“Send it to me,” Cad says tersely, his own phone pings, then he rushes out of the room.
“He’s got Cas,” I say, unnecessarily, then my voice rises. “Fuck, Prez. He’s got Cas!”
Beef’s looking between me and the enforcer. “So,” he says gruffly. “We get Cas back and we’re not making any fuckin’ exchange. What have you told him, Prez? I suspect you’ve responded.”
“I told him we have no fuckin’ idea what he’s talking about,” Demon responds. “I demanded he give the boy back without harming a hair on his fuckin’ head.”
“You didn’t think to say he wasn’t ours?” Mace asks. “Kid lives in Denver, could have denied any connection. He might have thought there was no value holding him and let him go.”
Prez gnashes his teeth. “Thought of it, dismissed it. Major’s stable might include boys. Thought it best to let him know he was under our protection.”
Jesus Christ! I feel the blood drain from my face as I process what he’s suggesting. Not Cas. No!
Demon stares straight at me. “We’ll get him back, Lizard. I fuckin’ swear to you. We’ll get him back.”
“Ball’s in Major’s fuckin’ court at the moment though, isn’t it?” I hit the desk with my left fist, vibrating with anger and fear. That’s my boy out there. Alone, unprotected, and in the hands of a man who doesn’t give a fuck about people ending up dead. How the fuck am I going to tell Vanna?
The door opens. Before Cad’s fully inside, he’s shaking his head. “Can’t get a fix on that phone, fucker’s using some kind of blocker.”
I ask the question no one has asked yet. “How did he know, Prez? How did he fuckin’ know Shayla is even here? How did he know to take one of ours to get her back? How did he know about Cas?”
“Questions are a distraction right now, Liz. Fact is, he knows, and we’ve got to deal with it. Could have been anything, she’s got his fucking tat on her back. Maybe one of the civilians saw it when she was working on a car, maybe Whale or Jonah said something. We’ll find out if we’ve got a leak once we’ve got him back, okay?”
“He’s had eyes on us. Had to have,” Cad says tightly. “We’ve kept our women safe in Pueblo, and there’s been no chance of him getting his hands on Theo. He must have been watching for a while. Must have noticed Cas visiting, followed him back to Denver.”
Why, why the fuck did I not think of that? I’d worried about Vanna, made sure she never went anywhere alone, while I’d left my kid alone and unprotected. Abruptly, I stand.
“Where are you going, Liz?”
“Denver.” I snap out the obvious.
“Sit,” Demon barks. “Use your fuckin’ head, Liz. How’s running off blind going to help? He might be far away from Denver by now.”
I retake the seat. Never in all of my life have I felt so totally useless. My body vibrates with a rise in adrenaline which has nowhere to go.
“How we going to play this, Prez?” Mace sounds broken. “I don’t want Shayla anywhere near that fucker. I don’t even want her to fuckin’ know that Major’s made contact or that he’s got Cas. Fuck, the way she protected Esme, she’ll be all over this, offering to give herself up for Liz’s kid.”
Demon eyes him. “That’s the way I read her as well.”
I look from one to the other. “Shayla’s a grown woman, Cas is just a kid.”
Mace’s eyes go cold. “You saying you want to make the exchange, Lizard?”
“I don’t know,” comes out of my mouth as a wail. “Cas is just a kid. He’ll be scared. He doesn’t deserve this. He won’t know what the fuck’s going on, or why he’s caught up in something that’s got fuck all to do with him. His only crime being he’s my fuckin’ son. What the fuck am I going to tell Vanna?” There’ll be no drawing her into the club after this, not when it’s put her child in danger. I don’t want to be in the club if these are the ramifications for Cas. “I’ve got to go find him, Prez. Denver’s got to be the place to start. I can’t sit here doing nothing.”
“We’ve no fuckin’ idea that’s where he is,” Beef growls. “Fuck, Major could already have him on a plane heading to Vegas.”
“Not if he wants to make the exchange. He could be close,” Cad sensibly notes.
