Page 30 of Jack

“Who’s JB?” Me showing up threw a wrench in her family’s plans tonight.

She quickly glances at a text and lays her phone on the couch between us. From her tight smile, I’m guessing Jack or Jay confirmed they’re watching Harley.

“JB’s Roadhouse is Banks’ bar in town.” She tosses her hand out toward the TV. “You really like these shows?”

“It surprised me, too.” I laugh and lean against the arm of the couch. “Gwen and I watched them when we were stuck in Texas. She loved them.”

Maci and I spend the next couple of hours watching house shows and sitcoms. It feels good to laugh. Maci’s faking being happy. I’ve done it so often that it’s easy to spot. Her sister has her worried. No matter how many times she looks at her phone, the screen stays black. Hopefully, it’s a sign everything’s okay.

“How about some coffee?” Maci tosses the blanket over the back of the couch.

“Sounds good.” I follow her to the kitchen. “Would you like some ice cream?”

“Absolutely. The bowls are in there.” Maci points to the cabinet door next to the fridge.

“What’s your club celebrating tonight?” I set everything on the table and grab the ice cream scoop from the dish drainer.

“Jack and Rodeo came home last weekend.” Maci huffs. “The guys have celebrated every night this week.”

“Where were they?” Yeah, I’m being nosy. Hey. It helps keep my mind off my issues.

Her phone on the table rings before she can answer. Everly’s face lights up on the screen, making us both smile. I glance at the clock on the microwave. It’s almost nine.

“Hey, sweet girl,” Maci answers and puts the phone on speaker while she adds coffee grounds to the maker.

“Aunt Maci.” The fear in Everly’s voice slams into both of us.

Maci abandons the coffee and snatches up her phone, immediately taking it off speaker. “Everly, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I forget the ice cream and move closer. Maci’s eyebrows draw together, and her face turns red. I can still hear the sounds from the party, but not what Everly’s saying.

“Where’s Nanny and Grandpa?” Maci closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I admire her for holding back her anger to keep Everly calm. “Okay, sweetie. Meet us at the back gate.”

Oh my gosh. Everly is the sweetest. Why would anyone hurt her? Oh dear. What she said earlier now concerns me even more. Is one of these bikers about to die?

“Lily, I’m sorry, but we need to go to the gate behind the clubhouse. Everly needs to go home.” Maci shoves her phone into her back pocket as she heads toward the front door.

“I can wait here.” I have no desire to see someone die tonight. If some guy hurt Everly, he deserves what her family will do to him. But still, I don’t want to see it.

Maci pauses and takes another deep breath. “I don’t know how much Mom and Dad told you about the organization.” She shakes her head. “We don’t leave angels alone. It’s not that we don’t trust you. Sometimes, leaving the women we help alone does more harm than good to their mental state. And if your abuser found a way to track you, the last thing you need is to be alone and vulnerable.”

Everly’s more important than me. “Okay. Let’s go get her.”

Wow. I now understand why someone has been with me from the moment Nina took me to Andrew. I’d never ask Maci not to save her niece to stay with me. I can handle my situation. Well, not if I had to face Joel alone right now. Everly is young and doesn’t have experience. She needs us.

Maci hurries down the path Jack used to bring me to the guest house. The same path he stormed away on this morning. I assume the paths on each side of the house go to their family homes.

“We’re not going to the party. Just to the gate. It’s in the fence around the backyard of the clubhouse. We won’t even have to go inside.” Maci doesn’t slow down.

“What happened? Is she hurt? I’m a nurse if she needs medical attention.” I almost have to run to keep up with her.

“Thank you for that. But no. She’s not physically hurt.” Maci growls. She literally growls. “Apparently, my older sister decided to have a little too much to drink before the kids left. Everly’s tenderhearted. She can’t stand to see anyone drunk.” She glances over her shoulder but doesn’t stop. “She’s scared the same thing will happen to Harley like it did to her mom.”

Oh, that poor, sweet girl. My heart breaks for Everly. Yeah. We need to get to her fast. I know they’re all worried about Harley. I am, too, but her selfish actions tonight make me mad. If she was going to cut loose and get drunk, she could’ve waited another fifteen minutes.

Maci stops where the wooden privacy fence meets the backside of the clubhouse. The crowd and music are extremely loud. They must have a live band in there. Maci knocks loudly on the gate. She pulls a set of keys from her pocket and quickly unlocks the padlock. I can hear the same thing happening on the other side.

The gate opens with a forceful shove, almost knocking Maci down. I place my palms against her back to keep her from falling. Everly flies through the gate and throws her arms around Maci’s neck.

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