Page 58 of Pumpkin
The man was a recluse and the club rarely saw him, but they allknew—some more than others—the struggles of PTSD. There was no rush to join the club. All of them just wanted to see the man get back on his feet and live the rest of his life in relative safety.
“Send out a mass message,” Ghost ordered. “Kids are on lockdown. Tell Frankie to keep the babies away. Ol’ ladies are to remain indoors. We’ll figure out what to tell them onceweknow what is going on.”
As Carlos and the agent wearing a DEA wind jacket approached the door, Steel stepped away from Jenna. Lucky came forward to bring her back towards the bar. He placed her behind him and Bulldog. Steel went down on his knees, hands laced behind his head.
The DEA agent stormed inside, gun drawn. Carlos, though, grabbed the man’s wrist, forcibly lowering the weapon. The two spoke heatedly for a moment before the agent holstered the gun.
“Jack Duncan! You’re under arrest for the murder of Dixie Gilbert. Anything you say can and will be used against you…”
Steel was no soonerhandcuffed and in the back of the police cruiser than the entire club came bursting from the Chapel and pounding down the stairs. Keys, who was collecting his equipment, and Pumpkin were the last out the door.
Tessa went immediately to Jenna, but the club’s first ol’ lady was not beside herself as Pumpkin had assumed she’d be.
“Jack didn’t tell me much,” she stated. “What is going on? And none of that ‘club business’ bullshit,” she added to Lucky. “I want to know everything.”
Lucky stared at her a moment and then nodded once.
“Give me a minute, Jenna,” Keys pleaded, his voice gentle but hurried. He was getting reset up at the bar. “I am still figuring that out.”
“Here’s the copy of the warrant—” Bulldog started, handing the folded piece of paper over but Keys shook his head.
“Already have it. I don’t recognize the judge’s name, though.” He never looked up from his computer.
Pumpkin made his way over to the couch. The bar stools didn’t give his hips and back enough support.
“We need to get the ol’ ladies in here,” Tessa said. “Jenna’s right. We have a right to know what’s going on.”
“Ollie, too,” Jenna added sternly. “Which means Bree and Aaron will want to know what’s going on.”
“They’re old enough to understand,” Lucky stated. His voice was grim. He looked to Angel and Cage. “It’s your choice, though.”
The couple didn’t even exchange a look or need to think about their answer. They nodded in unison.
Bulldog turned to Ghost. “Update the text message. Tell the ol’ ladies to come here with the teens. Ask Chip to keep an eye on Lila and Scotty.”
Ghost nodded, pulling out his phone. Bulldog must have spent enough time with Chip to trust him with Lila’s and Scotty’s safety like that. Shit, maybe Ghost was right and Pumpkin really had been pulling away from the club. One thing was for sure, though, he was exceedingly grateful Dosia, JJ, and SJ weren’t here.
“Toni Anderson is meeting Steel at the Sheriff’s Station,” Bulldog continued. “Ghost and I will be heading down too. It’s a Friday afternoon. Toni was given a head’s up, but there’s likely nothing that she’ll be able to do this late in the day.” His look turned sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Jenna.”
Jenna raised her chin. “I want to go with you but I have a feeling Keys will tell me more about what’s going on than the DEA will.”
Bulldog nodded, “No doubt.”
Ghost and Bulldog set out shortly after that. It took some time to get the ol’ ladies into the clubhouse. Some were still in town setting up for the festival. The teens arrived first, and Jenna pulled Ollie aside to inform him about Dixie Gilbert’s death. He didn’t look shocked or sad at the news, but Pumpkin was sure the grief would hit him eventually. She might have been a shit mother, but she had still been his mom.
Jasmine, Sophia, and Tally came in next. They hurried over to their men. Though blind, Tally went to Scar in the back corner of theclubhouse like there was an invisible tether guiding her to him. Scar took Tally into his arms, burying his face into the crook of her neck.
By the time everyone arrived and was settled, Keys said he had more information to share. He quickly caught the others up on what he’d discovered while they were still up in the Chapel. By that time, Bulldog had sent a message that Steel had been processed and was currently in the interrogation room—which was just Carlos’s office because the Mount Grove Sheriff’s Station didn’t actuallyhavean interrogation room—with DEA Agent Dylan Strouse.
“So the good news is they haven’t actually charged Steel with anything yet,” Keys told the room. “The bad news is, they have forty-eight hours to do so, and that doesn’t include the weekend.”
“What do you mean?” Jenna inquired. “He’ll be in jail overnight?”
Keys winced. “Likely through the weekend. Monday is hopeful but Tuesday is more likely.”
Tessa, who was still sitting next to Jenna, reached over to take her hand. Ollie, on her other side, did the same.
“I need to call my other kids,” Jenna said forlornly. “They need to know what’s going on with their father.”
