Smokey’s Turmoil by Erin Osborne
Chapter Six
Smokey
HEARING JASMINE’S STORY broke my heart. She has been put through hell for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Her dad deserves to be put through the same treatment he has done to her. Even that’s too good for him. He needs to be killed and thrown in a shallow grave with his ass stuck in the air so everyone can fuck him the way he still wants to fuck over his daughter. Still, I wouldn’t be happy with just doing that to him. Honestly, he’s the lowest scum and piece of shit on the planet as far as I’m concerned.
Yesterday, I took her out to dinner out of town. There was only one reason why I wanted to go somewhere other than the diner. Jasmine needs a cell phone, and I got her one. I’m not giving it to her just yet though. My plan is to get it home so I can set it all up before leaving it on the table for her after I leave. Then, she can’t yell at me or tell me she’s not going to take it because of some misguided feelings she has. With whatever her father plans going on, she needs to be able to get ahold of someone as soon as possible. With the threat of him knowing people, I can’t guarantee it’s going to be him coming after her. He may hire someone to get their hands dirty, so he doesn’t.
When we got back, Jasmine went in her room to read and lay down. It gave me plenty of time to get everything in place. Including calling Renegade. He came to see me so we could talk. Thankfully I have an office in my room, so Jasmine didn’t even know he was there. I told him everything she told me, watching the anger overtake him as the story continued on. That’s without me giving every detail I was given. I know it’s not the entire story, but it’s enough to get a better picture of her life and why she is the way she is.
Jasmine is extremely closed off and she will not open up very easily. It’s why she doesn’t stick up for herself and the reason for her to keep us all at arm’s length from her. Getting to know her, by any of us, isn’t easy at all. Jas, my little Song Bird, is very easy to like. She pulls everyone into her world because we all want to get to know her and have her light shining bright in our world. We want to be surrounded in her innocence and the strength she doesn’t realize she has.
After talking to Renegade, he agreed we need to have someone on her at all times. It doesn’t matter if she’s here at the apartment, working, or going about her day. She will have a member or Prospect on her at all times. When she’s at work, they’ll spend the day with her. There will also be two members on her since a Prospect already works there. This way we can ensure the safety of Corrinth and Jasmine without making it obvious to the customers or her dad if he happens to stop in.
After Renegade leaves, I take a shower and go to bed. we’re leaving on the run at the ass crack of dawn. I need all the rest I can get before leaving. We’ll be on the road for several hours before we pull over for the night to get a few hours of sleep. I’m not looking forward to it. It’s my turn to go so there’s no bitching.
We’ve been on the road for half the day already. Jasmine is up based on the message I received when we stopped for gas.
Jasmine: What is up with the phone. I was okay without having one.
Me: No, you’re not fine without one. With the threat against you, we need to make sure you have a way to get ahold of someone. Everyone’s numbers are programmed into it. Use it if you have to.
Jasmine: Thank you. I’ll make sure you have the money back for it when you get home. No arguments. Or you can take it out of the money you said you weren’t going to take.
I don’t bother responding. If she thinks I took money out of that, she won’t give me any other money. I’m not going to take a dime from her, but she doesn’t have to know it. It’s not that I want to lie to her, but I could add a second line to my plan, and it didn’t cost me very much to get her a phone. My bill isn’t going to go up that much and she won’t use all the data we have access to either. Jasmine will only use it when she absolutely has to if I know anything about her.
It’s almost time to pull over for the night. We plan on stopping early so we can get back on the road when it’s still dark outside. The less we’re seen by people, the better we’ll be. Tony, a Prospect, is driving the truck with product in the back. We’ve gotten pretty inventive about how we transport things. Between hidden compartments and crates full of parts, no one would be the wiser about what’s really in the back. Still, we try to stay under the radar as much as possible. That’s why there’s only four of us riding along with Tony. Two in front and two in back.
Psycho, Chains, Tony, Bear, and me are on this trip. Renegade is staying behind to make sure nothing happens while we’re gone. We never know when trouble is going to come at us. With cutting down on how many of us go on runs, it leaves more protection at home. Especially with the compound for domestic violence. We’ll never leave them unattended because of the men they’re trying to hide from. Even if we don’t advertise where it’s at, people in town know. All it takes is to find one person willing to give up information on the club to find out. Or if the women are out shopping, to follow them back to where they’re staying.