Prez’s forefinger and thumb press the top of his nose. “That’s if he’s even going ahead with this. Major might decide he wants both Shayla and Cas. I’ll call Red. See if he’s come up with any of Major’s bases. Get him on board with pulling apart his town. I’ll also call Drummer. Get him to put feelers out. That Devil chap he knows who owns Grade A Security might have heard of Major.”
The VP’s brow creases. “What about Snatcher and Lost? Want to alert them?”
“Lost’s too far south to help in a hurry, but I’ll give him a heads-up. Snatcher? Yeah. If we need bodies to help search or men to protect the compound.”
Snatcher, Prez of the Utah Chapter helped us out once before when the mafia knocked at our door, rode back to Utah a man down. Lost, I don’t know much about, as he’s prez down in San Diego and as Demon noted, there are too many miles between our chapters.
“What about RIP?” Beef asks. “Want me to have a word?”
“Good idea.” Prez nods at him. “Be good to have the Wretched Soulz on board. They might help when it’s one of our kids who’s in danger.” He pauses and looks at me and then Mace. “Can’t do much more until Major gets back into contact.”
“He’s fuckin’ toying with us,” I cry. “Why didn’t he give the instructions with the first message?”
“Because he wants us to suffer. He wants us to hurt, to worry.” Prez rubs at his nose. “He’s giving himself time to set everything up in his favour.”
Cad raises his chin at me. “He’ll give us a while to digest the implications, then hit us with where to take her.”
Mace slams his fist into the wall again. “Not taking her anywhere except away from here. Prez, I’ll take Shayla to one of the other chapters. Tucson would be best if Drummer gives the okay—”
“Listen to yourself Mace and fuckin’ think for a minute,” Beef roars. “Major has to have eyes on us. What d’you think he’ll be fuckin’ looking out for?”
Mace slumps into a chair, and his eyes meet those of the VP. “He’ll snatch her as soon as we try to move her.”
Demon nods. “That could well be what he expects us to do. Then he’ll end up with both her and Cas.”
“If that’s what he’s planning, keeping her here might risk a direct hit on us,” Cad says.
“He wants Shayla back, not dead,” Beef reminds him. “I doubt he’ll come at us with a frontal attack.”
“You want to stake your woman’s life on that, Beef?” Demon asks.
Cad stands. “I’ll get Dirt and Nails keeping a real-time eye on the feeds from the cameras. I’ll ask Pal to get the drone up to check whether anyone appears to be hanging around.”
As conversations go on around me, I’m finding it hard to concentrate. It’s my son that’s in Major’s hands. Even in the depths of my heartache, I realise my brothers are right. Going off half-cocked isn’t the answer. Major doesn’t just want Shayla, he’ll want to punish us, especially when he finds we’ve covered her property tat. It’s more than likely he’ll not give up Cas, even if we’d consider for one fucking moment exchanging one for the other.
I force myself back to what’s going on in time to hear Prez’s next words.
“I want everyone here on lockdown.” As Demon brushes his hand over his face, I wonder if he’s worrying whether Major will up his game and take someone else. It’s bad enough my teenage son disappearing, but if Major got his hands on Theo, fuck knows what twisted plans he’d have for a young child. “Need to get the rest of the brothers in on this. Leave the businesses in civilian hands. I want every man, woman and Theo here under our protection. I’ll risk no one else falling into his hands.”
“What can I do?” My head drops into my hands. “What can I fuckin’ do? Cas…”
“The man’s sick,” I scream at them. “Who knows what he’s doing to my son.”
“He won’t touch him.” Beef tries to sound reassuring. “If he wants Shayla back, he won’t harm him.”
Yet. The unspoken word hangs in the air.
“Liz is right, he’s sick. And this time Demon, you won’t stop me. He’s fuckin’ going in the ground.”
The look I send Mace shows I’ll be right there beside him.
“Not going to argue with you there, Brother. Now Major’s attacked us directly, this is war. Mace? Will you go get everyone on standby, soon as we get the next message from Major and know his proposal for making an exchange, I want everyone in church. We’re not fuckin’ giving him Shayla. We’ll get the kid back and take him down. Cad, make sure our security is sewn up tighter than a virgin’s ass. Beef and I will make some calls, try to drum up some support. Liz…” Prez doesn’t seem to know what to say to me.
