Jake POV: This picks up the morning after he and Bella had an "office meeting"
With all the heat lately, we haven't been sleeping at The Clubhouse, but last night, we all crashed here so that we can get to business first thing this morning.
Around the table we all sit, tired as fuck, sick of this heat, and sick of constantly looking over our shoulders. Briggs sits to my right, Chaz on my left and across the table, Seth, Embry, and Quil are pulling up chairs. I rub my eyes and start in my normal fashion.
"Pete got pinched around three am," I point across the table and continue, "I'm gonna need you three to handle that."
"What are we gonna do about Salizar?" Briggs asks.
"I'm still workin' on that. I've got eyes and ears out for right now, we'll get together later tonight or tomorrow on that one." Briggs looks uneasy about leaving Sal free to roam but I can't make any moves until I know for sure that we won't be tailed.
We go over the most important tasks, the ones that need immediate attention and when most of the heavy issues are covered I wave the three across the table off.
"See you guys back here later, let me know how it goes."
Once the door is closed behind them, me, Chaz and Briggs go over the situation with Chavez and the delivery up coast this afternoon.
After we've done a walk through of the events, Briggs speaks up in his normal fashion, "I got this," offering to handle the drop off.
When shit gets heavy and the heat is at it's highest temp, Briggs is always the one to step up.
"Alright," I slap my hand flat to the table,"Briggs is set for the drop off around one, Chaz is handling the books and I'll be putting Chavez on the pad tonight. Let's break."
We separate, each of us off to our duties, and I hang back to take care of some stuff around the bar.
I think about Bella for a minute, and I want to kick myself for letting her leave without getting her number. She took me by surprise last night, sitting at that bar, being beautiful. There's a familiarity about her that I can't quite place.
As I make my way out of the room, I make a mental note to get in touch with Alice about her.
I walk the long hall through the compound, passing through the warehouse and into the front.
Today is no different than any other day at The Clubhouse, except the heat. This new lady Sheriff is trying to rack my balls any way she can, so we've had to change things around a bit, but other than that… business as usual.
When I press my fist to the door it swings open, and I see Ginger and Katie are handling the bar. It looks like they've got everything ready.
I take the bag of cash and coins to Ginger to put in the register and the door opens.
Right on time.
"Look what the cash dragged in," Ginger speaks, cutting a jealous eye at the girl coming in the door and continues stocking the beers.
Katie looks up, but goes right back to inventory.
The least of my worries are the bullshit cat fights that go on around here all day long with the girls. There's this pecking order they establish among themselves and though it's unspoken to all of them and to us as well… it's crystal clear who's at the top and who's at the bottom.
I've never laid a hand, much less my mouth on any of my girls, but if I were to go that route, it would be with Irena.
She's just come in to get her check and she looks nice, wrapped in a skin tight dress. It shows off her cleavage, and her long legs. Her lips are a deep red and her shiny blonde hair is so platinum it almost shines silver, she looks good.
Irena's my best girl. Mainly because I can count on her the most. When it comes to the real work, she always steps up. She doesn't ask questions and she doesn't need constant reassurance that she's doing a good job. She just gets the job done. Even after the bust the other week, she still shows up, ready to work.
I walk over to the booth and tell her hello, placing a kiss on her cheek, a nice smile on my face. I let my neck linger next to hers as I kiss her other cheek. She's never been shy about being attracted to me… never failing to mention she likes the way I smell.
I like the way she smells too. Irena's always well manicured, never misses a beat when it comes to keeping herself in check. Makes me think about Bella.
I reach an arm up to her, bringing my knuckle to her cheek, stroking lightly down one side. "Rena... you kill me." She looks like a modern day Marilyn Monroe, porcelain skin, not too skinny, not too thick. Pretty brown eyes and nice full lips.
"Hello, lover." She smiles wide.
I turn from her, calling to Ginger, "Give me something dry, something cold, with two olives," as I direct her to the booth in the corner and slide in beside her.
I like to make her feel important, treat her like she's the best of them. Because she is.
