by J. A. Owenby
“Tell me all the details you have.” I was screwed. There was no way I could turn away now, no matter how much I wanted to send her to someone else, I couldn’t. This was personal. Claire had been Sutton’s shadow when she was younger, and I’d spent a lot of time with her. Plus, I’d had plans to propose to Sutton, which would have made Claire family. In my heart, she still was.
She glanced at Redd and ZW, then pursed her lips together. I didn’t miss the rise and fall of her chest, my mind immediately recalling her perky tits and how it felt to be inside her. I brushed the thought aside, but a part of me welcomed the secret distraction from the reality that was in front of me.
“She had hot yoga Friday night and never came home.” Sutton’s body visibly tensed.
“It’s Monday, why didn’t you call the police?” I asked.
“Dad did, but they haven’t turned up anything. You know how critical those first forty-eight hours are.”
“I do. The likelihood of us finding her and bringing her home drops significantly if we don’t locate her in the first few days.”
“Please, I need you to find her and bring her home. Plus, I need you to keep my parents and I safe.” ZW reached for her hand. “I couldn’t stand if anything happened to Mom and Dad, too.”
“Why would you think you and your family aren’t safe?”
Sutton’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Let me rephrase the question. What makes you think that Claire’s disappearance has something to do with the family instead of just her?”
“A few weeks ago, Dad had to lay off a ton of people from the manufacturing plant. Even though he wasn’t responsible for the decision, he was the one who delivered the news. Afterward, he received death and bomb threats … and one … one anonymous letter threatened Claire and me.”
“We’ll find her,” ZW assured, patting her on the arm.
Tears trailed down Sutton’s cheeks, and I closed my eyes briefly. I hated seeing her torn up like this. My mind hashed out all the reasons I should back away, but I’d left her years ago when she needed me, and my conscience wouldn’t let me leave her again. It had already fucked with me for years, and now I had an opportunity to redeem myself and relieve a part of the guilt I’d carried with me. She was depending on me now that Dad was gone, and after gathering more information, I wouldn’t tell her no. I’d guard her with my own life while we assisted the police with the case. The girl I’d never gotten over would be in my space again. After all this time, she’d be mine to protect.
“Please,” she whispered. “She’s barely eighteen. I trust you, Pierce. I know we have a complicated history, but I’m asking you to put it aside for Claire.”
“Dad had agreed to take the case?” I knew the answer before I even asked the question. Of course he had. To him, they were family.
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face with the heel of her hand.
I stood and stared at ZW and Redd. My mind was made up. I wasn’t that much of an asshole. She was desperate, otherwise she would have never shown up at my door. My brain kicked into business mode. I’d deal with my personal feelings later. For now, this was all about her sister.
“Let’s gather all the details. Redd, why don’t you see what you can find out from the police. Let them know Ms. Forrester has hired us for security, and we’d like to help with the case. If they say no, I’ll call my contact at the FBI and see what we can do from that angle.”
“Thank you.” Sutton hopped up from the couch, and before I knew it, she’d wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you,” she muttered against my chest.
The smell of her vanilla shampoo tickled my nose, and it took all the strength inside me not to inhale deeply. My arms instinctively went around her small frame, and I pulled her against me.
“It will be all right. I don’t know how yet, but it will,” I whispered into her hair. And in one heartbeat, I was eighteen again and holding her for the last time. How in the hell was I going to work with her?
Chapter 6
I joined Redd at the front door.
“I’m off to talk to the cops.” He grabbed a black windbreaker from Dad’s hallway closet and pulled it over his plain navy-blue T-shirt. Redd patted his jean pockets until he produced a car key. A sad smile filled his face. “You all right, man?”