Pulling up to a no-tell motel, we park by the door to get some rooms. Psycho and Bear go inside to get us three rooms for the night. Two of us will bunk together while one person stands watch has his own room. It’s how we always do things. Every two hours we’ll switch places until it’s time to get back on the road. No one needs to stay awake all night long and then be expected to ride a bike or drive the truck. It’s nothing more than a recipe for disaster and the possibility of innocent lives lost.
When they walk back out, it’s decided I’ll room with Psycho while Tony and Bear will take the second room. Chains will be on first watch. There happens to be a diner right across from the motel so after parking our bikes and the truck behind the motel, we all make our way over. Well, everyone except for Tony. He’ll stay with the truck and we’ll bring him back something. We don’t leave trucks or our bikes unattended ever. Especially on a run. Too much can happen, and enemies are constantly trying to find ways to bring us down. There is no sense in letting them have free rein over the product we’re transporting.
“How did gettin’ Jasmine a phone go over?” Psycho asks me as we walk across the street.
“As you’d expect. Told me she was goin’ to pay me back for it. Renegade knows why. Her story is fuckin’ heart breakin’ and I don’t know how she’s still so damn sweet and innocent. She’s gonna have someone on her at all times for now. Everyone will get a few details when we get back home. It’s not my story to share in full detail. It just explains so much about why she’s so closed off and not willin’ to let other people in.”
“That shit fuckin’ sucks. Anythin’ you need, I’m there,” Psycho says as we enter the diner.
Everyone eating their dinner stops to stare at us. It’s the same reaction we get everywhere we go. We walk up to the counter and place our orders to go. Five burgers, fries, and soda to go because we don’t want to be gone long. Honestly, I want to eat, take a hot shower to wash the road grime off me, and check on Jas before going to bed. Tonight, I need to hear her voice. It’s weird as hell because I’ve never fucking felt the way I do with anyone else.
It doesn’t take long to get our food and pay. On our way back to the motel, Psycho is already calling his wife. She’s pregnant and due in a few days. He’s hoping she doesn’t go into labor while we’re gone. That’s why we’re pushing it to get back tomorrow night or the following morning. Usually, we’d be gone almost a week. Thankfully, we can push ourselves and bikes harder than some of the other guys are willing to do. I want to get back home too. Part of me doesn’t trust Jasmine to be watched over by anyone else.
After handing dinner to Tony, he enters the room he’ll be sharing with Bear for now and closes the door. Psycho and I enter our room as he still talks to his wife. Eating my dinner quickly, I nod to the bathroom asking if he cares if I take my shower first. Giving me a nod, I grab my bag from my bike and take one quickly. By the time I’m done, he’s off the phone with Hadliegh. Making his way in the bathroom, I pull out my phone to call Jasmine.
“Hello,” she answers sounding out of breath.
“Hey Song Bird. You okay?”
“I’m good. I just got in the apartment after work. It was busy tonight,” she tells me, as noises of her moving through the apartment filter through the phone.
“Yeah. How are you feelin’?”
“I’m okay. Still sore but working is going to help my body from going stiff and hurting longer.”
“Don’t overwork yourself Song Bird. I’ll call Corrinth if I have to,” I promise her, knowing she’ll push how she feels to the side to work more.
“I won’t Smokey. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. I want to be up early in the morning to get some things done before work.”
“Okay. If you need anythin’ call Renegade. He’s still back home and will get to you immediately. We’ve got a guy keepin’ watch on you at all times,” I inform her, knowing she needs to know this.
“Thank you, Smokey. For everything,” she tells me before hanging up.
I get in bed after making sure everything is packed and ready to go in a few hours. Placing my phone right next to me on the stand, I close my eyes and let sleep claim me. I’ll be up before I know it to stand watch over the bikes and truck.
