by K E Osborn
A lump forms in my throat, and I clear it shifting in my seat to face Everett more, trying to seem like I’m engaging his conversation. I want to appear friendly. I want to gain his trust. “Everett, I know our time in the hospital was brief, but I feel like I got to know you… about your past, about where your mind goes. But what I don’t understand is where we’re going right now?”
He smiles. It’s not a comforting gesture. It has a hard edge to it, and it unsettles me. “I’m taking you somewhere I should have taken you long ago. It’s just, I’ve had a hard time tracking you down. But I’ve had people on my side, Mylee. People who understand me.”
I bob my head as if I’m following.
I’m not.
“People, like who?”
“I have a few people that were in hospitals with me. They understand. They think like us. They know the system is flawed, that the government is stopping the right people from being together.”
“People like you and me?”
He lets out a small laugh. “See. You get it! This is why I knew this would work, Mylee. You’re perfect, even if…” he glances down at my stomach, “… you’re tainted.”
A shudder runs through me as my hand inadvertently runs to my tummy to protect my two unborn babies. I don’t want to question him or bring any added attention to my children. They need to be protected and kept as safe as possible. I have no idea what his intentions are, but I will do absolutely everything in my power to protect my babies.
No matter the cost.
My eyes begin to well in fear as I glance out the window, I don’t want him to see me wavering. “Are we heading back to Michigan?” I ask trying to sound blasé.
He chuckles. “Yeah, gotta get you back home. You’ve had your fun with those Defiance bikers. They kept you away from me for long enough. It took a hell of a lot of effort to get you away from them. My dad set up the plan to run a pedestrian over near your doctor’s office to cause a delay in traffic so you’d be running late. That diversion allowed me to get into the doctor’s suite unseen. It worked like a charm, too. Shame the pedestrian died, a casualty of love and war, but it’s worth it to have you by my side, my love. I’m pissed off your biker bastard didn’t make it in, I had a plan for him, but that doesn’t matter now.”
I let out a gasp as I realize what he’s saying. His dad’s in on this? He had someone killed so Everett could get to me. Holy shit, this is bigger than I could have possibly imagined! Not only that, but Dr. Branson could be dead for all I know.
Fuck! If Malcolm’s in on this, then is Trax safe?
Is he even looking for me?
What the hell is Everett up to?
What the hell is he planning?
I knew he was crazy, but now I’m beginning to understand—he’s fucking lethal.
TRAX
Rushing into the clubhouse, Torque is by my side instantly as his face falls. “Is it true, did Everett get Sparx?”
I grunt. “Do you fucking see her with me right now, brother?” I blurt out in anger more at myself.
He grits his teeth as we walk straight toward the chapel without hesitation. “What the fuck happened? You had Andretti’s men with you for lunch? Did they not keep up their end?” Torque asks.
I roll my shoulders. “No, this is on me. We were running late, fucking traffic accident right outside the place. So, I let her go in without me while I was getting a parking space. I should have known. I should have fucking known. I watched her walk in through the doors. I thought once she was inside, she’d be safe… I mean she was fine, there were people everywhere. I wasn’t going to be long. I thought she’d be okay. Fuck, Torque, I did this. I let her get taken.”
He grabs my cut pulling me to face him. “Stop! You can’t play the blame game right now. It’s done. We have to figure out how the hell to get your woman back.”
“Amen,” Ace calls out from behind his desk as I look over while he continues to type away on his computer.
“Do you have anything?”
He exhales. “I hacked into the cameras as soon as we hung up. The doctor’s office doesn’t have anything, but the gas station across the road did, so I pulled that up. It showed Everett hauling Sparx out the back into a black Hyundai Sonata. I couldn’t get the plate numbers from the footage, so I tried to follow the path they took. Trying to get cameras that lined up has been difficult, but I’ve managed to get a match eventually. He’s driving fast, so I’ve lost which road they took, but I have the plates and have programmed it into the system so when it pops up as a match on any of the cameras it should ping letting us know where they’re headed.”
Taking a breath, I try to take all of that in. My heart’s beating rapidly in my chest. “Okay, can we ride while you track it?”
“Yeah, I can put it on my cell and mount it to my bars, kinda like a GPS. It should tell us the exact route he’s taking.”
I look to Torque, his eyes hard in understanding. “We ride. I’ll get the boys.” He grips my shoulder looking at me, the eyes of my blood brother staring firm. “We’ll get her back. We’ll get them back. Don’t worry, we got this.” With a simple exhale, he walks out of the chapel as I hear a loud whistle echo through the clubroom, but I’m too caught up in my own thoughts to listen to him telling my brothers the deal right now.
I look to Ace with pleading eyes, my stomach sinking through to the bowels of hell. “Can we really do this… track him down?”
