by L. Wilder
Riggs stepped forward. “If we do that, I’ll trace the call. Just to be sure.”
“Good idea.”
When Shadow started going through Terry’s things, searching for his phone, Riggs rushed towards the door. “I’ll go grab my laptop.”
Just as Riggs walked out of the room, Shadow retrieved the cell phone and made his way back over to Terry. He knelt down in front of him, and in a low, domineering tone, he ordered, “You’re gonna call your sister and find out where she is. If she starts asking questions, you tell her nothing. You got it?”
“I was … supposed to … watch the … baby,” Terry mumbled.
Murphy walked over to Terry and said, “Tell her you’re laid up drunk with some chick from the bar.”
Riggs walked back into the room, and once he had his laptop ready to go, Shadow reached down and released Terry from his constraints. As he handed him the phone, he growled, “Make the call and leave it on speaker.”
“Okay.”
Terry’s hands trembled as he dialed the number. It was just after five in the morning, so we weren’t surprised when it took her several moments to answer. “What the hell, Terry? Why are you calling me?”
“Where … are you?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Kate grumbled. “Why do you sound like that?”
“I had a few … too many last night. Still kind of wasted.”
“Of course, you are,” she groaned. “You shouldn’t be calling me. I heard about those Fury guys coming to the bar looking for you. I don’t need that kind of trouble, Terry,” she spat.
“That was … nothing”
“If Fury is looking for you, it’s never nothing, Terry. Just stay the hell away from me and Lacie. You got that?” she ordered.
“Don’t,” he pleaded. When Shadow gave him a warning look, he asked her, “You at … the apartment?”
“No. When I heard about what happened, I packed our shit and left. I’m getting the hell out of town.”
His voice was growing weaker as he asked, “Where you … going?”
“I’ll figure that out when Lacie gets up. Look, I’ve got to go, but listen, Terry. You need to get the hell out of Memphis.”
“But, where … can … I find you?”
“Dammit, Terry. Don’t worry about finding me. You need to get out of town, now!”
The call ended, and after listening to that conversation, I started to think Shadow was right about Kate. There was a reason she was so eager to get out of town. Hoping that he’d been able to locate her, we all turned to Riggs. He gave us the nod, letting us know that he pinged the call. “We got her.”
Gus went over to Riggs and asked, “Where is she?”
As he pointed to the screen, he said, “Here’s the address. It’s about three hours away in Paris, but if she’s leaving, that doesn’t give us much time.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Gus pulled out his phone and said, “But I’ve got someone who might be able to help us out.”
When Gus turned to make his call, Murphy glanced over at Shadow. As he watched Shadow put the restraints back on Terry, he whispered, “What’s up with the girl?”
“Got no idea, but there’s something,” I answered.
“Shadow hasn’t told us shit. I want to know what the fuck he found out from Terry,” Murphy pushed.
I patted him on the shoulder and said, “We all do, brother, but we’re just gonna have to trust Shadow on this.”
Before he had a chance to respond, Gus came over to us and said, “Bishop runs a club up in Paris. He and Goliath are gonna see if they can get to Kate before she leaves. If they get her, they’ll meet us for a drop off.”
“Bishop?” I asked. “From the Devil Chasers?”
Gus nodded. “That’d be him.”
There weren’t many bikers around the area who didn’t know about the DC’s custom bike detailing. They were the best around. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Gus had a connection with their president. There weren’t many out there who Gus didn’t know. “Good of him to help.”
After Shadow was done dealing with Terry, he came over to Riggs and asked, “Did you find her?”
“Yeah. We found her.”
“Then let’s go get her!” he demanded.
“We’re getting it handled now,” Gus assured him. “You go get yourself a shower and something to eat. Try to get some shut eye, and we’ll let you know when we have her.”
“And you’re getting the baby, too, right? It’s important that you get the baby.”
“Yes, Shadow. We’ll get the baby,” Gus promised.
“And you’ll let me know as soon as they get back?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“You know I will. Now, go,” Gus ordered. “Get yourself some rest.”
Once he was gone, we went to Gus’s office to discuss our next move. None of us had any clear thought on what was going on with Kate, and we were all eager to hear something back from Gus’s friend, Bishop. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long. In less than an hour, Bishop called Gus back, letting him know that he and his brothers had retrieved Kate and her daughter, Lacie.
When he hung up the phone, Gus turned to us and said. “They’ll meet you in Jackson. Figured it would be easier for everyone that way.”
“Mighty good of him to help us out like this,” Riggs told him.
“Bishop’s a good man. Did some running with him back in the day, but that was a lifetime ago.” Gus looked down at his watch. “You boys better load up. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”
We headed out to the truck, and after exiting the back gate, we took off to the main road. None of us spoke as we drove towards Jackson. Our minds were focused on the task at hand. As I stared out the window, I thought back to the conversation between Kate and Terry, and something about it just felt off. I just didn’t know what. We were getting closer to Jackson, when Murphy looked over to me and said, “We’re not going to let him hurt that baby, right? Like no matter what happens, that shit ain’t gonna go down.”
“No, Murphy. We won’t let Shadow hurt the kid.”
