––––––––
He made it to the parking garage, hiding in the shadows, watching the entrance for any sign of Piper. As promised, within a few minutes she appeared, her face flushed, breathless, her fingers trembling as she struggled to slide the key into the ignition of her car. Within seconds they were pulling onto the highway, the flickering lights of the hospital disappearing into the backdrop.
They drove in silence for what felt like an eternity, Piper’s mind racing.
What have I gotten myself into?
It wasn’t until she was just a few minutes away from home that she decided she couldn’t take the silence anymore.
“What exactly happened today, Jace? How did your club get involved in all of this?”
“There was a delivery of guns that came in today...a lot of money traded hands in the exchange. I found myself mixed up in it all, but I warned the middleman that the agreement was coming to an end. Tried to kill the deal. I just wanted to clean up the club, protect my brothers, and get things back on track. Our club president, Alec, well...he didn’t like my stirring up trouble for him, so he put a price on my head.” He paused, sighing deeply, his eyes suddenly finding their way to Piper. “And despite the fact that I’m trying to shut the operation down, some of the other clubs already know we’re treading on their territory, which is why the Angels came after me today.”
“Why are you even involved, Jace? If you think this is such a bad idea, why didn’t you stop it sooner?”
He shook his head. The same question had burned through his own mind, unanswered. As a low rumble of resignation tumbled from his lips, he told her, “I didn’t know about the first few exchanges. They were small-time, just a few thousand dollars. Alec didn’t share details about his operation until he was pulling in a hundred grand, and by then it was just too late. Rather than send any of my guys in and have them end up getting hurt, I took the heat. I’m the vice president, it’s my job, you know? These guys were my family, my responsibility.”
Piper nodded, noting the sincerity in his words even though she still didn’t understand why he’d put his neck on the line when it could cost him his life. His club obviously meant a lot to him, the members like family, but she didn’t know anyone who would risk so much for another. And where were they now when he needed them the most?
“And this Alec guy – why won’t anyone else go after him?”
“Because he’s the leader. He runs the club. You don’t question the President. And Alec’s ruthless. He’s made it very clear that if anyone crosses him, he’s not above taking them out. If he’s willing to put this kind of a price on my head, he’s showing other members just how serious he really is. No one will speak against him after this. Turning on me made sure of that.” His voice was dark, tortured.
The truth was, Jace still held out hope that he could find at least one or two other members like Donnie who would remain loyal to him since he didn’t think he could kill the operation by himself, but he knew the odds were stacked against him.
Seeing the frustration and concern lining his face as she pulled into her parking space, Piper was overwhelmed with both fear and understanding. By defying the code of honor that governed their club, Jace had alienated himself from everyone he had once trusted. He had cut the family ties and went against his own. It seemed like such a difficult thing to do and yet, if she let herself consider what she’d just done, she knew if her family ever found out, they would likely turn their backs on her as well and she’d wind up just as alone.
“Once we get inside, I’ll show you how to clean the stitches without tearing them. You probably want to take a shower or something. I don’t have any clothes here that would fit you, though. I haven’t exactly done much dating, especially guys your size, but...” she trailed off, suddenly embarrassed, knowing she was rambling.
Jace, however, was amused. “I’ll be fine, thanks. There’s no one looking for me over on this side of town so if I keep my head down, I’m sure I can grab what I need to get me through a few days and then I’ll be out of your hair for good.”
Piper nodded, disappointment knotting her throat. She forced herself to look away.
“Sounds good.”
Jace hadn’t missed the way that her eyes dropped to the steering wheel, how she twisted her hair in her fingers nervously. Why this girl wanted to help him in the first place baffled him, but her reaction when he mentioned leaving in just a few short days surprised him even more. If times were different, if there wasn’t a hit out on him, he may have considered exploring this intense attraction that he felt towards the pretty, curvy nurse. But with so much on the line, it wasn’t their time...it just couldn’t happen.
“Let’s get inside,” he replied, his tone commanding. It sent a rumble of desire through her body and she could only nod in agreement.