“Jesus,” I swore.
She hadn’t mentioned any of that. Not that she would have. She barely knew me, and yet we’d had a connection that was more than just lust. There had been something between us, no doubt. Something strong. I had to find her and at least try and help her.
Bull cleared his throat. “Dillon, you were the last one to see her.” He watched me carefully, inspecting me in that way he did when he wanted to find out things you weren’t ready to tell. Bull could see right through to a man’s soul, to the secrets he was trying to keep buried. But I had nothing to do with Hope disappearing. I had left her in the garage, pissed off with me because I hadn’t fucked her, but she was very much alive.
A thought struck me.
“I wasn’t the last person to see her,” I said, my thoughts turning dark. “Maria was.”
“Maria? Hammer’s old lady?” Bull scowled, like saying her name was bad enough, but connecting her to Hope was even worse.
I nodded. “Yeah, after I fucked her I left, but she went in and spoke to her.” I let out a dark laugh. “Actually, from what Maria told me yesterday, it was more mocking than talking. In fact”—I frowned—“Hope had been crying when I’d found her the first time, stumbling through the bikes to try and get out. She’d said she’d made a fool out of herself and that…” I scratched my head as I tried to recall exactly what she’d said, but I couldn’t remember properly. I’d slept, fucked, drank, and fought since that night.
“And what?”
“I’m not sure exactly. But she hadn’t been happy, said something about one of the old ladies being mean to her or some shit. Would Maria have hurt her?” I suddenly felt angry, red-hot rage burning through me again at the thought of any harm coming to Hope. “I’ll fucking kill her if she’s hurt Hope.”
I stood up and so did Bull. He put a heavy hand on my arm. “Easy. Let’s get back to the clubhouse and find out what happened before we start killing anyone.” He sighed. “There’s been enough death this week already.”
I dressed in jeans and a shirt, and Wolf cleaned up the cuts above both my eyes, putting steri-strips across the wide cuts to hold them together. I’d have some great scars from that night, that was for sure. I just didn’t know at the time how deep those scars would be.
We left the fight room and headed back to the clubhouse on our bikes. I wasn’t sure what Bull had said to Hammer, but he gave me a cautious look as we drove out of the yard and toward home.
I was normally at the back, since I was a prospect, but I was too desperate to find Hope and so I found myself riding faster and faster until I had passed everyone. Half expected one of them to pull in front of me but no one did. I pulled into the clubhouse a good couple of minutes before anyone else, and was storming through the clubhouse yelling Maria’s name when Bull, Hammer, Wolf, and Patch finally followed me in.
“She here?” Bull asked, and I shook my head.
“Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on now? Why’s he calling my old lady’s name like that?” Hammer yelled, looking angry and frustrated. He glared at me.
“Where the fuck is she?” I growled out. I was too hyped up by then to calm myself down.
“You better dial back that motherfucking attitude, Dillon. Maria ismywoman and I’ll send you to ground if you touch one hair on her head.” On the surface he seemed calm, but looking closer you could see that he was shaking with barely contained anger.
He had no idea what had gone on, but he obviously knew that whatever it was wasn’t good. Either way, she was his woman and he would stand by her side and tear me apart if I tried to hurt her. But I didn’t give a shit. Not one. Because if Maria had hurt Hope, she’d be coming with me to hell. I’d take every motherfucker down with me.
Whatever had happened to Hope before I met her had set her on this course. Something bad had happened, something that had nothing to do with the club, but it would sure as hell end with it. That much I knew.
“She ain’t here,” Crystal said, coming from a back room with one of my brothers. She looked me over, sensing it wasn’t the time to be a smartass about anything. “She ain’t been back all day. She’s probably at the Grove.”
The Grove was a bar the old ladies liked to visit sometimes. It was in the center of the strip, and one of the best bars around, from what everyone said. I hadn’t been there myself, but I’d find it soon enough. I headed back the way I’d come, toward the door, when Thor charged into the clubhouse.
He surveyed the situation quickly, his anxious gaze going across us all until it landed on Bull.
“Prez, Stone needs you. He’s messed up, like real messed up. Turned up a couple of hours ago out of his mind on crank and talking some shit about Click. He started throwing up and then passed the fuck out. Ain’t woken up since. Not seen anyone this bad since…” Thor didn’t finish off his sentence, but every one had a somber look about them that told a thousand stories.
“Fuck. That dumb motherfucker just won’t listen to what’s good for him,” Bull barked out. “If Click weren’t already dead, I’d kill him again just for getting Stone on that shit. Take me to him, this bullshit will have to wait. I gotta take care of my family first.”
Everything Bull had been saying to me since I joined came crashing down around me, his words ringing in my ears like a damned foghorn; these men were my family, and we helped and protected our family. The realization was awakening and painful.
“Let me see him, I might be able to help,” I said, putting Maria and her bullshit to one side. At least for the moment.
Thor looked at Bull who glanced at me, his expression curious. “You sure?” Bull asked, and I nodded. “All right, go clean him up.”
I started to follow Thor out of the clubhouse but I quickly glanced back at Bull. “Find Hope for me, Prez, and I’ll do my best to keep Stone alive.”
“We’ll find her, brother. The club’s got your back,” Bull replied.
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” Hammer bit out, looking furious at being kept out of the loop.
