“Sage, what…who…”
It took me a minute to remember I was still wrapped up in Colt, but I finally snapped out of it and extracted myself from him. I walked over to Maddy and took a deep breath.
“I made some new friends. They’re going to try to help us find Mom, Maddy.”
Her eyes squinted as her gaze trailed across the room, drinking them all in. Behind her, Corinne half scoffed and half laughed and I flashed her a death glare.
“Cool,” Maddy said, nodding slowly. “If you say so. I’ll be in my room.”
She disappeared down the hallway, her door shutting with a determined thud. I couldn’t tell exactly what ‘cool’ meant, but I wasn’t convinced all was cool. Not at all. I sighed, turning to Corinne. I’d deal with Maddy later.
“Thanks for bringing her back. I know it’s a drive. Do you want to spend the night and go back in the morning?”
She hesitated, raising a brow as she bit her lip. Her eyes were trained on the Gods. “You know what, Sage? I think I do. I really, really do…”
“Corinne…” I said, my voice a low warning for her to behave.
“Hush, Sage,” she said, shaking her head. “You worry too much.”
I sighed again, exasperated. “How was Maddy this weekend?”
“She was good. We had fun,” she said, lowering her voice so Colt couldn’t hear. “Although, it looks like you had a lot more fun than we did.”
“It’s not like that,” I insisted.
“I can’t wait to hear what it is like then,” she winked, then walked to the kitchen, helping herself to a glass of wine and planting herself against the counter as she stared curiously at the Gods.
“Fuck,” I said, under my breath. Colt walked over and put his arm around me.
“Baby steps, okay,” he said. “Let’s just focus on your mom. Everyone is stressed and deals with things in their own way.”
I nodded, mustering a half smile. He was right. Maddy could be Maddy. And Corinne could be Corinne. I just needed to stay on task and remember why I’d invited all these behemoths into my mother’s home.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
FINN
Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.
It took fifteen steps to travel in a full circle around my living room rug. Mostly black, with a red and turquoise border, it was exactly nine feet around. I ignored the trail I’d worn out around the edges and headed around once again.
My fingers twitched in my pockets, my heart racing.
Concentrate on your breathing, concentrate on your breathing…
My little mantra, given to me by a well-meaning therapist many years ago, echoed in my head.
Twitch, step, twitch, step.
Pounding now, my heart sent blood rushing to my ears, drowning out the sound of my bare feet shuffling along the rug.
Swoosh, twitch, step, swoosh, twitch, pound, step, swoosh, step, twitch…
I tripped. My feet tangled together, my head drowning in confusion as I found myself on all fours on the rug, my trembling fingers sinking into the soft braided pile.
I swallowed hard, scrambling to my feet and stumbling back to my living room window. I’d already turned all the lights off. I didn’t want them to know I was watching. I didn’t want them to see me at the window.
Gently, I pushed the curtain to the side, peering out the edge of the window. They were still there, of course. All those bikes. I knew this, I hadn’t heard them leave and considering the racket they’d made coming in, there was no way for them to leave quietly.
First, there was just one. I’d seen Sage come home with him late last night. I’d seen what they’d done. But I never expected that one unfortunate sin of hers to multiply so quickly. When the other men came roaring up, I almost had a heart attack.
What were they doing here?
Where did they come from?
I knew nothing and that was the worst part of all.
The not knowing. Anything could happen.
I ran a hand through my hair, then pushed my glasses back up my nose. Attempting to shake myself out of my crippling anxiety, I contemplated my next move.
I could go over there.
Introduce myself.
Or not.
Either way, I’d have to get close to the house and although in the past, that had been an easy thing to do, now everything had changed.
Too many eyes.
I had no choice but to wait it out.
It was simple. I’d just wait for them to leave, for everything to go back to the way things were before they arrived.
Although, without Frannie being in that house, I knew things would never really be the same again.
Letting the curtain fall, I turned back to the center of the room, heading back to the rug.
One, two, three, four…
Frannie. God, she was so special, so beautiful…
Five, six, seven, eight…
My heart soared as I remembered her smile, the way it lit up a room…
Nine, ten, eleven, twelve…
I closed my eyes as I shuffled around the rug, breathless as I thought about her, my stomach flipping.
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…
I was back at my starting point and it struck me how symbolic this was, this moment, this very second where everything changed.
That’s what this was.
A new beginning. A new journey. I’d been chasing Frannie for long enough. It was time for me to let her go.
A deep, wracking sob tore through my throat, my heart splintering as I thought about life without her.
It’s okay, though, I thought. It’s time. It’s past time.
I nodded, firmly stepping into my future.
One, two, three, four…
CHAPTER NINETEEN
COLT
Maybe I should have given her more of a warning.
Sometimes, I forget how intimidating the Gods can be. We may be professionals, but by all appearances, we aren’t the kind of men you want to bring home to Mama, so to speak.
The look on Sage’s face was priceless. That’s why I’d done what had quickly become the most natural thing in the world — I pulled her into my arms and wrapped her up.
And that’s how we were standing when her friend and her little sister walked in. Probably not the best impression to make, but what are you going to do?
