Page 32 of Jackal
“Present!”
She kicked her shoes off and climbed onto the bed. “So, was it everything you hoped for?”
I shut the laptop and crossed my legs, then promptly straightened them back out.
“Wow,” she said. “Did he bend you like a pretzel?”
“Maybe. And yes, it was everything I hoped for, and more. Very fun times.”
Lacy giggled. “Girl, you look smitten.”
“What?” I asked, confused. “Not smitten, just satisfied. We’re both consenting adults and it was good sex.”
“Well, you certainly have the well-fucked glow.”
“Oh! I have some interviews lined up. And I have a few houses to go look at this week. Can you take me? I promise I will work on getting a car soon, but one thing at a time.”
Lacy’s brow pinched. “I would, but Eagle said I can’t leave this week. Maybe when he gets back he can–”
“What? You can’t leave?”
“He said it’s not safe. So, for now, nope.”
I huffed. “Well, I didn’t tell anyone I wouldn’t leave. I’ll just call a rideshare. I need to get this stuff taken care of so I can get settled in. Hopefully one of these interviews will pan out and I’ll know where to choose a rental.”
Lacy wrapped her blonde ponytail around her hand. “Um, they won’t let you leave, either.”
I stared across at her. “They can’t hold me hostage, Lacy. I’m a free woman. Free as a little bird,” I said with a shake to my head.
“And you think Jackal isn’t going to say anything about that?”
“Why is everyone so confused? It was sex,” I said, throwing my hands up. “That doesn’t make him the boss of me. Nobody can force me to stay here. And the fact you’re okay with that is weird as fuck, Lacy.”
“I tried to explain,” she said matter-of-factly. “These guys have their own rules. But I promise it’s to keep us safe.”
“Lacy, we grew up near Chicago, I interned at a trauma center, and in case you forgot, we thwarted a kidnapping, and I saved the day. You can’t go through life hiding. If it’s your time, it’s your time.”
“You saved the day?” she asked as she twirled her hair.
“You were there. I saved your betrothed. You’re welcome,” I said, dragging out the last word to annoy her.
“You did. You’re the best. But seriously, Eagle kept trying to tell me I wasn’t safe before and I didn’t listen. That’s how we ended up in the back of some rando’s SUV.”
Looking up at the ceiling, maybe for some God to give me strength for this conversation, I said, “No, we ended up in the back of some rando’s SUV because there are bad people who do bad things, and if it wasn’t us, it would’ve been someone else.”
“I’m not sure that’s the case, Shiv. What you’re saying is true, but someone has it out for these guys and since we’re with them, that makes us targets.”
Climbing from the bed, I paced. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not with them. I’m just hanging here until I can secure a job and a place of my own.”
“Okay,” she said. “If you think so. Anyway, tell me about the job interviews.”
Relieved to have a change of subject, I sat back down and opened my laptop, spewing excitedly about the potential jobs. I couldn’t let some good dick and possible danger get in the way of my goals, so I was going to stay the course and be happy things were starting to come together.
Chapter 18
Jackal
Hawk asked me to spend a few hours with Keys scouring surveillance videos from all of the businesses for DE. He figured if this other club was following us yesterday and had trackers on so many of us, they surely had been around at some point.
