CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Duke
Fuck. Carbon beat my ass good. And I let him. I didn’t even try to fight back. I deserved it and I knew it. It took all of the officers to pull him off of me. Phoenix was beyond pissed when they got us separated. He ordered us to stay out of each other’s way until further notice. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work, seeing as how his little sister was my child’s mother and she needed both of us to help her while she healed.
My head was throbbing and my whole body ached. Whatever Patch gave me for the pain wasn’t doing a damn thing to help. He wanted me to go to the hospital, but there was no way that was happening. I knew my nose was broken and at least one of my ribs was cracked. They couldn’t do shit for either one of those injuries.
Banging on the door caused my head to throb harder. “Duke! Duke! Get the fuck out here, now!” Dash yelled through the door. More banging. “Carbon! Out to the common room. Now!” A feeling of dread settled deep in my gut. If he was yelling for both of us like that, it could only mean one thing. Something had happened to Reese.
Despite the pain, I was on my feet and out the door in a matter of seconds. I didn’t stop in the common room, even when Phoenix yelled my name. I learned from the last time Reese was in trouble to not waste a single second. I ran out the front door and jumped on my bike, flying out of the lot with a spray of dust and gravel.
I wasn’t surprised in the least when Carbon’s bike pulled up right beside mine. We rode side by side hauling ass to the farm. I had no idea what was wrong, but I needed to get to my woman and my boy.
We skidded to a halt in front of the building that held our rooms. Coal came running outside when he heard us pull up. “The girls are missing! Neither one of them are answering their cell phones and no one has seen them in hours.” He was panting, his eyes full of panic. “I’ve got anyone I could find looking for them!”
“Where was the last place they were seen?” I demanded.
“Sarah that works with the hydroponic plants said they came by there a few hours ago. She didn’t know where they were headed, but I haven’t found anyone who has seen them since,” he told us.
“Keep gathering everyone you can. We’ll go building by building, room by room until we find them,” Carbon stated just as Dash, Phoenix, and the rest of the officers rolled up. Carbon filled them in on the plan and we quickly divided up the buildings, sending two people into each to start searching room by room.
Phoenix paired off with Carbon, I assumed to keep him under control, while Dash and I headed to the building assigned to us. I had not realized just how big the farm was until I had to comb through it inch by inch searching for someone.
I entered another room to find absolutely no one. Where in the hell could they be? I knew they wouldn’t have gone off the property. I’m not sure Reese could have even if she wanted to.
The next room I entered was L-shaped. At first, it just looked like a regular office, then I rounded the corner. Shock and disbelief coursed through me. There, between the bookcases, was a fucking tunnel. They wouldn’t be so stupid, would they? Of course they would.
“Dash! Get in here!” I bellowed.
He ran through the doorway. “Did you find them?”
I pointed to the opening. “Think they’re in there?”
His face reddened and his fists clenched. “Probably,” he gritted out as he headed into the tunnel.
It was dark and creepy as fuck. We walked deeper and deeper for several minutes, lights turning on as we passed. Then, I saw them. Reese and James. On the ground. I started running. “Reese! Are you okay? What happened?”
Her head popped up and she looked right past me. “Dash! Ember! That way! She disappeared. Look for the bottle!” She was pointing and screaming, not making any sense.
“Slow down. What are you trying to say?” he asked.
“Ember disappeared when we stopped to feed James. She was standing there one second and then she just vanished. I threw down his bottle so I could hold him and drive the chair to get help. Go find the bottle!” she screeched.
He took off at a sprint through the darkness. She turned her gaze to me, “Go help him.”
“No. I need to make sure you and James are okay,” I insisted.
“We’ve been here for hours, Duke! A few more minutes won’t change anything. Go fucking help him!” she screamed.
I didn’t want to leave them, but I also wanted to help Dash. Thankfully, the decision was made for me. “I got her!” Dash yelled from down the tunnel. “She’s okay!”
“All right, let’s get you two out of here,” I said gently, reaching to pick up my son.
Reese pinned me with her fiery green eyes. “I want my brother.” What the hell? Was she mad at me?
“Are you angry with me about something?” I carefully asked.
“Get my fucking brother!” she shrieked.