“Good. The sister … I’m not so sure about her,” Murphy started. “You reckon he’ll have to do all that shit to her?”
“Doubt it. Hell, all he’d have to do is show her Terry. One look at him, and I’d start talking.” Riggs chuckled.
“You ain’t lying. The joker looked like hell and smelled like fucking death,” Murphy groaned. When he noticed that our exit was coming up, he pointed to the sign and said, “This is where we get off.”
Riggs took the exit, and a few minutes later, we turned into the empty lot behind the airbase. It didn’t take us long to find Bishop. There weren’t many 1962 cherry-red Chevy pick-up trucks around, so when we saw it parked in the back of the lot, we pulled up next to it. A guy in his early fifties with salt and pepper hair and an athletic build stepped out of the truck with his Devil Chaser’s cut, I knew without a doubt it was him. “Bishop?”
“You Gus’s boys?”
“Yes, sir.” We got out of the truck and walked over to him. “I’m Blaze. These are my brothers, Riggs and Murphy.”
“Not every day I get a call to go chasing after a beautiful blonde so early in the morning.” Bishop chuckled. “I’m guessing you’re eager to get her back home.”
“That we are,” I replied.
“Goliath!” Bishop motioned his hand to the man sitting in the truck with Kate. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of coming with us, but I’m sure you already knew that.”
“I imagine she wasn’t, but I can assure you … we wouldn’t have gotten you involved if it wasn’t important.”
“Son, I’ve known Gus long enough to know that he doesn’t ask favors unless … Fuck. Gus, never asks favors.” He chuckled as he waved us off. “I’m just glad I could help.”
While Bishop walked around to the back of the truck and got the car off the trailer, his brother helped us get Kate in the SUV. He was right. Sh
e was far from happy about going with us, but she didn’t try to put up a fight. Instead, the young blonde held the baby close to her chest and sat in the back seat of the SUV, never saying a word to any of us. Once I’d closed the door behind her, I looked back over to Bishop and Goliath. “Thank you both for your help.”
As he got inside his truck and started the engine, Bishop replied, “Not a problem, and good luck with little Ms. Sunshine.”
Once they had driven out of the lot, we messaged Gus to let him know we had the girl, then with Murphy driving Kate’s car, we started back towards the clubhouse. As we started down I-40, I glanced over at the girl who Shadow was so adamant that we must find, and I just didn’t get it. While she seemed pretty pissed as she sat there staring out the window, she looked like your typical stripper. I glanced down at her arms and was surprised to see no track marks. Her pupils weren’t dilated or red, so it was doubtful that she was into drugs. The baby had bright, blue eyes and little, pink cheeks and looked perfectly healthy and happy. None of it made any sense. What was it about this woman and kid that Shadow thought was so damn important?
Kenadee
After Sawyer left with Riggs, I crawled back in bed and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I couldn’t stop wondering where the guys were going off to in such a rush. I knew it was one of the things I was going to have to get used to if I was going to be in Sawyer’s life, but there was no way I’d ever be able to stop worrying—not after all the things I’d seen. I figured if I could find a way to keep myself busy that I might be able to distract myself from my thoughts. At least, that was what I was hoping when I pulled myself out of bed and got dressed. I thought a hot cup of coffee and some breakfast might help settle my nerves and take my mind off things, at least for a little while.
I headed down the hall, and when I walked by the med-room, I decided to check in on Mack and Gunner. I eased the door open, and to my surprise, Gunner was sitting up on his gurney. I’d only been around him when he was sleeping, so I wasn’t sure how he’d react to me stopping by. I was relieved when he smiled and said, “You must be Kenadee.”
“I am.”
“Heard a lot about you.”
“I could say the same about you.” I teased. “I’m really glad to see that you’re finally awake. You’ve given everyone quite a scare.”
He was clearly still weak as he leaned his head back down on the pillow and sighed. “Don’t guess you could tell me where the guys are.”
“No. I just know that Sawyer left early this morning with Riggs.” I shrugged. “You know they wouldn’t tell me anything even if I asked.”
“Mack told me we’re on lockdown. I’m guessing that’s why you’re still here.”
“Yeah, but hopefully it won’t be for much longer.”
His lips curled into a cute, little smirk. “Are the walls closing in on you already?”
“Maybe just a little.”
“I’d like to tell ya it gets better, but it doesn’t.” His eyes drifted towards the ceiling. “I’m really ready to get out of this fucking bed.”
I shook my head. “Easy there, killer. You just woke up from a coma. You’re not getting out of that bed for a while, so you might as well just plan on hunkering down for a bit longer. That’s an order.”
“You sound like Mack.”
“That’s because Mack is a smart man. You need to listen to him.”
“I will,” he promised.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Nah. I’m good. Sadie just brought me some breakfast.” He lifted his eyebrow as he continued, “She’s coming back in a minute to give me a sponge bath.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sure you’re looking forward to that.” I smiled. “I better get out of your hair, so you two can have some privacy.”
As I started for the door, he called out to me. “Hey, Kenadee?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for everything you did that night to help Mack. I owe you.”
“Glad I could help.”
