by L. Wilder
“There’s always another path.”
“We will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our family, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever. Remember that. That should mean something to you when you think about your sister.”
“That doesn’t exactly make you any less scary,” she mocked. “You’re pretty intimidating with your tattoos, leather, and motorcycles. You’re either right out of a horror flick or some girl’s wet dream.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Wet dream, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say it was my wet dream.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I turned and started walking towards the kitchen. “They’re good guys. You’ll see.”
When we walked in, everyone was already sitting down eating and talking. Josie was a bundle of nerves as she followed me over to the empty chairs and sat down. I’d tried to ease her worry, but it was obvious from the grim look on her face that my words hadn’t made much of an impression. Her eyes skirted around the room as she checked out my brothers. Her eyes stopped on Cass. As always, she was buzzing around, making sure that everyone had what they needed. Her smile was contagious as she walked over to us.
“Help yourself, Hun.” Cass smiled as she offered Josie a plate. “Sorry, but the eggs are a little overdone.”
I grabbed a plate and starting piling on the eggs, bacon, hash browns, and hot biscuits. “They’ll be great. They always are.”
Josie watched with curiosity as Cass poured me a fresh cup of coffee and placed it in front of me. “Have you been up all night?”
“No rest for the wicked.”
“Any luck finding Tristen?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.” I loaded my fork with eggs and bacon before shoveling it into my mouth. I glanced over at Josie and was pleased to see she was doing the same.
Two Bit nudged me with his elbow as he motioned his head towards Josie. “That’s Tristen’s sister?”
“Yeah, that’d be her.”
He leaned towards me, almost frothing at the mouth as he mumbled, “Damn. Good genes in that family. She’s even hotter than Tristen.”
An unexpected jolt of jealousy shot through me when I saw the way he was gawking at her. I didn’t like the feeling—not one fucking bit. She was everything I’d ever wanted and knew I could never have. It was the story of my life, one that I’d grown accustomed to and wasn’t about to start changing now – not even if it meant losing my one chance at something good. Choosing to ignore my spark of possessiveness, I looked over at Josie and said, “This big lug is Two Bit. Next to him is Q’. They’re two of our newest members. Cass runs the bar and makes one hell of a breakfast. She’s also Cotton’s ol’ lady.” Josie’s eyebrows furrowed with surprise. I can’t say I blame her. Cass was much younger than Cotton and her bubbly personality was the polar opposite of Cotton’s, but they worked. There was a real love between them, and together they kept us all on track. I motioned my head towards the end of the table. “And I’m sure you remember Maverick from last night, and that’s Clutch beside him.”
She lifted her hand to her head and gave them a quick salute. “Nice to meet you all.”
They ignored the hint of sarcasm in her voice, and each took their turn greeting her. Once they’d all settled back down and started eating again, Clutch looked over to Josie with a smirk on his face. “So, the word is… you did a real number on Big yesterday. Pretty sure it’s the first time anyone’s ever gotten the upper hand on him.”
She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say that. I am sitting here instead of being back at my apartment.”
“Yeah, but you got a good jab in before he caught you. I mean, damn. No one does that shit to Big, and then you cut the power on top of that. I gotta say, I’m impressed.”
“Umm… thank you?”
Before I could change the subject, Maverick asked, “How’d you do it?”
Her voice was low and flat, reminding me of Charlie Brown’s teacher as she replied, “I embedded a virus in one of Tristen’s emails. Once he opened it, the security settings on his computer were lowered, and then the virus spread itself through your hard drive and server. From there, all your computers were sent a buffer filled with …”
“Damn.” Maverick raised his hand, waving her off. “Forget I asked.”
Clutch chuckled. “You didn’t understand a damn thing she just said, did you?”
“Nope. Not a damn word, but I’m sure Big did. Bet that shit won’t happen again.”
“I used the fact that he was distracted against him. He was focused on trying to find out who I was, otherwise none of it would’ve worked.”
I shook my head. “Maybe so, but you got me.”
“But…”
I gave her a warning look, letting her know to drop it. The last thing I needed was her making fucking excuses for me. She’d gotten the better of me, and even though it irritated the hell out of me, I had to respect the fact that she was smart enough to pull that shit off. Thankfully, she picked up on the cue and let it go. She turned her attention back to her breakfast along with the rest of the guys. Just as we were finishing up, Wren walked into the kitchen. She tossed her purse on the counter with a loud, frustrated huff, then cursed under her breath as she stormed over to the sink to fill herself a glass of water. She didn’t look like her typical self. Instead of the calm, laidback Wren we’d all grown accustomed to, we were faced with an irritated Wren who looked like she’d had one hell of a morning. Her eyes were red and teary, her cheeks were puffy, and her hair was a bit disheveled. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d seen her so flustered. “You okay, Wren?”
She twirled around to face me with her eyebrow arched high. “No, I’m not. I’m pretty terrible in fact.”
Cass got up out of her seat and rushed over to Wren. “What’s going on? Is the baby okay?”
