Bishop ignored the surprised look on the medic’s face as he shoved past her in the tiny space of the ambulance. He pulled the sheet off Wick and began poking around the wound area. Seeing that the gunshot wound was a little worse than they thought, Bishop told Wick they would have George meet him at the hospital. “Keep your phone on you, we will update you on the situation.”
“My phone’s in my fucking truck.”
“Here take mine for now, I’ll grab yours.” Bishop saw the look on Wick’s face. It seemed his brother may have a secret he didn’t want anyone to know. “Problem with it, Wick?”
“No.” Wick held the phone as he watched the doors close and the siren rang out. Closing his eyes, he thought about Echo and Kat. What a fucked up situation.
Wick heard a small voice yelling for him to talk. He realized it was coming from the phone he still held in his hand. Lifting it to his ear, he heard Gypsy demanding to know what was going on.
“Gypsy, someone just grabbed Echo and Katya.” Wick listened to the questions that he didn’t have answers for. “I don’t know… got a partial plate and a description of the car… windows were blacked out, but it was a rental.” Wick continued answering Gypsy’s questions. He could hear George in the background relaying the information to the other guys. As he continued to recount the events, his mind settled and things started to come into view. Wick had more information than he realized. Soon there would be a full search for Echo. If they needed to call in favors from other clubs, they would.
“Wick, I’m sending George to the hospital. The two of you get back to the clubhouse ASAP. I’m calling the sheriff; we need to have all the manpower we can get. And we want to be on the right side of things if we can be.”
Wick agreed, they needed to be on the right side of things. Just how did Gypsy believe that was going to happen? “Crow already called the cops. This isn’t going to go down the right way, Gypsy.”
“You let me worry about that.”
***
Splitting up had been their only option. Tabor went north as Crow went south. Too many roads jetted off the main highway. Relief came in the sound of motorcycles roaring down the highway behind him. Signaling that some of his brothers needed to head south after Crow, he watched half turn into a cloud of dust and smoke.
Love is complicated, he thought. Emotions could have you spinning in one direction, then in a split second something made you realize how some things are trivial. All that mattered to him right at that moment was finding his girls. His girls.
There were more roads than they could cover. He couldn’t lose them—not now, not when everything was a mess. Echo and Katya needed to know he loved them. A storm rolling in off the coast was making it hard to keep up the search. Evening was coming fast.
They needed to regroup.
They needed a plan.
They needed to find Echo and Katya.
***
Throbbing pain kept Echo alert. She knew she was in the backseat of a sedan. Using her heel, she struck her kidnapper’s thigh before he punched her in her arm. Stars burst behind her eyes from the pain. She knew how to fight, and this was a fight for her life. She didn’t know why they wanted her, but regardless, Echo was damn sure she wouldn’t go down easy.
Kicking out again, she went high, catching the guy in his upper arm. When he leaned forward to strike her again, she used her leg to kick his head forward, slamming it into the headrest. Her attacker grabbed her leg, dragging her across the seat. She knew he was going to hit her again, so she came up swinging with everything she had. Her fist connected twice before the car skidded to a stop.
He twisted her hair and pulled back her head as a gun was shoved in her mouth. “Bitch, you want to see that brat of yours again, you’ll fucking sit still.” He didn’t remove the gun from her mouth until she nodded that she understood.
However, they said she had to sit still, they didn’t say she had to be silent. “You touch my daughter and I promise I’ll kill you both myself.”
The car veered to the right fast, kicking up dust from the old gravel road leading back off the highway. Terrified, Echo took in the surroundings outside the car. She counted silently to track how far from the highway she would be once the car stopped. It would take more than these two idiots to hold her. The car came to a stop outside an old warehouse-type of building. The overgrown area kept it from being visible from the highway.
Would anyone find her, even if she were able to get free? Where would she hide if she got away? The main building was surrounded by a few outbuildings and an expanse of thick forest. She wouldn’t stay around the building where she could be easily found.
Then she thought more about it as they pulled her from the car. If she stayed closer to the building, it would give her more time to run through the woods. Her captives would head straight to the highway, thinking that’s where she would go.
A plan began to form in her head, until she stumbled through the doorway, coming face to face with Anthony Martinelle.
Chapter 13
There was always more to a story than you knew. Wick thought about it all the way back to Lampsing. In his experience, people always held back little bits of important information, often not even knowing they had done so. Wick knew Echo kept a small metal box full of personal paperwork, and he needed anything that may give him a clue of who may have taken them.
Standing in her apartment, sweat beaded across his brow. The stairs had been a fight as the stitches pulled with every step he took. But it reminded him of who he was and what he was capable of.
He dug under the bed but came away empty-handed. Crawling out from underneath it, he saw boots standing inches from his face. Shaking his head, Wick watched from the floor as George crouched down staring him down,
“Wick, what-cha looking for?”
Damn the guy was fast. “Have you ever seen a metal box around here?” George walked down the hall, leaving Wick to get up on his own. Heading into her bathroom, he waited for Wick, then pointed to the old-fashioned dumbwaiter, the one Echo had sent her daughter down in the night of the break-in. Opening the door, Wick smiled. There on the shelf was the box. “How’d you know it was here?”
