“Zeroed in on him how?”
“They’re planning on visiting him. Eloise too.”
“What the fuck for?”
“My guess is they knew Stark was desperate to get to her, and now that they’ve seen him come to you, they think there’s something here that might be valuable to them.”
“Fuck.” I scrub my hand over my face, not fucking liking this latest development.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks, brother. I’ll get over there and take care of this.”
We end the call and I locate King in the bar. “Axe just called to let me know Zenith have taken an interest in Maddox and Eloise because of their link to us. We need to head over there and bring them back here for a while.” If I wasn’t stretched thin with club members taking care of other shit, I’d send someone to watch t
hem instead.
“Fuck,” he mutters. “She wasn’t pleased to see me this afternoon; she won’t fucking like this.”
After Maddox paid a visit to us, King went to see her while I called Striker and demanded to know why the fuck he hadn’t advised us that Eloise was home. He gave me some bullshit excuse I didn’t buy for one minute. He’s still chasing pussy all over the place and allowing it to distract him. I sent him home and told him not to bother showing his face again until he’s sure he can contribute something useful to the club. I’m this fucking close to sending him back to Adelaide. I allowed him to return to Melbourne a month ago, but shit isn’t looking good for him.
“She wouldn’t have to deal with any of this if she hadn’t stolen a child years ago,” I say.
Eloise told King she took Maddox because she didn’t want the child growing up around the club. Apparently she’d slept with half the club and hated every one of them. Whatever her reason, it’s not a choice I condone.
“I agree, brother.” He offered the club’s help to Maddox if he wants to search for his family. Eloise didn’t fucking like that.
“Okay, I’ve gotta call Birdie and then I’ll be ready to go,” I say before walking outside to make the call.
Birdie answers on the second ring. “Hey, baby. I’m almost finished what I have to do, so I’m definitely ready for dinner. I was thinking we could go—”
Fuck, I hate to do this to her, especially when I can hear happiness in her voice. “Angel, I’m sorry, but something’s come up here. I don’t know when I’ll be home now.”
“Oh, okay. I understand.” She might understand, but the happiness I heard a moment ago is nowhere to be heard now.
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way home, but don’t wait up for me in case I’m late.”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Birdie, and I’m taking a raincheck on dinner.”
“I love you, too,” she says so damn softly I only just hear her. “Be safe.”
I stare at the phone after we end the call, wishing like fuck that shit didn’t keep coming up that causes me to be away from her. I’ve missed so many dinners and nights with her over the last four months that I can’t count them anymore. The fact I’m missing tonight, when it’s taken us this long to make the time to be together, pisses me off.
King joins me outside and we drive to Eloise’s place.
The street is dark due to half the streetlights being broken. Eloise’s place is also dark and I wonder if either she or Maddox are home. Eloise appears at the door after we knock, though, and I see Maddox in the hallway.
Scowling at us, she demands, “What the fuck do you want now? Don’t you think you’ve stirred up enough trouble for us already?”
King doesn’t give her an opportunity to refuse entry; he pushes the door all the way open and steps inside. “We need to talk.”
Her mouth opens wide, as do her eyes. “Just make yourself at home.”
“We’ve got shit going down with the club and we have reason to believe you and Maddox are in danger,” I say as I enter her house.
Slamming the door after us, she says, “Oh, this is exactly what I should have expected from your fucking club. What kind of danger?”