They kept heading out of town, and Jinx followed, keeping cars between them. He knew not to get too close and tip them off. The van pulled into a truck rest area, and this time Jinx took the risk.
He jumped off directly behind them and yanked open the back door. The guy sitting there was as surprised as Jinx, especially when Jinx’s fist hit him full on. Jinx leapt up inside and saw Allegra unconscious on the floor. Wade and Darcy were sobbing quietly. Without a second thought, Jinx grabbed them as another man attacked.
Jinx glanced at Allegra and made his choice. He jumped backwards off the van, landing on his ass before scrambling to his feet with the twins. Pain raced through his shoulder and then ribs, but he didn’t hesitate. He ran; that was the option. Jinx couldn’t go for his bike, not with the kids.
Darcy recognised him and was wailing ‘Inx!’ in his ear while Wade just cried. Jinx heard footsteps chasing as he ducked and dived through the trucks. He had his gun, but didn’t dare lookbehind him. Three trucks pulled out, and Jinx darted behind a stationary one.
“Darcy, shush, you’ve gotta stop crying. They’ll find us,” Jinx murmured. Wade had stopped wailing and was wide-eyed with fear. Tear tracks stained his cheeks, and Darcy began hiccupping. Jinx heard a loud crash, then a crunching noise, and waited. While he did, he checked what was causing him pain.
Fuck, he’d been shot. A bullet had grazed his ribs, and he wasn’t too bothered by it, but his shoulder burned like a fucker. It was high up, near his collarbone. Jinx ripped his flannel shirt and padded the wound to stop the bleeding. After ten minutes, he decided the coast was clear and headed back to his bike, alert and wary in case someone jumped him.
The scene that met him was devastating. The van and his Harley were still there, but the doors were wide open, and Allegra was gone. The assholes had backed over his Hog, and it was trashed and mangled. Jinx wouldn’t be escaping on that. Hurting at his loss, Jinx yanked his cell out and tried dialling Chance. When the call didn’t connect, Jinx cursed when he saw the cracked screen. Fuck, he’d broken that, too.
He looked around. There were some truckers about, but he couldn’t trust them, and he didn’t know anyone’s phone number. He’d have to walk back to the clubhouse, which was at least fifteen miles away. Picking the kids up again, Jinx started walking. He passed an open truck and saw a first-aid kit and some bottles of water. Grabbing them, he moved off quickly and headed for a private corner. Jinx bandaged his ribs, put some pads on his shoulder, and wrapped it as best he could. He gave Darcy and Wade a drink and picked them up. His shoulder screamed, and Jinx thought he might pass out, but he got to grips with the pain.
Jinx knew the route he’d ridden, and he’d head back that way, staying in the shadows and treeline. He wouldn’t let Darcy and Wade be taken.
He’d killed before; he’d do it again.
Shotgun
“There’s gotta be a lead!” he roared, launching a chair against the wall. Bear moved closer to contain him.
“Everyone’s out, Shotgun, everyone,” Chance promised.
“We ain’t,” Shotgun snarled.
“You aren’t riding in this state,” Chance snapped.
“It’s been four hours,” Shotgun yelled. “Someone must have seen something. Has anyone reached that fuckin’ prospect yet?”
Chance shook his head. He and Bear continuously kept dialling Jinx. Everyone had answered but him. Chance had also had a missed call from the prospect. The odds of Jinx, Allegra, and the kids turning up missing at the same time were astronomical. He reckoned Jinx had witnessed something. Chance didn’t for one minute believe that Jinx would have hurt them. It wasn’t in the kid.
“Are the cameras up yet?” Rain demanded from where he sat in the corner.
“Leila will let us know.” The kidnapping had been timed perfectly. The city’s camera system was down for a server change, meaning there was no footage of Allegra being snatched.
Some witnesses had phoned it in, and it had taken the police an hour to identity Allegra. They’d contacted the family, who’d then tracked Shotgun to see if Allegra was at the club. As soon as Shotgun had been alerted, he called Chance, who reached out and sent the brothers out looking. Allies had been alerted, and everyone was searching for Allegra and the kids. Chance hadalso put an alert out on his missing prospect. His gut told him that the two disappearances were linked.
Jinx
Step. Step. Step. One foot in front of another.Step. Step. Step. He ignored the pain coming and kept going. It didn’t matter that his piece of shit boots were tearing his feet to shreds. All that mattered was saving a brother’s kids.
Jinx hadn’t failed Hellfire yet, and he didn’t intend to now. He could have thumbed a ride, but what if the car that stopped was the kidnappers? Jinx was paranoid, but rightfully so. He had precious cargo with him.
Would the club even keep him with no ride? Jinx couldn’t afford new boots, let alone a new bike. It was a piece of shit, but it had been his. He’d worked his ass off for that, and it was gone. Anyway, Chance would kick him sooner or later, so Jinx was resigned to it. Might as well be now.Step. Step. Step. Keep going. Save Shotgun’s kids. Make Jinx’s worthless life mean something.
Pyro
Five and a half hours. No ransom demand, nothing. Nobody had a clue where Shotgun’s family was. For four hours, they’d checked the city and surrounding towns. Where the fuck was Jinx as well? Pyro rode past the truck stop and reacted before realising it. Pyro headed towards a black van, and a chill sank into his stomach as he saw what some truckers were observing.
The crushed Hog, which had been destroyed by the van, belonged to Jinx.
Pyro leapt off his bike and raced over. “Did anyone see the rider?” he demanded.
“No, man, it’s been here ages. We called it in several hours ago, but the cops haven’t come yet,” a trucker replied.
“Fuck!” Pyro roared. The police were looking for Allegra, and if they’d attended this call, they’d have had this lead earlier. He yanked his phone and dialled Chance.
