Jackson's Sub [The Doms of Club Mystique 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 18

  “Jackson, tell Cassie what Baume told you before you went to the Marines,” Jenna said.

  “How do you know about that?” he asked her then said, “Never mind. I know how you know.” Looking at Cade, he told him, “Bro, you’ve got to get control of her.”

  Thor laughed then told them, “Hell, I want to hire her. Addison’s got a better, and more reliable, intelligence network than the guys in DC.”

  Cade picked up the bowl and carried it to the sink as Jackson told Thor what had happened between him and Baume the week before he left for the Marines.

  Cassie was busy taking notes. “Then this has been going on, and building up, for years.” Looking at Cade, she asked, “Have you or your other brothers had any run-ins with him?”

  “I haven’t, but I don’t know about Luc, Logan, or Zane. I’ll ask them.” Cade pulled out his phone and sent a text message.

  A minute later Luc stalked into the kitchen with Logan ambling behind him. Luc scanned the room, noted everyone’s position, and then took a seat at the far end of the bar, away from Cassie. Logan grabbed a stool and shoved it between Cassie and Thor, forcing Thor to move over or be knocked off his seat.

  “Hi, Cassie. I’m Logan. Just in case you’re wondering,” he said.

  “Yes, I know, Logan. You and Luc are mirror image twins. You’re both ambidextrous but you tend to use your right hand more often while Luc uses his left. Luc’s smile is slightly crooked on the left side, probably from nerve damage from being injured.” She looked at Luc, who was sitting at the end of the bar, arms crossed over his chest. “A deep cut on the inside of your mouth from being slugged?”

  Luc frowned and didn’t answer Cassie’s question.

  Grinning, Logan told Luc, “Bro, she can tell us apart.”

  “Shut up, Logan.” Luc growled.

  Cade interrupted them before their disagreement could turn into a full-fledged argument. He quickly caught them up on what they knew so far then asked if they had ever had any dealings with Baume. Both twins shook their head.

  “Then for some reason he’s only focused on you, Jackson,” Cassie said.

  The five brothers and Thor looked at Jenna.

  “Well, Addison said she thinks it’s because Jackson looks the most like John and because Joan refused to leave him for Baume.”

  “And because of your shooting,” Addison added as she wandered back into the room then leaned against Cade. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up onto his lap.

  “What do you mean by that, baby?”

  “Well, Earl Baume used to brag about being a sharpshooter, but someone told him John was better, so he challenged him. John refused but Baume kept after him until finally he sort of had no choice. His shooting made Baume look like an amateur.” She looked at Jackson. “There are rumors about you being a sniper in the military. I’m sure he’s heard them.”

  Cassie put her pen down and leaned her elbows on the bar, resting her chin on her palm. “Well, that explains why he’s fixated on you, Jackson. Mick and I believe he’s going to accelerate.”

  “But why now,” Jenna asked. “It’s been years since John and Joan died, and over ten years since Jackson joined the Marines.”

  “I believe several incidents have triggered Baume’s behavior. First, Jackson returned home for good, and the rumors about his skill with a rifle have increased. Am I right about that, Addison?”

  “Yes. Everyone is speculating about it.”

  Cassie nodded. “That has reminded Baume of his humiliation at John McLeod’s hands, and the most important issue is you, Jenna. I believe seeing Jackson with you was the catalyst that began this episode.”

  “That’s why he went after Jenna the other night then,” Jackson said. “He’ll go after her again.”

  “He’ll go after both of you,” Cassie told them. “I need to meet him and spend as much time talking to him as possible. Mick and I worked up a list of questions that we think will tell us a lot about what he’s thinking.”

  “That’s easy enough to do,” Thor said as he finished reading the text he had just received. “Vince says he’s just gotten in his cruiser and he’s on his way to Joe’s Café.”

  “How do you know that’s where he’s going?” Addison asked him.

  “We’re monitoring the police radio,” Thor told her, “and, no, you can’t have a radio.”

