And meanwhile, I’m walking here with my… My mind isn’t sure how to finish that sentence. What is Layne? My girlfriend? Officially, she wasn’t even that before she got kidnapped.
The two girls who came with Layne follow us in silence. When we climb the porch steps, I knock on the door and wait for mymother to unlock it. When she appears in the doorway, her jaw drops.
“Oh, Layne,” she says, relieved, and steps outside to wrap her arms around Layne. “Thank God.” When she takes a step back, she looks past Layne. My mother’s gaze goes from the dark-haired girl to the white-blond girl and then to me. “Jen?”
I shake my head cautiously.
“Is Brooks… Is she coming?”
I shake my head again.
“No?” she asks.
“She’s…” Layne starts, then goes silent. After taking a deep breath, she says, “She didn’t make it.”
My mother just nods, but I can see the pain in her eyes, and she takes a step back. “I think there’s someone here who really wants to see you.”
Without another word, Layne rushes past her into the house, and within seconds I hear, “Mom?”
Following her, I notice Rebel has buried her face in her mother’s shirt. Behind her, Brandon looks up at me hopefully, and that look breaks my heart into a million pieces. “I’m sorry, kid,” I whisper.
“She’s not here?” he asks, his voice faltering.
“No, I’m sorry.” I walk over to him and set him down on the couch. “Listen, buddy.”
“No,” he yells, trying to get up.
I tilt my head. “Brandon…”
A tear falls down his cheek. “No!” he yells again and pushes me hard.
Rebel appears beside me and kisses me on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispers and takes a step toward Brandon.
His eyes find hers and for a moment, they just stare at each other. Then Rebel wraps her little arms around his neck and he bursts into tears. Biting my lip, I nod at her and rise.
“Hey, I’ve gotta go… Stay here, okay?”
“Go ahead,” Layne says softly. “I think he needs you more right now.” Then she looks down at the floor.
I nod at her and kiss her on top of her head. “I’ll position Crusher by the door. If anything happens…”
“I’ll make sure he knows.”
“He’s not answering his fucking phone, Ash. Any idea where he is?” I pace back and forth in front of the clubhouse.
“No, but I’m on my way to the club. See ya soon.” That bastard’s got the nerve to hang up on me.
Goddamn it, where’s Brooks? We need to figure out how we’re gonna take those bastards down.
The gate slides open, and a motorcycle rides up to me. Ash. The moment he takes off his helmet, I growl, “We need to know where he is. Those bastards…”
“Colt’s already on it. Hop on.”
“Colt?” I ask, swinging my leg over the seat.
“Yeah. If Brooks took his cell, we can track him.” Ash starts the bike and drives down the path that leads to Colt’s house.
“Track him?” I’m twenty-eight years old, for fuck’s sake, but this conversation makes me feel like I’m eighty, thinking only authorities could do that.
