Rough Justice (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #1)(73)

Jagger counted at least twelve men wearing cuts, six from the Black Jacks and six with patches he didn’t recognize. They had secured all the exits and were herding people into the center of the bar.

“What’s going on?” Arianne pulled her .38 from her purse and then rolled her eyes when Jagger scowled. “I grew up in an outlaw MC. You think I’d go anywhere without my gun? Usually I carry a .22 in my purse, but I haven’t been able to go home yet to get it.”

He didn’t want her armed and ready to engage the enemy. He wanted her safe. Preferably hidden away in a cupboard or locked in a bathroom. “You won’t be using it. Leo’s out there. He’s got another club with him. They might be wanting to patch over to the Jacks, so he’s puttin’ them through their paces. In my f*cking bar.”

More shots rang out. More screams. Leo’s men shouted for everyone to take a seat and stay put.

Arianne peeked over the wall and huddled back down. “Road Kill. They’ve been trying to patch over to the Jacks for years. They’d pretty much do anything for Viper’s protection.”

“Like retrieving Viper’s daughter?”

Arianne paled. “Yeah. That would do it. Bringing me in would win them all sorts of favors from Viper.”

Jagger caught sight of Cade behind an overturned table near the kitchen door, and Zane behind the bar. Gunner and Sparky were caught in the middle and were standing with T-Rex and Tank, forming a wall between Leo and Arianne’s friends. The rest of the brothers were scattered around the room, each one under the guard of one of Leo’s men.

Arianne checked her clip and disengaged her safety. “Well, he’s ruined yet another date for me, although your fingers are intact. This time he’s not getting away with it.”

“Wasn’t aware we were on a date.”

“I wanna hang with an MC president, I can’t be expecting candlelit dinners and walks in the moonlight. Shootings and fights seem to be par for the dating course with you. And if you want to get romantic and give me a present, I could use a new clip.”

Jagger chuckled, “She’s my kind of girl.”

Arianne rolled to her knees. “You want to take him out, or shall I?”

Jagger grabbed her wrist, his moment of humor forgotten. “You’re gonna stay put until Cade signals it’s clear, then I’m gonna cover you while you run for the kitchen.”

She yanked her hand away. “Typical man. You want me to stay in the kitchen while the boys watch the game. No, thank you. First, I’m not leaving my friends. And second, Leo and I have a score to settle.”

“Fuck, Arianne.” He yanked her down. “This is no time for games.”

“I’m not playing games. I’m playing to win.”

“You hiding from me, Vexy?” Leo’s voice rang out in the now silent bar. “Scared I’m gonna shoot you? I’m disappointed. It wasn’t that long ago we were in bed together and you were screaming my name.”

“Bastard.” And before Jagger could stop her, she stood.

“Get out, Leo. You don’t belong here.”

Leo sneered. “Neither do you. Once a Jack, always a Jack. No matter how many damn Sinners you sleep with.”

Enraged, Jagger pushed himself to his feet, angling his body to protect Arianne as he made a quick assessment of the situation. The Sinners caught in the center of the bar had now ringed the girls, protecting them from Leo’s men. Leo stood near the front door, flanked by Black Jacks, while a couple of bikers from Road Kill took up the rear. Cade and Zane were still hiding near the back and side exits. Leo’s bikers patrolled the perimeter of the bar, shoving stray Sinners toward the crowd in the center.

Jagger bit his lip and tasted blood. Leo stood directly across from Arianne, not even bothering to watch the civilian roundup. “What do you want, Leo?” He kept his voice low, forcing Leo to lean in, straining to hear. “Aside from a quick death, which you’re not gonna get.”

Leo shot at the mirror ball above the dance floor and it exploded into pieces, raining down on the hardwood below. “Sinners blew up our ice house. We’ve come for a little retribution. Thought we’d redecorate your bar with bullets. And while we’re here, I’ll just take Vexy home.”

“She belongs to the Sinners now.” Jagger tensed, waiting for her usual retort that she didn’t belong to anyone, but it never came. He glanced quickly to the side and saw Cade and Zane in position near the exits.

“She belongs to me.” Leo sneered. “I had her first. Or did she forget to tell you?”

Crack. Arianne fired her gun and the bullet thudded into a pillar to Leo’s left.

He startled and jumped to the side, his face twisting in anger. “Fucking bitch.” Leo roared. “Did you just fire at me? What the f*ck’s happened to you?”

“I found something at the Sinner clubhouse I thought I’d lost a long time ago.” Her voice shook, and Jagger placed a hand on her arm.

“Easy, sweetheart. Room’s a powder keg waiting to explode. You kill him now, it will go off, and we don’t want to do that until we get the civilians outta here.”

“How about you get your damn hand off my arm?” Arianne grated. “I’ve always wanted to do that, and if I were aiming to kill, he’d be dead.”