  Addison smiled then snuggled into Cade and yawned again. “It’s funny how Baume got to the Hard Time Tavern so quickly the other night. Almost like he was expecting trouble,” Addison said as her eyelids drifted down and Cade tightened his arms around her back.

  “Damn, she has a point,” Cade said. “We need to check into Barbie as well.”

  The men nodded then lowered their voices as they made their plans for the rest of the day.

  Cassie stood. “I’d better get going if I want to run into him at the café.” Picking up her notebook, she pulled her car keys from her pocket. “I know how to get to the café. With any luck I’ll get him to invite me back to the station for an in-depth interview. I’ll see you later at the ranch.”

  “Vincent will be close-by if you need him, Cassie,” Thor told her. “Mac and Ben have bugged your purse and your car.” He pulled two chopstick-like objects from his shirt pocket and handed them to her. “Mac said to use these. He said you would know what to do with them.”

  She gathered her hair into a ponytail then wound it on the back of her head before holding it in place by pushing the sticks through it. “Nice,” she said as she shook her head and a small bell-like chime came from the decorative ends of the hair ornaments. “These will be a great distraction for Baume, and if I need to, I can always use them as a weapon.”

  Logan smiled. “Sure you can, sugar.” He reached out and touched one of the sticks then ran his finger over her soft, shiny hair.

  “I need some antacids,” Luc grumbled as he got up.

  “Oh, I have some in my tote,” Cassie told him as she lifted a large no-nonsense black leather tote from the floor. She unzipped it then began removing one weapon after another, piling them in front of her.

  Against his will, Luc was drawn to the pile. Picking up a small six-round handgun in a holster, he examined it for a moment, then set it down and picked up a small lightweight polymer frame handgun with tritium night sights. Several loaded magazines landed on the bar along with a multifunction tool, three small high-power LED flashlights, some plastic zip ties, and an older Swiss Army knife with a nicked and worn handle. The last item she added to the pile was a replica of the weapon Logan carried. It was in pristine condition. Before he could grab it, Logan reached over his shoulder, whistling as he grabbed it first.

  “Aha! Found them.” Smiling successfully, Cassie held up a half-empty roll of antacids and waved them in the air. Mumbling about the top tablet being dirty, she tore the wrapper away and removed the first one before handing what was left of the roll to Luc. “These always help my tummy,” she told him as she began placing items back into the tote.

  “This is amazing,” Logan told her as he examined the gun.

  “It was my dad’s,” she told him. “He taught me to shoot with that gun. When I carry it, I always feel like a part of him is with me.”

  “That’s sweet, sugar.”

  Next to him, Luc was crunching on several antacids. “Give the nice lady her gun back and let’s go. We’ve got things to do at the club.”

  A soft blush appeared on Cassie’s cheeks as she lowered her eyes. “I hope you feel better soon, Sir.” Taking the gun from Logan’s hand, she made sure the safety was on, added it to the tote, and then slid off the stool. After telling Thor she would report in as soon as she left Baume, she brushed past Luc on her way out of the room.

  Without hesitation the twins adjusted the hard cocks that were pressing against the front of their jeans. Logan with his right hand, Luc with his left. Mirror images facing each other. A stubborn scowl settling on each identical face.

&nbs
p; “I want her, Luc.”

  “No. We agreed we’d wait until we were thirty-two.”

  “We said we’d look for her when we turned thirty-two but she’s here now. She’s found us, bro.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “Both of you shut up,” Thor growled. “Cassandra doesn’t date. Once in a while she’ll play in a club but she’s never signed a contract and she doesn’t have relationships.” Getting up, he stomped out of the room and a few seconds later they heard the front door slam.

  Luc and Logan turned to Jackson when they heard him sigh. “You two better watch it or Thor will kick your asses. Cassandra is the only child of Thor’s best friend, Ryan Edwards, and he helped him raise her. Thor became her guardian when Ryan was murdered eight years ago and Cassie was seventeen.”

