Bare (Diamondback MC 3)

“Sorry, kid. Shit situation. You allowed this to happen. Coulda came to us with a clear conscience. Now you’re up shit creek without a paddle.” This comes from Shovel, who’s way more level-headed than I am at this point.

“It doesn’t matter. It never did. You’ll see what I’m talking about soon.” Jamie’s head lulls to the side, clearly defeated, and I’m tempted to put another bullet in his body just to wake him up.

“Leave him hangin’. Let’s go see what Razor found, if anything.” He sounds as irritated as I feel.

“Who’s gonna watch him?” I question, taking into account anything Tony is capable of doing.

“Rage.” Jamie is good and fucked. When Rage is in, well, a rage, the sky’s the limit with just how much he’ll take his anger out on the other person. The way he had him corralled in the clubhouse, shit’s about to get worse for Jamie.

“Like your way of thinkin’,” I agree, moving quickly to see if anything has been found out about the girls and Bennett.

Twelve

Sadie

Scared shitless, that’s what I am, and Monroe clearly is too with the way she’s chewing on her thumbnail. Clearly, since the assholes held us at gunpoint, three of them at that, there was no way even with my badassery skills to thwart them, even to get Monroe and Henley to run for their lives. It would have been kind of hard to convey that message to Doc’s daughter while she was texting everyone and I had my eyes locked around us until someone came up behind me, metal to my head, slipping my bag off my shoulder and taking my phone with them. Monroe’s phone was slapped out of her hand and then smashed to smithereens.

“I wonder what happened to Bennett?” Monroe is relaying my thoughts because for him not to be outside waiting was beyond odd.

“God, me too. I hope he’s okay.” I kiss the crown of Henley’s head, thankful she’s resting. When they took my bag, her medicine was in it too. She was crying every now and then, even when the dude with the long, jagged scar across his face scornfully told me to shut up the brat. It took everything I had not to talk back. This shit really does suck.

“Same. We have to think that the club may not know where we are. Our phones being gone, Bennett disappearing…” Monroe is trying to be strong, and I get it, but I also hear her voice getting wobbly.

“You’re right. That’s why, if we see an opportunity to flee, you take my girl and get as far as you can away from here. Don’t stop running until you find someone you can trust.” I look into her eyes until she understands me completely.

“I can’t do that. You’re Henley’s mother. No freaking way. I’d never be able to live with myself. Henley needs you more than me. You go and take her with you,” she tries to offer.

“No, no freaking way. You do as I say, please. Ruger and the guys will come back for me. We don’t know what this Cartel is capable of. You saw the looks. We’re lucky they’ve kept us together and not locked in different cells. Not to mention bound and gagged. These people are so unsettling.” We were both walked away with guns drawn on a busy street, and not one passerby tried to stop these guys. Apparently, the townspeople are scared shitless of the Cartel. That could probably be because Henley’s doctor was in a different town, one over from Ely. Freaking insurance and only allowing my girl to see a doctor more than thirty minutes away from her now home.

“It is, but knowing the guys, they’ll figure it out before too long,” she breathes out.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” A man slams the door open, causing me to jostle Henley. A sharp intake of breath comes from Henley. He’s not a very tall man, his paunch stomach only amplifying that he doesn’t take care of himself. He’s got a nose that’s big for his face, is showing signs of heavy drinking, and the deep scarring on his face doesn’t lead to the fact he’s a nice individual.

Monroe starts to say something. My hand reaches out to hers to squeeze it, telling her quietly to not say a word.

“You’d be wise to stay quiet. I’m Tony, by the way, and if your guys don’t call me back soon, well who know what Scar is likely to do.” He doesn’t say anything else, instead walking out just as quickly as he walked in.

“I told you, this whole situation is weird,” I murmur to Monroe.

“No kidding. Thank you for settling me down. Apparently, there’s more of my father in me than I like to admit.”

“There’s a time and a place. I know we’re sitting ducks, but for now it’s our safest option until we see what kind of schedules these guys have,” I tell her ruefully.