by Esme Beal
“You’re in an MC. Could be you.”
“Could be me. But do you think I’d be stupid enough to give you info that would lead you right to me?”
“I don’t know what you’re capable of, Cyan.”
“Why are you doing this? You know the little girl? She your daughter or something?”
I gritted my teeth and sighed in frustration.
“What else do you know?” I said.
“I’ve told you everything. But… You seem like a nice guy. I’m always around. Check for me. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
Cyan went back to his seat. The two women took their place on his lap and he ignored me along with the rest of his group.
All right… Biker gang… Now I just have to…
I turned and noticed the man at the bar was leaning up against the wall next to me. He was doing a shit job of making it seem like he was following me. Or maybe he was trying to make it obvious.
Who is this guy?
He was up to something. There was only one way I could find out what it was. But I couldn’t do it in the middle of the bar.
I started walking through the back of the bar. I found the back exit and walked into the dark alley. I closed the door and stood right next to it.
Come on… I know you’re following me…
A few moments later, right on schedule, the door opened up. As soon as his foot hit the floor, I snatched him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.
“Hey!” he yelled out.
“What the hell are you doing?” I said.
“What are you talking about—”
“You’re following me. What are you doing?”
He kept squirming in my grip but he wasn’t strong enough to break free. Not after I just knocked the wind out of him.
“Answer me,” I said.
“You’re looking for her,” he said. “The little girl… Amy…”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Who sent you?”
“Nobody sent me,” he said as he shook his head. “I’m looking for her, too. It sounds like you’ve got a lead after talking to that Cyan fella.”
“You expect me to believe you? How do I know you’re not the one responsible for taking her and you’re trying to take me out?”
His eyes widened like something just dawn on him.
“Ashton Webb.”
“…What?”
“Ashton Webb. You’re the guy Ashton hired, aren’t you? You have to be…”
I gritted my teeth, my hands still tight on the collar of his t-shirt.
“The only people who know that Ashton hired you are you and Ashton. How do you think I got that information if not from Ashton?”
I looked into his innocent blue eyes.
Can’t trust this guy…
“You know I’m telling the truth,” he said.
I let out a frustrated sigh because I knew I was going against my better judgment. I freed him from my grip.
“That’s better,” he said as he straightened himself out.
I turned around and started stomping down through the alley.
“Where are you going?” he shouted out to me.
“I suddenly decided I need a drink. And not in a place like Tsunami.”
“Perfect. I know just the place.”
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him.
“There’s a place where you can have your drink in peace,” he said.
He was smiling at me. Even though I had no reason to trust him, I wasn’t thinking straight. There was something inside of me that wanted to believe what he was saying to me.
I thought about blowing him off but I couldn’t. At the very least, maybe he had some information for me. It was just a risk I had to take.
“Fine,” I sighed. “Let’s go have a drink.”
Chapter 4
SPENCER
Marshall told me he was 6’5” and it wasn’t hard to believe. Even when he was sitting down, he looked tall. Everything else about him told me what I should’ve expected when Noah mentioned him. The bulging biceps. The tattoos. The hardened stare. The short haircut. The intense brown eyes. Black t-shirt and a pair of denim. Even if Noah hadn’t given me the details, I could’ve figured out for myself that Marshall was ex-military.
He ran a hand through his dark hair and eyeballed his glass of liquor before swallowing it down. He let out a satisfied sigh then glanced up at me with a smirk.
“I told you I knew a good place,” I said.
“How did you know?”
“I work here. Paradise is never as busy as a place like Tsunami. When you want to just sit down, shut up and have a drink, this is the place to be.”
Marshall looked around even though there wasn’t much scenery. Everybody kept to themselves and kept their conversations quiet. It was the perfect atmosphere to discuss the seriousness of the situation.
“All right,” I said. “You got some information on Amy. I didn’t get everything but let’s hear it—”
“Listen. I know I’m here with you, having a drink and talking to you. But that doesn’t mean I trust you. For all I know, you could be just someone who figured out who I was and you’re trying to wait for the right opportunity to take me out.”
I leaned back in my seat. I couldn’t blame him for being as paranoid as he seemed. It was a sensitive situation.
“For all I know, you could be just someone on the other side.”
“And what kinda sense would that make?” he said.
“Maybe you’re worried that somebody is on your tail. Maybe you’re making sure that you don’t get caught.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“You can’t take any chances. Fine. I can’t take any either. But I’ll tell you this… There’s a little girl out there in the city. She’s cold. She’s hungry. She’s exhausted… She’s alone. I’m going to do everything I can to get to her. And do you know why?”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I care about her. Because I want her to be safe. If it means giving up my own life so that she’s okay, I’ll do it.”