We’d deal.
My brothers made me proud. They came in and took charge, all business. As soon as Riot pulled out his computer and Ryder started looking around, I saw Sage visibly relax. It was then that I realized just how much she was carrying. Up until now, she’d been the one in charge.
She clearly needed a break.
I was damn glad to provide it.
I put whatever shame I was supposed to feel at having a savior’s complex away and shifted my attention to watching Sage and trying to anticipate her needs. Sure, I barely knew her, but by the way she’d responded to my touch last night, I felt like I had pretty good instincts when it came to her.
Maybe it was cocky, but fuck it.
The last thing this woman needed was some man afraid to be a fucking man. She needed someone to lean on and I was happy to be that man. I could carry a shit ton of pain and if I could lessen hers just a little, then let me do it.
“Sage, can we talk?” Ryder stood by the fireplace, his eyes raking over every inch of the living room. Sage nodded and walked over to him.
“Of course,” she nodded. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“You’re welcome. We’re hoping we can help you. I’m so sorry about your Mom.”
“Thank you, that would be amazing.”
“Colt’s told us quite a bit, but we’ll need to sit down and go over everything with you. And we’re going to need to go through all of your mother’s things. Ask a lot of personal questions.”
“I understand,” she said, her voice quivering as she raised her chin courageously. I watched from across the room, my heart aching for her. �
��You can ask me anything at all. We’re an open book.”
“Good,” he said. “I’d like to get a look at your Mom’s room first. Try to get a feel for her.”
“Of course,” Sage nodded, leading Ryder down the hallway I’d yet to go down myself. A wave of sheepishness washed over me and I was suddenly so glad we’d spent the night on the couch, instead of in her missing mother’s bed.
For the next few hours, Riot and Ryder grilled Sage about every aspect of her mother’s life. Slade, Wreck, Blade and I wandered around outside, looking around the house for anything out of the ordinary and looking through her car.
Sage told me it was like she just up and vanished, and so far, that definitely seemed to be the case. We were outside sifting through her car when the front door of the house next door opened and a squirrelly little man walked out, his big black eyeglasses falling down his nose as he walked over to us.
“Afternoon,” Slade said, nodding and standing in front of him with arms crossed, stopping the guy from getting any closer to Frannie’s car.
“Um…hello, I’m Finn,” the man said. Slade shook his hand and I cringed as I saw his hand go limp in Slade’s firm grasp.
“You live next door, Finn?” I asked.
“Y-yes,” he said, his eyes shifting between us nervously.
“How long have you lived there?” Wreck asked, poking his head out of the passenger’s side of the car.
“A few years almost,” he replied.
I nodded, taking in his slight frame. He was nerdy and nervous and fidgety. Immediately, I formed a deep dislike for him, and I couldn’t put my finger on why.
“You friends with Frannie?”
“Oh, yes!” he nodded, his eyes lighting up at the mention of her name. “At least we were friends.”
“Were?” I asked, lifting a brow.
“Well, I mean — because she’s missing and all,” he stammered.
I nodded again slowly, silently.
“Any idea where she may have gone?” Slade asked. “She confess anything to you? A date? Plans? Since you’re — were — friends…”
“No,” he shook his head. “I told Sage. And the cops, too.” He shrugged, throwing his hands up. “I can’t imagine where she’s gone.”
“Right,” I nodded. I did not like him. I certainly didn’t like him living this close to Sage. My gut told me something was seriously wrong with him. “Well, we’ll be around,” I warned him. “Let us know if you think of anything.”
“A-around here?” he asked. “You’re staying?”
“Yeah, for a spell,” I said. “Going to do our best to figure out what happened to Frannie.”
“Oh,” he said, his shoulders slumping. “I see. Well, that’s great.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, letting my gaze rake over him. With trembling fingers, he pushed his glasses back up his nose.
“Well, okay, awesome,” he muttered, turning away with a wave. “I have to feed my dog.”
“Have a good afternoon,” Slade said, watching him walk away.
He turned back to me after Finn went back to his house.
“What a fucking creep,” Slade said, shaking his head. “It’s guys like that you gotta look out for. They act all nerdy and innocent and then — bam! Hit you with a fucking golf club when you aren’t looking because they can’t get a date.”
I scoffed, shaking my head.
“Yeah, I didn’t like him either. We need to ask Sage about him.”
“Yeah, for sure,” Slade said. “What’s your gut saying about Frannie?”
I shook my head again, sighing deeply. “Honestly, I don’t feel good about it, but I don’t want to tell Sage that.”
“Looks like you two are real cozy,” he said.
“I didn’t really intend it to be that way. It was just a one-night stand, but then she told me about her mom and I couldn’t just leave, you know?”
Slade laughed and hit me on the back. “Yeah, man, I get it.”
“Fucking curse,” I muttered. “Can’t leave a crying girl alone.”
He laughed again, shaking his head. “Try to keep your fucking head, dude. This shit can get serious real quick.”
“You speak from experience, I take it?”
