Peg clears his throat then adds to the conversation. “Seems very convenient that the head of the family has been deposed.”
“I agree with you, Peg. Mouse, any word on what happened to Leonardo?”
“What you thinking, Prez?”
Drum cups his beard with his hands. “I’m thinking we helped out the cartel. Maybe it’s time they helped us.”
“You don’t think they know what’s going on?”
“Javier Herrera’s still breathing.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t know what Alonso is up to?”
Drum shrugs. “Or perhaps he’s behind it.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Marc…
Sitting at this table is a bit like watching a sociological experiment. There’s no doubt there’s some hierarchy, with Drummer’s word being final, but all men here can, and are encouraged to have their say. Some irrelevant points might be greeted with amusement, but when an observation is made, it’s examined carefully.
Having said my piece, I’m happy to sit back and watch what’s going on. I’d thought I would have been dismissed after they’d questioned me, but either they’ve forgotten I’m there, or have, at last, begun to trust me.
As the debate flows, something occurs to me. I lift my fingers in a small wave. Drum gives me permission to speak. “If the cartel takes out the Herreras, how are we going to find those kids?”
Tongue jerks his chin toward me, his stud glinting in the overhead lights. “Good point there, Prez. We want to make sure our kids are safe, but it doesn’t settle with me there are others out there. I think we can safely assume they’re going through hell.”
“As must be the parents,” Lady throws in.
He’s right. I’ve met some of them.
“They could be out of state by now. Fuck, out of the country.” Drummer’s frowning down at the table. He raps his hand on the desk, and then his steely gaze rises to settle on me. “What I can’t understand, is why the local police thought they could handle it. Surely they should have called in the FBI?”
I’ve no idea either. “Above my pay grade.”
“It’s been in the press enough,” Lady observes as Joker nods at his friend.
“But only in the last couple of weeks when a parent went to the press and others stepped forward. And ‘we’,” I use my hands to demonstrate I’m putting the word in quotes, “worked on the basis that they were runaways at first.”
Drummer’s looking intense and raises his eyebrow at Wraith, who shakes his head in response. “We’ve had the FBI around this table before. Not keen on inviting them in again. Right, we’ve been going around in circles. Here’s what we’re going to do.”
I sit and listen as he hands tasks out, counting them off on his fingers. Almost everyone ends up with something to do. I’m to put my head together with Mouse and go back over what I do know are the facts of the case. Some of the brothers are going to see if they can get the parents to talk, and Drummer, himself, is going to see if he can try and track down Leonardo Herrera. If he’s still above ground.
It’s a positive meeting, and I come away with the thought that maybe, just maybe, I’m now on the right side.
As we’re dismissed, I wait for Heart in the hallway.
“Let’s go get Amy,” he says. “I need some loving from both my girls.”
I follow him up to the top of the compound. We collect Amy, then go back to the suite, Grunt in tow. As soon as we enter, Grunt finds his bed and settles down to sleep. He looks worn out for a pup.
Heart’s got a thoughtful expression on his face as he looks around the room. Then he crouches and speaks to his daughter. “Hey, Amy. Think you’re big enough for a big girl’s bed now. How about we give you the bedroom next door? You’re too old to be sleeping with your dad.”
She looks at him, and then at me. “Where’s Marc gonna be sleeping?”
“In here. With me.”
Amy pouts. “But she’s older than me.”
I have to put my hand over my mouth to smother my laugh. “I don’t mind. And it will be nice for you to have your own room.”
I’m almost knocked off my feet as she runs over, reaching her arms up around my waist and cuddling into me. “You’re the best, Marc.”
Heart tilts his head to one side, his wide smile making him look so handsome I’d welcome some alone time myself. He gets to his feet and comes over and puts his arm around my shoulder. “Need to ask you, Amy, how you feel about Marc being part of our life? We’ll get a new house off the compound and become a family. What do you think about that?”
