Broken but Breathing (Jinx Tattoos Book 2) (8 page)

BOOK: Broken but Breathing (Jinx Tattoos Book 2)
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“I highly doubt anyone could do that to Snake and I’m not into playing games,” she said as her anger flared.
Does she think I’m playing a sympathy card?
Estelle saw the lengths some of the biker bunnies went through to be with the men.

“We’ll see,” Kali remarked.

Estelle took a deep breath, unsure how to approach the situation. Last thing she needed was a tense work environment. But she’d spent too many years being walked over and wasn’t looking for a repeat now.

“Look, Kali, I get that you’re protective. I’ve been around long enough to see why. But what me and Snake have is between us. You want answers, I suggest you go to him. In the meantime, know I’m not here looking for anything but friendship and a job I actually like.”

Smirking, Kali nodded her head. “You got guts, I’ll give you that. You’ll need them around here. If anyone else told me to mind my own business, even in that nasty nice way you just did, they’d be getting cussed out. But for some reason, I really like you, Estelle. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Make no mistake, if you fuck my boy over you’ll be dealing with me.”

“I’ll be sleeping soundly at night,” Estelle said dryly.

Kali laughed. “Hot damn, I might’ve made a new friend.”

“I hope so. I could use all the friends I can get,” Estelle replied honestly.

“Can’t we all?” Kali asked.

They moved back to finishing inventory to create an order, and she observed the club. In the day it was all smooth black surfaces, chrome walls, and chrome seating. Black couches were arranged to create intimate seating arrangements throughout the large space. During the night water cascaded down the wall behind the bar that they lit up with blue lights, lending to the name, Rain. They had a mixed crowd in. It wasn’t what she’d expected when Snake offered her the job.

“What do you think of Rain so far?” Kali asked as they finished their counts.

“I haven’t seen it in action, but the day-to-day I can handle pretty well. I like that I’m learning the operation before I’m being thrown into the fire. I know I have my certificate, but I know doing it in a controlled environment versus performing on the fly is going to make for a learning curve.”

“Girl, here you won’t use half those fancy drinks. Our regulars live on pretty classic drinks, and the girls will ask for something sweet. You give them good service, and throw in a few of those fancy tricks of yours, and they’ll tip you really well,” Kali said.

Estelle stood a little taller. “I can do that.”

“Then you’re all set, Sprite. I want you to work tomorrow. It’s time we see how you handle the floor with traffic. It’s a relatively slow night for us, so you should be fine. I told Snake I’d be working with you personally, so I’m your trainer. That could be a blessing or a curse depending on how it all goes down.”

“I think we’ll get along just fine,” Estelle said.
Fake it until you make it.

“I hope so. We could use another solid bartender onboard. Not everyone can handle Rain. We have a lot of folks who walked right out those doors not long after they walked in.”

“Won’t be me.” The promise was to herself. She owed this to Snake. A deep seeded desire to make him proud had taken hold once she’d accepted the job offer. The rest was a need to prove to herself she could do this.

“Keep the fire about you, Sprite. I’ll let you leave early because I want you back tomorrow at five and you won’t be leaving until close.”

“Aye, Captain,” she replied, giving a mock salute.

Kali rolled her eyes playfully as Estelle clocked out and moved to the back to grab her purse from the employee locker room.

Riding high off her good day, she drove toward her apartment. When her phone rang and Snake’s name appeared, she answered it via her blue tooth.

“Hey, you have perfect timing. I just got out of work.”

“How’s that going?”

She frowned. His voice was off.

“Good. I have my first actual day tomorrow working from five until close. Are you okay?”

“No, this gig I’m doing now is a hard one.”

“Anything I can do to help?” she asked, instantly concerned. It wasn’t like him to skate around issues or be so closed lip about things that bothered him. She knew the Wild Ones were more than a motorcycle club and whatever he was doing probably wasn’t legal. A few years ago that would’ve horrified her. Now, she couldn’t care less.

“Just talk to me. Tell me how things are with you.”

“Good, class ends Friday if you can believe it. I’ll be graduating. I’m enjoying working at Rain, though Kali can be a real hard ass.”

“She giving you shit?” Snake asked. The edge in his voice made her shiver.

“No more than she would any other newbie. It’s fine.”

“If she steps out of line—”

“You’ll what? Fight my battles for me. No, I’ve got this. I’m more worried about you right now.”

“Been a long time since that happened for me,” he said softly.

“I understand if you can’t tell me everything, but I can’t help if I have nothing to go on.”

“The area we’re in is littered with ghosts from my past. I got a case of the what ifs. You know, they never found my Jocelyn’s body. That’s one of those things that keeps me up at night.”