“Put it there myself when she asked me to.” Shrugging, George walked away. Whatever Wick was looking for, he hoped it helped them.
Wick rummaged through the box, finding photos of what he assumed was family along with financial records. Finally, at the bottom he found letters from a man named Neil Logan—with an address that alarmed Wick. It seemed the man was in prison. Opening letter after letter, it was threat after threat.
Wick thought he knew who may be behind Echo’s kidnapping…
Signaling for George, Wick headed back across the street to dig into Neil Logan before something else horrible happened to Echo and her daughter. He called Fiddler; Wick needed the best for this. Hours passed as he tried on his own to dig for information on Neil Logan.
The sound of motorcycles let him know help had arrived. Wick was surprised when Gypsy walked in with Fiddler.
“Wick what are you looking at?” Gypsy didn’t have time for small talk, he needed to be updated on the situation. Tabor hadn’t brought him in on it yet.
“Found some threatening letters in Echo’s things from a man in prison. His name is Neil Logan. I found he is still incarcerated in the state of New York. I need Fiddler to dig into Echo’s background. Her formal name is Genevie Sala. I can’t find anything connecting her to this Neil fellow.”
Fiddler stepped up to his bank of computers. This was where he felt at home. Glancing over the laptop he was currently using, he said, “I will figure out how this guy knows our girl.” Then he immediately dove into his work, pulling up anything that could give them any leads.
***
Her tailbone hurt like hell. When Anthony grabbed her from the other guy, he slapped her and slammed her against a metal railing. She had hit the railing so hard, she fell over it and landed on her butt. Twisting he
r hands, she tried to loosen the ropes that bound her. Multiple raised voices told her that there was more than one player in the mix.
Echo couldn’t wrap her head around Anthony wanting her kidnapped. What could she possibly have that he wanted? No way could one old building be worth someone’s life. Could he be pissed off enough about Neil’s jail time to hurt her? The man had tried to kill her and her daughter—for what reason, Echo had no idea. The only thing she knew about the two men had been their affair. Who cared about two men being in a relationship?
Closing her eyes, Echo prayed her daughter was safe. She hoped Tabor would step up for Katya if she didn’t get out of this. Footsteps alerted her of someone approaching the room. Echo put on a brave face. There was no way would she cower to them.
Anthony stepped through the door, glaring at Echo. She waited for him to say something that made sense.
***
The remaining Kings started digging into camera surveillance from every angle they could get their hands on. Pacing back and forth, Tabor tried calming himself down. They had searched for hours on the highway, sideroads, and every nearby campground for any sign of the getaway cars. He knew his brothers were doing everything possible to help locate her.
“Gypsy, you don’t have to stay here, you have a family to take care of.” His chance at a family seemed to be slowly slipping away minute by minute. He just wanted Echo back so he could prove to her how much he loved her and their daughter. The whole thing had taken him by surprise. If he would have stayed to talk to her, she wouldn’t have gotten taken. This was his fault.
“I can see your mind racing over there, and what happened wasn’t your fault. Echo and Kat would have been grabbed at any point. If she was indeed the target, it didn’t matter the circumstance, they would have gotten to them.”
“She’s mine, Gypsy.”
“We all know Echo’s yours, brother.”
He looked up at his brother. His president. His friend. He told Gypsy simply, “Katya, she’s mine, my daughter. I had just found out minutes before they were taken.” Tabor saw Wick leaning against the wall just listening. “Wick, we good?”
“For now.”
***
Anthony stood over Echo. He slapped her again. Her face hurt like hell; she could feel the swelling starting to cause her eye to close. She needed to stay focused. “What do you want, Tony?”
Echo’s head yanked back; she yelled as the searing pain shot along her scalp, her hair was twisted all the way down to the root. Tears welled up as Tony slammed her head back down against the table. For a split second she saw stars. Sending up a silent prayer that someone would find her was the last thing she remembered before blacking out.
Chapter 14
Turning off the highway, Janice drove slowly down the gravel road towards the old factory. She hoped she had lost the keys in the building when she and Jason Becks had been looking around. Making the turn into the driveway, she saw cars parked in front, including Jason’s. It seemed Jason had the keys… Now mad as hell, Janice shoved the gearstick into park. He was in for it when she got inside.
Janice heard raised voices when she pulled open the door. Rushing to where the argument came from, she peered around the open doorway. A window showed a hazy reflection of a man she didn’t know and Jason standing by a woman, a woman that was tied to a chair.
Not knowing what to do, Janice remained silent and watched to see what would happen next.
***
Jason wanted his money and Lil’ Tony needed to pay up. Things were too hot in the town. He had never imagined that grabbing Genevie would cause such a ruckus. Hell, she wasn’t even part of the Gypsy Kings’ MC. She wore no one’s name or colors, how was he supposed to know she was one of their women? And not just anyone’s, but the bastard he’d run off the road. Not only would the motherfucker be hunting him down for grabbing his woman, but he’d probably kill him for attacking him.