"Listen, Rena…" I lean in to her, so close I can see she's got fake lashes on. She looks so much better without them.
"I'm gonna need you tonight."
She smiles like the devil, cutting her eyes at me. "I've waited on you to say that my whole life."
Katie approaches with the drink, placing it in front of me and I slide it to Rena.
While she sips, I talk. And once her expressions show that she understands what I'm asking of her is serious... she looks hesitant. But I reiterate how much need her tonight, before I let her tell me no.
She listens as I quietly continue and after I go over the details with her, she agrees and I feel instant relief. I can always count on her.
She leaves with an unsure air about her, not the happy woman she came in, and I take that in and sit on it, feeling guilty for what I'm asking of her, but I have no other choice.
If this works, she'll be safe, and we will too. The threat will be out of our way and we can continue business as usual.
.
.
.
Hours later, sweat beads as I stand outside the hotel room Irena entered fifteen minutes ago.
I might be walking into my own demise or worse— getting Rena killed, but this has to be done.
I slide the key in and out hearing the electronic turn of the lock, my signal to enter.
The tiny green light is followed by a thin yellow line of light that pierces through the dark hotel room, as I enter and click the door closed behind me.
I can hear deep breathing and gasps as I round the wall. A small giggle. Some kissing.
He's undressed on the bed, nothing but boxers. She's on top of him, straddling his thighs with her shirt off, thongs, hair dangling over his face, talking lightly to him.
She begins kissing him down his chest and I step quietly closer.
His badge lays on the nightstand beside and I see the scar on his forearm, confirming it's him.
I slowly inch closer.
He's got his hands on her head now, his head tilted back, eyes closed, breathing deep, trying to remain still and when she's got him in her mouth, I make my move.
Walking quietly to the bedside, his eyes are closed, head back... he's enjoying the feel of her lips.
I place the loaded .45 deep into his open mouth, shoving it in his throat. When his eyes come alive, he knows not to move— not to even try to speak around the cold steel in his mouth.
I gesture for Rena to get gone.
When she's out of the room and safely away, I speak.
"You call all this heat off or your wife is gonna get it," I give the gun a shove and continue, "and your precious fucking career will be down the drain, you hear me?" I apply more pressure as his eyes water, his face turns red and he makes choking sounds.
"You think I don't see you keeping a tail on us? You think I didn't know that was you in the fucking parking lot the other day?"
I lift my knee pressing my shoe into his crotch and he makes a guttural sound.
"When you get back to the Valley you're going to tell that fucking Sheriff that you saw nothing and you report back to me from now on. Got it? You work for me now."
"What's that?" I put my other hand to my ear while keeping the pressure on. "I didn't hear you."
He struggles to remain still, eyes pleading. Hands in the surrender position.
"You keep the heat off of us, I'll keep money in your pocket. You fail, your wife sees these pictures and your whole department will hear the recording."
I pull my phone, flashing a picture I took of them in the hotel lobby. Rena kissing him, him holding onto her ass.
"And I'd hate to think that anything could happen to that daughter of yours after she leaves that little school she goes to. Where is that again? The one on Saint James street? A pretty little doll like that? Would be a shame."
His eyes get even bigger as he looks at me.
"No funny shit, do what you're told, your family stays alive, and you get paid. Got it?" I pull the gun from his mouth.
Eyes watering, he complies.
Just like I knew he would.
.
.
.
When I get back to The Clubhouse, I see Katie and Alice behind the bar.
Alice fills me in that Katie called her when Ginger cut out early...thank fuck Alice was happy to help. I think about how glad I am to be related to her while I walk back to my office.
When I flip the light on, the scattered papers on my desk remind me of last night. Having Bella right here, like that... not only a surprise, but a nice break from the tension. The stress. The worry of constantly watching over my shoulder.
Now that business is finished until later, I just want to see her again. So, I head back up to the front and ask Alice to call her.
A/N: A little insight into Jake Black and his world :0) Thank you so so much for every review. I cherish every word. Bella POV tomorrow :0)