He pulled me into his arms and brushed his lips against mine. I hadn’t told him yet. In fact, I hadn’t told anyone my secret, because we were all frantic with worry over Slade and Bullet.
And me? I was overcome with guilt.
What if my horrible mistake of the past had caused this?
I’d never in a million years expected Alice — or Mona, rather — to retaliate in this way. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear from her again, to be honest.
Of course, it’s possible she doesn’t even realize there’s a connection to me. Or, maybe, just maybe, she came into possession of Slade’s ring in a totally innocent way and she’s not involved at all.
I was seriously hoping the last scenario would hold true, even though I knew in my gut it probably wasn’t.
If anything happened to Slade or Bullet because of something I did, I would never forgive myself. Ryder looked down at me as I sighed heavily.
“You okay, baby? You look tired.”
I shook my head, running my hands through my hair. I certainly couldn’t tell him now. I had to wait till this was all over.
“I’m okay,” I nodded.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against my forehead. “I’m so torn up about this,” he whispered, his voice gruff with a rare flash of anguish.
“They’re okay,” I insisted. “They have to be.”
“Right,” he nodded, setting his lips in a firm, determined line. “I’m going to check with Riot. How’s Diana?”
“She’s a mess,” I said. “I can’t help but feel guilty, Ryder.”
“Stop that,” he replied. “You didn’t cause this. We don’t even know if there’s really a connection yet.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I just have this gut feeling.” Of course, I wasn’t sure if that feeling was related to Slade or the the enormous secret I was keeping from him, but I wasn’t about to say that out loud. “What can I do?”
“We’re all just waiting right now. Just keep Diana as calm as possible for now.”
“I’m doing my best, but she’s antsy.”
“We all are. But don’t let her go anywhere. She and Jeremiah are safest with us, at least until we know what’s going on.”
He brushed his lips against mine and walked out the front door, leaving me alone with my secret. I’d never kept anything from Ryder in all these years, and now here I was hiding the biggest thing that had ever happened to us.
I felt I had no choice, though. And hopefully, he’d understand eventually. In the meantime, I needed to focus my attention on everything else, and just forget the rest.
I wandered into the living room, looking for Diana. Instead, I found a note lying on the kitchen counter.
‘Went home to Portland. Jeremiah wants to sleep in his own bed, and so do I. Actually, I just want to smell Slade’s pillow. Please call me the minute you know something. ~D.’
“Shit,” I muttered, running outside just in time to see her car disappear down the curve of the driveway. Slowly, I walked over to the clubhouse and climbed the stairs, dreading the fact that I had to tell Ryder that Diana had left. He and Riot stood in the kitchen, pouring over a stack of papers spread out on the counter. Cherry was behind them, her copper curls bouncing around as she prepared what smelled like a delicious dinner.
“Hey,” I said. “Diana left before I could stop her.”
“Where did she go?”
“Home, apparently,” I mumbled. “Sorry. Should I follow her?”
“Maybe,” Ryder said. “But take a look at this first.”
“What’s going on?”
“Riot found out some interesting information about your old friend.”
“I’d hardly call Mona a friend.”
“Well, either way, she’s been very busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Not just art, although she’s world famous for her work. It appears she acquired a small group of buildings up in the foothills of Mt. Hood, what was once a strip of stores and restaurants on the old road up to the mountain, but they’ve been abandoned for decades. Word on the street is that Mona has been slowly renovating them. Nobody knows why.”
“Profit?”
“Not much in the way of money up that way. Most people take the 26 straight to the mountain now, and this is on an out of the way back road. No traffic, no customers.”
“Well, why else would she invest so much in a bunch of buildings?”
“That’s a good question. But one we don’t know the answer to.”
“Not yet, anyway,” Riot said, shaking his head. “I’m on it, though. I know the place. In fact, I was there yesterday and I had a feeling I was on the right track. All I saw was a couple of old coots throwing back a bunch of beers in a bar, and no other signs of life. I’m going back today.”
“Don’t go alone,” Ryder warned him.
“I won’t,” he said, his eyes clouding over with worry.
Riot looked worse than any of us. Slade is his best friend, and it was taking an obvious toll on him. He’d been up for days, either scouring every road on the mountain he could find for any sign of the guys, or staying up all night at his computer scouring the web with just as much urgency.
Riot’s phone rang and we all jumped, just as we did each time any of our phones rang since this whole nightmare began. We looked at him with eager anticipation. I think in the back of our minds, we all hoped this would all end with a phone call from Slade, telling us this had all been a huge mistake.
What I wouldn’t give to hear his crackling laughter right now.
“It’s not him,” he muttered, before answering the call and walking away.
I let out the breath I’d been holding in and looked over at Ryder.
“I’m going with him,” he said. “Back up to the mountain.”
I nodded, knowing it was the right thing for him to do.
“Lacey, make sure Riot gets some sleep,” I whispered to her. She sat quietly nearby on the couch, a soft, comforting presence in the background.