“Even if I said I wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. Dad accepted her case and now it’s mine. Plus, Claire …” I replied in a hushed tone. “How the hell did this happen?” Memories rushed over me before I could stop them. The first time I’d met Claire, she was in her little pink Barbie nightgown, hugging a one-eyed brown bear to her chest. She stared at me long and hard with big green eyes, then grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen where she asked me to make her a bowl of cereal. Sutton happily observed while her little sister took over. After that, Claire followed Sutton and I everywhere we went when I was at their house. Claire would always wedge herself between us or crawl onto my lap, too. It never bothered Sutton that my heart belonged to both of them; she was more than willing to share.
“I get it. I’m here if you need to blow off steam.” Redd patted my arm.
“Thanks.” I cupped the back of my neck and massaged the tense muscles. “Right now, we’ve got a family to protect and a girl to bring home safely.”
“Sure do, boss.” Redd gave me a slight wave, then left.
Although Redd was the jokester out of the three of us, he never failed to show up ready to work. I couldn’t ask for better than ZW and him. Except … Connor. Connor should be here, working next to us. My stomach dropped at the mere thought of him, and I was suddenly grateful I had an assignment to occupy my thoughts. Even if it was Sutton.
I rejoined Sutton and ZW in the living room. “Time is valuable so let’s get started.”
“All right, I’m going to grab my computer. I’ll be right back.” ZW hurried from the room.
Sutton cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence between us.
“I’m sorry to have sprung things on you. I know you just lost Dominic, and you’re working on the funeral arrangements.” Her expression relaxed some, and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Although Dad had his wishes well documented … It’s all been hard.” I paused for a moment, collecting my chaotic thoughts. “Coming back has been difficult, too,” I admitted.
“I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but you have my word that as soon as Claire is home, I’ll leave you alone.” She glanced away and squirmed in her seat.
ZW joined us again before I could reply. At least Sutton and I were on the same page. Not only did we want to bring Claire home, we were eager to return to our separate lives. No messy goodbyes.
“All right, I’m ready,” ZW said, opening his computer.
"As I mentioned earlier, my dad had to lay off fifty people at the airplane manufacturing plant recently. He's been receiving threats since then," Sutton said.
Dad had mentioned the company that Sutton's father worked for had undergone a buyout, but I hadn't heard they were laying off workers.
"What are your thoughts on it? Do you think Claire’s disappearance is due to a disgruntled employee?" I asked. At this point we couldn’t rule out anything.
Sutton shook her head. "Honestly, the death threats to Claire and me shook me up pretty badly. But there’s another piece I don’t think should be ignored. Claire's been seeing a guy named Tucker—I don't know his last name. And she hid the relationship from my parents and me."
"Do you think they ran off together?" ZW asked while he typed notes.
Claire was eighteen, and while I understood her parents' concern, she was legally an adult.
Sutton's face paled and her hands fidgeted in her lap. "Tucker is a member of the Sons of Chaos."
Jesus. This situation was taking a dark turn fast. This was the last thing I had expected to hear when Sutton knocked on my door. Dammit. "How in hell did she get mixed up with them?"
The motorcycle cl
ub had been around since before I was born. Everyone in Portland knew of them, and if they were smart, stayed away. Sons of Chaos were one percenters—an MC of outlaws involved in illegal activities. Drugs, prostitution, trafficking. Cold and calculating. Loyal only to each other or suffer the consequences. Once you were patched in, there was no getting out. Ever.
Sutton’s shoulders slumped forward. “I don’t know. She never told me. All I know is they’ve been dating for almost a year. Since I was away at college, then started my career, I haven’t been as involved in her daily life. It was easy to slip it by me. I’ve told myself it’s no excuse, I should have had her over to my place more often, taken her to lunch, and talked to her more.”
Tears streamed down Sutton’s cheeks, and I fought the urge to gather her in my arms and let her cry. Even after all this time, the instinct to protect her hadn’t faded.
ZW took her hand. “Sutton, Claire is a grown woman. She’s made her own choices like we all have. Unfortunately, some of those decisions hold more weight than others.”
“Logically, I know you’re right, Zayne, but my heart is saying otherwise. It’s my responsibility as a big sister to look after her, and I failed.”
