by Jayne Blue
But that was selfish. There were girls out there that didn’t have Steel. There were men out there doing this to innocent women. I had information that could help stop it. Hiding in this trailer wasn’t going to save them.
I didn’t know what would, but from what I’d seen so far, the Great Wolves M.C. had as good a chance as any to help figure this out.
Steel stood up and took a peek out the window. He went down and opened the door to the trailer, and another member of the Great Wolves M.C. stepped in.
“Hey, hi there, I’m Bucky.”
A skinnier version of biker put out a hand to greet me. I responded with a tentative handshake.
“I’m Darby.”
“Man, she’s damn pretty,” Bucky said to Steel who scowled at his friend.
“Sorry Darby, but you look like a fashion model. I manage a few. Maybe I could help launch you into the biz if you’re not already.”
“You’re not a model manager. You take pictures of the barflies at The Den for Instagram. Now, what do you want?”
“Some help. Actually, Sawyer wants some help. He sent over some pictures for Darby here to look at, see if she recognizes any of the dudes.”
“I, well, I didn’t really see anything when I was kidnapped.”
“Just doing what I’m told. I figure you look, tell me what’s what, we tell Sawyer. Then that’s done.” Bucky talked a mile a minute.
“Oh Steel, hey, they’re hiring at the Uptown Apartment Complex, I heard they were looking for welders. Of course, I thought of you. I figure we’re knee deep in this uh, this kidnapping thing, but eventually, you’re going to need real bread. Anyway, they’re paying top dollar. Those places are supposed to be pretty nice. You know, they’re renovating older buildings, warehouses, turning ‘em into condos. Grand City is getting a makeover, that’s for sure. They’ll hire us to fix shit up and then kick us out for looking too tough! Am I right, Steel? Right? Always the way. We’re their best friends when they need us and—”
“—Bucky!” Steel shouted. It appeared to be the only way to stop the speeding train that was Bucky’s stream of conversation.
“You’re a welder?”
“Yeah, that’s the trade I picked up in the pen.”
“Uncle Sam paid for his education, how about that!” Bucky said and laughed at his own joke.
“Bucky, the pictures?”
“Oh, yeah, here. He printed ‘em out.” Bucky handed Steel a file.
“Get out of here. I’ll call you if she recognizes any of ‘em.”
It was funny to watch two members of the same M.C. who couldn’t be more different. Steel was a man of few words, big, imposing, and Bucky was a wiry little guy with nothing but time to shoot the breeze. They were a study in opposites.
“You need anything though? I’m headed to the store.”
“Actually, yes!”
Bucky handed me his cell phone.
“Here, type ‘em in the notes.”
I wrote a few things down, essentials like shampoo, and a toothbrush. Bucky looked at the list.
“I’ll ask one of my girls too, if you need girl stuff.”
“I’m fine really.”
“Ah, go on, see you in a bit with a stash for the lady!” Bucky laughed again, and Steel nearly pushed him out of the trailer.
“Sorry, he’s, uh, extra.”
“I liked him.”
“You’re the only one.”
Fourteen
Steel
* * *
“I don’t recognize a single one of these.” Darby looked at the photos Sawyer sent over, and it was a dead end.
“That’s okay. You tried.”
“Like I said, there were two guys in masks, and none of these are the pictures of the ones that were in the house. What about the girls? I think I could recognize them.”
“That’s the problem, I’m not sure if anyone has reported them missing. Remember, they’re not from good families, they’re over 18, they’re lost before they even get taken, I think,” I explained to Darby, but she looked frustrated. I was frustrated too. And I was feeling more than a little cooped up. I wanted to keep Darby safe, but part of that was figuring out who’d grabbed her, how they’d found her at her house, and a lot more.
Until we figured all that out, I could never tell her definitively that this was all over. Because it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
Sawyer texted me, and I had a new lead to follow. It meant leaving her here on her own. I knew it was safe on and around the M.C., but she didn’t.