She nodded, her gentle eyes smiling back at me. “I’m trying. He doesn’t listen much.”
I nodded back in understanding, glancing over at Ryder, who hadn’t slept in who knows how long.
Riot came walking back in, his sure and steady steps echoing through the room. The smell of Cherry’s bacon wafted around us and my stomach growled with hunger.
“That was a friend of mine that I have doing some digging for me,” he said. “Since I didn’t see any sign of anyone else living in that area, I wondered if Mona had any other property nearby. We didn’t turn up anything, but we did find out her mother owns a place in Southeast Portland. Just a run down house, really nothing special. But it might be where she’d holding the guys.”
“We don’t know she’s even holding them, though. And why would she do that?” I asked. I desperately wanted to believe this was all a mistake.
“Well, I’ve got Wreck and Bones heading over to the address listed on her driver’s license. That’s an apartment in downtown Portland. I’ll go to her Mom’s house. Right now, I just want to find her and ask her where she got that ring. Everything’s pointing to her knowing something. We have to find her.”
“I used to know her mother,” I said. “Let me go. Give me the address.”
Ryder looked at me disapprovingly. “I’ll go with you instead. Riot can take one of the other guys. You aren’t going alone.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing there was absolutely no use in arguing with him. We’d had that argument before, and I was way too tired to go down that road right now. Besides, I wanted his company.
Maybe we’d get a chance to talk.
Lord knows we needed to.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
SLADE
It’s go time.
The booze from last night has finally worn off, and I’m wound up like a slingshot ready to shoot my load onto any fucker that gets in my way.
I’m not sure what, but something must have gone
down last night between Bullet and Libby, because this morning, they’re looking at each other like they’re torn between devouring one another alive or running off into the sunset on horseback happily ever after, so I know I can’t really count on them completely.
Their heads are clouded.
Our plan might fail.
But we have to try. I’m not about to go down without a fight.
Blaze of glory, and all that shit, you know?
“Alright, have we got the plan down?” I asked them.
They tore their eyes away from each other long enough to look at me, nod, and then turn back to each other with sickening smiles.
“Jesus fucking christ,” I muttered, rolling my eyes and turning away to pace.
I loved to pace. It was an obsessive compulsive thing, sure, but so what. Sue me. I’m like a tiger in a cage at this point, and I fucking need out.
My gaze is glued to the door up the stairs, willing the mother fucker to open. Mona’s gonna bring down her creepy breakfast and we’re gonna fucking go for it. If she gets hurt, well shit, it’s her own fault.
I hate hurting women.
In fact, I avoid it all costs.
But this bitch? Caging me like a fucking rabid dog? Fuck her.
I mean, I won’t let her die, or get hurt in any serious away, I’m no monster, but staying in this cage another day just isn’t an option.
I look at the other two and remind myself that I’m on my own.
Footsteps sound overhead and I almost jump out of my skin.
“Here we go,” I whispered to the other two. “Look natural. Get in place. We gotta catch ‘em off guard.”
I sat down at the kitchen table, a cup of water sitting in front of me.
The door lock slides above us and the door opens. I swallow hard, my fists clenching at my sides.
Libby runs into one of the bedrooms and lays on the bed, pulling the covers up over her body. Bullet sits next to me and we stare at each other silently.
Mona comes down first, a tray of food in her hands, that damned apple shining like a fucking bright red star on the plate.
“Good morning, my friends!” She calls out to us like she’s greeting a bunch of chirping birds in a damned Disney film or something.
I grunt a greeting at her, staring her down.
“Oh, Slade, do you ever smile?” she asked.
“Sure,” I nodded. “When I have a reason to.”
Her laughter bubbled up and filled the silence in the room.
“Well, maybe today is your lucky day,” she said, standing over me after placing the tray on the table.
“That so?” I asked, my fists still clenched. Quickly, I glanced over at Bullet and he nodded slightly, letting me know he was ready. I rose to my feet, towering over Mona. Zane stood behind her, silent and hovering like a ghost that never left her side.
The plan was simple. Libby would feign being sick and we’d attack them from behind as soon as they went to check on her and deal with the fallout as it came.
“Yes, I want you to come upstairs with me, I’d like to show you something.”
I took a step back, reevaluating the situation. This could be good. Really good. If I could get out of this fucking basement, I could get away and get help. I shot a glance at Bullet to let him know to back off.
“Alright,” I nodded. “I’ll go.”
“I was hoping you’d be agreeable,” she said, flashing me a smile. “Where’s Eve?”
“She’s sleeping,” I said. “She’s fine.”
“Oh, good,” she said. “Shall we?” She motioned for me to follow her and started up the stairs. I looked at Bullet one more time, and followed her, Zane following close behind us both.
“Now, don’t try any funny stuff, okay, Slade?” Mona asked. “I’m trusting you.”
“Brave move,” I muttered.
“You’re funny,” she said. “Zane, shoot him if he runs.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he growled behind me.
