I slapped him. Hard. A hearty backhand across the face that sent him reeling across the other side of the boat. He looked at me like I’d killed his dumb dog or something.
“I hate you!” He flung his words at me like daggers, and it made me happy he knew how to get mad. Even if it was displaced anger flung my way. His stupid mother was always going on and on about love and happiness and kindness and being gentle — fuck that shit. You needed to access that anger in order to be a real man.
This boy was turning into a little pansy and if he wasn’t going to toughen up on his own, I’d just have to do it myself. Maybe this trip was just what he needed. A chance to get away from December and all her soft, snowflake bullshit.
“You think I give a shit if you hate me? I’m not so fond of you myself, you little bastard!”
His eyes widened like I’d slapped him again and he ran away, disappearing down into the cabin with the dog following along behind him.
Just as well, I thought, as I flung open the storage area where I kept my booze. I cracked the seal on a new bottle of Makers and poured a good portion of it down my throat, its warmth shooting through me like little razors tearing through my guts.
It felt damned good.
I’d been going back and forth on whether I’d really kill the boy or not. I mean, he is my son. Maybe I could redeem him somehow, teach him better. I figured I’d give it a little more time and then I’d decide. But with the way he was acting, he wasn’t doing himself any favors.
The more of a little bitch he was, the easier he was making it for me to decide.
Chapter 15
WOLFE
Having the other guys there made it easier to keep my head on straight and my hands off December. Although, seeing Slade’s slimy lips kissing her hand didn’t help. I brushed it off and reminded myself that Slade was perfectly devoted to his wife Diana and I didn’t have anything to worry about. He was just a relentless flirt and he couldn’t help it.
Besides, it’s not like I had any claim to her myself.
We’d all huddled around her kitchen island, Riot on the speakerphone as we listened in.
“Okay, so I did some digging. Shane did in fact buy a boat. December, if he was going to file a float plan with someone that would know to contact search and rescue if he didn’t show up where he was expected, who would that be? Does he have a close friend or coworker?”
“Well, since it’s not me, it’s gotta be the Chief of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.”
“That’s what I thought, too. I’m going to try to hack into his email.”
“You’re going to hack into the Chief’s email?” December asked, incredulously.
“Sure, it’s not a big deal,” Riot said. “If that doesn’t work, then I’ll try hacking into the Coast Guard’s satellite systems and see if anyone has made contact with them.”
“What should we do?” Slade asked.
“I’ve jumped the gun a little and just in case, I’ve rented you a boat of your own. It’s probably a good idea to start preparing for a trip. Gods, go to the marina and pick up the keys and familiarize yourself. Storm, you know how to drive the boat, right?”
“I do,” Storm replied. “My license is current, too.”
“Great,” he said. “December, can you concentrate on collecting some supplies? Food, drinks, anything the group of you might need for a few days’ trip.”
“Sure,” December replied.
I looked over at Slade and noticed how quiet he was. He looked serious and a bit alarmed, which I’d never seen before.
“Okay, I’ll be in touch real soon, once I have more information. Wolfe, I’m sending you the info for the boat rental on your phone right now.”
“On it,” I replied, hanging up the phone. I looked over at Slade. “What’s going on with you?”
“Me?” he asked, surprised I’d noticed. “Man, look, I’m not a cage dude, but even more than that — I really fucking hate boats.”
“Oh,” I nodded. “You want to sit this one out, brother?”
“And lose the chance to kick someone’s ass? No way, man. I’ll be fine,” he assured me. I was skeptical, but I let it go.
I turned to December and she was already rummaging around her kitchen and starting to pile groceries and supplies on her counter.
“I’ll need to make a visit to the store,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I said. “We can meet you at the marina.”
“Sounds good,” she said, smiling at me nervously. “Are you sure we won’t get in trouble doing all this hacking?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied. “Riot’s a pro and he won’t do anything to put us in danger.”
She nodded and squared her shoulders, putting on a brave face. Her courage was admirable and the fact that she wasn’t breaking down was impressive. If it was my son that was missing, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to remain so calm.
I hugged her quickly, letting her go before I could be overwhelmed by my own emotions, and we headed out.
All of Slade’s talk about kicking ass had me riled up and Shane’s face was front and center in my head, with a bright and shiny red target on it.
Chapter 16
DECEMBER
As I pushed the cart through the grocery store, it became heavier and heavier. I may have gone overboard but I had no experience in feeding four huge dudes, and I wasn’t sure how long we’d be or if we’d be able to replenish our supplies easily, so I figured overdoing it was best.
By the time I got to check out, I could barely push the thing. I ignored the pointed looks from Charlene, the check-out girl that I’d gone to high school with.
When she started questioning me, I wasn’t surprised.
“Having a party, December?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” I said.
She squinted and looked at my cart with scrutiny.
“Well, whatever you’re doing, whoever you’re doing it for is most likely going to be bummed out by the lack of booze,” she quipped. Charlene had a reputation for enjoying copious amounts of alcohol on a frequent basis, and I’d never been more thankful for it.