“She’s fine. Still trying to get her to sleep through the night, but we’re getting there. It’s everything else that’s driving me nuts…” Her voice trailed off.
“Like?” Cass pushed.
“Stitch, for one thing. His bad mood from last night spilled over into his morning, and his silence is about to drive me up the wall. I have no idea what went on here last night and I wouldn’t dare ask, but let me tell you, my husband was not a happy camper when he got home.” Wren leaned to the side and eyeballed me. “A little heads-up would’ve been nice.”
“Got it. Heads-up next time.”
“On top of that, there’s this mess with Wyatt’s teacher… I just don’t know what else to do with her.” Her voice quivered with worry as she leaned her back against the counter. “I know Wyatt is different, and I know that he’s going to have his good days and his bad days, but this lady is making him absolutely miserable. He doesn’t even want to go to school. It’s like she’s on him all the time. He is making wonderful grades, completes all his assignments, but she fusses at him for not paying attention. It’s stuff like that all the time. It’s wearing me out.”
“Have you tried talking to her? Maybe if you explained…” Cass started.
“I have explained over and over again. I even explained it to the principal. I’ve never had issues like this. I hate the idea of moving him to another school, but I may not have any choice.”
“Seems like she needs a little taste of her own medicine,” Maverick growled. “Big, why don’t you revoke her license?”
“Or foreclose on her house?” Two Bit suggested.
“Big, you should put her on a couple of those home delivery programs for some crazy shit like adult diapers and baby formula,” Q’ chuckled.
Maverick leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms. “I was thinking he should donate her life’s savings to one of the charities for Autism.”
“No!” Wren scolded. “Big, leave her be. She’s a new teacher and still has a lot to learn. One way or another, I’ll figure it out.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely positive.” She
walked over to the table and took a seat next to Q’. “It’s just hard when both of my guys are in a funk.”
“Maybe it will be better today,” Josie told her, sounding hopeful.
Wren looked over at Josie with an apologetic look on her face. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to carry on like that. Usually, I can keep it together a little better. I blame it on the lack of sleep.” She extended her hand as she said, “You must be Josie.”
“I am. It’s nice to meet you, Wren.”
“We’re all worried about Tristen, but Big will find her. He’s the best.”
“Thanks, Wren. Hopefully, we’ll get some news soon …” Josie started, but stopped when she heard my phone ring with a text message.
I looked down at the screen and saw that Lenny, my contact, had finally gotten the video surveillance we were looking for. I looked over at Josie as I stood up. “He’s got it.”
“Has he sent it to you?”
“He is now.”
She got up and started following me towards the door. Before we walked out, Maverick called, “Let us know what you find out.”
Once we were in the hall, Josie asked, “Did he find anything?”
I could hear the desperation in her voice, and I wanted to give her good news. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any to give. “He thinks he found her.”
She followed me into my room and over to my computer. “Thank goodness.”
I turned to face her, and seeing that hopeful look in her eye was like a punch to the gut. Lenny had already said it didn’t look good, but he didn’t give me any details. I had no idea what we were about to find on that video, and I needed her to be prepared for the worst. “Josie…”
“I know. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. I have no idea what’s on this file, but whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”
She looked up at me with determination in her eyes. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
I tried to think positively, tried not to imagine the worst, but as I watched Big open those files on his computer, all these horrific scenarios came crashing through my mind. It had already been six days. Anything could have happened to her, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we were too late. I thought back to my parents’ funeral, the pain I felt staring down at their graves, the emptiness I felt, and I couldn’t imagine going through that again, not with my sister. I just couldn’t do it. I was about to spiral into a pit of despair when my attention was drawn up to the three monitors mounted on Big’s wall. Each screen showed a different angle of the surveillance video, allowing us to see everything that was happening in the airport. Eager to see if there was any sign of her, I leaned over Big’s shoulder to get a better view. Hope washed over me when I spotted Tristen sitting at her gate. She was wearing her favorite hoodie with a pair of jeans, and there was a bright smile on her face. I could see the excitement in her eyes as she looked around at all the people passing by.
“There she is!”
“Mmm-hmm.” Big reached for a chair and pulled it next to him. “Sit.”
I was momentarily distracted by the authoritative tone in his voice. Surprisingly, I wasn’t turned off by it, not even a little. In fact, a part of me actually liked it – along with the scent of his cologne and the way his bottom lip twitched when he tried to fight a smile. He was getting to me. My list of likes was slowly growing by the minute, but it didn’t matter. As soon as I found my sister, I was getting the hell out of there.
