“Rook,” I bark, “get the fuck in here.”
Expecting my shout, the young prospect pokes his head around the door. I’d told him to wait outside in case we needed anything. As he’s not fully patched in yet, he’s kind of the gofer. He doesn’t have a place in this meeting, but since he was with her, too, he needs to be involved. As much as it pains me to bring in someone outside of this tightknit circle, because we clearly have traitors in our midst, my gut tells me I can trust Rook. He might be young and naïve, but he’s not the kind of man to turn on those he’s loyal to. Hell, he went to prison for a stretch when he could have easily walked away if he’d talked.
“Sit down,” I tell him, and he obeys instantly, dropping into an empty chair. I look between Ace and Rook. “You two were the last ones to see her.” I ask the question again. “How did she seem?”
The two men exchange a glance, and Rook anxiously pulls his lower lip between his teeth.
“Um…” Rook stares at the floor.
It’s clear they’re not sure how to answer. What would they say? Orgasmic? In a post-coital haze?
I growl, “Outside of the sex, I mean.”
“Uh… fine,” Ace says. “I mean… the same as she always seems.”
I look to Rook. He nods in agreement. “Yeah, it was all good. Nothing that gave us any concerns.”
They clearly weren’t very fucking observant.
“I saw the messages on her phone,” I tell them. “She was checking in with her mom, saying she was going to make her way to the safehouse. So even while she was screwing around with the two of you, she must have been thinking about leaving.”
I don’t think I imagine the flash of pain crossing the younger men’s faces. Had they thought they’d meant something to her? That their magic fucking dicks somehow convinced her that she’d be better off with us than with her family? Maybe I’d hoped for the same thing. For her to want to stay here,for me, even though I’d done everything I could to push her away.
Something else occurs to me.Ivani. Shit. My daughter doesn’t know that her friend is missing. She’s going to blame herself, too. I remember that terrible argument in the clubhouse, the ugly things Vani said to Camile. Ironically, I’d thought that pushing Camile into Ace’s arms would keep her safe, but it’s done the opposite.
A muscle ticks in Ace’s jaw. “She never mentioned anything. She seemed happy.”
“What about the property?” I press. “Did you see anyone lurking around?”
Again, the two younger members glance at each other.
Ace shakes his head. “No. Nothing.”
“We should’ve stayed,” Rook says, punching his fist into his palm. “We should never have left her.”
“Stop,” Ace says softly—more breath than word.
He means don’t beat yourself up. Don’t punishyourself. But every single one of us in this room is doing exactly that, asking what we could have done differently.
Ghost is probably wondering why he didn’t stay up all night glued to the cameras, watching her sleep, so he could’ve seen immediately if strangers entered the house. Ace and Rook clearly think they should have stayed to protect her.
And as for me… I wish I’d done everything differently. Every single fucking word out of my mouth was wrong. I let her down.
So now I’m left here, torturing myself with thoughts of what she’s going through, and trying to figure out how to put it right.
“I’ve already contacted my chapter from back home,” I inform them, “and they’re sending men to help. They should be here mid-afternoon. You’ll notice that there’s only a few of you here today, and that’s because you’re the people I trust.” I send Rook a pointed glance and hope he realizes just how privileged he is to be included amongst the number here in this room. “We can’t get away from the fact that the compound has been compromised, and the only way for that to have happened is from the inside. Fencing was cut and security cameras disabled. Someone has betrayed us and allowed outsiders to come onto our territory and steal our girl.” I realize what I’ve said and correct myself. “Steal Camile, I mean.”
Is that how I think of her? As our girl? I shouldn’t. I have no claim on her, and nothing has changed as far as not wanting Camile and me destroying my relationship with my daughter.
My gaze rakes over my men, in particular Ace and Rook, and finally landing on Ghost. My club enforcer has been the cagiest out of all of them. He’s always been abit of a dark horse, but I’d believed I could trust him with my life. Now I’ve found out he’s known about those cameras in the house where Camile has been staying for as long as she’s been there. He’s been watching her and never said a word about it, until now. Has he watched her getting changed? Coming out of the shower, naked and wet? Has he been observing her while she pleasures herself before falling asleep? The idea makes me burn, and the fact he didn’t tell me sends red flags flying, even if I hate feeling that way about him.
It doesn’t make sense that I’m more upset about Ghostwatchingher than I am about Rook and Ace actuallyscrewingher, but it goes against what I thought I knew of the man. Then again, maybe he doesn’t know himself. He’s quieter than ever this morning, and he’s looked like shit for days. Perhaps he’s surprised himself with his stalkerish tendencies as much as he has me.
Can I trust Ghost?
Ace jumps to his feet. “I know who it was.”
My mind is still on Ghost and those cameras. “What?”