A shuddering sigh wracks my body. How I don’t know, but, “I’ll try to get Vanna locked down. She can’t leave the compound.”
Mace offers me his hand, but I get up by myself, adrenaline fuelling my body to get moving.
Once in the corridor, I rest my head against the wall. Mace’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“Brother…”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” I tell him quietly, so my voice doesn’t carry into the clubroom. “If he harms Cas, it’ll destroy Vanna.” It will destroy me too. The thought of not seeing my boy growing into a man. Not even knowing what was happening to him. No. That’s never going to happen. I’ll move heaven and earth to find him.
“He won’t harm him, not while he’s a bargaining chip.”
“But he’s not getting Shayla back,” I remind him, adding quickly, “Not that I think we should make the trade. Not for a fuckin’ second, Brother.”
“And you know, beyond me sacrificing my ol’ lady, there’s nothing I won’t do to get your son back.”
“Liz?” Vanna’s tearful voice reaches me. Of course she’s hovering, waiting for me to emerge. “Lindy called. There’s still no sign of Cas. It’s as though he’s disappeared into thin air. I’m so worried about him.” She sobs, but there’s strength in her voice when she adds, “I’m not waiting any longer, I’m going back to Denver right now, with or without you.”
I exchange a quick look with Mace. She’s obviously been thinking I’ve been dealing with club business, which I have. She just doesn’t yet know it’s about the boy everyone’s out seeking.
Mace’s lips thin and his eyes signal he’s not envying me this conversation. I raise my chin, knowing it’s equally difficult for him, and then take Vanna’s arm.
“Where we going?” I notice then her car keys are in her hand.
“Upstairs, we need to talk.”
Her eyes narrow. “Talk? We can talk on the way, Liz. Or if you can’t be bothered to come, I’ll go by myself. I’ve done enough talking, now I need to do something.”
“What the fuck do you think you can do? He’s not a dog trained to come at a certain whistle.” Harsh, I know, but she’s got to see sense. I’m worried sick about Cas, but Vanna’s going to be destroyed when she hears even half of what I now know.
We might have been parted for years, but it appears she can still read me. Her body stills. “You know something,” she accuses, her gaze settling on my face. “You know something about my son. Tell me, Liz.”
“Vanna, come upstairs now.” I can hold her with one hand, but not also hold onto the stick and pull her where I want her to go.
She shrugs off my hold easily and so fast, I take a moment to regain my balance. “You tell me now, Norton James.”
The use of my legal name tells me she’ll take no nonsense from me. “Vanna, please. I need to speak to you in private.”
“You tell me this moment, or I’ll go to Denver by myself. Cas is everything to me, Liz.”
“And to me, Vanna. Look, babe—”
“Use my office,” Cad, walking past suggests. “Steph’s not there so it’s empty.”
I jerk my chin in thanks, and point to the door he’s just come out of. “Please, Vanna. There’s something you should know.”
“Two minutes. That’s all you’ve got,” she warns, following me into Cad’s office. There are two desks and three times that in the number of monitor screens. One desk is neat with everything in its place, the other a total mess. All wires traversing the floor are carefully taped. Even if I hadn’t had prior knowledge, it’s easy to tell which station is Steph’s.
I wave my hand toward the doorway that Vanna’s only just cleared. She turns, shuts the door, and stands with her back against it.
“A minute and a half,” she informs me.
Christ. I have to think fast. I can’t have her running off on a wild goose chase, not with the slightest risk Major might be waiting for her to do just that and scoop her up too. Instead of a well thought out argument which stops her running off while keeping her out of club business, the way she’s starting to reach for the door handle has me blurting out, “Cas isn’t in Denver. Well, he might be, but he’s not anywhere where you’re going to be able to find him.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What do you know about this?” With each word, she moves closer. When she’s right in front of me, her finger starts poking my chest, punctuating every word. “What do you know about Cas?”