Jesus.
“I’m sorry, Xavier.” She was learning to distinguish the man from the larger-than-life biker.

“Me too. What if I’d had a gun in the house instead of that bat? Hell, what if I had never moved them down to this shit hole town in the first place?”

“You can’t do this to yourself. You’ll never be able to answer these questions. I won’t tell you everything happens for a reason, because that’s just bullshit. But we both know you can’t go back in time. If it was that easy we would’ve done it by now.”

“Fuck, since when are you the voice of reason?” he asked shakily.

“Well I have been learning from the best.”

“You really do have a mouth on you once you open up.”

“I got that from you, too,” she said, happy to hear the shift in his mood.

“I must be a pretty good teacher then.”

“That you are. Better?”

“A little. The worst part about losing a child is not being able to bring them home or know what their final moments were like. Even if they were awful, I need to know.”

She wanted to ask why, but didn’t. This was past her pay grade, and the last thing she wanted to do was set him back off. “I hope you get the closure you deserve, Xavier.”

“Believe me, I’m working on that.”

His words were dangerous, and his voice held a tone she’d never heard him use before. It sent a chill up her spine.

A knock sounded on his end. “I have to go. I’ll call you later, yeah?”

“I’ll be here,” she said, suddenly very concerned about his
business
trip.

§

“Have you thought any more about what you want to do after graduation on Friday? I know they help you with job placement,” Jole asked.

The innocent question put her on the spot. “I’m narrowing my decision.”

“Where are you thinking about?” she asked, flipping through her menu. Todd was manning the drop-off and pick up of the kids, so they’d opted for an impromptu coffee and dessert at their favorite local diner.

“Well, the thing is, I found a place.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” Jole asked as she finished off the final bite of her pecan pie.

“Because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit to it or not. I went in for an interview and took time to think it over.”

“Makes sense. What restaurant did you go with?” Jole asked. Her face lit up, and she leaned forward over the table.

“I didn’t.”

The corners of Jolene’s mouth turned down and her thick eyebrows arched. “I’m not following you.”

“It’s a club. You might have heard of it… Rain.”

“Rain?” Jole repeated the name. Her eyes went out of focus. “Wait. The place near downtown!”

“That’s the one.”

“That place has been raided and is known to cater to bikers, Estelle. I don’t care how swank it looks on the inside, it isn’t safe.”

“I don’t agree.”

“How did you even find out about this job? Is this what that school is offering you?” Jole asked, spitting out the world school like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“No, Snake got me the gig. He works there, so it’s not like I’d be on my own.”

“Wait. Who?” Jole asked shaking her head.

“Snake…my support.”

“Why does he have an animal name, Estelle?” Jole’s face clouded with anger and confusion.

“Reptile, and it’s a nickname, they all have them,” Estelle replied.

“They?” Jole said.

“The Wild Ones, its Snake’s Motorcycle Club.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Jole hissed.

“We’ve both seen me on the verge of insanity. This isn’t it,” Estelle said, determined to remain calm.

“You’ve been hanging out with bikers this entire time?”

“Well, usually just one biker, but yeah, sometimes we hang out at the clubhouse.”

Jole shook her head. “Listen, I know you’re trying to get back out there, but this isn’t the right way to go about things.”

“Why? Because you don’t approve? You’ve never met any of them and yet here you are judging.”

“I don’t need to meet them to know what they’re about. These people make a living off of criminal activities they’re involved in.”

“Really? Rain seems pretty legal to me.”

“Who knows what goes on there? You can’t just throw yourself into any old thing.”

“I didn’t. I was fortunate enough to be paired with Snake at the grief group. The man’s amazing, patient, kind, and best of all he understands exactly what I’ve been through.”

“Have you asked him how his family died? I bet it had something to do with the life he’s living.”

“That’s enough,” Estelle barked.

Jole flinched.

“I understand that this seems to be out of nowhere. I know I’ve leaned on you more than I should’ve over the years, and you’ve gotten used to taking care of me, but it’s time we both reestablish boundaries and learn our new roles. Snake lost his family before he joined the club. They gave him a place to belong and something to live for. He was the victim of a hate crime. You’re so hell bent on painting him out to be this shady character. Fact is, he’s the one who’s been victimized by those considered upstanding citizens. I’m not asking you to agree with the decisions I’ll make or be comfortable with them. But I do expect you to respect them. Never bad mouth Snake to me. He did what no one else could.”

“And what’s that, Estelle?” Jole asked.

“Made me feel alive again.”

Jole glanced down at her hands.

Checkmate
.