“I’ve got to go. It’s going to be a few hours, or it could be more. Bucky is coming over with the stuff you asked for. Sawyer is setting a patrol out here. They’ll be guys from the M.C. all over the place. You’ll be safe.”
“Should I go with you? I can do it.” Darby set her jaw and jutted out her chin.
“I wouldn’t ask you to do this with me, I can’t guarantee where or how long.”
“Then don’t worry about me. I’m fine here. I found your laptop; I can do some work. It’s all good.”
“Your work, the book thing?”
“We haven’t talked about it much, but then, we just met.” She smiled and again I felt that tug at my heart when she did. We’d just met, but we’d been joined at the hip, and other places ever since.
“So true.”
“I did manage to carve out a degree, online, and a little business. It was actually my parents’ business too. They were book dealers, rare books, that is.”
“Ok, well, we are now on a subject I know zero about.”
“I was working on meeting one of their suppliers before, uh, well, before all of this.”
“You promise me this isn’t code for drug dealer?”
I was amazed to hear about her business. That, despite the crap she’d been through, she was figuring shit out.
“I wish I made that kind of money. I mean, I do okay, but it’s not drug dealer ok.”
“Good, Sawyer got us out of that a long time ago. Can’t have you bringing in your dirty element.” I pulled her close and kissed her, long, hard, and hard was a major problem if I kept her this close.
“I promise I’ll be fine here, as long as you have Wi-Fi?”
“Yep, the password’s on the fridge. Open the door for Bucky only.”
“Yes, sir.”
I let her go, and she stepped back. This was harder than I thought. I’d gone from taking care of myself and my brothers to being a frigging old mother hen for this chick. It was shocking how fast she’d become a vital part of my world.
I decided, because of that, I better leave fast, and get this over. I’d sort it all out later. For now, the priority was the sex traffic superhighway Darby had gotten mixed up in.
I left her and heard her lock the door as I had ordered.
I got on my hog and met Ridge and Sawyer.
We were staking out of a restaurant in a shitty section of town.
“Do we go in?”
“No, let’s wait it out. There’s the guy.” Sawyer pointed to a man I recognized right away.
“That’s one of them. Jackpot. It was one of the two cops or fake cops who attacked Darby in her own house.
I was ready to get up and beat the living shit out of him. A look passed between Ridge and Sawyer. And I felt a firm, giant hand on my shoulder.
“What the?” I looked at Ridge.
“We’re not going in there to bust him up,” Ridge said to me. I turned to Sawyer.
“This mother fucker tried to kill Darby, posing as a cop. We need to get him and throw his ass towards Bess’s friends on the force.”
“Yeah, how do you think we got this tip?” Sawyer asked, and I honestly didn’t know.
“Bess suspected this particular cop. She’s thrown cases his way before and had a bad feeling.”
“So, let’s go.” I tried to shake off Ridge’s hand on my shoulder.
“No, that there is a hyena. We’re here to see what’s higher up on his
fucking food chain.” That’s when it dawned on me, and I controlled the urge to go slap the shit out of that asshole who’d fucked with Darby.
“Fine.”
“You good?” Sawyer asked me and raised his eyebrow to let me know he was slightly amused as well as serious about this.
“I got it.”
We sat and watched, and several people wandered in and out of the restaurant. None of them were there for our dirty ass cop. If no one did show up, I was going to make my case for shaking this asshole down.
But that’s when a nicer vehicle than was smart for this neighborhood pulled into the parking lot.
“Look over there.” Ridge saw it first, and we all watched the Mercedes sedan pull into a spot. If the owner left it alone too long, he’d come back to find an empty parking space when he got back.
The driver got out of the car. He was lean, well dressed, for sure not a resident of this part of town. He looked familiar. I’d seen him before.
Then it hit me.
“Son of a bitch.”
“What?” Ridge asked.
“That’s Reid Bishop, Darby’s uncle. He’s fucking dirty as shit.” I felt my temper rise and the familiar hands on my shoulders, this time from Ridge and Sawyer.