I couldn’t have made my intentions more obvious to Marshall. I was getting so worked up that I was trembling a bit. All of the emotions I had thinking about Amy were starting to get the better of me.
I stared hard at Marshall and clenched my jaw. There was something in his eyes. Despite his rough exterior, it almost seemed like he understood what I was trying to tell him.
My eyes shifted away from him and I let out a frustrated sigh. I took a sip of my own liquor and let the burn wash away any stress I might’ve had.
“Okay,” he said with a nod. “You really care about this girl—”
“You’re damn right I do.”
“I care about her, too.”
“Listen. You don’t have to explain what you’re trying to do. I know that you were put up to it by Ashton Webb. There’s no shame in admitting that you’re doing it for the money. I just told you that all I care about is finding Amy. I don’t care what your reasons are as long as you do it.”
“Fine. Then there’s nothing more to discuss. I’ll try to find her and you do the same.”
Marshall started to get up out of his seat.
“Whoa,” I said as I put my hands up. “Hold on a second. You can’t just leave.”
“Why not?”
“Because… Don’t you see?”
“See what?”
I thought he was joking but you couldn’t fake the confused look he was giving me now.
“We have a better chance of finding her if we work together,” I said.
Marshall stared at me, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide. I waited a few seconds for him to agree with me but all he did was start laughing. He was laughing so hard that some of the other patrons started to take notice. I rolled my eyes and sighed, crossing my arms.
“You finished?” I said when he finally stopped.
&nbs
p; “How exactly will someone like you, a bartender, help me? Just because you care about this girl won’t make a difference.”
“It will. I’m more than willing to put my life on the line to make sure she’s okay.”
“That still doesn’t explain how you’re gonna help.”
“You’re from out-of-town. You don’t know Snow Falls like I do. You don’t know what people in the Southern Block are capable of. You don’t know anybody.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Not with the amount of time you have left. The clock is ticking for you, I know it is. If we’re gonna find Amy, we’re gonna have to work together. It’s the only way. I have information that you don’t have.”
“You do?”
His eyebrow arched in curiosity. The smug smirk on his face disappeared.
There we go…
The big, confident Alpha didn’t look as cocky as he did just a few seconds ago. I was finally starting to get through to him.
“I have information,” I repeated. “I put it together with what you have, that’ll lead us to Amy a lot quicker.”
“All right,” he said. “Spit it out.”
“You first.”
“Hey, this was your idea. You want to work with me, you have to show you’re willing.”
I gritted my teeth and sighed hard through my nose.
“…Fine…”
I looked around to make sure that nobody was listening then leaned forward across the table.
“I was there when it happened,” I said.
“You were?”
“Yeah… I…”
I swallowed to stop my emotions from getting the best of me. The memories were still vivid in my thoughts.
“I was in the other room,” I said. “Amy and some of the other kids were playing out in front of the shelter. I was playing with some young ones and then I heard her scream. It was like something out of a nightmare. It just didn’t stop.
“I rushed out of the shelter as fast as I could. The kids were all terrified on the sidewalk. I looked down the road and saw somebody disappearing. A bunch of bikes rumbling down the street.”
“Did you get a good look at them?”
“No. If I did, the cops would have nabbed them by now.”
“Then for sure it was a group of bikers.”
“Or maybe it was a group of bikers who were hired by somebody else.”
“That just confirms what Cyan told me.”
“I didn’t get a good look at them. They were already too far down the road. I got in my car and chased after them but bikes weave in and out of traffic a lot easier. I got a glimpse of their vests before they got away. I saw their patch. The club logo. It was a skull… Red…”
“A red skull… That narrows it down.”
“Not really. Not with how many clubs there are in this city. You find a biker, you’ll find him wearing a skull patch somewhere on his vest.”
I gulped down my liquor to wash away all of the memories before they debilitated me enough that I lost my focus.
It’s all right, Spencer… She’ll be okay…
I put my head down and closed my eyes. I gathered my thoughts the best I could and let out a deep sigh of relief.
After I collected myself, I was surprised to see Marshall staring back at me. His face was calm with no emotion. With as hard as he always looked, it was strange to see him less intimidating than usual.
“I didn’t… I didn’t hear everything Cyan said to you. What did he tell you?”
“Do you know about the phone and how a message was sent to Ashton Webb warning him about the ransom?”
I nodded.
“Cyan said that it was probably a gang who took that phone,” he said.
“If Cyan knows it was a biker gang who took the phone, then maybe he was the one who did it.”
“It’s possible. Can’t leave him out. But there’s just as good a chance that he’s telling the truth. He said he’d keep his ears open.”
“Why would he do that?”
“If there’s heat on one club, there’s heat on all of them. Cyan doesn’t need some punk who kidnapped a little girl giving him more problems than he needs.”
“Right…”
Marshall went back to sipping on his liquor. I considered everything he said then tried to put all of the pieces together.