“I won’t insult you by pretending to know how you’ve felt all this time. But I won’t stand by and watch you make mistakes that might ruin you without voicing my concerns.”

“And I would expect nothing less. I’m not the same woman I once was. I never will be. I’ve accepted that. I need you to do the same.”

“I’m not trying to—”

“You are. I see it in your eyes every time I do something that would be out of character. I don’t even know who I am anymore. Knowing that I’m being held up against a set of norms which no longer exist for me is exhausting. I need to explore, take risks, and step outside of the box. This is my second chance to get things right. I was happy before, but I can’t try to recreate that old life.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you feel that way,” Jole said.

“I didn’t either. Not until recently. I’ve been putting in a lot of work on my own and with the doc. I’m navigating a brave new world. I don’t want to let you down, but I have to do me.” The words erupted from her soul like a carbonated drink shaken and released from its plastic prison. The fear that had chained and gagged her released her from their manacles. Over the past couple of months, she felt as if she’d been living a double life.

“Am I at least going to meet this, Snake?” Jole asked hopefully.

Estelle laughed. “Yeah, he’d love that. He’s out of town now, but once he gets back, I’ll set something up.”

“Was he the reason I couldn’t get a hold of you on Valentine’s Day?”

“He was, but it’s not what you think. We had an anti-Valentine’s Day. We went to the arcade, loaded up on snacks, and saw an action movie at the theater.”

“How is that not what I thought?” Jole asked.

“It was just two friends hanging out.”

“Sounds a lot like a date to me.”

Estelle rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing romantic there.”

“Yet,” Jole mumbled. “If he looks anything like the bikers on the TV shows, I wouldn’t blame you for hitting that.”

“Jolene!”

Jole laughed. “I’m not giving up on my mission of getting you laid.”

“It’ll happen when it’s meant to and not before. The last thing I need to do is freeze during the act, or burst into tears. I’ll steer clear of that until I’m more stable.”

“What? Crazy sex is the best,” Jole deadpanned.

Estelle snickered, and the tension between them broke. The argument wasn’t over. Jolene wasn’t the type to back down immediately when she felt strongly about something. For now, however, they were okay.

CHAPTER SIX

Snake

H
e didn’t recognize the tan man with a greying buzz cut and a face full of salt and pepper stubble. The white outfit took care of that. He leaned against his car parked up the street and watched as he went through the process of shutting down the store. He closed alone today. Cracking his knuckles, he watched his sure, rigid movements. This was a man who liked to be in control and maybe had some military training. No one else wore a high and tight.
Unless he’s a want to be soldier.
The main lights turned off, and the beast inside him lifted his nose and scented the air with glee. Soon he’d be allowed to take his pound of flesh. Pushing away from the car, he made his way to the back of the store. Every day like clockwork the man closed the store down in fifteen minutes, slipped out of the back exit to his late model truck, and went home alone.

The black van held Sharp and Sick. If they couldn’t get the info out of Hiram, no one could. But he’d take his time and work him over for the hell of it first. He prayed he was tight-lipped, so he could stretch the experience as far as it would go. Endgame was the ground. They couldn’t have any loose ends flapping in the wind. He quietly made his way to stand beside the door. The amazing thing about small towns was their lack of electronics. They felt so safe here. They didn’t spend money on cameras and fancy alarm systems, which made this entire thing so much easier.

Minutes stretched like taffy as he rested against the brick wall. The knob turned, and the hinges creaked when the door opened. He pounced, grabbed Hiram by the neck, and slammed him into the brick wall. The man groaned and jerked, but Snake tightened his hold.

“Please try to get away so I can break your worthless neck.”

“Money’s in the register,” he croaked.

“Not your money I’m interested in. You and I are going to take a little walk down memory lane.” Snake stepped back pulling him along. “You make so much as a peep, and I’m not going to care about the talk we need to have. Nod if you understand me.”

Hiram nodded. Sick and Sharp appeared by his side.

“You want us to take him now?”

“No, we’re all going to go for a ride together, the way new friends should,” Snake answered. He shoved Hiram into the waiting van. “Sit down.”

The man obeyed, and Data stepped forward, looping chains around him. He locked the ends of the chain shut with a lock, pinning his arms to his side.

“I don’t know what your quarrel is with me, but I assure you we can work it out peaceably.”

His voice made Snake’s stomach roll. This was the ring leader who’d egged everyone else on. He’d never forget the way he sounded. Bile rose in his throat. He felt like insects and snakes had crawled their way across his body and into the Sahara Desert of his mouth.

