The party ended late at night. Casey and Foxy slept on a couch. They were drunk and had smoked too much weed. Hanger and Lazar were the first members to leave the party, and I prayed for their safe return. Ash and I drove back to the Devil’s. I left him in front of his bike, and parked my car a bit further. I wished him goodnight, but I was still puzzled by his reaction to my kiss.
— "Where do you come from, Trevor? "
He seemed surprised.
— "Nowhere in particular…," he said trying to evade my question.
He didn’t seem inclined to share his story with me. Maybe a deserted parking lot, on a cold winter night, wasn’t the best place to confide in someone. He was probably as tired as I was.
I watched him put his helmet on and get on his Harley. The engine roared, which startled me.
— "Go home. I’ll leave when you lock the door. "
I nodded, before kissing him on the cheek.
— "Thanks, " I said gratefully.
He winked. I was sure he had understood what I meant. I climbed up the stairs and locked the door behind me. The sound of the engine faded, and I pulled the curtain to watch him drive away. The parking was dark again, and I felt lonely. I feared my old demons and my insecurities would taunt me, but my mind was too tired. I closed the blinds and went straight to my bed to have a good night sleep. I comforted myself by thinking about the Christmas eve dinner. It helped fight ghosts speaking with an eastern accent, so I could finally fall asleep peacefully. Tomorrow would be another day.
CHAPTER 16
Jerry
It took a few days to feel better, after all the excesses of the Christmas party. My old body had a hard time recovering from alcohol abuse, sugar, and the enormous amount of food I ate, but I had to accept it. We had a lot of work ahead of us. I wouldn’t have been able to say if it was related to the holidays, but many accidents had occurred in our town, and there was only one other workshop open. Usually, we only worked with our regular customers, who owned antique cars and motorcycles. Our expertise on these old engines had made our fame beyond the county border. Aficionados would travel hundreds of miles to entrust us with their precious jewel.
The last days had been filled with more work like bent bumpers and fenders, or even engines refusing to start, after the temperature had fallen dramatically in California. The other workshop must have been full, which explained why they came to us. It wouldn’t last.
That morning I had to call in more guys than usual. I would need to pay them, but money had been coming in for a week. We owed it to Gale, who had helped us by winning three fights in a row. The Chinese organized these illegal fights, and my man had powerful fists. The guys in front of him didn’t last long. It was even worse since Mack died. … Thinking of the boy, I clenched my jaw. Despite his mistakes, I knew drugs were the real culprit. He would never have behaved so stupidly without them. This damned powder had made him lost his mind and put us in harm’s way, especially Joe. Living by my side had cost her so much. I would have to use all the resources I had to make our common path easier to follow. She was worth it. …
Lazar and Foxy were working on an old Alpine, which had been driven into a tree on Christmas eve. Ash and Bigma had more luck with two Harleys from the 1930s. The guys had tossed a coin to determine who would work on these. It was our new routine since the customers had been lining up at the front door. Poor Billy ended up with an old van. I took care of the paperwork and the clients. I kept my hands out of the engines, but my role was essential. Mona was busy hiring two new waitresses for the bar. We had decided to follow Joe’s idea. We would open during the day. In a few weeks, the cash would flow, if all went according to the plan. Even the two extra salaries would leave enough dough to make a nice profit. The sweeties already received some compensation from the club. It was necessary to motivate them, and these girls needed it to live and feed their kids. It was a deal beneficial to both parties.
I was finishing counting the money that a guy in overalls had given me for the work done on his old car, when I saw a beige Jeep drive into the parking lot. It was not good for business. If the sheriff was in a bad mood, her visit would be the talk of the town. I decided it would be wise not to make the dark-haired beauty in uniform wait. As she walked in the workshop, she lifted her sunglasses. I thanked Mister Santos for his business and greeted the woman wearing the badge on her chest. I told her to follow me outside, which she agreed to. Good. Whatever was the reason for visiting me, my clients didn’t need to know. I wanted to be discreet: business was business. The club and the workshop were different entities, and it was the golden rule for things to run smoothly. People talked. It couldn’t be helped, and we couldn’t make them believe we were angels. Still, it was better not to overexpose ourselves, especially with the sheriff.
When we were alone in the parking lot, I noticed her dark face.
— "Jerry, " she said.
— "Sheriff Thompson, " I replied.
To get back at her, I would have to call her by her first name one day. We weren’t childhood friends, and we were not on the same side of the law. Her expression told me something was wrong, and it helped me keep my cool.
— "What’s going on? "
Her eyes scanned the workshop.
