That had the man frowning.
“I know your club was five minutes from sending in their nomads to deal with your fat ass.”
The man was two inches taller than Ghost and had about a hundred pounds on him, with big beefy hands. When Ghost thought about those hands running over Jessie, manhandling her and pawing at her, he saw red.
It was time to make a move. Another step and Florida would be at the door to that arsenal.
Ghost bum-rushed him, slamming him up against the hallway wall where he fell to the floor, framed pictures crashing down around him.
When Florida saw the picture of his beloved Rose, the glass all smashed, he went over the edge.
“My Rose. You broke my Rose.” He grabbed up the picture, hugging it to his chest. “I’ll fix it, Rose. I’ll put you back together.”
“You’ll meet her soon enough, old man.” Then Ghost slammed the butt of his gun into the man’s skull, and he slumped back against the wall, the framed picture falling into his lap. Ghost’s eyes fell to the picture, and goddamn if she wasn’t a dead ringer for Jessie. Holy fuck. The old guy was right.
His brothers burst in the door as Ghost stepped back, standing over Florida with his gun still in his hand.
Shades moved to stand next to him, looking down at the man. His eyes, too, fell on the photo, and then he looked at Ghost.
Ghost lifted his eyes to meet his. “Yeah, I know. Dead ringer, huh?”
“That’s fucking weird as shit, man.”
“I know. Gives me chills.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Ghost nodded, ready to get home. He suddenly needed to hold Jessie. He had to find her and make her see that they belonged together. Hell, they always had. And he was glad that she’d been smart enough for the both of them and had come looking for him in Sturgis. He’d always be grateful she’d had enough guts to do that.
Ghost looked back. “The girl?”
“The guys dragged her out into the yard, out by the tree line. When the place goes up, she’ll be far enough away. Saw you hit her, she never saw it coming. She’ll think it was the explosion that knocked her out. Good thinking, by the way.”
“I have my moments.”
Shades grinned and slapped him on the back. “Let’s light this place up and go home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
The bikes rode through the gates and into the yard, kicking up a cloud of dust. Jessie searched the men one by one as they roared in, looking for Ghost, praying he was okay, that they hadn’t had any fallen men. She knew the mission they’d been on was dangerous, and one or more of them could so easily have been killed.
The dust was so thick, and there were so many bikes; she began to panic. He had to be here. He had to be. And then she saw him climbing off his bike, yanking his helmet off and throwing it on the ground, his eyes searching the compound as well. Was he perhaps looking for her? Hoping she might be here? Needing to see her, needing to hold her, like she needed to hold him?
She began running toward him, and the movement must have drawn his eyes, for they locked with hers. A moment later he was catching her in his arms as she flung herself at him. He clutched her to him in a tight hold that told her everything she needed to know, and she felt safe again, and everything inside her settled.
His mouth dipped to her ear, and he whispered, “Brat.”
She clung to him, unwilling to release her hold on him as she spoke against his neck. “I was so scared I’d lose you.”
“Never,” he whispered back. “I’m here. I’m right here, baby.”
“I can’t lose you, too.”
At her reference to her brother, his hand came to the back of her head, stroking her hair.
“You won’t, Jess.” He was quiet a moment, and then continued in a voice rough with emotion. “I’m sorry about Robert. Forgive me?”
She nodded against his shoulder.