  “Oh, that’s so sad. I didn’t know Cassie had lost her parents when she was so young,” Jenna said, hugging her arms around him as she thought about how dangerous his life had been before she met him.

  “Her mother’s not dead. She left Ryan and abandoned Cassie when Cassie was seven. Ryan didn’t know Cassie had been left with his sister until he got back stateside,” Jackson said.

  Before Jenna could say anything, Addison woke up, yawned, and then asked if it was time for lunch.

  Jackson laughed at the sick look on Cade’s face then hugged Jenna. “What do you want for lunch, Addison?” Jackson asked.

  “I don’t care. Anything.” She looked at Jenna. “What do you feel like eating?”

  “Let’s go to Joe’s Café and see if we can rile Baume into saying something to Cassie about me and Jackson,” Jenna suggested.

  “Excellent idea, angel.”

  Thor walked back into the room in time to catch the tail end of their plans. “Vince and I will be nearby if you need us,” he said. “Ben and Mac are still in Long Valley trying to gather evidence.”

  “Have them talk to Sheila Miller,” Addison told them as she opened the freezer door and took out the strawberry ice cream. “She kept copies of Baume’s reports and the newspaper articles. And she was the photographer for the police department back then so she took all of the pictures of the crash scene, including the car and the skid marks on the road.”

  “What? She has pictures of skid marks?” Cade asked as he reached over her head and took the ice cream from her and put it back into the freezer.

  “Cade, I want that,” she whined, trying to reach past him.

  He blocked her reach with his shoulder. “No. We’re going to the café and you’re having something good for you. And, milk.”

  “I want ice cream. Strawberry ice cream.”

  “You can have strawberry ice cream for dessert,” Cade said. “Tonight we’re going to talk about our contract and renegotiate it.”

  Addison glared at him and planted her hands on her hips. “Good, because I want to renegotiate the wedding, too, and I want Zane to represent me.”

  “You don’t need an attorney,” Cade said.

  “Yes, I do. I can’t stand up against you, but I’m smart enough to hire Zane to do it for me,” Addison said. “When you were a kid you had to try to control everything because your mom was abusive to you and you had to protect your brothers while your dad was away. You don’t have to keep trying to control everything anymore, Cade.” She stepped toward him and slid her arms around him. “I love you and from now on I’m going to be careful. I promise.”

  Cade brushed her hair away from her face then surrounded her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. “Go wash your face and get your purse or I’ll take you to the café the way you are right now.” Grinning, he rubbed the wet spot on his shoulder. “With dried slobber on your chin.”

  Seeing that her friend was going to get herself into deep trouble if she said the words forming on her lips, Jenna grabbed her. “Come on, I need to wash my face, too.” Then trying to make her feel better, she told her, “You didn’t snore.”

  “Well, yippee for me.”

  “Logan and I have to get to the club. We have to finish the arrangements for the annual amateur night that’s coming up in a few weeks.”

  Hearing him, Jenna and Addison stopped and turned around. “That sounds like fun,” Addison told them. “What kind of things do people do?”

  “You name it, they do it,” Logan told them. “We’ve had magicians, singers, dancers, people who play instruments, stand-up comedians. Anything. Members vote by donating money for the act they like the most. You’d be surprised how much money we’ve raised in the past.”

  “How do you sign up to perform?” Jenna asked.

  “We send a form to all the members by email. They fill it out and send it back.”

  Addison grinned at Jenna then told Luc. “Jenna and I want to sign up.”

  “Okay, but you’re not going to sing. Right?”

  “No, Luc, I won’t sing but I might play the guitar and Jenna can sing, or something.” Turning to her, she added, “Maybe Cassie would like to join our act. Let’s ask her tonight.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go, or I won’t have time to eat before court.”

  “Hurry back, angel. I’ve got plans for you this afternoon. You’re going to need your energy.”