ZW grabbed a box of tissues from the coffee table and passed it to her. She dabbed her eyes, then sat back in her seat, crossing her legs at the ankles.
“Claire had yoga you said?” I asked, shifting in my chair.
“Every Tuesday and Thursday evening. She loved it. I have no idea what her plans were after class, though. For all I know, she and Tucker were meeting. Mom and Dad were at dinner with friends, so she would have been able to pull it off without raising any concerns.”
“Do you think she was pregnant? Have the police talked to Tucker?” ZW asked.
“The cops are too afraid to push the issue with the gang. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of them are on the MC’s payroll. You know they’re untouchable,” Sutton responded.
“Screw the police.” Anger boiled up inside me. I remembered all too well how the local police ignored the illegal gang activity. I stood and paced across the living room. If Claire had been abducted by the Sons of Chaos, Sutton was right, the cops wouldn’t mess with them. But why? Had things gone south between her and Tucker? Had she stumbled on information and activities she shouldn’t know about and they viewed her as a threat? Did they see a need to eliminate her? The pit of my stomach churned with the thought. How in the hell had I walked right back into the same shit show I’d left years ago? Gangs. Law enforcement. Wondering who might be next on their hit list. I’d left for a goddamn reason, and now it was staring me in the face again. Anxiety wrapped its clammy fingers around my throat, cutting off my oxygen. I had to go. I desperately needed some space.
“Apparently shit hasn’t changed much around here,” I snapped. “I need some fresh air.” And with that, I turned on my heel and stomped away.
Chapter 7
I should have never come back to Portland. It was as though the darkness I’d left behind had waited to swallow me again.
My hands clenched and unclenched into fists while Sutton’s words replayed in my head.
I wasn't remotely interested in poking the bear that was the Sons of Chaos. They were cold-hearted bastards, ruthless. I didn’t want to risk my men, either. Once you stood up to them, they’d hunt you like a mountain lion stalking their prey and not even blink twice before eliminating you. It was one thing to protect Sutton and her family while they searched for Claire. It was something entirely different for me to be stupid enough to put my dick in a doorway, then slam the door on it. Repeatedly. Not. Fucking. Happening. The Feds would have to deal with them. That is if they were involved. At this time, it was all speculation, but the mere thought of them being behind Claire’s disappearance had opened the dam. All the memories had rushed back, and the more I looked at Sutton, the more the knots twisted in my gut.
I jammed the elevator button repeatedly with my finger. There was no fast escape when you were on the penthouse floor, apparently. The doors finally whooshed open, and Jeffrey exited with a stack of mail.
“Are you leaving, sir?” he asked, frowning.
“I need to get out for a while.” I sidestepped him, avoiding any further conversation. Raw anger boiled inside me. Over the years, I’d mastered it and redirected my frustrations. But now, staring my dark past in the face, I was concerned I wasn’t going to be able to contain it. If I didn’t find something or someone to calm me down, I was going to explode.
The elevator dinged, and I hurried through the quiet lobby and outside into the autumn air. My feet smacked the walkway as I inhaled and slipped on my Ray-Ban sunglasses. Before I realized it, I hooked a right onto Lovejoy Street and kept going.
It was strange how a city could change yet remain the same. Rounding the corner, I spotted the donut shop Mom used to stop in at on her way to work. Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I entered a residential neighborhood. The only thing that separated the homes from each other were what people had in the front yard. Although the mostly white bungalow and cottage style houses were right off a busy street, some didn’t have fences and others had chain link. The farther I went, the more the area deteriorated in quality. Junked out cars sat in driveways and rusted toys on the front porches.
A family of bicyclists whizzed by me on the sidewalk, the boy and girl arguing while they continued up the street.
Forty minutes later, I stood in front of a small, green house. In Chinese culture, the color represented health, prosperity, and harmony. I hoped it had delivered exactly that.
