Jewell (Biker Bitches 7)

“I’m not coming back. I’m staying.”

“We’ll talk in a couple of days.”

He lifted the suitcase, and they headed downstairs.

“I’m going to talk to Ginny,” she told Viper when he would have opened the front door.

“You’re skating on thin ice.”

“I have to, Viper. I’m not going to leave with this hanging over my head.”

Setting her purse down on the entry table, Viper left the suitcase by the door as they made their way back into the kitchen. Ginny had resumed her spot at the table.

“I’m sorry. I acted like an idiot. I apologize.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

Ginny’s friendly smile and forgiveness made her want to off herself. The woman could make mush out of a mountain lion.

Reaper wasn’t as forgiving. “There is. She—”

“Jewell was just venting.” Ginny laid a hand on Reaper’s arm, which was holding his son. He was giving her a warning glare she didn’t misinterpret—one wrong step, and she could kiss her relationship with The Last Riders goodbye. “I might have done that myself a time or two. How many times have I gone off on you?” Ginny laughed. “We’re all good.”

Jewell stared down at the woman, hating herself. Then, shaking off her self-loathing, at least until she was in the privacy of her car, she gave everyone in the kitchen a fake smile. “Going to hit the road before it starts snowing again. See you guys next year.”

Before she could exit the kitchen with what pride she had left, Ginny rose from the table to pull her into a hug. “Merry Christmas, Jewell, and have a happy New Year!”

Jewell hugged her back. “You, too, Ginny.”

Unwittingly, Jewell saw Rory carrying in his dishes to the sink.

Letting Ginny go, she went into the dining room to say goodbye to the people in there before making her way back to the front door.

Viper had trailed behind her. He picked up the suitcase and made for the door. Opening her purse, Jewell started to take out her car keys, but couldn’t find them, so she opened the purse wider to search.

Viper, holding the door open, looked at her questioningly. “Something wrong?”

“I can’t find my keys.” Jewell went over to the key peg mounted beside the door as Viper closed the door. They weren’t there, either. “I’ll go check my room.”

She sprinted up the steps to her room and checked the dresser, then her nightstand. She couldn’t understand why the keys weren’t in her purse. She had never lost her keys.

“Jewell, mind if we use your room?”

Turning at the sound of Shade’s voice, she saw the brothers and Rory lining the hall behind him.

“Go ahead. I’ll get out of your way as soon as I find my keys.”

The brothers’ faces were grim as they filed into the room.

Her heart stopped. Were they here to tell her that she was being booted out of the club? With Rory there, she didn’t think so.

“You need me to leave?”

“No. You might as well hear this, too.”

Forgetting her keys for the time being, Jewell found an empty spot on the couch next to Nickel and Moon.

Shade stood at the front of the room where everyone could see him. “I just got off the phone with Jonas and Hammer. Incog was given the order to move Elizabeth tomorrow. He’s refusing the order, saying he wants to move her in three days. From the short responses from the person responsible for kidnapping her, he wants his orders followed. So far, Incog isn’t playing ball.”

Shade stared at Rory. “Any insights?”

“A few. Incog is a Dominant who has been searching for a slave. He’s asked me for advice several times on how to find one. From some of things he has messaged me after the sessions he watched of mine, Incog wants to inflict more pain than pleasure. Elizabeth is his dream come true—a woman under his direct dominance without being able to get away.”

Jewell wanted to throw up at the expression on Reaper’s face. Her hand went to the pressure point beneath her wrist to combat the feeling.

“I think, at this point, her welfare depends on the repercussions he’s willing to chance coming from the person who placed her in his care.”

Shade was the only one in the room who remained impassive as Rory talked.

“Incog must not give a fuck because he is arguing back. Hammer has texted me that Incog hasn’t replied to his last message.”

“He’s showing his dominance over them,” Rory reasoned. “Any attempt to take the control away from him could have disastrous effect for Elizabeth.”

Rory rubbed the growth of his stubble as he spoke his interpretations of Incog’s actions out loud.

“I didn’t want to deviate from the schedule I posted, but if I did, we could redirect his focus onto something more attainable, which wouldn’t have any repercussions for him.”

Jewell caught the nod of understanding shared between Shade and Rory.