“You know what? You’re right,” I said, looking around. “Can you hold my order for a few minutes?”
She smacked her gum and laughed, her messy bun wiggling around on top of her head. “You betcha, doll.”
I grabbed my now empty cart and pushed it quickly back to the beer aisle, loading it up with several cases of beer. When I got back to Charlene, her eyes widened with glee.
“Now, we’ve got a party!”
“I wish, girl, I wish,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, good luck, December, whatever’s going on.”
“Thanks,” I said. I could have easily told her that Shane had taken Leo and me and a bunch of scary bikers were going out on a boat looking for them, but that sentence alone was so absurd I couldn’t say it out loud.
Instead, I gave her a shaky smile and went out and loaded up my car, my body quivering with anticipation. I was struck by how much I’d relaxed since the Gods had arrived. I was impressed with their professionalism and efficiency, especially the man on the phone, Riot.
I thought back to how freaked out I was before I called Wolfe, how alone I’d felt, how alone I’d been. I’d been lost and had no idea where else to turn.
But as thankful as I was for them, I was still filled with worry for my son. It felt awful getting in my car all alone, which only emphasized the fact that Leo was gone.
I couldn’t wait to be back in Wolfe’s comforting presence again. He made this nightmare just a little easier to handle.
Chapter 17
WOLFE
“Riot didn’t spare any expense,” Storm said, as we boarded the boat. Storm was right. It was huge. And luxurious.
We walked down to the cabin, and I was surprised to see it was divided into four small bedrooms with a large living and kitchen area in the middle.
“Apparent
ly not,” I said, whistling in approval. I was pleased to see how nice it was. In the back of my mind, I wanted to impress December, even though it wasn’t my money renting this monster. But, I wanted her to be comfortable and confident in our ability to help her.
More than anything, I wanted to make sure Shane couldn’t hurt her, or Leo, ever again. That rage was still boiling inside me, threatening to break to the surface at any moment. Luckily, many years behind bars had taught me how to control my emotions, so I was able to keep my anger at bay.
Storm was the only one of us with any boating experience, and he got to work familiarizing himself with all of the controls and operations.
“Let me know if you need help,” I said.
“A baby like this will be a dream to operate,” he said. “It practically does everything itself.”
“Great,” I said. I looked over at Slade and saw that he’d sat down on the couch, his knee bobbing up and down nervously.
“You good, man?” I asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, with a dismissive wave.
“There’s still time to back out,” I reminded him.
“Nope, I’m good,” he said, standing up and climbing the stairs to the deck. Wreck and I followed him up, the snow still lightly falling around us. It was frigid and windy, not the best conditions for chasing someone up the coast. I silently cursed Shane for making all of us endure this shit.
The deck was slick and while the boat came with heavy parkas and life jackets for all of us to wear, the heavy leather boots we usually wore to ride our bikes weren’t the best footwear when snow was falling steadily, sticking to the deck.
Slade slipped near the edge of the boat, almost tipping over the edge, but catching himself first.
“Dude!” I shouted. “Be fucking careful.”
We were still anchored at the dock, waiting for December to arrive with our supplies, and the boat was barely swaying in the water but Slade already looked a little green.
“I’m fine,” he said, putting a hand on his stomach. A slight sheen had formed on his upper lip.
“Are you sick?” I asked.
“No, just a little nauseous,” he said. I shook my head, wondering how much worse he was going to get if we hadn’t even started up the damned boat yet.
“Maybe you should go lay down,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s fucking windy as fuck out here,” he said, disappearing below.
I turned to Wreck. “Wanna bet on how long it’s going to be before he starts puking?”
Wreck laughed, shaking his head. “Sure, man. Five dollars says he’s hugging the toilet in an hour tops.”
“Probably right,” I said. “I’ll say two hours.”
“Hopefully, we’ll find this bastard before too long and can get back on solid ground.”
“Nice pun,” I said. “Solid Ground.”
“Ah, right,” he laughed. “So, you and December used to be a thing or what?”
“No, not really,” I said, shrugging. “We kissed once. Many moons ago. Mostly, we were just friends. Her twin brother, Leo, was my best friend. I guess she was, too.”
“What happened?”
“Leo died. December got pregnant. I went to prison for a crime I didn’t commit. Not in that order, I guess.”
“That’s fucking rough, brother,” he said. “It’s obvious there’s still something between the two of you, though.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Just the way you look at each other. That’s the kind of connection that never dies.”
“Like the one between you and Frankie?”
“Exactly, dude. Hell, I thought Frankie was dead. And then, when she came back into my life, she had a whole new face and identity. I’d have never known it was her, except for the way I felt around her. It’s like our bodies remembered each other. Even after all that time.”
“I’m glad you found each other again,” I said.
“If it wasn’t for the Gods and Solid Ground, we wouldn’t have.”
“Thank the universe for the Gods, huh?”
