Page 57 of Jackal

Hawk answered. “I’ll speak to Petrov. I don’t want to leave town right now, and I don’t know how I feel about sending members alone, knowing our moves are being watched. We have enough to get by.”

These assholes were causing so much trouble with so little action. But I agreed with Hawk. Until we found them, not much outside of the clubhouse was safe. Knowing I didn’t have to leave my Lil Bird, even for a couple of days, was a small consolation to all that was happening.

After a little more small talk, we were dismissed, so I walked down the hall to find her.

“Jackal! Oh my God, guess what?” Shivana called as she got up from the table she was at. She hustled over to me, flashing her phone at me, so I opened my arms and she squealed, “I got a job offer!”

“Oh, you did?” I asked, squeezing her as she jumped around in my arms.

“I’m so excited! It’s not the CDC, but it’s still a great offer. And I can always try there again some other time.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her Hawk wants everything locked down again. She was too happy to rain on her parade. For now, I just held her. “Congratulations, Lil Bird.” I gave her a quick kiss. “Fireball?”

She shook her head and scrunched her face. “Oh, hell no. Iwon’t be able to handle that for a long time! But maybe a beer?”

She ran back to the table, showing her phone to Daisy, Lacy, then every other woman who walked in her direction. I headed to the bar and asked for a bucket of beers.

“What’s going on?” Squatch asked as he stepped up to the bar.

“She’s excited about some job.”

He raised his brows.

“Hawk already talk to you?” I asked as the bucket hit the bar top.

“Texts move fast, brother. Maybe we’ll sort shit out before she starts. Good luck.”

As Squatch walked off with one of my beers, I turned to look back at Shivana. That wasn’t a bad idea. I could suggest she start in a few weeks. Surely a job like she’d been applying for had waiting periods and lots of paperwork. Plus, if she needed her certification, she’d have to get that handled here in Georgia. And it motivated me even more to find these Hellbound Heathens and take them out.

I promised her I wouldn’t cage her. I had to find a way to keep my word.

Chapter 31

Shivana

I was waiting to hear back on my counteroffer from the hospital. Part of me wished the CDC would send an offer, but the hospital was still nothing to turn my nose up at.

Lacy found me in the courtyard in the Adirondack chair I liked. It was hot as hell out, but the humidity wasn’t too bad. This chair faced away from the sun perfectly so that it wasn’t in my eyes and didn’t cause a terrible glare on my laptop.

Shutting the lid from my continued job hunt, I smiled up at her. “Hey, what you up to?”

Crimson rose up her chest and neck, coloring her normally pale face as her lip trembled. She covered her mouth and looked like she was about to burst.

Shoving my laptop in the bag haphazardly, I jumped up and grabbed her, pulling her close. “Oh my God, what’s wrong?”

She trembled in my arms as a cursing and yelling Daisy flewfrom the front door of the clubhouse. “Fuck off, Falcon. Don’t follow me.”

Glancing over, Falcon was standing in the doorway, his lips tight and arms crossed.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, still holding Lacy tightly.

“These mother fuckers,” Daisy shouted as she turned and faced Falcon, “told her she has to postpone the wedding after they said it was fine to set the date!” She threw up both hands, giving the middle finger salute.

Eagle tried to pass Falcon and run outside, but Falcon grabbed him. Jackal patted his shoulder, and I glared over at him. He hit his chest with both hands with a questioning look, so I yelled, “You all suck! Go away!”

They went inside and the door slammed shut. Lacy shook then finally the dam broke, and tears fell down my shoulder. “I told them we could wait, but Eagle insisted it was fine and we were doing it. I even said we could get married now at the courthouse and do a party later b–b–but...”

“But Eagle saidI got this babe,” Daisy said mockingly with air quotes. “Now her heart is broken. If we hadn’t looked at venues and put a deposit down, it would be fine. But they got her hopes up fornothing!” She shouted toward the clubhouse. “Fuckers,” she said as she rubbed Lacy’s back.

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