I realise a year’s a long time in a little girl’s eyes when her face beams and she asks, “Are you going to be my new mommy?”
I don’t want to upset either of them, or lead her on. But looking at Heart, and knowing I’m carrying, at least for now, his two children, I know, now I’ve let him in, I’d like to give our relationship a damn good try. If I ever lose him, well, I’ll just have to cope.
I’m uncertain how to respond to Amy, but Heart nods to encourage me. At first I’m uncertain what he expects me to say, but the warmth in his expressions lets me know the response he wants. Now it’s my turn to crouch down to bring myself to her level.
“If that’s what you want, honey. I’ll never want to try to replace your real mommy, but I can be there for you.”
This time she really does knock me over as she flies at me so fast and takes me by surprise. I suppress a sob, wondering why it’s taken me so long to open my heart to others again, but then the answer hits me. I was waiting for Heart.
After taking Amy into her new room and getting it arranged with her toys and clothes, Amy’s exhausted from playing all day and doesn’t object when Heart suggests she has a nap.
Alone with Heart, I go to him, put my arms around him, and rest my head on his chest. We stand like that for a few minutes.
“Lieutenant Diaz wants to see you.”
“He can stuff his job.”
Heart chuckles, the sound reverberating through me. “You sure you’ve made up your mind?”
“I think I had before, but the way you work… Well, let’s just say I’ve got more faith in the way you get things done than the police.” I think about what Diaz might want me for. “I suppose he might need to interrogate me about what’s been going on with Reynolds and Garza. If he’s taking them into custody, it must be safe for me to go in. And while Reed will have filled him in, there’s a lot he doesn’t know.”
“Not happy about you going there. Even if they’re locked up. What if someone else is working with them?”
“Whether they are or not, I’ll need to show my face, Heart.”
Heart’s phone rings, stopping our conversation. He answers it without moving away. I can hear Mouse on the line, but not clearly enough to distinguish what he says. When the call ends, Heart explains.
“You’re not going anywhere today. Mouse has been doing some digging. Wants to talk to you, okay?”
I’m eager to know what he’s found. “Yeah. I’ll go down.”
“I’ll stay here with Amy.”
I cock my eyebrow. “You’re allowing me to walk down to the clubhouse unattended?”
He smirks. “I think you can find your way. And I know I can trust you.” As I go to move away, he pulls me back and cups his face with my hands. “Don’t overdo it, Marc. You’re looking tired. Remember you’re carrying twins.”
How can I forget? “I’m fine, Heart. I’m pregnant.” Those words still don’t seem real. “I’m not ill.”
“You’re mine. I’m gonna watch out for you.” He lowers his lips and meets mine. A moment when we express with our mouths the depth of our feelings toward each other, and then I’m stepping out the door and going down to the clubhouse. Unescorted. Alone.
As I walk down through this adapted ex-vacation resort, I realise it already feels more of a home than any place where I ever stayed since I was eighteen.
Walking into the clubroom,
I get chin lifts and nods from the men as I make my way through. I have to ask Viper which office is Mouse’s and follow his directions. I enter a room with blacked-out windows and an assortment of screens. It must be their security hub as well as his den. The strong smell of cannabis hits me almost like a physical wall. As he acknowledges me, he takes a drag on his joint.
“Thanks for coming, Marcia. I wanted to pick your brain. Tell me where you got to with this. Can you remember names and addresses?”
I frown. “I need my files for that.”
His fingers fly over his keyboard. Then he looks up. “You’re one of us now, right?”
Not sure why I have to confirm it again, but I nod.
He grins. “These the files you were after?”
As he turns the screen around, I inhale sharply. He’s hacked into the police database, and into my account. “How did you do that?”
He taps the side of his nose. “Ain’t giving all my secrets away.” Then he gets up, grabs a spare chair, and pulls it around his side of the desk, indicating I should sit beside him.