“Fuck yeah,” he said.
“Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen between me and December. I don’t really think this is the right time to think about that stuff, either. We just gotta find Leo right now.”
“Of course,” Wreck replied, shrugging. “But I bet shit works out with y’all. I got a good feeling.”
I paused, drinking in his words. “Me too,” I said, softly. “Me too.”
A honk from the parking lot caught our attention, and I saw December standing by her car and waving.
“A little help?” she called out.
We ran out to help her, making a couple of trips to bring in all the stuff she’d bought.
“I may have gone a little overboard,” she said.
“With these guys, I doubt it will go to waste,” I replied, as I brought several cases of beer on board. When Slade saw me bring it into the kitchen, he lunged for it.
“Oh, thank god,” he said. “A fucking cure!”
“Sure about that?” Wreck asked. “Might make it worse.”
“What’s wrong?” December asked.
“Slade’s got an aversion to boats.”
“I’m fine!” he insisted, popping open a beer and taking a huge swig.
“This boat is amazing,” December said. “It must go really fast, huh?”
Her eyes were full of hope, laced with worry, and I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. Instead, I kept my hands to myself and flashed her what was hopefully a reassuring smile.
“It does go fast,” I said. “And Storm really seems to know what he’s doing. You’ll have your boy back in your arms in no time.”
“I hope you’re right. Any word from Riot?”
“He called a few minutes ago. Turns out, Shane emailed his boss a float plan. That doesn’t mean he’s going to stick to it, but it’s a start.”
“Wow, I can’t believe Riot was able to find it.”
“Believe it,” I said. “Riot is a genius.”
“That’s so great, where did Shane say they were going?”
“North. Their destination was listed as somewhere near the Strait of Juan de Fuca.”
“That far? That’s almost to Canada.”
“I know,” I replied. “But hopefully, he won’t get that far.”
“All good down there? Ready to take off?” Storm called down into the cabin.
“Sure, man, you need help with anything?” I asked.
“Yeah, I could use an extra pair of hands with the lines for a minute,” he replied.
Wreck stood up and walked up on deck, “I got it.”
December started putting everything away as the sound of the boat’s engine roaring to life vibrated through the vessel. Within seconds, we were in motion, the boat jolting forward and quickly picking up speed. I joined December in putting away the groceries, our bodies brushing against each other in the small kitchen, sending the fire raging inside of me.
I’d always been attracted to her. I’d lain awake in my cell for years remembering the curves of her hips, the way she smiled, my body yearning for her. And now that we were together again, all these years later, it was more intense than it had ever been.
She smiled up at me and it took all my strength not to wrap my arms around her and kiss her the way I wanted to.
Fuck it, I thought, finally. I’d waited so long. Why wait any longer?
Throwing all caution to the wind, I grabbed her arms and looked into her eyes, my head bending down towards her.
I needed to feel her mouth on mine.
I needed to taste her, to kiss her…
Suddenly, Slade jumped up and ran to the bathroom, the sound of his violent retching echoing through the cabin, ruining any chance of me actually getting to kiss her and costing me five bucks all at the same time.
Chapter 18
DECEMBER
As soon as the boat to
ok off, a surge of adrenaline rushed through my veins. It felt good to be moving, to finally do something to try to find Leo.
For a second, I’d thought Wolfe was going to kiss me in the kitchen, but Slade interrupted us and the moment was over in a flash.
Wolfe and I walked up on deck once everything was put away, standing at the edge of the boat and watching the Christmas lights on the marina disappear as we moved farther away.
“It doesn’t feel like much of a Christmas at all,” I sighed.
“It will,” Wolfe said. “As soon as you and Leo are back home, safe and sound, everything will get back to normal.”
“I hope not,” I said. “I don’t want normal. Normal was always worrying about Shane and what kind of hell he was going to be bringing home next. I never want him in our lives again.”
Wolfe nodded, and I knew he was holding back. He had every right in the world to hate Shane, just as much as me, if not more.
“You can say whatever you want,” I urged.
“I’m not much of a talker,” he said, his voice gruff. Wind whipped my hair around my head, biting my cheeks with its frigid caress.
“Well, you must have an opinion about Shane.”
“I’ve never liked Shane, I’ll admit that,” he said. “Not before that night, and not after. I didn’t confess because I liked Shane. I don’t think that’s ever been a secret.”
“Why didn’t you like him before?” I asked, turning my face up to him.
He stared down at me for a moment before replying.
“Because he was fucking arrogant. And selfish,” he paused, before going on, “and because he got you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, December. You.”
“Oh,” I nodded, my heart in my throat, words failing me. I wanted to fall into his arms and pretend this nightmare wasn’t really happening, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Leo.
“Sail onnnn, honey, good times, never felt soooo goooood,” Slade began singing at the top of his lungs, the beer obviously coursing through his veins now. “Sail onnnnn, sugarrrr, good times, never felt sooo gooood.”
FOREVER DECEMBER: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK 15) Page 7