“No, we can’t,” Snake promised as the door to the van closed behind him. He sank into the seat beside Hiram, unable to take his eyes off the man he’d demonized over the years. Despite his normal appearance, he saw evil that made the things the club did look like child’s play. They’d found an abandoned shed in the woods thirty miles down the road. Snake remembered the place as a hotbed for moonshine purchasing. Clearly, the still had run dry, or the cops had moved in. They set up their shop and equipment there, sure no one would hear the man scream or have a reason to come there.

Hiram narrowed his eyes. “How do I know you, boy?”

Gritting his teeth, Snake dug his nails into the fleshy meat of his palms. It took everything in him to remain quiet. He needed to wait until they were in the room. Blood was a bitch to get out of upholstery, and he’d promised to make sure this didn’t come back on the club.

Snake looked over at Sharp. “Gag him.”

They shoved a handkerchief into his mouth, and Snake closed his eyes seeing Joc and Jade behind his eyelids. Jade’s brown orbs begged him to set things right. It was the same expression he saw in his nightmares. Jocelyn remained untouched. Sweet, and unsuspecting, she always viewed him with eyes full of trust and the ultimate devotion. It ripped his heart out every single time he saw her. It’s impossible to hide from the things which live inside of you. He felt every bump in the road as they drove, never taking his gaze off the man beside him. He had a deceptive laid back vibe. Most people probably thought he couldn’t hurt a fly. Snake knew better.

They pulled up in front of the dilapidated stone building, and he let everyone else get out first.

“Let’s see if we can jog your memory. You may not remember me, but I’m sure you remember my wife and my daughter,” Snake said.

The man’s brown eyes flickered with fear in the dim lighting of the van.

“Yeah, you remember now, huh? You thought you ran me out of town with my tail between my legs, huh? Turns out I was gathering my crew. We’re back, motherfucker. You ready to face grown ass men instead of women, you cowardly fuck?” He spat on Hiram’s, face ignoring his whimpers as he stepped out.

“Get him in the shed and string him up,” he instructed, walking inside.

Hiram went wild, lunging out of his seat. Thrown off by the heavy iron, he stumbled and fell out, slamming his face on the van steps on his way to the blacktop below. He knew what the man assumed when he said string him up. The monster in him delighted in the man’s panic. He could make out the muffled, “I never touched them.”

“No, you ordered it. Which makes you the worst one in my book.” Snake walked toward the building, mentally bathing in the anguish and terror pouring off the man behind him. They’d rigged up lighting, spread out a tarp, and set a chair up with handcuffs, just waiting for an occupant. Snake removed a pair of leather gloves from his hoodie and slowly pulled them on. Shutting down the moral part of his brain, he focused on his anger and pain. Sick and Sharp dragged the struggling man in. Streaks of blood ran down his swollen face.
Karma’s a bitch, and she’s riding shotgun with me
.

When the man was handcuffed to the chair with his feet bound by rope, Snake stepped forward. He threw a left hook that snapped his head to the right. “That’s for my wife.” He stepped back and kicked. The heel of his steel-toed boots smashed the man’s genitals, and he let out a high-pitched screech.

“Look at that, the little piggy’s already squealing,” Snake said.

His brothers snickered.

“Now that you got your memory back, we’re going to talk about friends.” He grabbed the back of his neck and pulled it back. “You know the ones I’m talking about, don’t you? I’m going to remove this gag, and you’re going to tell me what I want to know. Anything else comes past those lips, I’m going to start cutting.” Snake removed a knife from the scabbard he wore on his hip; the tip glinted in the lighting run by a generator. He ripped the gag away and the man spat out blood. “We’re listening.”

“Didn’t touch your babe.”

“Wrong answer.” Snake hit him with an uppercut that snapped his head back. The man’s eyes crossed. “Let’s try this again, Hiram.”

“Never going to tell on my brothers.”

Snake laughed. “Damn, I was hoping you’d say that.” He cut off the sleeve of his flannel T-shirt, revealing a swastika. He gently sliced into the skin. Blood welled up from the cut. Hiram clenched his teeth.

“Looks like we got a real tough guy,” Sharp said.

“We’ll see about that.” Snake began the delicate work of cutting off a strip of flesh. Screams exploded from Hiram.

He moved back to admire his handiwork.

“Bring me the salt.”

Sharp handed him the round canister, and he poured some into his hand, then rubbed it in the wound. Hiram bucked as he cried out. His hoarse voice wavered.

“N-no more.”

“What you got for me?” Snake asked, calmly carving away at more of his flesh.

“Names.”

Snake paused. “I’m waiting.”

“P-Paul Smith, Jacob Sanders, a-and T.J. Perkins.”

