Page 21 of Jaded Soul

“You okay?” he asks once he’s recovered a bit. Jett stands and helps me get myself put back together.

“Yeah,” I croak out. “Just… whew,” I say instead of confessing my love to him. Jett grins and wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

“I know. Let’s go home and get cleaned up, okay? You’ve had a long day.”

I nod, taking his hand in mine. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m going to be okay. More than okay. I might actually be… happy.

11

JETT

“Is that everything?” Domino asks Diesel.

The three of us are standing around a laptop, looking at pictures of the men from Hell's Scoundrels who were there the night Rowan's father killed that man. Four mugshots are pulled up along with a laundry list of their crimes.

Two of the men have outstanding warrants out for their arrest, which I assume we’ll be using as blackmail at some point. That still leaves Antonio, Rowan’s dad, and another accomplice, Terry.

“You make it sound like I didn’t spend the better part of five hours correlating and condensing information, cross-checking criminal databases, and hacking into secured accounts,” Diesel grumbles.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Domino says, clapping Diesel on the back. “I appreciate everything you do for the club. God knows I couldn’t do any of the technical stuff, tracking, and hacking you do.”

“Yeah,” Diesel replies with a shrug.

The Prez glances at me and then back to Diesel as if I’m supposed to do something about our broody friend and brother. I glare right back at him.

“You, uh, doing okay?” I awkwardly ask.

Diesel lets out a heavy sigh and rubs a hand down his face. “Sorry, guys. I haven’t been sleeping well and it’s starting to show.”

Domino gives me another look, but this time it’s filled with sympathy and understanding. Diesel is smart, hardworking, and even charming when he wants to be. But the Prez and I know there’s a darker side to our brother. He still battles demons from his past, both from his time in the military and his childhood.

As the years have passed, Diesel has gotten more settled as a person. However, he still goes through seasons of insomnia, night terrors, and even bouts of paranoia. I don't understand what's going on in his mind half the time, but my heart goes out to him.

I’ve seen Diesel struggle even before we joined Deviant Souls. We first met after I moved away from home. He was a street rat who ran in some of the same circles I did. We attended a few parties together and ended up as roommates for a few months. He carried a raw kind of pain with him way back then, and that was before he joined the military.

When we reconnected years later, Diesel was the one who suggested I pledge for Deviant Souls. I was aimless at the time, not sure what to do with myself after spending the better part of a decade raising my sister.

Aside from Forest, my oldest friend, Diesel was the only connection I had to my former life. Forest moved to the top of a mountain years ago and loves his solitary life up there. We still talk, but I would go crazy if I had to be alone with my thoughts in the wilderness. Sometimes I wonder if it’s getting to him, too, but I don’t think Forest would ever admit that.

“It’s fine, we understand,” I finally say, realizing it’s been too long since I’ve spoken. “You can talk to us about stuff, you know.”

Domino nods in agreement.

Diesel shakes his head no. “Thanks but I’m okay. I’m just…” He trails off, then continues, even though he supposedly doesn’t want to talk about it. “I’m just in a funk right now. No sleep, trouble focusing… but it’s not just my past shit haunting me. I mean, that’s always there. But this new feeling is like… I’m missing something.”

“Did you lose something?” I ask.

“No, not like that.I’mmissing something. A piece of me.” I look over at Domino, who is no help in this situation. My friend sighs again and rubs his eyes. “I don’t fuckin’ know what I’m saying,” he mutters. “Never mind.”

I squeeze his shoulder and then ask some questions about the research he’s done on Hell’s Scoundrels. This seems to be the right move. He snaps out of the mood he was in and tells us about what he’s found.

Thirty minutes later, we have a plan in place for running those motherfuckers out of town. Hopefully, it will get back to Zeke, wherever he’s hiding out, and we can be rid of the plague that is Hell’s Scoundrels.

I hop on my bike, revving the engine before peeling out of the parking lot. My woman is waiting for me at home.Damn, I like the sound of that.

I pull into my driveway in record time, already missing Rowan even though it’s only been a few hours. It’s not just the taste of her lips, the feel of soft skin, or the sexy little sounds she makes when I kiss her neck; it’s everything about her. Those purple eyes pulled me in from the moment I saw her, but it was the depth of her soul and the tenderness of her heart that made me fall in love with her.

She’s clever, sassy, and so fucking brave for having survived everything up until this point. I respect and love her so damn much, and I can’t think of a better woman to spend the rest of my life with. I have half a mind to propose as soon as I walk in the door.

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