Jax's Dilemma:Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 2) (19 page)

Not wanting to answer the door in her stripper outfit, she grabbed her floral silk robe and tied it around her waist. Maybe it was Jax at the door. Bubbles of joy rose in her. She hoped it was him so she could nestle in his protective arms and breathe in his scent. It was probably Gunner; he always came by to tell her what a great job she did after she danced.

Thump.
Cherri opened the door, her smile fading as all the color left her face. “It
was
you,” she said. Black floaters swam in front of her eyes, and her breathing became shallow pants while clamminess covered her body.

“You’re not going to invite me in? Long time, no see, hon.” McFahey pushed past Cherri who stood like a marble statue. He glanced around her dressing room then plopped down on the loveseat and patted the space next to him. “Come on over here. We’ve got some catching up to do.”

Cherri closed the door and sat down on her vanity chair, opposite McFahey.

“What’re you doing here? I mean, in Pinewood Springs.”

“I moved my family up here a while ago. In Denver, I was just a small fish in a big pond, but here I’m a big-ass fish in a tiny pond. Works better for me. I’m a councilman here. I didn’t know you lived here. When did you move? Right after you left me without even a note?” He bent forward and gripped her cold hand.

“No, just been here a few months. Doesn’t life like to play fuckin’ games with us?” She slipped her hand out of his fingers.

He ran his eyes over her body, his stare lingering on her breasts. He sucked in his breath.

“You looked real good up on stage. I about shot my load seeing your tits bouncing and your ass wiggling. It reminded me of old times, honey. Now that we’re living in the same place, we can start where we left off. I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” Staring at her, he stood up and came next to her. His fingers kneaded her neck, and he kissed her on the side of her mouth. “I’ve missed you, honey. I’ve missed our time together. I’ve missed the sex. You’re a great lay. Why did you run out on me?”

Cherri shrugged his hands off her, shaking her head while she kept her eyes glued to the floor.

“Didn’t I treat you right? Didn’t I give you nice things, like that killer apartment? Fuck, the apartment set me back at least two grand a month. Glad I had other… uh… business deals going on. You were an expensive piece of ass, honey, but I loved our time together. Didn’t you?”

“It was what it was for that time in my life. I had to move on, that’s all,” Cherri said.

He fixed his eyes on her as if he were certain her face held all the answers to his questions.

“Why you so cold to me, honey? I’m the one who should be madder than hell at you. I should punish you for what you did to me, but I’m so glad to see you, I’m going to forget what a fucking bitch tramp you were, and open my heart and my wallet to you instead. I want to set you up with something nice here in Pinewood. I know you’re hurting for money. There’s no way taking off your clothes for men every night pays big every time. You won’t have to do that dirty shit anymore. I’m here to take care of you, hon.” He ran his fingers up her arms, making her cringe.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not that girl anymore. I’ve moved on. I like being on my own. Anyway, I’m with someone.” She darted her glacial eyes around the room. “I have to change and get back to work. You’ll have to leave.” Standing up, she moved away from him then waved her hand, palm up, toward the door.

As he squinted at her, his face grew a shade darker. “Did you take care of that mess you got yourself into?” he asked.

Nodding, she said, “I took care of everything.”

“The doctor said you never showed up for the appointment I made for you.”

“I wanted to go to a female doctor, so I found someone and took care of things.”

“You better not be lying to me because this time, I won’t be so forgiving.” He stood there, eyeing her. “Come on over here, honey.”

“No,” she said.

In two long strides, he had her struggling in his arms. Like a Jack-in-the-Box, she bobbed her head, turning it from right to left while she pushed his approaching lips away from her face.

“Stop it,” she hissed.

“I’ve missed you honey. I’ve missed
this
.” He rubbed his hardness against her. “I want you back in my life. I’ll set you up real good here. I can be very generous; you know you won’t want for anything.”

“No, I don’t want your money. Stop it. Leave me alone.” Cherri kicked him in the shin, but he didn’t relent.