“I sure fucking do,” he said. “I helped out a chick once. Now, we’re married and I’ve got a little mini-me to worry about.”
“That’s the last thing I need,” I said.
“Then it’s probably the first thing the universe is gonna give you, brother.”
“Fuck,” I muttered, shuffling back to the front door.
He was right, though. It was too late. The worrying had already begun. I’d left Sage alone long enough. She needed to be checked on.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAC
“You gonna eat that?” I asked my partner, Geoff, as he pushed his plate away, his half-eaten burger calling my name.
“Go ahead,” he said. I grabbed the burger and stuffed it in my mouth. I’d been ravenous lately. Stress always made me eat more than I should. My old lady was bitching about me not being home enough, and it was wearing on my last nerve. She needed to be careful, because I was growing real tired of her bullshit.
Geoff stared across the table at me, ignoring the chaos of the lunchtime crowd at Lucy’s diner.
“What’s going on with you, Mac? You’re stress eating again, and it shows.”
“Fuck you,” I said, my mouth full.
“You’ve gained ten pounds in the last few weeks.”
“Fuck you again,” I said, wrinkling my brow. “You aren’t exactly Mister Fucking Universe, asshole.”
He leaned back and patted his beer belly, laughing. “Yeah, but I’m always like this. You keep this up and you’ll look like me. You don’t want that, do you?”
I ignored him, finishing the burger and then starting in on his fries. He raised a brow, but fell silent in his judgement.
My phone buzzed on the table, displaying a number I didn’t recognize. I picked it up and answered.
“Officer Murphy,” I answered.
“Hello, Officer. My name is Ryder. I’m a friend of Sage’s, who’s mother Frannie is missing? I believe you’re the lead investigator on the case.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “How can I help you?”
“Well, I’m doing a little investigating of my own. Sage is very distraught, as you can imagine, and I’m helping her out a little. I was wondering if we could talk about the case?”
“Not much to talk about,” I replied.
“I understand,” he said. “I was specifically wanting to know what your department tested for on her car. Seems like it was towed back to her house pretty quickly for a missing person’s case.”
“Just the normal stuff,” I replied. “Blood splatter, that sort of thing. Came up empty.”
“Fingerprints?”
“It’s a car…”
“Right,” he said. “There might be a lot of prints. But did you check? I didn’t see any powder residue.”
“Probably not.”
“You don’t know for sure?”
“Listen, man,” I said, growing irritated as his incessant questioning. “We did what our policy dictates. If we come up with any other evidence, we’ll let you know.”
“Are you still actively working the case?”
“There’s nothing left to work,” I said, my voice rising. “Frannie most likely ran off of her own free will. These things happen. I know it’s hard for the family, but the best thing they can do is just move on.”
“Move on,” Ryder echoed. “Sure…”
“Have a good day,” I said, hanging up the phone, shaking my head.
“What’s up?” Geoff asked.
“Fucking friends of the family,” I said. “Can’t just let shit go.”
He nodded in agreement. “How long has it been?”
“Over two weeks now,” I said. “If anything was going to be discovered, we’d have found it already. Frannie’s proba
bly pussy deep in some new fling in the Bahamas or something.”
Geoff scoffed, shaking his head. “Bitches, man.”
“Seriously,” I said, my heart racing. The last thing I needed was some prick poking around and trying to uncover shit that didn’t need to be uncovered. I needed to stay on top of this, make sure he didn’t get too close. He didn’t sound like he was going to move on too soon, which just pissed me off.
I shoved three more fries in my mouth, silently grumbling to myself.
Fuck this, I thought. I wasn’t opposed to do whatever was needed to make sure things went my way. Whoever this friend was needed to keep his distance if he knows what’s good for him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SAGE
It felt like I’d talked forever.
I told Ryder and the other Gods everything I could think of about Mom. They’d listened carefully, asking thoughtful questions and taking notes, Ryder quiet in the corner, nodding repeatedly. He was quiet and serious, much more so than the others, and there was something so comforting about it.
Colt barely left my side.
His steady, warm presence was the only thing keeping the shaking of my body to a minimum. Retelling the story of Mom’s disappearance to strangers had triggered me, and I felt like I was reliving the last few weeks all over again.
It was excruciating, but I made it through and not long after I was finished, the Gods were packing up and heading out to a hotel a few miles away. They promised me they’d return first thing in the morning, and after a reassuring hug from Colt and an earth-shattering roar of their engines, they were gone.
Corinne poured me a glass of wine and sat me down on the couch. It was the first time we’d had a chance to really talk since she and Maddy had returned home, and I knew I was about to get grilled with questions.
“Spill it,” she said.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, you could start with how you ended up with a parade of meaty bikers in your living room.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “I met Colt at the bar. Remember you told me to go out? Well, I did. And then I got too drunk. And the Lyft was going to take forever. And well, he was there, and I was feeling…well, that was the problem. I wasn’t feeling anything. Nothing good anyway. His bike just looked — I don’t know, dangerous? Thrilling? I jumped on and well, the rest is history.”
CHASING SUNSHINE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK THIRTEEN) Page 8