“We still don’t know a thing. Charging in and beating his ass will get you arrested,” Sawyer said.
“Him meeting with that dirty ass cop means he sent the dirty ass cop. Which means he’s involved in this, in trying to get his own niece kidnapped or whatever the fuck.”
I was livid. And again, reminded myself of the vibe I’d gotten originally from him. I was right. He was off. And now I saw that he was worse than I’d guessed. It was time to go in there and fuck him up for sending those thugs to Darby. She trusted her uncle and that police.
“It makes me sick.”
“Yeah? Well, you can’t help her in the pen,” Sawyer said.
“What’s the plan?” Ridge asked, doing his best to be the unlikely voice of calm.
“I’m going in there. I’m going to do some listening. You’re going to BOTH stay out here until I give you the signal to come in.” I clenched my jaw.
“You’re going to snap your molars in half if you do that again. Get your shit together. Ridge, if he fucks this up, I’m going to blame you.” Sawyer looked at Ridge for that one. Ridge took orders from Sawyer seriously. He’d knock me out before he let me fuck with Sawyer’s plan.
“Fine, I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth.
Sawyer clearly didn’t believe me, but he did trust Ridge, so he left us and walked into the restaurant.
I must have huffed and puffed because Ridge tried to reason with me.
“You're an idiot. Sawyer’s right. The more info he gets, the better off we’ll be stopping whatever’s going on.”
“That man needs a fucking beat down for bringing this shit into Darby’s life.”
“You’re going to get that chance to give it to him. Just wait. I’ll help you,” Ridge said. We watched Sawyer position himself near the booth where Reid Bishop and the dirty cop were talking over an empty table. Based on Darby’s description, that the dirty cop’s name was Filch.
We waited and watched. I hoped Sawyer was getting what he needed. My gut knew not to trust Reid Bishop.
Filch stood up and walked out of the restaurant. I looked at Ridge, and he shook his head no.
Ridge’s phone vibrated.
“It’s Sawyer. We’re going in, quietly. Let’s go.” Ridge waited for a beat to remove his hand from my shoulder. In that time, Filch got in his vehicle and drove off. A missed opportunity, in my opinion. I could have grabbed both of these assholes in one fucking shot.
We walked into the restaurant. Sawyer had moved to the booth across from Reid Bishop, who was cool, unruffled, by three Great Wolves surprising him for coffee.
Ridge and I positioned ourselves behind Bishop, so there was no question he’d be sitting with Sawyer until Sawyer was done.
“Gentleman, I’m quite grateful for all you’ve done to protect my niece.”
Sawyer had spoken to Reid on the phone and assured him we were providing security.
“While it may be an unconventional approach to bodyguarding, it’s no question the best in Grand City. She’s safe with us until you tell us a little more,” Sawyer said, and I swear he was too fucking nice.
“I wish I could. I am just shocked at the crime, the pure audacity it took to try to kidnap my niece in broad daylight like that.”
“Yeah, audacity. Who was that man you were eating with?”
“He’s my friend on the Grand City PD. I sent him to help investigate.”
“Yeah? Did you know he fucking shot at Darby after trying to cop a feel?” My not-so-nice delivery put our actual opinion of Reid Bishop right on the table with the coffee and fake sweetener.
“Well, Mr. McCall here did mention there was a misunderstanding. I’m certain you’re the reason why. I would have done the same if I thought you were forcing my niece to leave with you. She’s innocent and trusting and obviously traumatized.”
“You fucking set this up.” I spit out the words and Ridge was a half a second away from trying to restrain me. I wasn’t following the civilized conversation plan.
Bishop turned from me like I was a pest, nothing to even consider, and refocused on Sawyer.
“I am as disturbed to learn that Detective Filch could be a part of something so terrible. I will help you compile any evidence you’d need, wear a wire? Is that what they say? Whatever it takes. I am appalled.”
“Good, IA will be contacting you,” Sawyer said. You would think he was talking to the King of England; he was so damn polite.