“I got this, you follow me, and we’ll find her. We got the plate, it’s programmed… as long as it keeps pinging the cameras, we’ll be able to follow it.” Ace grabs a few pieces of tech equipment then we walk out into the clubroom where my brothers are all lining up, their subtle nods don’t go unnoticed. I risk a glance to Mom, her eyes watering as she holds onto Neala tightly. I can’t acknowledge them right now as I turn walking toward the door, not waiting for anyone. I need to ride. I need to ride now. My woman and kids need me. I’ll be damned if I’m waiting for anyone.
I walk outside, the sun hitting my face making the sweat already rolling down my temple feel even colder against my skin. Just needing to feel the vibration of the heavy metal between my legs, I make my way to my ride. I have to be on the road, going after her. I need her back in my arms. I want that fucker to pay for taking her. I swear to God if he’s even touched a hair on her head, I will gut him quicker than he has a chance to take another breath—be damned Sensei’s teachings.
My ride turns on effortlessly, the rumble vibrates up through me as I yank on my helmet roughly. I’m frustrated. I need to get going, but everyone seems to be fucking dawdling. Ace is beside me appearing to feel my agitation. He starts his ride as Torque slides on his bike while I signal to Ace to lead the way. Normally, it would be Scratch, but Ace is the only one who knows where the hell we’re going, so Scratch will have to take a general position for this ride.
Ace pulls out, and I follow behind him, skidding my tires out on the turn. Torque pulls up beside me, giving me the strength I need as we ride beside each other. Scratch pulls in behind us, and everyone else follows. My brothers are with me in this. We have no idea what we’re riding into, what the hell we’re going to be facing, but none of us care because when one of us are in, we’re all in, and right now this is my fight, and my family is at my back.
No matter what.
That’s what brotherhood is all about.
***
We’ve been riding for a while, but I’m getting frustrated. I feel like we’ve been out now for at least an hour when Ace pulls off to the side of the road stopping quickly. We all follow as my fists clench against my bars in annoyance. We should be riding, not stopping. But I pull over while Ace is frantically working on his cell.
“Shit,” he murmurs.
“What the fuck is going on? Why’d we stop?” I call out.
“I think they’ve switched cars.”
My eyes open wide as my chest heaves. “What? Why do you think that?”
Ace zooms in on
a picture of the Sonata stopped at a gas station, then there’s a snapshot of Sparx and Everett getting out of the car then into another one, but the plates are too hazy to see what they read.
“Fuck! Without my other tech gear, I don’t know how to trace this second car, I’ve only got limited shit with me,” Ace states.
“So we’re an hour and a half from the Defiance clubhouse with no fucking idea where the hell he’s taking her?”
Ace huffs. “I think it’s safe to say he’s heading toward Grand Rapids. We’re definitely headed in that direction, just don’t know where in Grand Rapids.”
I grunt. “Fuck! Fine! We need some way of tracing her. Is there another way, Ace? Think!”
He looks up at the sky as if to look for some kind of fucking divine intervention, then looks back to me. “Fuck! Why didn’t I think of this first. Did she have her cell on her?”
“Yeah, she shoved it down her bra before we left.”
Ace scrunches his face like he’s frustrated but then quickly taps something into his cell. “Give me a few moments, I’m going to try and see if I can track her cell from here. If she still has it on her, it might be our best bet.”
I turn toward Torque, and he lets out a sigh. “Trax, we’re heading into Knights’ territory. If they hear about Defiance riding in Michigan without us filling them in, you know we’re gonna to be in for a world of hurt.”
I groan. I’ve been dreading making this call, but I know I need to. Plus, maybe having the Notorious Knights on our side as we ride in to get Sparx would be helpful. The more to take down this cockhead, the better. I just hope Crest doesn’t ream me a new asshole for being a fucking failure at protecting his princess. Spinning on my heels, I walk away from the guys dialing Crest’s number. Taking a deep breath, it rings twice before he answers.
“Trax, you better have something good to tell me.”
“Crest… I failed.”
Silence filters down the line for a brief moment before he clears his throat and grunts. “Trax, what the fuck does that mean?”
Running my hand through my hair, I cringe. “Everett has her.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Jesus, Trax! I brought her to you to keep her safe. I trusted you. It’s been one thing after the other since I brought her there for your damn protection…” he pauses. I let him gather himself as my stomach churns with anxiety. “Fuck! When? How long has she been gone?”
Sighing, I crack my neck to the side. “A couple of hours, give or take—”
“What! Are you fucking insane? Why the hell are you only calling me now?”
Swallowing hard, I knew that was coming. “We’re on our way into Grand Rapids. Ace was able to track the car Everett took her in, but now they’ve switched cars, and we don’t have the tech equipment we need with us to track the new car. From what we can make out, it’s a Honda Civic, a midnight blue color, but that’s all we know. We’ve been tracking them, following them. We know they’re headed your way, but we’ve lost them. Though, Ace is now trying to get a trace on Mylee’s cell signal to see if we can follow it.”
Crest lets out a heavy sigh and is quiet for a pass. The heaviness of the situation obviously catching up with him. “Shit! Trax... she’s my baby girl.”
I rub my temple. “And she’s my Old Lady… the mother of my unborn children, Crest. I know how you feel… we have to get her back.”
