My phone goes off yet again and I pull myself up to answer it, anything to get away from this conversation.
I expect Cas or JJ’s name, even one of the twins. I frown seeing Alannah’s. All other thoughts leave and I answer, pressing the phone to my ear.
“Zach?”
“Yeah, I’m here. What's up?”
“I need you at the club.” Then she hangs up.
Alannah has never made a call needing me. I hit up my contacts and hit JJ’s number. No answer. I try Mason’s, thenMyles, and they don’t answer either. I reach out to Cas and again, nothing.
For Alannah to call me and no one else is answering, shit is bad. I run up the stairs and wake Nina.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve gotta go. I need you to sit with my mom until she goes to bed.”
“Why?”
“She’s stoned, for the first time ever, and I don’t want her alone.”
I help her out of bed and as she follows me downstairs, we find Mom waiting by the front door.
“Don’t go, Zach.”
“Mom, I have to.”
“No, you don’t. If you go tonight, you’ll never leave.”
I keep my mouth shut, she knows she won’t win this, it’s evident when she sighs with such sadness, I can feel it. She steps to the side, and I run out to my bike. I don’t know if it would have helped if Alannah had given me any details of what has happened so I could prepare, or not.
The ride to the club is clear and quiet under the stars. There is only the prospect around, sat at the gate with a small arsenal of guns at his side.
“Who else is here?” I ask once I kill my engine.
“No one. JJ, Mason, and Myles left the night before Cas and Sparky.”
“You’re the only one they left here?”
He nods. “Cas said that if I let anything happen to the women and kids, he kill me a hundred times over so I'm kinda glad you’re here.”
I give him my number and instruct, “Anyone shows up, call me.”
I jog toward the houses, to track down Alannah, when he yells out, “They’re all in the bar.”
I change direction and find the bar door locked. I bang against the tatty painted door and try to recall the last time this door was locked.
“Who is it?” Alannah yells.
“It’s Zach.”
The door is unlocked and swings open. The old ladies and kids have set up temporary beds and most of the kids are asleep.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“We were hoping you could tell us. We haven’t heard from anyone in two days, and the last time Cas called, he was saying goodbye.”
Rayna wakes and rushes over, clinging to me. I stroke her hair as I keep my eye on Alannah.