We lose track of time. I point out the relevant info from my files, and he uses another computer to check out the names, explaining he’s using the dark web to see if there’s any chatter about any of the missing kids. He’s delving deeper, and while doing so making sure he’s covering his tracks. At one point, he places an international call to an Arab country and gets some advice, then he’s back to tapping again.
“Fuck.” His quiet utterance interrupts my thoughts. He points at something on the screen. “We need to get Drummer in on this. And fast.” Wasting no time, he takes out his phone and sends a quick text.
A couple of minutes later we’re joined by the president, who listens carefully to what we have to say.
“Well, fuck me.” Drummer leans back on the chair, one hand stroking his beard. “If you’re right, that could be good news. We might be able to find those kids after all.”
I try to suppress my excitement, not wanting to get my hopes up too soon. “And bring them home.” My optimism has been growing since Mouse found the information.
Drummer nods slowly, then recaps on what he’s been told. “An underground auction, to be held in five days. Hmm.” He suddenly sits forward. “Reckon the likelihood is that they’ll be held together prior to that.”
“One option is to find out where they’re holding them.” I think for a moment. “Would it be possible Reynolds might know? I may be able to get some time with him.”
“I doubt it. He was probably just a pawn, just paid for looking the other way or providing misdirection. Something like this, they’ll keep close to their chest. Any idea of where this auction is to be held, Mouse?”
“Arizona,” Mouse tells him. “A fuckin’ big search area. They’ll narrow it down and give coordinates just before the auction starts. That’s the way these things usually work.”
“Can we get an invite?” As I ask, Drummer raises his eyebrows at Mouse.
Mouse grins. “That’s why I got Cara involved. She’s trying to get an Amahadian on the invite list. A rich Arab won’t arouse suspicion in any way. Of course, he’ll appoint a representative to attend on his behalf. One of us.”
I’d earlier heard that Sophie’s best friend is now married to an emir, and one of his brothers has a wife who’s a renowned hacker. Yes, no one would be surprised at a sheikh wanting to buy a young girl at auction—they have a certain reputation which means that wouldn’t be unexpected. And likely as well that though he might be the customer, he wouldn’t attend in person.
Drummer’s gone quiet, his hand stroking his beard, something I’ve seen him do before when he’s deep in thought.
What Mouse and I have found out is terrifying, and my gut churns at the thought of how those kids are being kept, their conditions, and how frightened they must be. Taken from their families to face an unknown future, and one probably filled with torture and pain. We’ve got to do all we can save them.
“I’m sorry, Drummer, but I think this is too big for even the Satan’s Devils to handle. We’ve got to involve the police and the FBI.”
Brought out of his reverie, the president views me. “I need to make a phone call.” Then his stare turns to a glare. “Marcia. Give me some time to explore some options and don’t go running back to your cop friends. It might go deeper than Reynolds and Garza. We, you, don’t know who to trust. This information is like dynamite—put it in the wrong hands and they’ll change the arrangements and go deeper underground. The kids will be lost forever.”
I study him as sadly I realise the truth in his words. In such a lucrative business, one word out of place and they’ll move mountains to make sure we lose their trail. “All I ask, Drummer, is that you keep me in the loop. I’ll need to go down to the precinct and make my statement, and that means I’ll be hiding things, lying to my ex-boss. But the number one priority is reuniting those kids with their families.”
Drummer lifts his chin toward me. “I know a man I can trust. Just need to have a conversation.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Heart…
After spending time cooped up with Mouse, I make Marc rest for a while, seeing she’s emotionally, if not physically, exhausted after everything that’s happened over the past couple of days. After her nap, we head back down to clubhouse, and the first thing I spy is Sophie grinning from ear to ear. From what Marc had told me, Mouse has been in contact with his hacker friend in the Arab state of Amahad, and I suspect has given Sophie a message from her friend, Zoe. Those two were so close, their friendship being the reason why Sophie lost half of a leg and ended up here under our protection. A biker’s old lady and the wife of an emir—it’s a strange alliance.