— "I am looking for Trevor Laurens. "
Ash. What had he done? A few years back, he was always the one to get in trouble, but he kept a low profile these days. No more stupid plans or tales of extraordinary adventures. He was getting older and wiser, like all of us.
— "He’s not here, " I said. "What do you want? "
She hesitated. Then, she took a deep breath, but she wasn’t her usual confident self. She was not here because of our little business. I could see she was sad, and it seemed sincere. What was going on?
— "Sheriff? "
She grunted, as if she wanted to control the tone of her voice. I didn’t like it. Not at all.
— "I want to talk with Mister Laurens, before sharing the info with you, Jerry. It’s a family matter. "
I was shaking. Was it about his sister? Had anything happened to Lizbeth? I didn’t like it. She was not there to book him, but to let him know about something serious.
— "Ash! " I screamed.
All the men and a few customers turned around. I didn’t care. My brother was in trouble.
— "Ash, come here! " I shouted.
Finally, the tall dark-haired man came out from behind two vehicles, and he walked to us, wiping one of his hand, which was covered in motor oil. When he saw the sheriff, he winced, and he shot me a glance, trying to figure out what was going on.
— "Yeah? "
— "Is there somewhere private where I could talk to you? " Thompson asked.
Puzzled, Ash frowned. I gave him the keys of the Devil’s. He grabbed them nervously.
— "Come with me, " he told me.
I gave a quizzical look to the sheriff, and she nodded. We all walked to the bar. I turned on the lights and sat on a stool, a few feet away from them.
— "You should take a seat too. " She told Ash.
It didn’t like it. Why couldn’t she say what she had to say! My friend’s face became whiter, but he didn’t move. He just wanted to know.
— "What’s going on? " He said impatiently.
The sheriff swallowed hard, before spilling out the beans.
— "Your nephew and a girl in the same class are missing, Mister Laurens. We have good reasons to think they were kidnapped. "
She looked down.
— "I am so sorry, " she whispered.
Stunned, Ash froze with his mouth open. He couldn’t speak, and it took him several seconds to let the information sink in. Lost, he put his hand on his forehand. It was also hard for me to hear that. Instinctively, I stood up from the stool and walked to my brother.
— "What do we know exactly? " I asked.
— "They didn’t come home, after riding their bikes yesterday afternoon. "
— "Ye
sterday afternoon! " Ash said coughing.
I put my hand on his leather jacket, hoping it would comfort him.
— "Who is the girl? "
— "Jessica Bowman…"
— "The mayor’s daughter, " I said.
I glanced at my brother. He was overwhelmed, and he finally decided to sit down on the nearest stool.
— "Do you have a lead? "
— "I’m working on the case. I don’t like it, but I must keep my deputy Connor in the loop. He’s too close to the case, but he won’t back down. His son has been kidnapped. I think it’s wiser to keep him an eye on him. "
— "Do you have anything solid? " I asked.
— "Not yet. "
— "We are going to look for them too, " I said.
The sheriff bit her lip. She seemed nervous.
— "That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Legally, I can’t stop you from investigating. One of your men is concerned, and I want this investigation to be quick. I think it would be a good thing to work hand in hand. "
I kept silent. Another collaboration with the sheriff’s office? I couldn’t say I was surprised. The woman with the badge was probably right. Working together would make us stronger. I nodded to let her know I was accepting her offer. Then, she handed me her card, on which was written her cell phone and Connor’s.
— "Call me at any time. "
I nodded again, and she looked at my brother, who was holding his head between his hands.
— "I am really sorry, Mister Laurens. I hope we’re going to find them soon."
He didn’t even look at her, when she left the bar. As soon as she closed the door, I went to him and slapped him on the back. I was stunned, as I had never seen my friend in such a state.
— "We’ll find the kids, Ash…"
He lifted his face. He was hiding his red and wet eyes behind his silver rings.
— "I’m going to kill whoever took them! " He shouted out.
I didn’t say anything. He sniffed and then wiped his eyes with his sleeve. We stayed put for a few minutes, and I could feel his rage. A vein was throbbing on his forehead, and his jaw was clenched.
Suddenly, he stood up and left. I had to run after him, as he walked quickly to his bike. On the parking lot, we saw Joe smiling as usual. She was about to greet Ash, but her expression changed. She looked at me quizzically, but I walked by, raising my hand in the air, so she wouldn’t move. She had to stay out of it. It was hard keeping up with Ash. He was so angry. I was too, but what he was feeling was much more intense. He wouldn’t be able to wait long. I could understand it. I was like him. He was my brother. Ash stooped, when he reached the Harleys. He got on his and put his helmet on. His sunglasses were falling on his nose, but he didn’t seem to care. He turned the engine on, and I stood in his way.