“And my niece, I think it’s best if she returns home, now that I’m aware of the threat. I’m sure she’s scared. I can provide the resources for her. Counseling, medical, and her medication. I appreciate your assistance, but she belongs to me.”
“Belongs to you?” I spit out the words, his slip of the tongue revealed the truth of how he saw Darby.
“We’ll let her know your door’s open,” Sawyer said, and I lunged forward.
“She’s doing fine without your ass keeping her locked away. You evil son of a—”
“Steel, knock it off,” Sawyer growled at me, but I didn’t care.
“Steel, is that your name? Charming. Mr. Steel, my niece, requires heavy anti-anxiety medications to function outside her own four walls. She is a wonderful girl but also incredibly troubled. I’ll expect her back, immediately.”
“She’s an adult. She can do what she thinks is right, for her.” I found a calm, from somewhere, a deadly fucking calm. I stared down Reid Bishop and knew, without a doubt, that he’d been fanning Darby’s anxiety and fear, not helping her overcome it. I didn’t know why but it was clear as day to me.
Sawyer stepped in between Reid and me.
“Let’s go.” He pushed me, and I took a step back.
“I’m not going to rip his head off, relax,” I said under my breath but with my eyes still trained on Bishop.
“You lay a hand on me. I’ll put you away,” Bishop said to me.
“He’s Darby’s uncle,” Ridge whispered under his breath in my ear. It was literally the only thing stopping me from losing it completely.
“Good day, Mr. McCall.” Bishop nodded to Sawyer. He was done, as though it was his decision, and we were left in the restaurant with a shit ton to unpack.
“Sit,” Sawyer said, and Ridge and I did as he asked.
“Why are we letting him go? He’s clearly a piece of shit.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Sawyer said, to my surprise. I was expecting some long speech about my temper.
“Well?”
“Here’s what I’ve got. That man is on the force, the one you saw, the one who he met here. And Bishop’s story checks out.”
“What’s his story?”
“That he called the cops as soon as Darby showed up at the house. That he was out
of town and didn’t even know she was missing. He reminded me that she is over 21. She’s not obligated to check in. And he’s not her parent. All things that are true, explainable, and legal.” I bristled at the facts. Bishop could treat her like a disturbed child or a responsible adult depending on which one suited his needs.
“What about that dirty cop, how’s he know him?”
“Claims he investigated her parents’ crash. Ruled it an accident by the way, and then he kept his number.”
“And internal affairs, is Bess going to have someone investigate the cop?”
“Yes, and Bishop was all for it. He’s maybe a dick, but he’s got an answer that checks out for everything.”
“You didn’t seriously think her own uncle was involved in some way?” Ridge asked me.
“I don’t know. I mean, he brought that dude to the house and that dude shot at us.”
“‘Us’ now is it?” Sawyer said, and I detected a softening. I wasn’t in imminent danger of starting a brawl in the diner, so he relaxed a bit.
I didn’t respond.
“Bess is going to work the Filch angle. The uncle has a plausible story, so we’re going to have to look elsewhere.”
“Where?”
“Let’s go back to that motel. If I were going to do bad shit, I’d do bad shit in a place the police had officially decided to drop. Thanks to Steel here, they’ve let up on the surveillance. Figured they are blown. But there are probably people who saw something or know something,” Sawyer said and took a sip from his coffee mug.
“On it, let’s head out,” Ridge said, and we stood up.
“And Steel, take out some of that aggression there. I’d say those mother fuckers turning a blind eye to trafficking deserve it.”
It was music to my ears. I wasn’t able to beat the shit out of the cop or Darby’s shady ass uncle. But if I could crack some skulls at the motel, it would go a little way toward making me feel like we were at least making progress.
“Ridge, make sure no one gets murdered.” Ridge nodded, and we were off.
One way or another, we were going to find out what was going down in our town. And I was going to make sure whatever evil Darby was ensnared in couldn’t get her again.