Page 76 of The Originals

Grain laughed, shaking his head. It was at this moment he decided he’d never share the recipe. It was for Regina only. She took another sip and settled back in her seat.

“Well?” Grain spread out his arms. “You fucking like it or what?”

Regina licked her lips and rested her elbows on the top of the bar.

“This drink is gonna get you laid.”

Fucking perfect.

Chapter Twenty

Jack & Colleen

(1 Year Later)

Long fucking ride.

For Jack Reilly, life had always been about the ride. The open road, the freedom of nothing but him and his bike. He’d been riding a motorcycle long before he was even legal to do so. It’s where he found peace, where he found himself because it felt like home.Nothing in the world like it.It was the sole reason he’d started Ghosttown Riders MC years ago. A brotherhood who shared his same passion for the ride and a life without rules or limits. And for a lot of years, they’d lived their dream. But nothing stayed the same forever.

Welcome to Turnersville.

The sign had seen better days. So had the town. When Jack settled the club in Ghosttown, he had no plans to live anywhere else. After his first son was born, his ex insisted they get a home in a more established town with schools and a semblance of civilization. Ghosttown lived up to its name. It was off the beaten path, very few businesses, and a lot of privacy. It was perfect for the club but not idyllic for the boys. He settled on Turnersville, twenty minutes away from Ghosttown.

Jack pulled up to the stoplight and fought against a yawn. He’d been on the road for over nine hours with only two stops. Riding through the night was rough. Being alone didn’t help matters either. He rolled his neck, watching the light change togreen, and he took off down the road. His house wasn’t within walking distance from the center of town. If Jack was going to have a house, he’d wanted land too. And he got it down the quiet rural road.

He turned left into his steep driveway. The house wasn’t much to brag about. It wasn’t big, but it suited him and his boys.

He’d get a few hours of sleep before he had to head into the clubhouse for a meeting with the brothers. The club as a whole had been on edge about this meeting. It made sense. Their vote and decision could possibly change the trajectory of the club. Jack planned on debriefing but not making any hasty decisions. This was a choice each brother would have to make based on their loyalty to the club and their own best interests.

He knew the brothers were anxiously awaiting his arrival, but for now, they’d have to be patient. Besides the club, Jack had other responsibilities. Single dad. It hadn’t always been that way, but since he’d kicked his ex out years ago, it had been just Jack and his two boys, Kasen and Caden. He parked next to the house and eyed the backyard. The fire pit was still smoldering, and beer cans were thrown on the ground. That was the last thing he needed to see after an aggravating ride home.

“Little fuckers,” he snapped, shaking his head as he made his way to the house.

It was just after nine when he walked in and found his youngest sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hey Pop.”

The good one, if there was such a thing when it came to the Reilly boys. Jack would be the first to admit he’d raised them hard. Loved them fiercely, but he didn’t have a soft bone in his body, especially when it came to the boys. He was building men and giving them the foundation to be strong, independent, and protective. But children were led by example. It was inevitable the Reilly boys would be reckless and wild.And they are.

Jack stopped at the edge of the table, narrowing his gaze. “You throw a fucking party here last night?”

Caden smirked and slowly glanced up at the ceiling. “I didn’t.”

Jack ground his teeth, knowing Kase’s bedroom was above the kitchen. He walked over to the coffeemaker and started to set it up. The creaking from above had him sighing. It started out soft but by the time the coffee brewed, he heardfull out fuckingwith an enthusiastic female voice shouting his son’s name.

Jack dragged his hand down his face, muttering, “Oh, Christ.”

Sons.

He grabbed his coffee, took a sip, and lifted his chin toward the ceiling. “How long has this been going on?”

“Twice last night. It quieted down after midnight. They must be up,” Cade said, seemingly disinterested.

Jack had no leg to stand on when it came to preaching about pre-marital sex. He’d had plenty of it. In fact, it was the only reason he’d ended up married in the first place. His ex found out she was pregnant two months after they’d met. They hadn’t even been official, and he’d been bedding other women. Jack had never had any intention of settling down and having a family back then.

“Who is she?” Jack asked, not that it mattered. Kase was the definition of a manwhore.

Cade scoffed and dipped his brows. “I don’t know. Hell, I’d be surprised if Kase knows her name.”