The rain had started up again halfway through my trek. Now soaking wet, I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and slowly made my way up the wide cement steps. I rang the doorbell and waited. My heart hammered against my chest. It wasn’t like me to show up at someone’s door unannounced. In fact, when Sutton had done it to me, it had pissed me off. But I needed insight, and since Dad was no longer with me, there was only one other person that I trusted to have some solid judgement in this situation.
The front door creaked open cautiously, and the older man’s mouth gaped open as his slender hand reached toward me. He had aged well. His brown eyes were filled with wisdom, and his dark hair was now silver, but overall, he appeared healthy and strong.
“Pierce?” he asked, unable to rein in his astonishment.
“Sir,” I said, wiping the water off my face. “I need your help.” My mood immediately lightened as I stood in front of my Da Shifu.
He ushered me inside with a quick sweep of his arm, and I wiped off my wet shoes on the black welcome mat before I entered.
“It’s so good to see you.” He took my hand in his, looking up at me. “How are you, son?”
“Honestly, Da Shifu?”
“Always.” He led me into his living room. “Sit,” he said, gesturing to the worn red sofa. Several ancient art books were scattered across the rectangular black coffee table, and a regal red and gold dragon vase rested in the middle, demanding attention.
Glancing around the well-lived-in yet comfortable space, I noted the seat. His couch was fabric, and I’d soak it in seconds.
“I don’t want to get your furniture wet,” I said.
“Nonsense, I’ll get a few towels.” He quietly left the room, then returned a moment later. I wiped myself off the best I could and carefully laid the other towel on his sofa, sinking into the comfortable seat.
“What brings you into town,” he asked.
The anxiety that had haunted me since I’d received the call about losing dad simmered down the more Da Shifu spoke. “My dad … Dad died.” I hung my head, unable to look at him. When I’d trained, Dad wasn’t anywhere around, and the man in front of me had been an excellent stand-in.
“You haven’t been back to Portland in years.”
One of the things I admired most about Da Shifu, he never judged people. “Correct. Not since …” I could never bring myself to say it, as if voicing any
part of it would conjure up the horror of that day again.
“I remember.” He paused. “How can I help?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand how to handle it all without losing control.”
Da Shifu nodded, his gaze searching mine. “Are you still training?”
“Yeah. I have to for my job. Well, I’m now the owner of Westbrook Security, but I worked for Dad after I came home from the Marines. ZW and Redd work with me. For me.”
“Ah, my three musketeers stayed together?” He chuckled, the dimple in his cheek deepening.
A slight smile pulled at the corner of my mouth. “Stayed in trouble is more like it.”
“As you have experienced and seen countless times, death is a part of life. You’ve known many, Pierce, and I’m truly sorry about your father. The key is to allow yourself to grieve in an appropriate way. But I suspect being back in Portland has stirred things deep inside that you’ve not ever dealt with.”
I remained quiet, attempting to absorb what he’d just said.
“Will you stay long?” he asked.
“Not if I can help it,” I muttered. “The plan was to arrive, deal with legalities, and fly back to Spokane within a few days. But then … Sutton showed up today. Her sister is missing.”
His eyes darkened. Sutton had also trained under Da Shifu.
“I remember her. Claire, right?” His tone rose in pitch. “After you left, Sutton would bring her to class sometimes. Claire sat in the corner and did her homework when she wasn’t completely enthralled with her sister whipping everyone’s ass.”
I couldn’t stop myself from chuckling at hearing Da Shifu say it. I’d not laughed since my party at Redd’s house.
“Sutton could hold her own.” I paused for a moment, remembering the days all four of us had trained together. Somehow, we’d become Da Shifu’s favorites. To everyone else we were the outcasts, but he’d seen something different in us. Potential. In a world that told us we had no real value or future other than to join a gang, he saw us as worthy and able to conquer anything in front of us. He was the one that gave us a chance. “She met with my father the night he passed away and hired him—well, his company—to protect her and her family. I inherited the assignment, so to speak.”