When I realized I was still standing, I quickly sat down and looked back up at the screen. Lenny had gathered all the footage he could find of Tristen. There were twenty second lapses as the cameras scanned the other areas of the airport, but we still had a clear view of Tristen. We watched silently as she fiddled with her phone and played with her hair. Ten minutes had passed when a young blonde approached her. I assumed it was Amanda when Tristen jumped up and gave her a big hug. It wasn’t until she turned around and sat down next to her that I realized it wasn’t Amanda. At first I didn’t recognize the woman, but there was something familiar about her. When I spotted the rose tattoo on her neck, it hit me. I knew exactly who she was. She’d changed a bit since I’d last seen her. Her brown hair was now platinum blonde with black tips and there were tattoos covering her left arm. She was much thinner than I remembered, and apparently she’d gotten herself a new set of boobs—big ones, but she still had that same shifty look about her. “That’s not Amanda. It’s her sister Lisa.”
When the footage skipped again, the time stamp at the bottom of the video showed that it was 7:45 pm. Tristen’s flight was supposed to depart from Los Angeles at 8:30 pm. It was getting late, and there was no sign of Amanda. So many questions raced through my head, making me almost dizzy as I sat there hoping to find some answers. Neither Tristen nor Lisa seemed the least bit concerned about Amanda’s absence as they got up and strolled over to one of the small coffee shops. The video blipped again, and Tristen was suddenly standing at the checkout line. Once they both placed their orders, they took their coffee and walked over to one of the tables. Tristen was just about to sit down, when she turned back towards the checkout counter.
Big nudged me softly with his elbow. “Did you catch that?”
“What?”
Big rewound the video several seconds and zoomed in on Lisa. “Keep your eyes on Lisa.”
My focus had been totally on Tristen, so I missed it when Lisa slipped something out of her purse and dropped it into Tristen’s coffee. “What was that?”
“Not sure. Looks like she might’ve drugged her. It would explain why Tristen was complaining about feeling dizzy.”
“Drugged her? But why?” I took a deep breath. “Big, none of this is making any sense.”
“I know, but we won’t know anything until we see how this plays out.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. It was like watching some horror flick as I watched my sister come back to the table with her dinner. She seemed so happy sitting there eating and talking, totally unaware that her life was in danger. It wasn’t like Lisa had given her any signs that something was up. Instead, she acted all innocent and sweet, like they were the best of friends, and I hated her for it. I’d never felt such rage as I watched Tristen lift the cup up to her mouth and take another sip of coffee. I wanted to shout at her, warn her about Lisa, but it was too late. There was nothing I could do except sit there and watch.
“What else can you tell me about Amanda and Tristen? How long were they friends?”
“A couple of years I guess. They’d gotten close over the years. They looked out for one another. I always thought a lot of Amanda. She was there for Tristen when she really needed someone.” My heart ached at the thought. When Tristen shut me out, I felt so lost. She was blinded by her resentment and never realized that I needed her just as much as she needed me. While I was glad that she had Amanda, it still hurt that she turned to her friends instead of me.
“Gotta wonder why she didn’t show.”
“It’s not like her. Something must be wrong.”
“What about Lisa? Any reason why she might wanna hurt Tristen? Some kind of grudge or something?”
“Not that I know of… Honestly, none of this makes any sense. Lisa was a little rough around the edges, messed with the wrong crowd and ran into trouble from time to time, but I never dreamed she’d ever do something like this.”
I looked up at the screen and watched as Tristen got up and emptied her tray into the garbage. Lisa followed her back to the waiting area and sat down. Tristen’s smile quickly started to fade and a concerned look crossed her face. When she leaned back in her chair, I knew the drugs were starting to take their effect. She looked panicked as she reached into her purse and took out her phone.
Big looked over at me and said, “This must be when she called you.”
I checked the time at the bottom of the screen and saw that it read 8:25. “I think so, but we can check my
phone records to be sure.”
While she was still talking on the phone, she stood up and started walking towards the bathroom. As soon as she was gone, Lisa took out her phone and sent a text message to someone. My eyes widened as I watched her grab Tristen’s bags and head towards the bathroom. Moments later, she came out of the bathroom with Tristen leaning against her. Tristen’s arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and her eyes were barely open. She could hardly walk as Lisa led her out of their terminal and towards the front of the airport.
“What is she doing?” I whispered to myself. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Tristen stumbled several times, almost falling flat on her face, and not one person asked if they needed any help. No one even attempted to stop them. They just sat there silently as Lisa tugged my helpless sister out of the airport and to the pick-up lane. Lisa stopped at the curb and waited as a black SUV pulled up. A tall, muscular Hispanic man got out of the passenger side of the truck and walked to the rear of the vehicle. After he opened the back door, Lisa shoved Tristen inside. I felt the air rush out of my lungs when she slammed the door shut, trapping my sister inside. I brought my hands to my face, covering my mouth as I muttered, “Oh, God. Where are they taking her?”
Knowing I was about to lose it, Big placed his hand on my thigh and gave me a gentle squeeze. I looked down at my leg, surprised how comforting a simple touch could be, especially from a man like him. He seemed so strong, so self-assured, and yet there was a gentle side to him, a side I couldn’t help but find appealing. “I can’t make you any promises, Josie… but I give you my word, I’ll do everything I can to bring her back home.”
I placed my hand on his as I said, “I know you will.”
