Murf grins at our Prez. “First stop, Redfield to visit Nurse Thatcher.”
“Nurse Thatcher?” I ask, and Abbey’s eyes go wide.
“Is she the nurse who helped Elizabeth Stone steal my baby?”
“Looks like it. Or at least, she’s the nurse who worked with Dr Madden that day. She also took leave after that shift and hasn’t been back.”
Abbey’s wide eyes dart to me.
“It’s her. It has to be.”
“It’s the best lead we’ve got.” I smile at my wife before addressing my club brothers. “Let’s find Nurse Thatcher and give her a true Southern Sadist’s introduction.”
6
The old Californian bungalow belonging to Caroline Thatcher looks deserted, as if the owner fled in a hurry. Ringo’s men scour the house from top to bottom for any leads, all while with every passing second, the rage inside me grows.
I’m back to where I was before Bobbi was born. Terrified for her safety, only this time she isn’t hidden safely inside my womb. She isn’t even remotely close to me.
She’s with strangers. Strangers who may or may not be caring for her the way she deserves.
“Angel, you’re going to wear a hole in the carpet,” Ringo says from the entryway of the shitty little living room, and I shoot him a glare, annoyed when he doesn’t even flinch.
“You’re really going to give me shit now?” I snap, and he holds up his hands in surrender.
Shit, I’m practically vibrating with anger, ready to explode.
“Why don’t you sit down? The guys are nearly done.”
That does it. I see red, his calm tone scraping against my last nerves, making it feel like he’s telling me to calm down, even though he never actually says it. A strangled scream tears out of me as I grab the first thing within reach and hurl it across the room.
“I don’t want to sit down!”
The TV suddenly blares to life, triggered by the crash of what must have been the remote I threw, and a news reporter’s voice fills the room.
“The spate of gang-related crimes in the area has increased, and locals are starting to fear for their safety. Everything from local boys being taken and killed, to a supermarket and an airfield turned into war zones, and now, a massacre at the local hospital.”
The camera pans out, showing Fox Pines Hospital in the background, with a solid wall of police and emergency vehicles lining the front. Behind them, coroners move in and out, carrying black body bags and loading them into a waiting van.
“Sources say we are amidst a bikie gang war that has somehow become entangled with a questionable church, and the drama surrounding the young girl who went missing weeks ago. Abbey Delany.”
I stiffen.
“I’m Abbey Musgrove now, bitch,” I mutter, right as Ringo’s big hands land on my upper arms, pulling me back against his chest.
“You tell her,” he chuckles, kissing the top of my head.
“Locals are putting pressure on law enforcement to forget about the pandemic and focus on the safety of citizens, especially after learning a motorcycle club has acquired a property on the fringes of Fox Pines.”
“Fuck,” Ringo mutters under his breath, just as Smitty’s voice cuts in.
“It’s begun. They know we’re here now. Guess I’ll have to start wearing my best smile for the cameras.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Smitty grinning, completely unfazed by the news.
“You’re not concerned?” I ask as Ringo releases me and moves to the remote, flicking the TV off.
“Nah. This shit happens every time we relocate. Locals get their panties in a twist until they realise we’re not here to cause trouble.”
