Page 15 of Jigsaw
I couldn’t sit here and listen to him speaking about his life now when I knew his ‘claim’ on me had a time limit. My life wasin Chicago, even if it consisted of working too many hours from the tiny desk in my studio apartment and spending all my free time with my cat. It wasn’t glamorous or even exciting, but it was all I had.
“Excuse me,” I said to the table as I stood. Dean didn’t release my hand, so I looked down at him and said, “I’ll be right back.”
He let go of my hand, and as I walked away, I heard him and Ghost begin to speak. “What’s with the shirts?” I heard Dean ask, but the music and other people’s conversations drowned out my brother’s answer.
The bar was too smokey and the music was too loud, so I stepped outside the front door and pressed my back against the brick wall. I just needed a minute to remind myself that Dean was saving me and not claiming me. But my mind and my heart were at war with each other. My head said leave, my heart said stay, and there was no getting the two of them to agree.
My mother said I always made rash decisions, and I was sure she would have had a lot to say about my one night with Dean . . . and the long-term effects spilling my guts to him had on me. But here I stood, overthinking every choice I’d ever made and trying to will myself not to hop on my bike and ride out of South Dakota right this minute.
Almost as if someone was listening to my thoughts, I heard someone say, “You look like you’re ready to haul ass.”
I snapped my head to the side to see a beautiful woman with intricate tattoos covering three quarters of her arms and down to her knees standing beside me. She was wearing a cut, and when I tried to read it, she turned so I could see the front. Along with a Sinners Revenge patch, it said ‘Paige’ and ‘Property of Animal’.
She smiled and introduced herself. “I’m Paige. You must be the famous Willow.” My eyes grew wide, and her smile disappeared as she rushed to add, “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I just meant, it’s nice to meet you.”
“So, I’m famous, huh?” I asked, realizing the Sinners probably hated me for what happened with Dean and his expulsion from the Phantom Renegades.
She leaned against the wall and asked, “Would it matter that I didn’t know who you were until this morning?”
I shrugged, feeling a sting from her words that shouldn’t exist. “I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Why?” she asked.
“It’s not my story to tell,” I remarked.
“Well, Jigsaw isn’t going to say anything, so if there’s a story there, I’d love to hear it.”
“Please don’t think I’m being rude, but what does mine and his story matter?”
She chuckled. “I’ve only known Jigsaw for a few months, but in that time, he’s become like a brother to me. And in all the time I’ve known him, and all the stories I’ve heard about him, I’ve never heard of him acting like he did with you today.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, turning against the wall so I could look at her.
She mirrored me as she spoke. “He’s . . . unpredictable but always a brother who maintains his cool. Today, I saw him from across the street, and he was on a razor’s edge with those guys. He publicly claimed you and didn’t balk at your president’s remarks about you being his ol’ lady. So, that means you’re someone special to him, and I was just curious.”
“Brother,” I said, and she appeared confused. “You said president, but I’m not a part of the Phantom Renegades. Ghost is my half-brother. He agreed to let me tag along with his club to the Rally.”
“Okay. Your brother didn’t act like Jigsaw claiming you was a bad thing, so why do you seem like you’d rather be anywhere but here with him right now?”
I wanted to answer her question but wasn’t given the chance. Dean walked outside and turned to look for us. He seemed to relax when he laid eyes on us, and as he walked down the sidewalk the few feet from the door, Paige glanced over her shoulder then back to me.
She whispered, “See? Unpredictable.”
I wasn’t sure why him coming to look for us was labeled as unpredictable, but she knew him better than I did. She’d spent more time with him, and even though she seemed to be claimed by another Sinner, the thought of her being around him made me unreasonably angry. And that in itself pissed me off. I had no right to be jealous of her or any other woman. He wasn’t mine, and I had no rights to him.
Hell, I’d been with other men since him, and I could guarantee he had bedded countless other women.
Dean stepped up to us and asked, “Are you okay?”
I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to me or Paige, but she patted him on the shoulder and remarked, “It was nice meeting you, Willow. I’ll see you soon.” Dean never took his eyes off of me as she walked back inside.
I couldn’t speak as I stared into his beautiful green eyes, and when he raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer, the strong-willed woman inside stepped up to speak. “I’m fine. Just needed some fresh air.”
The sun was high in the sky and it was hot outside, but my insides felt like ice. Dean reached out and placed his hands on my upper arms and the chills deep inside erupted into fire. Stepping closer until we were almost face-to-face, he began to speak.
“Why didn’t you stay last night? I tried looking for you, but you’d disappeared.”
My gaze shifted to the side as guilt flooded me. “I shouldn’t have followed you.” Then, a brief panic set in as I rushed to add,“Please don’t tell Ghost about me going out to your clubhouse. I don’t want him to get pissed at me.”
