanning me up and down and lingering a bit too long on the bruises on my neck.
“Yeah. Brooke.” Jett’s answer was barely more than an irritated grunt.
“Does she know the rules?”
I frowned. What rules? Jett hadn’t clued me in on any rules.
“None of your concern,” Jett replied. Yet another irritated grunt, and I realized I was seeing a new side to him.