  Jenna walked back to Jackson, leaned against him, and gave him what started out to be a soft little kiss and grew into a teasing appetizer for what he could expect from her later. Stepping back, she winked then pulled Addison from the room.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I can’t believe Baume, and two of his officers, backed up that bitch’s lies.” Jenna paced to the windows, glanced out at the side yard at the approaching storm, and then backtracked to the fireplace in Cade’s den, her hands fisted by her sides. “And why did the owner of the tavern testify that I antagonized Barbie?”

  “I think they’re all corrupt,” Addison sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t believe that girl who hit me has charged me with assault. I don’t want to go to prison and be someone’s beyotch.”

  Choking on the sip of beer he had just taken, Jackson smothered his laughter then cleared his throat. “We won’t let you or Jenna go to jail, Addison.

  Cade hid his smile by burying his face in Addison’s hair then rubbed her back and handed her another tissue. “I’ll protect you, baby.”

  Jenna slid onto Jackson’s lap and curled up against him, tucking her bare feet between the cushion and the side of the chair. Outside the sky lit up with lightening and the wind picked up, sending dirt and dried blades of grass against the window. Zane closed the drapes then picked up his empty beer bottle.

  “I’m getting another beer. Anyone else want one?”

  “Me,” Jackson told him as Thor nodded and Cade shook his head.

  “I think Addison may be right,” Cassie told them. “I think this is bigger than any of us have realized yet. We need to not only check into missing persons in the area but who’s supplying the drugs.”

  “If Baume was into drugs twenty years ago, then he’s probably in charge of the area supply by now, but if he’s using I don’t think he thinks of himself as an addict,” Jackson told them.

  “I agree,” Cassie told him. “After interviewing him today I believe he’s narcissistic. He meets the profile…unscrupulous, deceptive, vindictive, contemptuous, and amazingly arrogant. He perceived your father, and now you, Jackson, as threats. His rage led to his attack on your parents and has now expanded to his opening attack on Jenna in an effort to get to you. Don’t underestimate him. He’s very dangerous.”

  “What about the charges against me?” Addison asked.

  “Mick and I talked about this and we believe you and the other people, who were charged by the so-called victims at Baume’s insistence today, are diversions,” Cassie told her. “He’s accomplished two things with that plan. First, he’s receiving praise and recognition from the local citizenry. Two things he craves. Second, and more important, he’s successfully covered up the fact that he’s g
oing after Jackson and Jenna.”

  “You don’t leave this ranch without me, angel,” Jackson growled as he tightened his arms around Jenna.

  “Same goes for you, baby.”

  “Where would I go? How would I get there? You’ve taken my car keys and sent Remington away from me because you don’t trust me.” Annoyed, she climbed off his lap. “I’m going to the gym.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Jenna told her as she slid off Jackson’s lap. “Come on, Cassie. We can decide what we want to do for amateur night at Club Mystique.”

  Addison picked up her guitar on her way to the door. “Let’s stop in the kitchen. I want some strawberry ice cream.”

  “Me, too. How about you, Cassie? I think Addison has just about every flavor the store carries.”

  “Any coffee flavor?”

  “Cappuccino Nutty Mocha, Toffee Coffee, and Make My Day Choc-A-Spresso,” Addison told her. “I couldn’t decide which one I wanted so I got one of each flavor.”

  “Yum! Did you happen to pick up chocolate sauce?” Jenna asked her.

  “Of course, along with whipped cream, nuts, caramel sauce, and strawberry sauce. Oh, and double fudge brownies.”

  Seeing that Thor was practically salivating, Cade began to stand up until he heard Addison say she hoped they had some spinach. Dropping back into the chair, he shook his head. “How long does this stage last?”

  “Probably too long,” Thor told him. “I want some of that ice cream, Ramsey. And a brownie. But, I can’t watch her eat another bowl of that—goop.”

  “Damn, man, you’ve faced down armed terrorists with less fear.”

  “I don’t see you heading for the kitchen.”

  While they were arguing, Zane returned with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and three beers in the hand he held out toward Thor. “Here’s your beer.”

  “Give me the ice cream,” Thor demanded. “Is that a brownie in the bottom of the bowl?”