The Originals (Ghosttown Riders #10)

Chapter Twenty-One

Jack sipped his bourbon, watching the brothers file into the room. Once the door closed, he scanned the room. They were all in attendance, as he’d ordered. All members had to be present for this one. It was probably the most important meeting they’d ever had, to date.

Jack started the meeting with the obvious.

“I know we’ve all been reaping the benefits from the new runs we’ve been doing.”

“Fuck yeah! Got a downpayment on a new bike,” Dove blurted.

His statement was followed by a slew of cheers. Jack understood the excitement. The cash had taken some burden off his costs too. It had for all of them. But it came with a price. Jack waited for the brothers to settle down before he continued. They needed to fully understand both sides of these new ventures they’d been doing for the Underground.

“As we get deeper into the illegal activities with Sal, it’s becoming more dangerous for all of us. We’re taking risks we’ve never taken before. Crossing state lines with these loads carries stiff penalties. And long sentences. It also puts Ghosttown on the radar. And I’m not just talking local authorities. We’ve always managed to fly under the radar, but the more we make our presence known, it grows the target on us. We already got six brothers doing a stint. Short term, but that’ll change if we’re transporting higher quantities.”

Jack gave them all a minute to let it soak in. Some seemed concerned while others brushed off the warning.

Jack gave the breakdown of his meeting with the Satan’s Hex president. They were in a similar position as Ghosttown but lacked the numbers. Their choice was obvious in joining the Underground, but the president was still looking for alternatives. Mainly aligning with Ghosttown.

“They want to join Ghosttown?” Tully asked.

Jack took a drag from his cigarette, shaking his head. “No. They’d remain Satan’s Hex, but in a sense partner up with us. You look at the state as whole, we’ve got the lower territory covered. They’re looking to claim the middle and ally with another club to cover the upstate.”

Tully scoffed. “How do you think Sal’s gonna take that?”

Not well.

It was a risky move that could backfire and would come with severe consequences.

“Where does that leave us with the Underground?” Mick took a drag from his cigarette, eyeing Jack.

It was a fair question. But he wasn’t sure the club as a whole was going to like the answer. When they made the decision and took the vote, all members were on board with taking on riskier runs for Sal. The payout was great, and everyone was enjoying the perks. However, aligning with the Underground was a much bigger operation.

“They’re gonna want us to align with them. Just a matter of time,” Jack said. “We’ll have to make a choice which side we’re gonna be on.”

“Why is this even a vote? With the Underground, we’ll make the money,” Mack snapped.

But at what cost?

His outburst got a few of the brothers riled up and backing his statement. Jack understood it. The problem was they weren’t looking at the whole picture.

“Right now, we get to choose which jobs we take. Weigh our options of risk versus reward. We partner up with the Underground, we’d be working for them.” Jack arched his brow. “ Under them, which means if they give orders, we have to follow them. It gives us a shield and backup, but we’d be trading in our freedom. The jobs we’ve done for them so far are only a sliver of what we’d be involved in if we go with Sal.”

The room was drowned in silence. Finally, everyone was seeing what was at stake for the MC.

“Not taking a vote tonight.” Jack stamped out his cigarette, clasped his hands, and rested his elbows on the table. He glanced around the room, looking at all his brothers. “We all get a choice here, and we’re either gonna be all in or all out. Same as we’ve always been since I started this club. But you need to think hard about what your vote will be. ’Cause once we move forward, there’s no going back.”

Jack ended the meeting.

The members filed out of the room. Jack remained silent. Grain, Tully, and Mick hung back, but none of them spoke until the room had cleared out.

“How bad is this gonna get, Jack?” Tully asked.

Jack cupped his mouth. “I don’t know yet.”

There was a long stretch of silence.

“Which way are you leaning?” Mick asked.

Jack knew what he was asking. While everyone would be given their own vote, they’d ultimately look to Jack. And then Grain confirmed it.

Grain slapped his hands on the table and stood. “We trust you. You’ll do what’s right for the club. Every one of these assholes knows that.”

Jack snorted, shaking his head. Grain had never been eloquent, but he’d remain loyal, following whatever path Jack chose for the club. That weighed heavily on his shoulders. Ghosttown was his club. He’d started it. There were others who’d been with him since day one, but it was Jack’s vision.

Grain walked out of the room with Tully following. When Jack got up from the table, Mick walked toward the door, waiting on him.

“He’s usually full of shit, but everything Grain said is true. The club will back whatever decision you make.”

“Yeah.” Jack gave a curt nod. “Just need to make the right one.”

Jack walked down the hall out into the main room where everyone had already started to party. This was the distraction he needed, and he headed straight to the bar. There were several brothers gathered, the prospect filling drink orders but clearly shorthanded. He scanned the room in search of the dark-haired siren. Colleen.

Jack had made a point of steering clear of her for years. She’d been young when she’d first showed up at the club looking to party. She’d been too young, and technically he was too married at the time. Even with his suspicions of his ex, he’d never stepped out on her. He’d taken the vows and honored them. Until he’d confirmed she was inviting other men into his bed. Jack kicked her out of his house so fast, she’d never seen it coming.