“Come on, honey, you know you want it. We had some good times. We can have better—”

“Take your fuckin’ hands off her before I break them.” Jax’s voice bounced off the walls.

McFahey jumped and whirled around, scowling when he saw Jax. Cherri sprinted away from him, and, looking downward, she massaged her sore arms.

“Come to me, sweetness,” Jax said, his hand extended out to her.

Cherri took his hand and in one movement, he pressed her close to him, his delicious scent enveloping her. She was safe—
for now
.

“This isn’t your fuckin’ business. Get out.” McFahey’s scrunched face made him look like a caricature.

“It is when you’re forcing some shit on a woman who doesn’t want anything from you.” Jax’s eyes bored into McFahey, and his chest rose and fell as his body became more rigid.

“You work for me; don’t forget that.”

“I don’t give a damn. You’re messin’ with my woman. We’re together.”

McFahey, wide-eyed, peered at Cherri’s face. Trying to make herself invisible, she squeezed tighter under the crook of Jax’s arm. Staring at McFahey, she nodded as she ran her fingernails down Jax’s back.

“Now get the fuck out, asshole.” He opened his cut, displaying a knife at his waistband. Jax placed his hand on it. “Any questions?”

McFahey, locking on to the knife at Jax’s side, said, “You’ll be sorry you messed with me.” He glanced at Cherri as he retreated. “I’ll be in touch.”

Then he was gone.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Cherri ran her fingers through her hair. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“How do you know that ass-wipe?”

She shrugged. “Met him through some people in Denver a few years ago.”

“Did you have somethin’ with him?”

“This was a long time ago.”

“You didn’t answer my question. This jerk is bad news. He doesn’t play nice or fair.”

“No shit.”

“Did you have somethin’ with him?” Jax swung her around so she faced him.

“I told you, this is part of my past and I want to forget about it. Leave it alone, please, Jax.”

“I’m gonna ask you one more time if you had somethin’ with this fuck, then I’m gonna get real pissed. I hate repeating myself, sweetness.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything. This isn’t your business. We aren’t together. Why can’t you leave me alone?” The anger in her blue eyes made them flash like a match striking against its box.

“I’m never leaving you alone, baby. We belong together, and you know it. You want
us
just as much as I do, so can the drama.”

She twisted away from his grasp and before he could reach her, she bolted out the door, almost crashing into Peaches who stood half-hidden by Cherri’s dressing room. When Cherri looked at her, Peaches had a funny expression on her face. In that moment, Cherri knew Peaches heard everything and would delight in betraying Cherri. Shrugging off her paranoia, she rushed out to the bar area.

Cherri heard Jax’s boots clack on the floor as he rushed after her. She saw Gunner by the bar with Banger and ran up to him, looping her arm around his. Turning around, he smiled and drew her into him, kissing her deeply. She hugged him and from the corner of her eye, she saw Jax’s glare as he stood by the stage.

Her heart raced and her head pounded. She couldn’t believe McFahey was there in Pinewood Springs. Her brain hadn’t yet assimilated everything he said to her. Just when she seemed to be back on track, shit from her past came to fuck her over. Wasn’t that the way it always was, though? If she was a quitter, she’d have given up a long time before, but she wasn’t. She’d have to think things through. There was no way she could stay in the same town as her ex-lover; she’d have to move out of Pinewood Springs sooner than she planned.

“Hey, babe, have a shot,” Gunner said, his words slurred.

“No, I’m good. Don’t you think you should slow down? You’re past tipsy.”

Gunner bent down and placed a wet kiss on her lips. He tasted like smoky oak. “You’re so cute, baby doll. You worry ’bout me. That’s nice, but you don’t need to. I’m good.” He slid a shot of Jack to her.

Shaking her head, she slid her shot over to Banger. “You take this.”

Banger, nodding at her, threw back the whiskey.

