Page 4 of Jagger
As I left Nana’s little neighborhood on the edge of Rapid City, I thought about what my life would be like if I opened my heart up and let someone see the darkness that resided inside. Would they still stand beside me, or would they run away? Could I trust someone with my pain and fears, or would they use them against me?
Shaking off the intrusive thoughts, I traversed the streets leading to the ranch and began to go over what needed to be done before we could head over to the auction tonight. Keeping busy allowed me to think about something other than how lonely I was most nights, or how a certain little warrior had caught my eye.
Jackie, Cheyenne’s cousin who was married to Roughstock, was the one who first discovered something was going on inside the confines of the reservation, and it was her photos that ledNitro down the path that resulted in his death. It wasn’t her fault, though she had blamed herself for a while.
She was beautiful, at least five years younger than my thirty-six years, and still carefree. Her heart was pure, her intentions were honorable, and her hypnotic eyes called to me whenever she was around. They were the shade of the leaves that changed colors before the harsh winter overtook the Dakotas, a combination of brown and an almost-yellow ring around the center that made them glow.
I felt her gaze on me over the last few months, and I always made a point to avoid her. She needed to look elsewhere, because if I ever got a taste of her, I’d probably be selfish and keep her forever.
Someone like me wasn’t good for someone like her. Jackie needed someone who could love her the right way. I didn’t even like myself, so how could I ever love anyone else?
Chapter 2
Jagger
Ihated driving my truck for too long, but the weather was predicted to turn nasty later tonight, and I didn’t want to be stuck in the snow on my bike. Sighing, I pulled the truck into the parking lot of the hotel and rolled my shoulders, not wanting to go inside.
Phantom, the club’s VP, was riding with me from the auction at the stock show, and it was his suggestion that we stop and grab a drink. Nick, a good friend to a lot of the brothers, was running another VIP room for the stock show, and he had encouraged us to stop by and enjoy the evening.
“Why did you say yes to this?” I asked Phantom as I watched a group of girls who looked like teenagers with too little clothes walk past us and into the building.
“Nick keeps asking us to stop by his various events, and I thought a drink after the long day would be nice. You don’t want to hurt his feelings, do you?”
I glanced at him and rolled my eyes as he smiled at me. Phantom didn’t care about making our friend happy. He wanted to get him some strange from one of the buckle bunnies tonight. We left our cuts at the ranch since this wasn’t club business, and I felt naked without it. I think Phantom believed he could bag a woman better without his leathers on, and since we both had on jeans, plaid shirts, and cowboy boots, he figured we would blend into the crowd.
“Don’t use Nick as an excuse to get laid.”
“Fine. I want something exotic tonight. Maybe a girl from Oklahoma or Arkansas.” He chuckled as he rubbed his hands together.
Phantom wasn’t a dog like some of the brothers, but he wasn’t a saint either. He loved women and would show them a good time, but he refused to commit to anything past one night. I didn’t even promise one night with the ladies I spent time with, and the ones who knew me, knew not to ask for anything else.
“Then let’s get inside and see if we can find you someone a little spicy. Maybe a Cajun girl from Louisiana,” I remarked, and his smile got bigger as I turned the truck off.
We climbed out, and I secured the doors before we walked into the hotel where the VIP party was being held. Every year, Nick hosted this party for something like five nights straight, and the videos I’d seen didn’t do it justice.
As we walked inside, the sound of country music blared through the speakers as the room of cowboys and buckle bunnies drank and danced. Nick was at the back of the room, and I tapped Phantom on the shoulder, showing him where I’d be as he perused the room. He nodded and began to push into the crowd of people as I maneuvered along the side of the room until I got to the clearing where Nick was.
He glanced over and motioned me to step up onto the stage as he pressed a button, changing the song. Removing his headphones, he pulled me into a half-hug and nodded to the rear of the small stage. I followed him, and as he turned his back to the crowd, he slipped a flask from his front pocket and handed it to me.
Nick and I went to school together, and he was always a straight shooter. At that moment, he knew what I needed. Taking a single swallow from the flask, I handed it back to him and watched as he wiped the mouthpiece and took a swallow.After returning it to his pocket, he yelled over the music into my ear.
“How’d the auction go tonight?”
I leaned over and yelled back at him. “We got the asking price for the whole herd, so we don’t have to be back until tomorrow afternoon’s horse auction.”
“Is he really going to part with the mare?”
I shrugged and replied, “I didn’t think so last week, but he was talking about it tonight.”
He held up his index finger and walked back to his board to change the song before he returned. “Whatever he decides, he’ll make sure she goes to a good home.”
I shrugged, not sure one way or the other. We tried to continue a conversation, but the music and the growing cheers from the crowd were drowning out any meaningful words, so I slapped him on the back and left him to his work while I went to find Phantom. Once I knew he had found someone to go home with for the night, I could finally go home and get back to the newest files I was sent by Roughstock’s cousin Adam’s. His friend, Devlin Callahan, was a leader in cyber security, and was had ways of getting information that others overlooked.
I’d been speaking with him and his brother over the last few months while they looked for Blur. I didn’t want to know how they managed to get all the documents and files they did, but I was grateful they were so willing to help. I suspected if Adam and Roughstock weren’t family, they wouldn’t be so eager to assist us.
As I stepped off the small stage and began to maneuver myself through the crowd, I continued to feel people bumping into me as I made my way closer to the bar. When I approached, I realized I was dozens of people deep in the line and sighed as I began to look for Phantom. The bartender looked over the crowd of people waiting and stepped to the side with a nod to me.
I followed to the end, and he leaned over and said, “I’m guessing this isn’t your scene. So, what can I get you to drink?”