When his single status was reinstated, he’d enjoyed all the perks of the club whores, but still kept Colleen at an arm’s distance. She was beautiful, sweet, and a good time, but starry-eyed. Colleen had no idea what the life entailed. For an old lady, it meant sacrifice, blind loyalty, and at times, a lot of heartache. It took a good brother to make the life worth it for a woman. He’d tagged her years ago. Colleen was different from the others. She was the type of woman a man could really fall hard for. Jack refused to fall into that trap with a woman ever again.

“Bourbon, Jack?”

He slowly turned back toward the bar, but at the last second he saw a couple near the stairs. Dunn had both hands wrapped around Colleen’s forearms and seemed to be pulling her. Her head jerked back and slammed against the wall. It didn’t stop Dunn from dragging her farther down the hall. Jack had never seen anything firsthand, but he’d heard rumors of Dunn getting rough with her. The mark on her face tonight had only added to his suspicions. Without a second thought, he weaved through the crowd, making his way to the hall.

“Fucking bastard,” Mick said under his breath. Jack hadn’t even realized Mick had followed him. Now they were both bearing witness to Dunn manhandling Colleen and her obvious protest.

There were few rules in the club. The whole reason for starting it, beyond the ride, was living life on their own terms and not answering to anyone. However, there were standards. Hitting women wasn’t tolerated. It seemed Dunn had missed that memo.

“The ring out back set up?” Jack asked, watching Colleen cower slightly when Dunn leaned closer.

“Think so. Why?” Mick asked.

Jack ignored Mick’s question.

“Dunn!” Jack snapped.

Both Dunn and Colleen halted their struggle and looked over.

Jack raised his hand, calling him over. Dunn released his hold over Colleen and walked to the end of the hall. Jack glanced over at her. She hadn’t moved except to drop her gaze to the floor.

“What do you need, Jack?”

“You.” Jack smirked, knowing Dunn’s fate. “It’s your lucky night. Got the ring set up out back, and I pulled your name. You get a shot at the president.”

The corner of Dunn’s mouth curled, clearly excited by the chance. Usually, the sparring done in the yard was all in fun. A way to blow off steam. It was rare Jack stepped into the ring, but tonight he’d make an exception.

“Can’t hold it against me, Prez. Not gonna take it easy on you.” Dunn laughed.

Jack was at least ten years his senior. And obviously, Dunn saw that as an advantage. It was a rookie mistake. Jack had been in more fights than he could count and lost very few.

Jack snorted with a sharp nod and slapped his shoulder. “Me neither, brother.”

Dunn passed him by, and Jack watched his every move.

“Can’t kill him, Jack. We need the numbers.” Mick chuckled.

Jack had no intention of killing anyone. But Dunn would learn his lesson. If he wanted to flex his muscles, Jack would give him a fair and equal opponent. And a beating that’s been a long time coming.

Jack glanced over his shoulder. Colleen was still in the same spot near the wall, though she’d straightened to face him. He lifted his hand and curled his finger, calling her over. Without any hesitation, she rushed forward, stopping a foot away.

“Can I get you something?” Her voice was shaky.

If Jack had to guess, she was worried she’d done something wrong. This was not the girl who had showed up to party and have a good time with the club years ago. Colleen had been with them too long. It had dulled her shine. She was too submissive and had lost her spark.

“Yeah, darlin’. Get me a bourbon. I’ll be out back. Need you to bring it to me.”

Colleen smiled. “Sure, Jack.”

She squeezed past him and Mick, brushing her hand against Jack’s. He watched her walk through the group at the bar and grab a glass.

“Let’s go.” Jack cupped his hands and cracked his knuckles.

****

By the time Colleen made her way to the yard in the back, everyone was circled around the boxing ring. It wasn’t anything more than a two-foot raised platform with no cage or ropes. She’d seen quite a few injuries from men falling off of it. It added to the barbaric nature of the whole scene. Colleen was usually indifferent to the ring fights. The brothers and sometimes others would fight one another and share a drink afterward. Rarely was there an underlying vendetta with the matches.

Colleen wasn’t sure who’d be going in first, but she had to find Jack fast. Once the fights started, a frenzy built in the crowd, making it hard to move through it. She rose on her toes, scanning the yard. Jack would probably be closer to the front for the best view. Her eyes skimmed over the men and women until she locked eyes with Mick. He raised his arm and waved his hand. She carefully moved through the crowd, trying to steady the drink.

When she reached a small opening, she saw Mick standing with Jack, who had his shirt off. She seen him bare chested a few times, but the view never got old. Jack might have about fifteen years on her, but his body was a work of art. Literally. His chest was almost completely tattooed and one arm sleeved. It accentuated the definition in his muscles. The outline of his abs and the dusting of hair on his chest had her heart rate picking up speed. A wave of heat flashed over her skin.

