Page 34 of Guardian

I slammed a fist down on his desk, sending papers everywhere, and making Prime have to move fast to save the loaded gun from tumbling to the floor and going off.

My eyes blazed when I replied, “Don’t talk about her like that! Right now, she’s practically catatonic. Doc is doping her up so she’ll sleep. The cartel has Jackson. They aren’t nearly done with this business. The cops think the kid is playing hooky, but I say differently. They’re pushing it to the limit in order to appear stronger and meaner. Jackson is supposed to be an example of how far they’re willing to go. If they don’t kill him, his damn asthma will! Punish me later but help me now!”

“Shit!” Prime proclaimed as he got up to pace the room. “Why can’t they just leave things alone now that Mitch is dead? They have to keep pushing and it’s pissing me off. You know it’s not just up to me. I can’t promise you help on my own this time. To go directly against the cartel the whole club has to vote. I can’t order them to risk their lives. They have to agree to it. I’ll callan emergency meeting. I suppose you also want me to ask for permission to house Jemma here for her safety. Will she stay if I do?”

“I’ll make her one way or another. It’s the only way she can be protected, and I can do my job. I won’t let you down, Prime. I’ll put my life on the line for the club as much as for Jackson and Jemma. I respect you and the club, I swear. I’m just not used to giving a damn about someone else. It’s crazy confusing.”

“I honestly don’t know how that feels. I hope that someday I’ll be given a chance to understand,” Prime admitted.

Chapter 20

“It’s powerful shit, boss.I won’t lie. I hope that once this is all over I’ll find that it was worth it,” I replied. “How quick can we get to this meeting? Jackson’s time is running out fast.”

“Call Flame and have her shut down the bar. Tell her to say I’ve ordered every Serpent Sinner there to come to church immediately. Have Doc bring Jemma in. I can at least offer temporary refuge until it’s voted on. I’ll find the rest of the men.”

In less than thirty minutes we were assembled. Everyone was anxious for an explanation. Flame had obviously kept her knowledge of the issue to herself. She hadn’t gossiped about Jemma’s breakdown or Jackson’s apparent abduction. She’d kept the club’s code. She’d proven worthy of our trust once again. I’d make certain Rod was made aware that his love interest was a good choice. She was loyal.

“We have an emergency situation that will require an official vote,” Prime began. “Most of you are aware that Sweet has been protecting a woman and her son from the cartel. Someof you have even been enlisted to watch over them for a few hours. We believed they were safe once we learned the reason for Jemma’s involvement had met his death. Unfortunately, we were mistaken. Jackson, the boy Sweet is mentoring, has gone missing. The police won’t act on it until it’s proven he didn’t run away on his own.”

“Assholes! They don’t give a shit about anything except the bloody rules,” Rage, our Road Captain blurted out. “Waiting means losing the trail. We all know that.”

“That’s exactly why Jemma went to Sweet and Sweet came to me. Some type of action is required, and it has to be done quickly. Every hour counts. This kid is asthmatic. We don’t know whether or not he had his inhaler when he was taken, but we can be sure if he did Aguilar wouldn’t let him keep it,” Prime replied.

“What are we supposed to do, boss? We don’t know where the kid is or even if Aguilar has him. I don’t doubt Sweet or the mom’s instincts, but if we jump into this without some kind of proof then we start a war that could have been avoided,” Specs, our secretary and a reasonable man, spoke up.

“There will eventually be a war one way or another. I realize we’re not completely ready for one yet. Truthfully, we’ll never be totally ready. It’s impossible to guess at everything Aguilar has planned. We have made some progress. We’re more aware of his actions and his intentions than before. An ally has come to us. It’s a costly one, but essential to keeping control of our territory. Drago Petrov, pakhan of the bratva in Houston, has helped us with information regarding the cartel and Jemma’s troubles already.”

“But Prime, how deep do we want to dive into that nest of vipers? Every time we ask for help they’ll want something in return, and it won’t be little. Being indebted to the mafia is trouble waiting to happen. What if they ask for something we can’t give?” Ditch, the Vice President, asked.

“That’s what I’ve called all of you in to ask. Is a child’s life worth risking a war with an enemy that wants us gone or adding a debt to an ally who is greedy and self-serving at best? Neither Jemma nor Jackson is a part of our club. They barely qualify as being under Sweet’s protection. We can turn our backs and let the cops eventually handle this or we can get this thing done before the cops even agree the kid is missing. Which kind of men are we? Do we have Sweet’s back, or do we brush these people aside because they’re not officially one of us?” Prime asked.

“It’s a kid, Prime. I might be able to say no to saving an adult, but not a kid,” Stretch, the treasurer said.

“Jackson spent a lot of hours in my gym. He learned to fight some, and I bet he gave them hell when they took him. But he can’t hold his own against a gun, and he can’t survive one of those asthma attacks without that damn inhaler. I’ve seen one of his spells. It’s scary as hell. He’s a good kid. I vote we do this,” Colt added.

“I vote yes for the kid,” Rage announced.

“Give me a show of hands for helping find and rescue Jackson as well as sheltering Jemma in our clubhouse for her safety,” Prime ordered. “So be it,” he added when all the hands went up.

“How do we find him?” Colt asked.

“That question brings us to a second vote. Petrov has a man inside the cartel. We need to ask Petrov to find out where the kid is being held and any other information he can come up with, such as how he’s guarded, what weapons are involved, what electronic security there is, and the kid’s condition. We may even need some of his men to help with the rescue. Are we willing to ask for this much help when we know there will be a large payback due?” Prime inquired.

“I already know that most of what he asks for will be put on my back. I’m okay with that since it’s a kid and because Sweetis his mentor. I think this has no other resolution. Without this alliance we have nowhere to look,” Rage explained.

“Can I get another show of hands?” Prime asked.

Every hand went up. They all had my back and were willing to risk their lives just because I was asking it of them. I’d kept my mouth shut until then, but that wasn’t possible anymore.

“Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. I’ve always considered you to be my family, and you just proved it. Thank you for treating Jemma and Jackson as family too. I won’t forget it,” I promised.

They all nodded and clapped me on the back as they filed out of the room. They would remain in the building until they were given orders. Prime needed to ask for an audience with Petrov and wait for an answer. Until then we were all on edge and at a loss as to what to do.

Waiting around was hard for all of us, especially me. I was messed up inside, worried about Jemma’s reaction if we learned Jackson wasn’t coming back to her, and my gut burned from the terror of what the child was going through if he was alive. As an enforcer helplessness didn’t sit well with me.

I went to see Jemma while I waited, but she was still knocked out. She was thankfully oblivious to the nerve-wracking wait the rest of us were dealing with. I wanted her to sleep until Jackson was home although I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

It was a relief when Ditch and I were summoned into Prime’s office. Any action or news was better than nothing. If Petrov turned us down I’d find a way to get to Jackson, or die trying.

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