“I’m getting the boys together, and we’re gonna ride, right now. Where are you?”
“The Gerald R. Ford Freeway… we’re about an hour or so out.”
“Right. We’re gonna go searching around town for blue Civics till you get here. We’ll meet you at the turn-off. We’ll get her back. We have to. Don’t worry. If there’s one thing about Everett, all he wants is for him and Mylee to be together, so as long as we find him, we’ll find her.”
For some reason, it doesn’t soothe me. “See you soon. And Crest?”
“Yeah?”
“Sorry.”
He exhales. “Your apology means nothing, just fucking get her back.”
I end the call as I turn to see Torque watching me closely while Ace works frantically on his equipment.
Fuck, I hope he’s come up with something.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
MYLEE
It’s been hours since we left the doctor’s office. I know Trax must be going crazy if he’s still alive. My cell’s tucked in my bra, but I don’t want Everett to know it’s there. I just hope like hell it doesn’t make any sounds while we’re together. I did manage to turn it to silent when Everett turned his back at the gas station. I momentarily thought about making a run for it too, but he didn’t really give me much time to do anything. My plan was to say I needed to use the ladies room, which I actually do need—baby bladder and all—but he only had time for us to stop the car next to another one, get out, and steal the Civic. I was so shocked I didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late as I was shoved into the car, and he sped off.
I feel so out of my depth. I’m so scared, the darkness of thunderclouds threaten to roll in above my head, but I don’t want my fears to settle in. I must keep my wits about me, but it’s hard when my brain is fogging over. I need to keep control. I’m doing everything possible to keep my mind focused and active, not to let it drown in the fog or the storm that’s brewing.
The day is shifting to night, and the further we drive, it becomes more obvious we’re driving past Grand Rapids and out into farmland. I can’t help but wonder where the hell he’s taking me. The sun’s setting, it’s getting close to nine at night, and I’m stressing wondering if anyone’s going to come.
I hope Trax will be doing everything in his power to search for me, to find me, but Everett’s doing his best to keep us moving. Changing up the vehicles we’re traveling in is only going to make it even more difficult for the club to find me. But being so close to Grand Rapids makes me think of Dad and the Knights, and what the hell they’re going to do if they find out I’m here being held by Everett.
Everett won’t only have Defiance coming after him, but the Knights too. He’s in for one hell of a shitstorm. And I can’t wait for it to rain down on him.
Pulling off into a farm, he looks at me raising his brow. “I’m so excited we will finally be able to be connected like we’re supposed to,” he utters breaking the deafening silence that’s been riddling the car for the past few hours.
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“After the cleansing ritual, to rid you of your demons, to rid you of your evil, you will be purified, and we can be together like we were truly meant to be all those years ago.”
“All those years ago?” I question, we were only in the hospital two years ago, he’s not making sense.
I’m confused.
“Yes. We were meant to grow old together, you and me, remember? We’ve said it ever since we were six.”
I click remembering about the girl in the barn who died, the one he connects to me for some reason—I still don’t really know why. “The girl in the barn, the one who died, Everett? She’s not me. I’m Mylee.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Something changed when you were shot. You forgot. You altered your name slightly… only slightly. You look so much like her.” His eyes widen. “The government! The government is the ones trying to keep us apart, Rylee, don’t you see?”
I open my eyes wide. “Rylee?”
“Yes. Now you remember, don’t you? Is it coming back, Rylee? Are you coming back to me?”
I shudder in understanding. I completely get why he clung to me, not only is my name only one letter different to hers, but if I look like her too, then no wonder I’ve sent him over the edge. He must have really felt something for this Rylee, they must have been good friends for him to have such a bond to her all these years later. But then again, I guess, if they were best friends and he shot her, accidentally killing her, then your family covers it up for your entire life, and y
ou’re bound to have some mental issues.
Poor guy.
I actually feel for him now.
The amount of pity I have for him doesn’t lessen my fear, though. The fact is, he has me confused for a dead six-year-old girl. A girl who isn’t coming back. There’s nothing I can say or do that’s going to change his mind.
He pulls up to a barn, stops the car, and jumps out. I tense up as he rushes to my side yanking me out of the car forcefully. I grimace at the tightness of his clenched fist around my bicep as he pulls me inside the barn. The barn is paneled in wood and appears really old. Like it has been here for a century. It creeps me out.
“The barn’s just like the one we grew up in. Isn’t it, Rylee?” he calls out looking up into the rafters above us, his eyes alight in wonder as a cold shudder runs through my very soul. This is all a little too creepy. The fact Rylee died in a barn, and now I’m alone with him in the darkening night is scaring the shit out of me. My instinct is to run, but I’m petrified and don’t want to put any risk on the babies, but staying is risking them too.
I’m so freaking torn.
I have no idea what to do.
Everett drags me to the middle of the barn to a lone wooden chair. I crease my brows leering at it as he looks me up and down with a beaming smile. “You’re wearing a white dress, it’s perfect for the purity ritual.”