“I’ll tell you as much as I can—”
“You’ll tell me every fucking thing, Liz. He’s my son,” she screeches. “I’ve a right to know where he is.”
“I don’t know where he is,” I shout back. “Don’t you think I’m as fuckin’ cut up about him being missing as you are. I’m his father.”
“You didn’t know he existed for ten years. Denied he was yours for two before that.” Her hand covers her heart. “You have no idea how I feel, don’t pretend you do. You tell me everything, you hear me? Leave nothing out. Or I’m going back to Denver, going to the cops and I won’t be coming back!”
How do you deal with a rightfully distraught woman? Fuck if I know. I rake my hands through hair no longer there, and grimacing, knowing I’m about to betray my brothers to put my true family first, I take a deep breath. “You know Shayla?”
“Mace’s woman, of course.”
“You know anything about her background?”
She’s impatient to hear my explanation but her face grimaces. “I can guess her past isn’t pretty, from the little she’s said, but she hasn’t told us any of the details, and none of us old ladies have pushed it. I know Vi’s working to cover a tat up, but not what it is or why. An abusive boyfriend perhaps.” She goes still. “That can’t be it, that her old boyfriend wants her back? Has he taken Cas? If so, why? Why would he go after Cas? He’s nothing to do with the club.”
Should I let her go on believing it’s one of Shayla’s old flames? Tempting, but what if she goes straight to Mace’s woman and demands to know who it is? That’s what I’d do in her place, and with the independence that’s grown in her, she’s not going to sit back and let me drive at my pace.
“It’s not an ex of Shayla’s. Sit, Vanna, please.” My leg, after the exercise and tension in my body, is beginning to shake. I wait until she does what I ask, though she’s perched as if still in flight mode on the edge of the seat. I pull up the other chair, the one Cad uses. “Vanna, please… Darlin’, look the club’s going on lockdown, everyone is being called in. All Shayla can know is that the club’s on general alert. She can’t know this has anything to do with her.”
“Why not?” Vanna looks unimpressed. “If someone’s taken my son because of her, surely she’d want to help sort the mess out? Maybe she could talk to him—”
“It’s not an ex,” I interrupt. “He’s an abusive pimp who branded her with his ta
t and who forced her into the sex trade. For nine months, she worked on her back for him.” If only it was just that, it’s so much worse. “He sells women to men to do anything, any-fuckin’-thing to them, Vanna. He took Esme for the same reason.”
Vanna’s mouth drops open. She’ll have read about such things happening on the news, feel sorry for the people involved, but something like this will never have touched her life. Her face goes completely white before she breaks down in front of me.
“He’s the one who’s got Cas? This evil motherfucker’s got my son?” She launches herself at me, her fingernails drawing blood from my cheeks, and screams, “Because if that’s what you’re telling me, you better get out there and find him, Liz. I want my son back! I. Want. My. Son. Back.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Mace
Jesus. Everything’s going to hell in a handbasket.
I brought Vanna onto the compound and invited Cas. If I hadn’t done so, he’d never have been in Major’s sights.
I confronted Lizard with his wife and child and possibly caused his tumour to make its effects known. Although he’s making a good recovery, he’s still physically not the brother he was.
I convinced Shayla to stay. If I hadn’t, had I given her money and helped set her up someplace else, Major would have had no reason to take any of us.
Me. Me. Me. Me. Every mistake can be laid at my door.
Except for one. I didn’t want Shayla to know, but Lizard had told Vanna, and like any woman told her son was in the hands of a dangerous man, she’d become distraught and vocally so, running out into the clubroom and shouting for Shayla.
It was clear she didn’t blame her, just wanted to know all about the man who’s kidnapped her son. But as soon as Shayla heard about it, she’d done exactly as I’d predicted and without a second thought, had offered herself up. I’d had to physically restrain her from running out of the clubhouse though fuck knows where she thought she would go. Her only thought was to save Lizard’s son.
Satan’s Devils MC -Colorado Box Set: Books 4-6 Page 118