— "Get out of the way, Jerry, " he said angrily.
I looked at him. He needed to go away. It was a question of survival, a basic instinct. He needed to flee, so he could breathe and let reality sink in. It would help him clear his mind.
I stepped aside, but not before I spoke to him. I could feel his pain.
— "Don’t do anything stupid, Ash. You are not alone. "
I didn’t know, if he heard me. His Harley drove away on the parking lot, and a few moments later, I couldn’t see him anymore. I stroke my beard to reassure me nothing terrible would happen. But I knew the consequences of something like that would be bad. Ash was my brother. His pain was mine. I had to find the strength to keep my back straight and appear strong in front of my customers.
— "Dad? What’s up? "
My daughter’s anxious tone almost ruined everything. I slid my glasses on my nose and swallowed hard.
— "Joe, please tell all the guys to join me at lunch break. We need to deal with an emergency."
She nodded obediently, but I could read her concern on her face.
— "Is Ash OK? " She asked.
— "No sweetheart. He’s not. "
I immediately took her arm and hugged her. Her lip quivered. Her sensitivity reminded me of her mother, and without knowing it, she touched my heart, which had already been weakened by the terrible news.
— "Joe, tell the guys, please. I’ll let you know all about it, after the meeting. I promise. "
Her green eyes tried to find some answers behind my sunglasses, but she found none. She finally nodded and kissed me on the cheek. I shivered. Then, she left me to inform the club’s members about my request. For a moment, I looked at her, and I felt happy she had walked into my life. She was my daughter. She impressed me more and more. It was like she always belonged with us. Even if her safety concerned me, having her by my side seemed natural. She was a part of me; Joe would have to deal with my demons, and it would be the price to pay for us to be a family. And no matter what life had in store for us, I would always see this desire for freedom, this need to live a fuller life in her eyes. I could see her dark side. Every day, it became more and more visible. It was like a hidden treasure that would be revealed at the right time. She was a leader, but she didn’t know it yet. I had seen it. Her doll-like face could deal with the worse. She didn’t have the same authority as Mona, but it would come. She was just a bit insecure. She had an essential asset. She was cold-blooded, which enabled her to think before making a decision. I could feel it, Joe was made for this life.
I looked at the road on which Ash had left a few minutes ago, and I took a deep breath. He needed us. We had so little time. I clenched my fists to find some strength, and then walked toward the Devil’s.
CHAPTER 17
Joe
It was a staggering blow. I was devastated by the terrible news. My father had told me the story bluntly with a shaky voice. According to him, the guys would patrol the city. Each of them would cover a neighborhood and ask questions, so they could gather the information that would lead us to the missing children. Just thinking about it made my heart ache. I would have liked to hug Ash and comfort him, but I knew nothing I could have said would have eased his fears or his rage. It was pointless to call him. If he had chosen to go away, it meant he wanted to be by himself. Or would he…
— "What do you mean by “or would he…?" asked Mona.
I jumped. I was so lost in my thoughts that I had forgotten about her. My father has asked us to take care of the workshop’s customers. Only Casey and Bigma stayed and worked that afternoon, and we had to reschedule some appointments. Some customers reacted negatively but did we have a choice?
— "You were saying « or would he?» What do you mean? " My mother in law asked for the second time.
Shit. Why was I thinking aloud?
— "Nothing… I was thinking. "
I noticed her quizzical look, so I explained.
— "Jerry wants us to find Ash, while taking care of the customers. If I were him, I would have gone to my sister to make her talk and also comfort her. "
Mona looked at me without saying a word. Talking about « Ash » brought electricity in the air. Customers had kept us so busy that we had pushed aside our concerns. I had brought her back to reality abruptly. She was shaken by the kidnapping like every one of us, but she was the mother figure, and it made it harder on her. She had known Ash for many years, and they were very close. Mona cared for her family and the members of the club. Someone had disturbed her quiet routine, and it mattered for her. But she was a strong woman, and she always kept her head up high, hiding her emotions, so they wouldn’t affect anyone. It was her way to show her love for these guys. She always tried to protect them even, when things were very serious like it was on that day. She was a she-wolf, and I would have bet she wasn’t afraid of death. She could bear teeth when it was necessary, and she would fight to the end to save her clan.
— "You must be right, " she said pensively.
— "And I don’t think it would be a good idea to go and get him. "
Mona winced.
— "You’re right. He needs time. He needs to stay wi
th his family, His other family, " she added. "What Jerry wants from us is to keep an eye on him, so he doesn’t do anything stupid."
— Like…?
— "Who knows! Such news can tick you off. Ash is fiery. He acts instinctively. Jerry likes to watch him closely. "
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