Cherri scanned the room for Jax and McFahey. She spotted Jax, his back to her, his arm around Peaches as he spoke with other Insurgents. Her heart broke a little. Earlier, before McFahey came into her room and crushed her dreams, she’d decided she couldn’t be without Jax—she yearned to explore a relationship with him. But how could she tell him that since she had to leave him and her life in Pinewood Springs? It’d be hard enough to leave, but if they reconciled and gave each other their hearts, she’d never be able to do it. And she
had
to go. Tears burned behind her eyes for the life she could’ve had.

“You look exhausted,” Emma said as she came up to the bar.

“I am tired,” Cherri admitted.

“Why don’t you take off? You’ve been working too hard, and I don’t need you coming down with the flu, too. Go on, get outta here. I can handle closing up.”

Cherri hugged Emma. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that.”

She leaned into Gunner and said, “I’m going home. I’m so tired I could fall asleep right here. Let me take you to my apartment. You can leave your bike here and I’ll drive you back in the morning to pick it up.”

“You do look tired, baby doll. We’ll catch up tomorrow.”

“Come with me to my place. You’ve drunk too much. I can drive you.”

He kissed her on the forehead. Shaking his head, he said, “Baby girl, I never had any woman give a shit about me the way you do, but you don’t need to worry ’cause I’m just fine. I can handle my liquor. I’ve been livin’ this way longer than you been alive, so don’t worry your pretty head over me. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Cherri, ready to argue with Gunner, saw McFahey headed her way. Not wanting another confrontation with him, she looped her arm in Gunner’s and said, “Okay, babe, let’s go.” She steered him toward the door as he leaned a little too much on her.

Outside, the night sky was inky black, and dark clouds covered the normal carpet of twinkling lights. A faint glow from the moon pierced the darkness, casting a dim light in the sky. Cherri shuddered as a cold chill ran through her, a nagging feeling of doom weighing heavily on her. She chided herself for being so silly; her nerves were on edge after seeing her ex-lover. She just needed a good night’s sleep and she would think more clearly.

Gunner swayed a bit as he threw his leg over his bike. He pulled Cherri close to him and kissed her. She kissed him back.

“I wish you would let me drive you home.”

Smiling, he wiggled her nose between his fingers, saying, “I love you, baby doll.”

“Don’t love me. I’m no good,” she said under her breath.

“I’ll be by tomorrow. We’ll go for a ride.”

“Drive carefully,” she said.

His Harley’s engine grumbled as he took off, his hair blowing around his shoulders. She watched him until the night’s darkness consumed him and she couldn’t see him anymore.

*     *     *

Cherri’s phone vibrating
on her nightstand woke her up. Dazed, she looked at the screen, seeing Emma’s name flashing on it. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she answered the phone. Emma was crying.
Wait, why is Emma crying? What the fuck? Am I dreaming?

“What’s wrong, Emma?”

“I’m so sorry, Cherri. I can come over if you need me. Cherri? Are you there?”

“I’m here. Why’re you calling me so early? It’s four o’clock in the morning.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“No.”

“Gunner had an accident. A semi hit him as he sped around Bend’s Curve. The truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and when he woke up, it was too late to avoid hitting Gunner. I’m sorry.” Emma’s voice cracked.

“Is he in the hospital?”

“No. He’s… well, he’s—”

“Where the fuck is he?” Cherri’s voice was strained.

“At the county morgue. I’m sorry, Cherri, but Gunner didn’t make it.”

“Make what? Why don’t you just say he’s dead? He is, isn’t he? Gunner’s dead. He’s dead, he’s dead—”

A high-pitched wail interrupted Cherri’s words. She pounded the bed over and over as her body heaved and shuddered, wetness coating her face. She threw her phone across the room. Everything she touched turned to shit. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rocked back and forth on the bed, listening to her gasps, to her breaking heart. The moonlight, breaking through the dark clouds, covered her with its cold, white light.

T
he hot, bright
morning seemed like a cruel joke to Cherri. The day should’ve been rainy with the sun hiding behind the gray clouds. Instead, the day the brothers laid Gunner in his grave was a clear, bright day without a cloud in the big, blue sky. Birds soared high, purple, white, and pink flowers dotted the blooming trees, and the low whir of lawnmowers echoed in distant neighborhoods.