Then the black van moves. It reverses and turns around.
Come on, come on.
With my right hand, I grab the gun I always keep in my waistband. My fingers close around the butt, but before I can pull out my Glock, someone leans out of the passenger window and points a gun at me.
Fuck.
I duck, the bullets whizzing past. While braking, I let go of my weapon and come to a stop next to the truck.
The door is open and, as expected, the cab’s empty. There’s a trail of blood on the steering wheel.
Shit, Layne.
I immediately open the throttle again and put my feet on the footrests. Please, let me catch up with them. My gaze sweeps across the road, but the van is nowhere in sight. I should never have stopped.
Goddammit.
I drive aimlessly, turning into the first side street, hoping to see a glimpse of the black van. I only stopped briefly, so they can’t be far.
I felt my pulse quicken with every quiet residential street I passed. Every palm tree, every bush. I slow down at every face, then speed up again. There is nothing to be seen that could lead me to the van or Layne.
Defeated, I pull over to the side of the road and slam my fist on the steering wheel. She’s gone. Gone. They’ve got her.
I take my phone out of my pocket. Brooks must be back at the clubhouse. If they have Layne, they were waiting for her there. It’s the only way. Unless she was contacted, but I don’t think so, because I would’ve noticed something, right? I wonder what she was thinking when she got into that truck. If they were waitingfor her, who else are they waiting for? What if Rebel… or Jen… Everyone needs to go to the clubhouse.
Brooks: Rebel is at your mom’s. Where you at?
I pull up his name and swipe across my screen to call him.
The phone barely rings before he picks up.
“Ky.“ He’s short and tense.
“You need to get back to that school right now. I’m pretty sure it’s been a set up. Go get Jen and Brandon and go to the clubhouse. Now.” I put my phone back in my pocket and drive off.
When I get to the main road, I spot my little brother and Colt. I raise my hand and point to a parking spot along the road. I drive over and come to a stop.
When they arrive, I tell them what happened.
“Those fuckers were watching us,” Pax growls.
I don’t respond because I’m thinking the same thing.
“We need to make sure everyone who could be threatened through us is at the clubhouse. The women, children… you know, complete lockdown,” I say. ”Brooks is picking up Jen and Brandon.”
“Let’s go back and check if everyone’s there.
I nod to Colt and put my helmet back on.
It doesn’t take long before we drive back onto the property. I quickly park my Indian and race up the stairs to my apartment, hoping to find a clue as to what Layne was doing. When I put myhand on the doorknob, I notice the door isn’t locked. I walk in. Her cell phone is sitting on a note on the kitchen island.
Goddammit. I hit the fruit bowl, sending it crashing into the wall near the television. If she doesn’t have her cell phone with her, there’s no way to track her.
I grab the sheet of paper off the counter and sit on the stool. My eyes sweep over the letters, the words in which she explains….
Fuck.
Fuck.