I left the room thinking I’d met yet another brother who I would consider a good guy. As I headed towards the kitchen, I was hit with the wonderful scent of bacon, eggs, and fresh biscuits, making my stomach growl with hunger. When I entered the kitchen, I expected it to be filled with the brothers, but it was eerily quiet. As I made my way over to the coffee pot, I started to think I’d missed something while I was sleeping. After I poured myself a cup, I leaned against the counter and looked around at the empty table and chairs. I was starting to get nervous that something was wrong when Shadow walked in. He didn’t even glance in my direction as he walked over to make himself some coffee. Feeling awkward just standing there, I turned to him and said, “Morning.”
His eyes skirted over to me as he replied, “Morning, Kenadee.”
When Riggs introduced us, Shadow didn’t seem to be all that interested, so I was surprised that he actually remembered my name. “It sure is quiet this morning. Did I miss something?”
Still not looking at me, he replied, “Tending to business.”
“Oh, okay.” Apparently, Riggs wasn’t exaggerating when he said Shadow wasn’t much of a talker. “I stopped by to see Gunner. Did you know that he was awake?”
“Hadn’t heard. That’s good news.” He nodded. “Really good news.”
“I thought so.” Hoping to keep the conversation going, I asked, “Have you always lived in Memphis?”
“No.” He finally looked over at me, and for the first time, I noticed just how handsome he really was. His dark hair was damp, like he’d just gotten out of the shower, and his hazel eyes seemed to shift between brown and green as he stared at me with a curious look. He was wearing a dark t-shirt with his cut and a pair of tattered jeans and biker boots. With his day-old beard, he had an edgy look about him that matched his enigmatic demeanor. After several seconds, he finally continued, “I moved here after I got out of the service.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize you were in the military.” Wondering why he’d chosen to move to Memphis, I asked, “Do you have family that lives close by?”
Before he could answer, Kevin and Dan came into the kitchen, interrupting our little conversation. Kevin came over to me with a bright smile and said, “Morning, Kenadee!”
“Hey there, Kevin.” I smiled. “How are you two doing this morning?”
“We’re doing good, but Gammy isn’t.” Concern crossed his sweet, little face. “She had to stay in bed.”
“Oh, I hate to hear that. What’s wrong?”
Dan came over and poured himself a cup of coffee as he answered, “She’ll be okay. Just a headache. She gets them from time to time.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Shadow had grabbed himself a biscuit with a few slices of bacon and was making his way out the door. “Bye, Shadow. See ya later.”
He looked back over his shoulder and gave me a quick nod before disappearing into the hall. I suddenly got a craving for one of those biscuits, so I went over to the stove, and as I started making myself a plate, I asked, “Can I get y’all something to eat?”
“Yes. That would be great. Thanks,” Dan answered.
After I made each of them a plate, I carried it over to the table and sat down next to Kevin. So, what do you have planned for the day?”
“Logan and I are supposed to play Call of Duty later, but he has to finish some project for school first,” Kevin explained.
“I heard him talking about that.” Dan gave him a stern look. “What about you? Don’t you have some homework you should be working on, too?”
“No, sir. I finished all mine. I even did the extra stuff that Mrs. Glenda sent Gammy for me to do.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” Dan smiled. “I know it drives your grandmother crazy when you wait until the last minute to do it.”
The guys started to quietly file into the kitchen. Without speaking, they each walked over and grabbed a plate of food, then sat down at the table and
silently ate. With each brother who walked into the room, the tension grew heavier and heavier, until there was absolutely no doubt there was something going on. I glanced over at Dan, and he was obviously feeling the same vibe as I was. He reached for Kevin’s empty plate and said, “Come on, kiddo. Let’s give the guys some breathing room.”
He took their dishes over to the sink, and after I’d done the same, I followed them out into the hall. Dan looked down at Kevin and said, “I better go check on your grandmother.”
“While you do that, can I take Kenadee up to the roof?”
“I don’t know, Kevin. I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he replied with concern.
“Come on, Pop. I’ll be careful, and you know she’ll like it up there,” he begged.
Curious, I asked, “What’s up on the roof?”
“There’s a cool deck up there where you can look out over the Mississippi River and other cool stuff. There’s a picnic table and everything.”
“Kenadee may not even want to go,” Dan told him.
“I would actually like to see it. It sounds kind of neat, but that’s completely up to you.”
Dan sighed. “Okay, but don’t be up there too long.”
“Awesome.” Kevin started to rush down the hall. “Come on, Kenadee. It’s this way.”
Dan chuckled and said, “Good luck.”
“Hold up! I’m not as fast as you!” I hurried to catch up with Kevin, and I just barely made it up to him when he opened a small door at the end of the hall. “I never even noticed this before.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to,” he replied as started up the stairwell. I followed him up to the top, and when he got to the second door, he looked back at me with excitement. “You ready?”
“You bet.”
When he opened the door, sunlight came flooding in, blinding me as I stepped out onto the deck, but after just a few seconds, I felt a warm breeze caress my face and the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Even before I opened my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath, taking in the fresh air, and it was absolutely wonderful. I was enjoying the moment, when I heard Kevin shout, “Hey, look! There’s a barge coming.”
