Prologue
“Waverley. I’m so glad you’re finally here,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s a real pleasure. How would you feel about untying me and letting me go?”
She laughed and that sound snagged in my brain. I was still confused from the drugging, the shock and adrenalin of waking up here was wearing off and I felt exhaustion trying to pull me under.
“You grew up to be so beautiful. Didn’t she Mace?” she addressed the man behind her but got no answer. She continued like she hadn’t expected one. “Just like I knew you would.”
What. The. Fuck?
I stared at her again. She waited patiently, a slight smirk on her lips. I didn’t want to connect the dots. I knew what was coming together in my mind was going to break me.
But it hit me and I couldn’t stop the word from spilling out of my mouth.
“Mom?”
Chapter One
Ballistic was revving the truck at the gate of the compound, impatiently slamming his hands on the steering wheel waiting, for it to slide back. Once he had driven through, War and I were out of our seats before the truck had pulled to a complete stop. War ran ahead of me, up the steps and straight into the clubhouse. Both of us terrified for Waverley and Connor, not knowing what was happening to either of them right now.
Rosa pushed up from a seat to the side of the door, her eyes following War, he hadn’t seen her among the other girls. Jolene was softly crying into Smokey’s shoulder, they were crying for Connor and my chest tightened. Ballistic stormed up the steps and grabbed his wife by the shoulders. He checked her over quickly before nodding and stepping back.
“Rosa what the hell happened?” I asked, moving beside our Enforcer.
She was shaking, her lips in a tight line, there was blood all over her shirt, her hands, some of it smeared along her neck.
“Connor?” I asked, feeling as if the bottom of my stomach dropped out. It sounded like it was too late when I spoke to her on the phone.
“Last I heard he’s in surgery,” she told me, placing a hand on my arm. “Isla and Naomi and a couple of the guys are with him.” Rosa lifted her hand away and ran it through her hair, then noticed the dried bloodon her hands. She stared at it for a moment, as though confused, then looked back up at me. “They’ll call when they have news.”
“You need to get cleaned up,” Ballistic told his wife gently.
She held up a hand to her husband. “I don’t know how she did it. How Lily convinced everyone. I should have known.”
“Woman don’t go blaming yourself for something you had no way of knowing,” Ballistic chastised his wife but his voice remained gentle.
She hushed him. “We had dinner, the three of us, waiting to hear from you guys, then I got a call to say there was some trouble at the bar and I left to go help. I didn’t notice her and Omen going back to the house.” Her face screwed up in anger at her words. “When I got back, the front door was wide open and there was a syringe on the floor in the hallway. I went into the kitchen and… found Connor,” she sucked in a breath.
Ballistic turned his gaze to me, he didn’t want Rosa to suffer any more but he held his silence, we needed the information. Plus, Rosa was who she was. She could be the one with stab wounds and she would be doing everything in her power to make sure we knew what went down, before she thought about herself.
Her words penetrated my brain. Theydruggedher. Those fucks. I was going to rip their heads off their necks when I caught up with them.
“Connor was out cold, I sounded the alarm and I called 911, it seemed bad… Medic came right over, we tried to stop the bleeding and he started CPR,” she covered her eyes but a tear slipped down her cheek. Ballistic put his arm around her.
This was traumatizing her more, she didn’t know anything that could actually help us find Waverley. I squeezed her hand, nodded to Ballistic and headed inside the clubhouse. For now, the bar was empty except for Casper, who was leaning over the counter, with his head in his hands. He glanced up when he heard the door, his eyes full of sympathy and concern, then tilted his head towards the hallway.
I headed that way, my head and heart still racing. There was nothing I could do about Connor, he was in surgery, which was the best place for him right now. Waverley was in danger and I had no clue where she was, or what was happening to her. As hard as it was for me to say it, she was my priority.
Medic and Kansas were in the security room, and I paused sticking my head inside. They were both staring at the monitors on the wall.I glanced up and saw the image from the camera on the side of the clubhouse, which showed the walkway to the old ladies place. Lily and Omen appeared, walking hurriedly to the house. Lily glanced back a few times, she was saying something to Omen, urging him to hurry the fuck up. They went out of range of the camera, we had no others pointed at the house.
Kansas saw me and dipped his chin then hit a few buttons on his laptop, speeding up the video to the part where Omen’s truck was pulling up to the gates. It was clear the only two people in the vehicle were Omen and Lily, Omen joking around with the guys opening the gate. Lily sat beside him with a serene smile on her face. They pulled out and disappeared down the road. Like they weren’t a pair of dirty rats, who wouldn’t have long to live once we caught up with them.
“I’m running a program on the plate, I’ve managed to track it part of the way. I’ve lost them for now but I’ll keep looking, Hustle. I’ll find them.”
“Thanks man,” I said, not sure he would be able to, but I appreciated his effort. I turned to leave, but Medic stopped me. He was also covered in blood.
“Hustle, I don’t know what to tell you, man. It was bad. I did everything I could till the EMT’s arrived. They got him out fast but…”
