I don’t mention Maisy’s name. I want to keep that information close until I know who she really is. Is she helping my girl or going to hurt her?
“This is more important. We’ve been called in to go after that billionaire who’s been linked to human trafficking. He’s using high level political figures to stay under the radar and get away with it. Rumor is it goes as high as the White House. I need you to dig into this fucker’s background and find anything we can use to get to him. He’s trafficking underage women for other powerful players and keeping slaves of his own.”
“That sounds like a Feds case.” I’m going to do everything I can to avoid going to Chapelville. The only place I want to be is back in Seattle, trying to find her again.
“No, it’s an us case. He’s got connections with foreign terrorist organizations. I want you here next week,” he says. I shake my head, ready to push back. “You can do this the easy way or the hard way, Titan. Don’t make me do it.” His jaw locks. He knows he’s got me by the balls.
My teeth grit. I hate the threat. I hate that I have no choice in this. Then I see a look cross Cronus’s face. It’s fleeting. Regret? It can’t be. In all the years we’ve worked together, he’s never shown weakness.
Cronus is only a year older than me, but he’s had a focused life. Military, foreign intelligence, and training. He also has a family name that gives him the ability to do whatever he wants. I’ve tried to search him, but he’s got his shit locked down so tight that I finally had to ask him directly. Cronus told me that his family expected him to go into politics like his father and grandfather before him, but he hated the corruption and instead became what he is today. He fights human trafficking and goes after anyone he considers bad, even the politicians his family rubs elbows with.
“Fine, the easy way. But when I get there, you had better explain what you meant about understanding.”
“Hermes, arrange everything. I’ll have Poseidon handle transpo from Nashville.”
“On it, boss.”
Hermes walks from the room, and Cronus pulls a hand through his dark hair, which is starting to show a touch of grey at his temples and in his beard. Some days he’s dressed in black jeans, a T-shirt, and his leather cut. Other days he’s in a suit or fatigues. He changes it up. Today he’s in a suit, which tells me he’s been meeting with our higher-ups at the current alphabet company that took us over. Because we work with the NSA, we can be bounced around to other organizations as needed. I suspect we are now under someone who makes deals behind closed doors and then smiles for the press, acting like a good little politician. Cronus doesn’t like this, but he has very little choice in the matter.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you, Titan, but I will tell you this much.” He pauses as if he’s gathering himself. “A few years ago, someone I cared about and shouldn’t have disappeared. I’m the only one who’s still searching. Their family won’t even look.”
“I can look if you want me to.”
“No, she needs to stay hidden to protect herself from whatever sent her running in the first place. When I figure it out, then I’ll need your help. Until then, we are hands off. Plus, that’s personal, and we have work to do.”
I notice he slipped up and revealed her gender, but I don’t say anything. He clicks the button, ending the call before I can respond.
I stay in my office until late, searching every angle I can to get a license plate. The longer I stare at Stormy in the wheelchair, the more I wish I had put my foot down back then. It explains why the moment I saw her in that bed, my heart and body reacted. They knew what took me a bit to confirm. Maisy is the key, though. Without her last name, it’s almost impossible find out who she is. And facial recognition software isn’t picking her up. Maisy is a ghost.
Chapter Four
Stormy
When we pulled into Spokane, Maisy had arranged for a friend to leave us another vehicle, which we switched into before heading east through Idaho and crossing into Montana. She finally stopped for the night. I was exhausted at that point and needed to sleep in a bed. I still have no clue where she’s taking me, but I’ll go along with her if it means getting farther away from Seattle. The more distance I put between where Andrus was and where I escaped, the better.
The jostling of the car along a dirt road makes me perk up from the passenger seat. When we woke this morning, she said we only had a couple more hours to drive and that I’d be staying with her friends for a bit while she visited a family member. She’s being secretive, and for once, I don’t like it. It bothers me and makes me worry. She’s been a constant in my life since I woke up in the ICU, and now she won’t be around.
We pass through a fence line, and as I stare out the window, a farmhouse, barn, and a few outbuildings come into view. Again, there’s a niggling in the back of my mind that I can’t shake. Goose bumps rise along my arms beneath my hoodie when I see the motorcycles parked in front of the house. But it’s the women stepping out onto the porch—a petite blonde and a dark-haired woman with a tattooed face—that make me pause.
My stomach drops. I know where we are. I can’t be here. Panic sets in and my hands start shaking. My breathing exhilarates as I realize who I’m staring at. I’ve heard the stories. Every Handmaiden has.
Maisy puts a hand on my thigh, and I jump and scream. She slows the car down but doesn’t stop the forward progression. I can’t be here. I should jump out and make a run for it. I can’t jeopardize these women too.
“Jane, are you okay?” Maisy’s voice breaks through my thoughts. When I turn to look at her, she pats my leg again. “It’s going to be okay. They look scary, but they aren’t. Well, not unless you want to hurt them or the ones they care about.” She chuckles, but it’s stilted, forced.
“I can’t be here,” I say.
I don’t realize the car has stopped until my door opens. Standing there, holding it open, is Tink, president of the Timber-Ghost, Devil’s Handmaidens Motorcycle Club Montana Chapter. Up close, I see she’s probably as tall as Maisy, only a couple of inches shorter than me.
“No, close the door. We need to leave.”
“We’re here to help you,” Tink says. “You’ll stay with us while Maisy heads up to Requiem for a bit.”
I shake my head so fast that I get dizzy. “No, I can’t be here. I need to leave.” In my panic, my voice rises.
“I think she’s scared of you, Goldilocks.” The taller, tattooed woman chuckles, and I know she’s Shadow. Everyone talks about what she can do, what she’s like, and no one ever wants to cross her.
“I’m not afraid. I need you to forget you saw me and just let me leave.” I turn to Maisy. “Give me a ride to another town, somewhere away from here. I’ll get on a bus and go far away.”