Mona strolled through the house and I took it all in as I followed her into a small living room. It was lovely really, but very outdated, like someone’s grandma’s house, with broZane couches and patchwork quilts thrown over the back of them, a stone fireplace taking up almost an entire wall, invoking a sense of coziness.
“You live here?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” she replied.
I pointed to a picture on the mantle, “Who’s that?”.
Mona’s face stared back at me, a little girl lost to the past, sitting on a handsome older woman’s lap, her smile beaming with love.
“That was my grandmother.”
“You loved her,” I nodded.
“Very much,” she replied, her eyes softening for the first time. “I miss her.”
I nodded respectfully, my eyes darting around to find the exits. The front door loomed nearby like a fucking oasis that I desperately wanted to make a run for, but Zane lingered nearby and my goal was to make it out of this house alive, not dead.
Mona turned and walked in the opposite direction, toward the back of the house and through a bright yellow kitchen that made me think of Cherry, and her kitchen at the clubhouse, always filled with food and love. I couldn’t wait to get back.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” she said, heading down a long hallway off the kitchen.
Finally, she reached the end, opening a door and beckoning me into it. I stopped just outside of it when I realized it was a bedroom.
“What’s this?”
“Just come in,” she said, looking over her shoulder at me. “Zane, wait just outside the door. If I call for you, come in shooting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
I walked through the door, my heart racing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
RIOT
The group of guys that sat around the table staring up at me were the most stellar human beings I knew.
The strength, the loyalty, the kindness, the devotion to the club — they were sewn thick into the fabric of these guys.
“We’re here to go over the latest updates and our plan so far going forward.”
“Just tell us where to go, boss,” Wreck said.
“It’s not that simple just yet,” I said. “We’re working hard to find Slade and Bullet, but there are still a lot of missing pieces. For now, here’s what we’re working with. A small boy saw our guys up near me and Slade’s old stomping grounds, so we know they were last seen in that vicinity. They drove up towards the mountain and from there, we’re just not sure where they went. Yesterday morning, Grace and Diana spotted Slade’s ring on a woman’s finger who was being interviewed on a local talk show.”
“Slade never takes that ring off,” Eli said.
“That’s right. Which is why we’re trying to find this woman. She’s a local artist, her name is Mona Superhero. She’s also someone Grace knew when she was a cop. I’ll let Grace talk to you more about that. But Mona owns some property up by where Slade and Bullet were last spotted. Too much of a coincidence to ignore, so that’s where we’re starting. First, Wreck and Bones will go to her apartment in Portland to see if she’s there. I’m taking a few of you back up to the mountain, and Grace is going to give Mona’s mother a visit.”
“Mona was a street kid in Portland when I was first starting out as a cop,” Grace interjected. “Back then, I never ventured from the law, doing everything by the book. Mona had it rough. She broke some laws, nothing too serious, stealing but only to survive, but one night she broke into the Portland Art Museum with a boyfriend and I was forced to put her in jail. I hated it, I knew it was wrong at the time, and what she really needed was just a hand up to get out of a bad situation, just like many of our clients today, but I failed her.”
“Your hands were tied, you were a cop,” Ryder reminded her.
“That’s true, but it doesn’t take away the guilt of what happened to her,” she replied. “I didn’t know Mona wa
s pregnant when I arrested her. She had her baby in prison and gave it up for adoption. I have no doubt it was hell for her. I’ve followed her and the child discretely over the years, just to make sure she was okay, and I thought she was doing well. Her career as an artist really took off, and I was hoping she’d put the past behind her.”
“We still don’t know for sure she’s involved, so right now, we just want to talk to her,” I reminded them. “She’s really our only lead. If you run into her, do your best to bring her here to the clubhouse. If she won’t come, get as much info from her as you can.”
“Should we…encourage…her to come?” Bones asked.
I chuckled. “As long as that doesn’t involve tying her up, sure do what you can.”
“Got it,” Bones nodded.
“Guys, be gentle,” I reminded them. They were like a bunch of beasts that needed to be tamed on a regular basis.
There were days I forgot that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MONA
That damned crooked smile was almost irresistible.
His wife must be worried sick, I thought.
He stood just inside the door, staring at me with curiosity.
He was hot, that was for sure. Muscular and lean, he was tall, with toned limbs that stretched for miles. His smoky eyes were fringed with dark lashes and I didn’t even mind the scars scattered on his face and body. He’d been around, that much was obvious. I imagined the many hearts he’d surely broken along the way and wondered briefly what was so special about his wife to have landed him.
“Spill it, Mona,” he said, direct and to the point. I admired that about him immensely. Beating around the bush was so boring.
I smiled slowly at him, my eyes drinking him in as I evaluated his value to me. He was strong, of obvious good genes, and fairly intelligent and sharp. He might do nicely.
“You’re probably wondering why I brought you up here,” I said.
“That’s one of many questions I have for you,” he quipped.
CAGED: GODS OF CHAOS (BOOK TEN) (Gods of Chaos MC 10) Page 8
