“ I know she’s a lot to take, but she’s harmless,” I assure him.
“I don’t know, babe, she’s a little too ‘Norma Bates’ for my liking.”
“Well, unfortunately,Norma Bateshappens to be our little girl's grandma.” I smile down at my tummy when she starts to fidget inside me.
“And she can still be involved, just don’t put yourself in any stupid situations; not with either of them.” He steps up behind me, reaching over my shoulders and framing my heavy stomach with his hands.
“Hey, I thought it was polite to ask before doing that?” I tease, reminding him of his own words and loving how good it felt to be protected by him.
“I don’t need permission, darlin’, you’re mine.” My core clenches when he drags my earlobe between his teeth. “Come on.”
I screech when he crouches down and somehow manages to gracefully lift me from the chair.
“Vike, I’m too heavy.” I giggle, clinging my arms around his neck, scared he might drop me.
“You don’t weigh a thing.” He kisses me as he carries me through to our bedroom.
“What about Peyton, or Eden…? Has no one heard anything?” Saint checks, looking as concerned as the rest of us as we all sit around the table, wondering where the fuck our prez is. Wrath called us all in for a meeting earlier this morning, because it's been forty-eight hours since anyone heard from him. Sitting here now, it’s strange as hell seeing his seat empty.
“Nothin’ at all. Peyton’s a mess, and Eden don’t need the stress of all this.” I can tell Wrath is angry just from his tone.
“Did he tell anyone where he was goin’?” I ask. I’m wondering if maybe he’s just taking some time out. Apparently, he’d learned that he and Peyton couldn’t keep the kid they’d taken in, and from what I’m hearing, he was blaming himself for it.
“Not a word; last thing he said to Pey was that he had something to deal with and that coulda been anythin’. Me and Ruck drove up to check out the cabin last night, but it was empty,” Raze's father, Vex, answers, trying to put on a brave face.
“I don’t think he would have left Peyton and Eden like that, especially knowin’ how much they’d worry; you know how much he loves ’em.” Ruckus tries to be the voice of reason.
“This ain’t the first time Raze has left without sayin’ goodbye.” The rage in Wrath is getting stronger, I can sense it.
“That’s crazy talk. Raze loves Peyton…and there's no way he’d intentionally put Eden through all this stress while she’s pregnant. I don’t wanna say it, but we may have to start suspectin’ something’s happened to him.” I can tell the words hurt Ruck to say out loud. He’s Raze’s sergeant-at-arms, and he’s always taken his role of protector seriously.
“Nothing’s happened to him!” Vex slams his fist on the table. “He had a fight with his girl, and he’s out there lickin’ his fuckin’ wounds.” The old man gets up from his seat and storms out when he decides he’s heard enough, and we all look at each other, knowing that there's a good chance Ruck could be right.
“What ya want us to do, boss?” Sasquatch looks to Wrath; he’s the one who’s gonna have to take charge of this situation now.
“We keep lookin’. We keep tryin' his cell, and when we find him, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him, myself.” He storms out of the room, too, and we flinch when we hear the door to Raze’s office slam, once he’s entered it.
“Anyone else feelin’ kinda useless?” Saint breaks the silence. I gotta feel grateful that it’s him we got today, instead of Sinner. I don’t think anyone is in the mood to tolerate that fucker’s bullshit right now.
“We just all gotta keep things together. Support Peyton and Eden, and keep things runnin’ till Raze comes home,” Dev tells us sounding optimistic.
“And what if he don’t come back?” Ruck, who’s usually the most positive outta all of us, looks unconvinced. “There's enough people out there who would want Raze dead for us to assume the fuckin’ worst.”
“Don’t you let those girls out there hear you sayin’ that shit,” Tawk speaks up, shaking his head and looking as worried as the rest of us.
“I didn’t realize you had a fuckin’voice,” Greaser mocks him.
“Yeah, well, you ain’t had much to say either today, or is that because Vike here busted up your jaw?” Dev swipes back, and when Greaser stands up like he’s ‘bout do somethin’, Sasquatch and Ruckus grab him and force him to sit back down.
“Now ain’t the time for us to be fighting among each other,” Ruck warns. “Vike, tomorrow, we need you to go through the club finances. Things have been slack since you’ve been gone. Check we’re not owed or in debt. Today, you and Dev can ride out and visit any motels and bars on the North side of the city. Ask around, find out if anyone's seen him. Greaser. Saint. You take the East side, and me and Tawk can cover the West. Let's hope and pray we find him.” Ruck picks up the gavel and slams it before heading out, and as we slowly follow him out, I remind myself to put on a brave face before I check in with Alicia at the girls' table.
“That looked heated, what's going on, Vike? What aren’t you all telling me?” Peyton looks shattered; her eyes are red and swollen, the dark circles under ’em prove she’s been gettin’ no sleep.
“Ain’t nothin’ we ain’t tellin’ ya. We’re all sure Raze is gonna walk back through that door with some serious grovelling to do any second.”
Eden shakes her head, looking equally as tired and broken as Peyton.
“He wouldn’t do this to us; he’d at least let us know he was okay.” She speaks robotically. “What if he’s dead?”