“I’m going to enjoy killing you. I wish you would’ve taken longer to break.”

He gave a rusty laugh. His swollen cracked lips formed a wicked smile. “Can’t kill me, boy. I’m the only one who knows where your child is.”

He rushed him and placed his hands around his throat. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and breath rattled around in his throat, sounding like a balloon that sprung a leak.

“Whoa. Wait, wait, wait,” Sharp said, pulling at his left arm as Sick pulled the right.

He roared as he struggled against him.

“You never found her, man. This might be legit,” Data yelled.

Snake released the man’s throat and stumbled back.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Snake hissed.

“Not dead, just rehoused. Ain’t telling you more until I’m someplace safe.”

With that sentence, the floor fell out of his world.

He sat on the cold concrete, thoroughly knocked on his ass. He’d never even considered her as anything other than dead. Images of a pitiful waif beaten down and jaded by human trafficking sprang forth in his mind.
What the hell has she been going through all this time? Did she think I just gave her up?
His stomach turned. He rose and stalked out of the shed, sucking down crisp night air to keep from losing everything in his belly. Footsteps followed him.

“You think he’s telling the truth?” Data asked.

“I have no clue. It could be fuck fuck games. If so, he won hands down. If he was being honest, Jesus Christ, what shape is my baby girl in?” he whispered.

“What do you want to do?”

“Can’t risk losing her if we off him. She’ll be lost in the wind. Fuck.” He speared his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “I’m too old for this shit.”

“We need to figure out our next step. If he’s still breathing, we need to figure out where to store him.”

“Keep him here, we’ll do shifts. I refuse to give him any comfort. If he thinks he can sway this situation in his favor, he’ll make us his bitches. We need to let him know we think he’s full of shit and keep him scared for his life.”

“We can do that no problem, Veep.”

“Shit. I need a minute.”

“Take all the time you need. Sharp and Sick are introducing themselves.” Data patted his back and walked back into the shed. The noise of the torture faded into the background as he stared unseeing at the forest.
What am I supposed to do with this?
Any wrong move could damn his daughter. All this time he’d been drinking, fucking, and carrying on, while she’d been out there trapped.
I really do not deserve something so precious
. Guilt hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. He gasped for air. The world swam. He stumbled over to a tree and leaned against it. Sweat slipped down his neck and forehead and dripped onto his black hoodie
. Lord in heaven, if you’re still listening to a fuck up like me, I could use a little help.
He needed to keep his shit together. Any misstep could ruin any chance he had of finding her.
If he’s telling the truth.
He wanted to believe him. That his Jocelyn was around somewhere, still living and breathing. They’d pick up the others, get them all hurting, talking, and ready to sell each other down the river. Then the truth would be revealed. He just needed to keep it together until that happened.

§

Estelle

The abrasive jangle of her cell phone yanked her from a deep slumber. She rolled onto her side, reached out, and patted the nightstand until she grabbed the vibrating square. She pulled it into her nest of blankets and put it to her ear.

“Hello?” she croaked.

“Es, I need you.”

The anxiety in his voice pushed away her sleep. “Xavier, what’s wrong?”

“Everything. I think I fucked up big time, Es. I think my little girl’s suffering.” His words were slurred. His voice wavered.

“No, she’s some place where pain and sorrow no longer exist.”

“I don’t think she is. They never found her remains. How could I be so stupid? I don’t believe she died.”

“Wait, what?” She sat up in bed, shoving the tangled locks away from her face. “What brought this self-doubt on? Where do you think she’s been this entire time?”

“I don’t know, and that’s what kills me.”

The sound of shattering glass made her jump. “Where are you, Xavier?” she asked, careful to keep her voice even as her sluggish sleep-laden brain woke up.

“Nowhere fucking Kentucky.”

“Hmm, never heard of that town,” she said, mocking playfulness. He was funny that way, opening up until he realized how much he’d said. Then he’d shut down and clam up.

“It’s Dawson Springs, ’bout two hours out.”

“I’m coming to you. Give me the directions.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I think I do. I don’t like the way you sound, Xavier. Support has to do its job. You’ve been there for me, now let me return the favor.”

“Don’t think it’s a good idea, Es.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m taking care of something.”

“Yeah? Well, who’s taking care of you?” she shot back, refusing to back down.

“Don’t need someone—”

“Clearly you do, or you wouldn’t be calling me at three o’clock in the morning. I got a bad feeling about this. I want to see you with my own eyes. Then I can sleep knowing I’m not going to wake up to bad news tomorrow. I can’t lose another person close to me.”

BOOK: Broken but Breathing (Jinx Tattoos Book 2)
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