Colleen offered Jack the drink, and he grabbed it. When she stepped back to walk away, he clasped his hand over her wrist. She was caught completely off guard, and she froze. Jack stared down at her and mouthed, “Come here.”

It was as if she was in a trance. It took her feet a few seconds to catch up to her mind, and she lunged closer, knocking into Jack. She was way too eager. Her nervous chuckle echoed through her eardrums.

“Sorry, Jack.”

The harsh lines between his brows eased, and he gave her a small smile. He had to notice her nervousness. And by all accounts, Jack seemed to enjoy it. It felt different from their usual interactions. A little more intimate.

“It’s alright, darlin’.” The corner of his mouth spiked. “Just need you to stay right here. Can you do that for me?”

I can do anything for you. Her cheeks immediately heated. At least she hadn’t said it out loud. She nodded, not trusting her voice. Jack let go of her hand and sipped his drink while eyeing the ring. Colleen lifted her chin for a better view. When Dunn came into sight, she clenched her teeth. She was still harboring resentment from how he was handling her in the hallway. He had no issue with roughing her up.

It wasn’t always like that. In fact, aside from verbal berating, Dunn had never lifted a hand to her. Until last year. They’d gotten into an argument, and he’d slapped her across the face. She had been in so much shock, she couldn’t even respond. No man had ever hit her. Not even her for father, who by all accounts was the biggest asshole she’d ever known. Dunn apologized profusely and blamed the heavy drinking. She’d forgiven him. And then it happened again. And again.

She carried a lot of shame with that. Deep inside she knew she wasn’t at fault. But leaving him proved to be harder than she’d imagined. In a sense, she was kind of stuck in her life with limited options. Even in her own mind, it sounded like an excuse. But it was her reality.

Colleen focused on Dunn bouncing on his feet from side to side and punching the air. She secretly hoped his opponent was bigger, stronger, and kicked his ass. It was always rewarding to bear witness to karma in real time. She fought back a smile.

Dunn circled his arms in a windmill motion and started toward her side of the ring. He didn’t even look at her. He was too focused on the man standing next to her.

“Ready for me, Prez?”

Colleen flinched, jerking her head and looking up at Jack, who was staring up at Dunn with a smile. What? Dunn and Jack were going in the ring? She widened her eyes, and her mouth fell open. In all her time with the club, she’d only seen Jack in the ring once or twice. He’d won both times, but that had been years ago. It seemed he’d left the ring to the newer members, which made sense. Colleen thought of the whole sport as immature. Gratification from punching each other? No, thank you.

Jack lifted his glass, finishing off his drink, and then turned to Colleen and handed her the empty glass. She stepped closer, reaching for it, but Jack grabbed her hand, his thumb caressing over her pulse.

“Don’t move. You stay right here.” He placed the glass in her hand, and she slowly nodded, watching him jump up on the platform.

The fight started off slow with a few jabs, almost seemingly playful. The crowd of bikers was loving it, and she could barely hear a thing over the shouting. It was mostly in favor of Jack. Dunn showboated quite a bit and took a shot at Jack. From her standpoint, he could have easily avoided it, but Jack took the punch to the stomach and didn’t even waver. Dunn gained more confidence by the second punch landing on Jack’s jaw. Dunn spun around with his arms in the air, giving a triumphant chant.

Colleen darted her gaze between the men and noticed Jack smirk. A second later, Dunn turned, and Jack punched him so hard in the face, Dunn stumbled back, almost losing his footing and falling to the ground. He caught himself at the last second and shook his head. Dunn had lost a bit of confidence, and his nostrils flared. I know that look. He was angry. He charged toward Jack and swung with so much force that, when he missed, he spun around. Jack took the opportunity to punch him in the stomach, and when Dunn bent over, Jack punched him in the face. This time Dunn fell to the floor of the platform. It took him a minute to slowly get up while Jack circled around him like prey.

Without realizing it, Colleen moved closer to the ring. It wasn’t out of concern for Dunn. She just wanted a better view of Jack. Sweat dripped down his chest, but he showed no signs of injury. The opposite of Dunn who was bleeding from his nose and mouth. When he finally got to a standing position, he stumbled to the side, clearly dazed from the beating.

Grain, who was at the edge of the platform, slammed his hands on the platform twice and laughed. “Looks like we got a clear fucking winner.”

The crowd roared, and even Colleen found herself clapping with a few other women and a smile on her face. When Jack turned, he seemed to be walking to the edge of the platform. He glanced up, looking directly at her. She offered a small shaky smile. It wasn’t returned. In fact, his features tightened, and his jaw squared. Jack turned back around and lunged toward Dunn, giving him a final punch to the face. Dunn dropped back to the platform.

Colleen gasped and covered her mouth. She wasn’t the only one who seemed shocked by the last shot. Mack jumped up on the platform, heading straight to Dunn and held up his hand.

“He’s fucking out, Jack.” It sounded like a reprimand, which was ironic since Mack was one of the most violent members in the club.

Jack turned and looked over at Colleen. The intensity in his stare was impossible to turn away from. It was as if he was sending her a silent message. That’s for you, darlin’.