Starting Over (Book Two Of Sisters Of Mercy)

Ducks In A Row

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Tig opened the door of the cabin and let Pru walk in ahead of him before shutting the door. He watched as she took in her surroundings and grinned at the look of surprise on her face.

He hadn't said anything to anyone but he found Pru highly attractive and he supposed there were worse jobs than babysitting her for a few days.

"So this place belongs to the club?"

Tig nodded as he sat down in an old armchair. "Yeah we've had it for a long time."

Pru grinned as she sat down on the couch. "If these walls could talk, huh?"

Tig chuckled and nodded. "I'm sure they'd have some interesting stories." He sobered as he watched her. "So what have you done to piss off the Lin Triad?"

Pru lifted a brow and he could tell she was trying to figure out how much to tell him. Once again, he found himself thinking that these were a group of smarter than average women who all kept their cards close to the vest.

"I'm in a business that he might believe is breaking up his monopoly in Lodi."

It was Tig's turn to lift a brow at that vague answer. "Drugs?"

Pru frowned and shook her head. "No, of course not." She grinned then, making Tig think of an unruly child. "I own a string of bordellos. I'm getting ready to open one in Lodi. Up until now, girls have been firmly in Lin's wheelhouse."

Tig chuckled, relieved that she wasn't involved in drugs. That would have been an issue since the club was steering clear from that particular business.

"Damn. You're a madam? You just got exponentially hotter, doll."

Pru laughed, and when she did, Tig marveled at the way her whole demeanor changed. Gone was the in-control business woman. In her place was an open and warm person that Tig suddenly felt the need to get to know better.

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Back in charming, the clubhouse was filled with tension as Jax faced off against Rocky in a battle of wills.

"I'm not saying that you can't handle it. I'm saying let us go see Lin first, get the lay of the land. He might not even be aware of the price on Pru's head. He does have underbosses, and maybe one of them is trying to work his way up in the food chain."

Rocky shook her head as Happy glared at her. "You go in there asking questions and what little cover we have is blown, Jax."

Jax shook his head as he leaned towar forward in his chair. "Not necessarily. Jessie's house is in Charming and we have a right to know what's going on in our own backyard. I go in, tell him I have Intel that his group was behind the shooting of an innocent woman. I guarantee you that he'll tell me what's up."

Happy leaned closer to her. "Trust us, Gerry. This isn't our first rodeo."

Rocky sighed before nodding. "Fine, but Chibs can't go. He's too pissed off."

Chibs started to protest but Jax shook his head. "She's right. For whatever reason, you're twisted up about Jessie. We have to have cool heads going into a meeting with Lin."

Chibs stared Jax down for a moment before nodding. "Aye, but when we get the shooter... "

Jax nodded. "You get to have a long chat with him." He looked at Juice. "Set up the meet with Lin. Let me know when you have something." He turned to Lucinda. "Do you have a way of finding out who shot Jessie?"

Lucinda shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I'm already working on it. I should have a name soon."

Jax nodded. "Good. We'll put you with Juice working on that." When she nodded, he looked around the room. "Alright, we're all clear on what's going down?" When everyone nodded, he turned back to Rocky. "Okay. Email your acceptance of the job and we'll go from there."

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An hour later, Chibs walked into Jessie's room to find Evie sitting beside the bed. He gave her a small smile and nodded toward a sleeping Jessie.

"Any change?"

Evie sighed and shook her head. "No, not yet."

Chibs nodded. "Opie's waitin' outside for ye. I'll stay with the lass."

Evie nodded and stood up so that he could take her place in the chair. She patted him on the shoulder before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

When the door closed behind her, Chibs scooted the chair a little closer and took Jessie's hand in his. He grinned at the size difference before glancing at her sleeping face.

"Aye, but yer a bonnie lass, Jess. I wish things were differen', that I wasna the kind of man I am. Ye'll make some man a fine wife but he'll 'ave to get past the lot of us before he can 'ave ye."

He watched her sleep for a while before his own eyes closed and sleep took him. He dreamed of long auburn hair and green eyes that smiled at him from a porcelain face in the light of a full moon.