Memories come back of happier times when Crystal, Amy, and I, along with many of my brothers, were invited to attend Zoe’s wedding in Amahad. Fuck, that was a laugh. Bikers rubbing shoulders with politicians and celebrities, but strangely seeming to fit in along with rough desert sheikhs. Mouse still harps on about how he beat the desert dwellers in the bareback horse race. I smile as I remember and then frown.
Marc had told me everything that Mouse had found out.
My woman might be rested but remains distracted, her heart torn in two worrying about those kids, and I feel powerless to help her. While I trust Drummer to come up with a solution, Marc doesn’t know him well enough yet, and is having difficulty suppressing her natural leanings to get the authorities involved.
She’s quiet as we eat, ignoring conversations around her, only sparing the odd smile for Amy and Grunt. Prez doesn’t appear, so she gets no more answers. I start to think how I can take her mind off things later tonight. Hmm, I might be able to come up with a thing or two.
As she automatically puts food on her fork and raises it to her mouth, my cock starts to twitch. Though I’m loath to compare the two women, Crystal was satisfying, but not adventurous in bed. Marc, I believe, will be up for something different. And tonight, I’ll be the one in control.
A sudden movement beside me brings me out of my thoughts. Marc has put down her fork and is pointing at Amy.
“Amy, sweetheart, I can see you. Don’t keep feeding Grunt. He’s got his own food and doesn’t need to eat yours.”
Amy looks far from chastised. “But, Mom, he’s hungry.”
Marc grabs at my hand and glances at my face. She’s got tears in her eyes, and while I’m going to have to get used to Amy using that handle, I find I’m proud as fuck that I’ve found a good woman to give back my kid some normality in life. Two parents. Sure, Crystal should never have been taken away, but all she’d want is for her daughter to be brought up right. And two parents, a mom and a dad, would form a big part of that. As I watch Marc swipe away a tear, I reckon Crystal would approve of my choice of old lady.
Amy’s comment hadn’t gone unnoticed. Conversation has stopped around the table, but I smile and give Marc’s fingers a supportive squeeze, letting her know what Amy has said is no pr
oblem for me.
She swallows, clears her throat, and then gets back to the subject at hand. “Dogs eat dog food, Amy. There are some things we’re able to eat that could make them ill. So either give him nothing, or ask first, okay?”
Amy stares at Marc, then slowly nods. The reasonable explanation seems to have sunk in. “Okay, Mom,” she says quietly.
But fuck me, looking around the table, there are a few guilty looks from my brothers. Reckon Grunt’s had more than enough to eat today, which leads me to say with a scowl, “And that goes for the rest of you assholes.”
“Ain’t giving him any of mine.”
All eyes turn to Beef, who’s sitting in front of a huge plate piled high. Yeah, that greedy fucker is unlikely to share with anyone.
“Yes, Mom and Dad,” Joker has to add, causing a laugh.
I put my arm around my old lady’s shoulder. A year ago, I could never have dreamed I’d ever be this happy again.
A couple of hours later, Marc takes Amy to get her ready for bed while I stay a little longer to talk to Slick before making my way up to join them. I read my daughter a story, explain that no, Grunt can’t sleep with her, and then turn out the light and leave her to sleep.
Returning to my, our, room, I find Marc just standing, staring out at the balcony, but I doubt she’s admiring the view.
“I don’t know how to cope with this, Heart,” she starts as she hears me. “What those kids must be going through.”
Approaching her, I wrap my arms around her, and she leans her head back and puts it on my shoulder. “There’s nothing you can do tonight, darlin’. Prez will come up with something.”
“I feel so useless. And what’s worse, I keep thinking I should be out there, trying to find them.”
And there’s another difference. Crystal would have relied on me and my brothers to sort matters out, content that we’d do everything necessary. Marc wants action and is frustrated there’s nothing she can do.
“They won’t hurt them, Marc. Not if they’re going to auction them.”
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