“We know it was probably a biker gang,” I said. “They used a phone that was picked up at Tsunami. You know, for a bunch of criminals they sure are a sloppy bunch.”
“Just because they’re criminals doesn’t mean they’re professionals. It happens.”
“Why couldn’t they have just used one of their own phones? They could’ve bought one from the store.”
“Those are a lot more traceable. They steal someone’s phone, there’s no receipt. Plus, the guy it was stolen from takes some of the spotlight.”
“Good point.”
I scratched the side of my chin and smirked.
“You know… It sounds like you know what you’re talking about,” I said. “This doesn’t sound like anything you’d learn in the military.”
“In the Marines, you learn to be observant. This is just another observation.”
“Right… Well, you seem like you’re on the right track. We should probably get back to it.”
I got up from my seat. I’d only taken a step when Marshall snatched my arm. I held back a gasp at how surprisingly strong he was.
I looked down at his hand and shook my head.
“What are you doing?” he said.
“What do you think I’m doing?” I said. “I’m heading back to Tsunami. We have to start narrowing it down now.”
“You can’t. You keep poking your nose around and you’ll start drawing more attention to yourself than you know what to do with.”
“If you think that I’m just gonna sit here and—”
“Look. I’m not gonna pretend like I know how much this little girl means to you. You know her. You’re frustrated that she’s out there somewhere and some asshole. We won’t get to her tonight but we will get to her. The bastards who did this are going to pay. You hear me?”
I tugged my arm free from Marshall’s grip and let out a frustrated sigh.
“You hear me?” he repeated. “Pushing yourself tonight won’t get you any closer to her.”
“…Yeah… I hear you…”
Marshall took his seat. I took my place across from him and stared at the empty glasses in front of us.
“You know, for a second there, I thought that you cared about finding Amy.”
“If all I cared about was the money, then I wouldn’t be spending one of my nights not looking for her. Ashton gave me a deadline. I’m going to meet it.”
I got up from my seat and walked over to the bar. My co-worker didn’t say anything when I reached over the counter and grabbed one of the bottles.
“Since I’m not getting to Amy tonight, I figure I can do the next best thing,” I said.
I poured a healthy glass of liquor for Marshall and then for myself. Seeing how much whiskey was in my glass was enough to console me a little bit.
“Don’t worry,” Marshall said as he raised his glass up. “We’ll get to her.”
I didn’t waste another second before swallowing my drink down. The alcohol burned down my throat and loosened me up. My blood was warm and my frustration had left me, even if it was only for a moment.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “We’ll get her.”
Chapter 5
MARSHALL
I had enough alcohol in my blood that I could feel how warm it was. I still had my senses about me. I’d been drinking long enough that it didn’t affect me. It helped that was a lot bigger than most guys.
The man across from me, unfortunately for him, wasn’t my size and I saw just how much it was beginning to make a difference with him.
“I thought you said you worked here,” I said.
“I do. I just have the night off.�
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“Do you usually get drunk on your nights off?”
“First of all, I’m not drunk. Second of all, this was your idea. I… I had to get my mind off of her…”
“Fair enough…”
Even though Spencer was speaking clearly, the rest of his body wasn’t hiding it very well. His cheeks were red and he had a bit of a glossy-eyed stare. His face was a giant red light telling me to hit the brakes.
“All right,” I said. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”
“I’m a grown man, Marshall. You can’t tell me when I’ve had enough for myself.”
“We have to get to work tomorrow. It’s better if we get some rest.”
“…Reasonable,” he sighed.
He got up from his seat. He did a remarkable job of making sure that he didn’t stumble when he walked. But even if he wasn’t drunk like he suggested, there was no way I could let him leave on his own.
“Come on,” I said. “I’ll take you back to your place.”
“I can drive—”
“You can’t drive. Not with what you’ve had. The cops pull you over, they won’t care that you can walk that straight line.”
“Fine…”
I walked with him through the back exit where my bike was parked. As soon as we stepped into the alley, I was greeted with a crisp night breeze against my warm skin.
Spencer wrapped his arms around himself and shivered.
“Cold?” I said.
“That’s why they call this place Snow Falls. Even when it’s warm during the day, nighttime is always there to remind you not to get too comfortable.”
I walked over to my bike and got on. I noticed that Spencer hadn’t moved from the door.
“What’s wrong?” I said.
“Just gimme a second. I think you could use a second, too. Maybe let the alcohol run through you for a bit before you try anything. You never know what the cops might do to you. Especially on that bike of yours.”
“Good point for a drunk.”
“I’m not drunk.”
I got off my bike and walked back over to him. I leaned up against the brick wall and stared up at the sky. It was a clear night with the stars out. I let out a deep, satisfied sigh.