It was time to split, he was sick of waiting. Just as he made his decision, Lil’ Tony’s goon dragged Genevie into the next room by her hair while telling her he had her kid. She was kicking and yelling. “Tie the bitch up and go get the kid. Bring the little bitch to me.”
“I’m not helping you hurt a child.”
“You work for me and I fuckin said to go get the brat.”
“Have one of the other guys bring the kid here. If they’re still hiding her in town and I go back, I could be seen; I’m not taking the chance of getting killed for you. I’m done. Just give me what’s due me and I’m outta here.”
I should have chosen my words better, Jason thought as Anthony Martinelle raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Fuck me.
The door had been left open just enough for Echo to see and hear what was happening in the outer room. She turned her head as the gun went off. Jason had seemed the reasonable one, and now it was only Anthony and the two assholes who had grabbed her. She feared for Katya’s safety; Echo couldn’t care less about herself, she just wanted her daughter to be safe. Tony walked in and pulled the gag from her mouth. He came nose to nose with her, almost spitting on her as he told Echo if she didn’t give him what he wanted he would kill her brat.
Echo would give him whatever he wanted, he just needed to tell her. “What do you want?”
“I want your inheritance.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I thought this was about Neil.” Echo tried the ropes again, but they weren’t loosening. If she could just get loose, she might have a better chance at getting out of this alive. She needed to buy some time.
“Why the fuck would I care about Neil?”
“He’s in jail. He’s your partner.” She was surprised when Anthony laughed at her response. It seemed he couldn’t care less about Neil Logan. Could that be the reason Neil had tried to kill her?
“Were you behind Neil trying to kill us?”
“Do you think he could have come up with that on his own? Neil was good for a good time, nothing more, nothing less.”
“I don’t have any money, Tony.”
Lil’ Tony grabbed a fist full of hair, yanking Echo’s head back. He came in close, his hot breath on her skin making her stomach roll. She felt his lips caress her ear. Echo didn’t care how badly it hurt, she yanked her head away from him and slammed it back at his face, only managing to clip his chin. He yanked her head all the way back, exposing her throat.
“You have always been a feisty little bitch. Bet I can make you scream.”
Echo shivered; she hadn’t thought about anything happening to her except being killed. Closing her eyes, her mind began racing. She didn’t want to be tortured or raped.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, I’m not going to fuck you—yet. I do, however, have something else to make you see things my way.”
“What’s that?” she bit out.
“Your kid, she’s a pretty little thing.”
Echo jerked hard to get out of his grip, kicking out at Tony as she fought to get free. She would die before she let him touch her baby. In the struggle to free herself from his grip, Tony kicked the chair, causing it to topple over. Echo landed hard against the concrete floor. Tears ran down her face at the thought of her little girl being in the hands of Tony or his associates.
***
Janice McMichael held a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream as she saw Jason get shot. Turning out of the doorway, she pressed herself against the wall. She needed to get out of there before they realized she has witnessed the shooting. Slipping out of her heels, she snatched them up and ran for her car.
Amazingly enough, no one ran out after her nor followed her car. Once safely on the highway, she thought about calling the sheriff to report the crime but was afraid for her own life. If she could get home, she could pack a bag and get out of town, or at the least a hotel room for a couple nights.
How did one process seeing a shooting? she wondered. Her hands shook. She tried to maintain control of her car as she spe
d down the highway. Coming into city limits, she saw two police cars pass her. She hoped Jason lived, he had seemed nice enough. The women tied to the chair… she remembered where she knew her from. She was affiliated with the local MC. Making the next turn, she saw the answer to her prayers.
Pulling into a parking spot, Janice didn’t bother with her shoes. She jumped out of the car, running straight into the Gypsy King clubhouse, yelling for help.
***
Yelling from the common room had the men scrambling. They were surprised to discover it was a realtor they had used to purchase some property. She was doubled over, trying to catch her breath. Angel gently helped her sit down. “Take a breath and try to tell us what’s wrong.”
Between breaths she told them about the meeting at the building, about witnessing the shooting of a man and seeing a woman tied to a chair. “I recognized the woman as the one from across the street from here. She had a little girl. The man that got shot… shit… I know him also. He was a client; his name is Jason Becks. I don’t know if that’s even true now.”
“What do you not know is true?”
Looking at the man Janice explained she doubted the man’s name was really Jason Becks. When they asked about her seeing a child in the building, she said she hadn’t seen one, but she had only seen the one room. There could have been more people in other areas of the building that she hadn’t seen. “I did hear them say something about bringing a brat or a little bitch there. Could they have meant a child, oh God, those poor people. What have I done?”
“What do you mean? What have you done?”
“I let that man Jason talk me into going out, he stole my keys so they could use that building to hurt that lady and her baby.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Angel looked to Tabor and Gypsy, waiting for direction. They should call the cops, but the cops would go in blaring sirens, and that could get the girls killed. Not knowing the whereabouts of Katya had him nervous. “Janice, do you feel safe enough to go home?”
Tabor Page 7