We pull up to the prearranged meeting spot to find no one else there. We’re early as usual. I remain at the truck with Tony while the rest of the guys walk around the place to make sure no one is going to try to ambush us. This spot is in the middle of nowhere. We’re surrounded by woods on three sides with a rundown shack just behind where the truck is parked. No one can get inside because the door won’t even open. It’s so dilapidated animals stay the hell away from the building.
By the time they’re back from their walkthrough, the crew picking up the shipment from us are pulling up. These guys are just the middle men. We’re never in the same place as the buyer so nothing can be linked back to us. And no one ever knows who we’re doing business with. If someone chooses to go after these men, they’ll find nothing. They don’t keep any product or store it for any length of time. If the original buyer doesn’t accept the shipment, they sell it to someone else. We have no part of that. However, we trust them enough to know they’re not going to undercut us or try to steal from us. They know what happens if they fuck us over. These men have families of their own and won’t risk anything happening to them. The same as us.
“Smokey, it’s good to see you,” Bryan, the man in charge says, walking up smoking as his men load the shipment into their own truck.
“Good to see you too. How’s the family doin’?”
“Good. Nessa is growing like a weed. She’s gonna be the death of me when she gets older. Looks just like her mama,” he answers on a laugh.
“You have a small armory to make sure the guys don’t fuck with her. If they do, call me, I’ll show up with my own arsenal.”
“I’ll make sure Nessa knows that. She just turned two and rules the damn house. One little look from her and I’m gone. Give her whatever she wants. This isn’t going to play in my favor once she’s older.”
“No, it definitely won’t.”
Bryan and I know one another from years ago. He was there when I hit my lowest and helped pick up the pieces. His family is my family and Nessa is the niece I don’t have the chance to have anymore. It was taken from me in ways no one should be killed. Especially a child.
“You doing okay?” he asks, seeing me lost in my head.
“Yeah. Things have been tough lately. I’ve been helpin’ a woman out. Brought her into my apartment so she wasn’t sleepin’ in her car. Phoebe is tryin’ to be friends with her. Finally heard her story and it’s fuckin’ brutal. I can’t believe she’s as sweet, genuine, and lovin’ as she is,” I answer him.
“Smokey, you deserve to be loved and love in return. What happened was not your fault. When are you gonna stop punishing yourself?”
“That’s not for me,” I tell him stubbornly. “I’ll help her until her situation is resolved and then she can move on with her life.”
“She’s under your damn skin,” Bryan states, reading me better than a lot of other people.
"She is. Still, I know I’m not the man for her and it’s goin’ to take everythin’ in me to let her go. Jasmine deserves the world and I’m locked in the past. She’ll find the man for her one day when she no longer has to look over her shoulder and can live freely. Hell, she won’t have to stay in Shadowville if she doesn’t want to. Not gonna set myself up for failure from the very beginnin’.”
“You’re the best man I know. One of these days, you’re gonna let your guard down and I’m gonna be right the fuck there when you do. I think I might want to meet this woman. Seems like she’s set your ass on fire and will bring you to your knees without much trying on her end,” Bryan says as the men load the final crates into the truck they’ll be leaving in.
“If that day ever happens, I’ll let you know,” I promise him, giving him a man hug before we go our separate ways.
Striding back to my bike, I straddle it and wait for the others to get ready to head out. Now, without the worry of being caught with shit, I can freely think of Jasmine on the way back home. If we don’t stop tonight, we should be home late night or early as fuck in the morning. Psycho is on board for not stopping so he can get home to his wife.
Pulling out of the meeting spot, we make our way down the highway faster than we did on the way here. With added speed and not needing to stop for more than gas and something to eat, we’ll be home soon. I’ve been worried about Jasmine and wanting to make sure she’s okay. There is no way in hell she’s going to have to worry about her father for very much longer. I’ll be the last person he sees before I send his miserable ass straight to fucking hell. If I can give her that piece of freedom she deserves and craves, that’s what I’ll do.
With those thoughts in mind, I relax and enjoy the ride back home. This time on the road will give me a chance to think about everything that’s happened and things I’ve found out about Jasmine. I can make plans and try to figure out what the best thing to do is. Still, there’s nothing that will stop me from taking her to bed again. I know she’s on board with it, she just hasn’t taken that step. I’ll figure out why not when I get home.
