“We believe a sex trafficking ring kidnapped your daughter two nights ago. I saw her in a van earlier this evening at a gas station, and she asked me for help. From there, it’s kind of a long story.”
I don’t say anything, content to let him explain. My father is the kind of man who acts first and thinks later, a huge bone of contention between us, but I need him tonight. We’ve drifted apart since my mother died, but he’s still my dad.
“Theo Sterling. My friends call me Silver but you can call me Mr. Sterling.”
I almost roll my eyes.
Then I catch sight of more leather-clad, booted men in the hall and I grip my father’s leather vest. “Get rid of them,” I hiss.”
He looks down in confusion. “Who?”
“Your brothers. Not here. Not tonight. I don’t need an audience to my humiliation. I’m serious, Dad. Either they go or you can all leave.”
He sighs heavily. Like he’s losing his patience with me but after another look at my bruised face, he acquiesces.
“All right, darlin’.” He walks into the hallway, says something to the guys, and after a short argument, they disperse.
Thank God.
The last person I want to see tonight is my ex, Pete. He’s the club’s treasurer and one of my father’s closest confidantes. One of his “brothers.” I walked away from the motorcycle clubyears ago, and my father and I have come to an understanding about his lifestyle when it comes to his relationship with me, but there’s no way to truly separate the president of the local Renegade Demons club and my father—they’re one and the same. He simply behaves a little better when it’s just the two of us.
“Wait. Stop.” Dad finally interrupts Landon. “Are you saying…you were trafficked?” He stares at me as if it’s just now sinking in.
“Yes. We’re not sure but that’s what I think based on things I saw and heard.”
“And then he just stopped the van in the middle of nowhere and ran?” His voice is laced with disbelief, and I bristle.
“Dad, I was just kidnapped, beaten, and raped. If you’re going to stand there doubting me, then I don’t need you here.” That’s a lie but I’ll die before admitting it.
Something about the word rape makes him wince and then his face hardens. “Did you see their faces?”
Now it’s sinking in.
I nod slowly and he hisses out a breath. “Fucking hell. You okay, baby?”
“Do I look okay?”
“No.” He turns to Landon slowly. “And you’re the one who rescued her?”
“Yes, sir.” Like he’s my new boyfriend trying to impress my dad, he nods solemnly, with a respectful air.
Dad slowly holds out his hand. “I owe you a debt.”
Landon shakes his head. “No, sir. I did the right thing. Something anybody would have done.”
“But no one else did.” Dad turns back to me. “We’re going to find them. And make them pay.”
That’s pretty much the only reason I called him. He’s not good at comforting me, and I’m definitely not moving to theclubhouse, so revenge is the only part of the equation that works for me. And I don’t care if that makes me a bad person.
Because I know exactly what will happen to those men if my father finds them.
It won’t be a painless death, and I can’t bring myself to care.
They deserve anything they get—it’s the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.
Assuming they can be found.
I have no idea where they held me or where we were going when he took off.
