Getting out of the shower, he dried off, wrapping the towel around his hips as he buzzed off the tattooed portion of his scalp. His head was bent over the sink as he washed away the loose hair when he heard the sound of his phone going off.
Grabbing a clean towel, he rubbed his head dry as he reached for the phone without looking to see who was calling.
“Your bird has taken off.”
Shade’s voice on the other end of the line had him dropping the towel to his shoulders.
“What in the fuck you talking about?”
“Ginny. She ditched Nickel. He can’t find her.”
“Why in the fuck didn’t he call me?”
“He’s afraid you’re going to kill him when you see him. He wanted me to tell you not to.”
Reaper strode into the bedroom, quickly getting dressed. “He’s safe until I find her. Where did she ditch him?”
“At the nightclub. She asked Nickel to get her and Kimmy some coffee from the kitchen, and when he came back, she was gone. Kimmy told him that Ginny told her she was going to get them some snacks from the VIP lounge and she never came back. When Nickel checked, she wasn’t there.”
“How do we know the stalker didn’t take her?” Shoving his boots on, Reaper stood to grab his jacket as he rushed out of the room.
“Nickel found a note she left in the lounge; it was addressed to him.”
“Her stalker could have left—”
“Nickel checked the security footage. She left on her own steam,” Shade cut him off.
“Fuck.”
Instead of going to the front door of the apartment, Reaper went into Ginny’s bedroom. Giving it a quick glance, he saw a pale blue envelope propped against her lamp.
“How long ago?” he asked Shade.
“She has a thirty-minute head start on you.”
“Tell Nickel he’s dead. He shouldn’t haven’t waited so long to call me.”
“He called me immediately. He had trouble figuring out the coffee pot, or she wouldn’t have such a big lead.”
Picking the envelope up, he tore it open, taking the letter out. “Got to go. I’ll call when I find which direction she’s going. Any idea?”
“No. I thought this might be coming. She’s been squirreling cash away, so nothing’s off the table. Don’t think it’ll be Treepoint or Queen City. If her stalker followed her to Nashville, she won’t take the chance she’ll lead him there.”
“I agree. Ginny couldn’t have taken off at a worse time with us not knowing which direction she’s headed. We have our hands full increasing the production of the supplies you and Arin said we should, while maintaining our normal orders. Find her quick. If she goes underground, we won’t have a chance in hell of finding her before hell breaks loose. Call me when you come up with a lead. I can spare a couple of brothers if you need them.”
Knowing Viper and all the brothers had their hands full, Ginny taking off just added to his over-filled load. Reaper could feel the strain coming from the other side of the phone, making him feel like shit that Ginny had successfully managed to slip away on his watch.
Disconnecting the call, Reaper started reading her letter as he strode out of the bedroom and the apartment, going to the other apartment Viper rented.
Gavin,
I’m sorry I had to leave this way. If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have. I knew you wouldn’t let me leave without telling Viper. A guilty conscience is a hard thing to live with, and his has had to live with me long enough.
I should never have accepted his help in the first place. I let Shade talk me into accepting The Last Riders’ protection, and I went along with it because I didn’t want anyone I cared about getting hurt because of me. If I stay, that’s exactly what I’d be doing. I can’t let you be hurt. You’ve been hurt enough in this lifetime without me bringing more pain to your door.
I love you, Gavin. Leaving wasn’t an easy decision for me to make, so I’m asking Viper and you to respect my decision. I mailed a letter to him, which he should get tomorrow, explaining why I decided to leave. I left out my feelings for you. You can disclose that part if you want. I didn’t want any blame mistakenly placed on you. You can’t help my feelings for you, and they are there despite your refusal to admit your own. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t know if I could, either.
Don’t think I’m leaving for good. You’ll see me again, after I’ve found out who is stalking me and stop him. Please tell Viper not to worry about me. I’ve been on my own since I was twelve years old, and I’m pretty good at taking care of myself. The only part I regret is leaving you.