Hunter's Treasure

by Jill Shannon

  "That's why we have a luxury boat. We are going to leisurely make our way to international water. That way, we won't raise any red flags," Alex snipped back at her. "Now, sit back and enjoy the view; I'll let you know when we are close."

  "Fine, but I still say this is too easy," Jax grumbled back at him.

  Then the voices stopped, and all they heard was the hum of the engine. "It's a shame I don't have the coordinates. We could intercept them before they even get to the drop off boat," Yankee complained.

  "I'd like to stop them before they get halfway to international water. We have no idea what kind of boat or hardware they will be meeting," Judge spoke up. "Let's see where they go. If there is an opportunity to cut them off before they get too far, that's the route we are going to take. Everyone good with that?" They all nodded their agreement. "We should be able to hear when they make the pickup. I want everyone prepared for the worst."

  They all checked the hardware they carried in their cuts. Yankee had waited until two more boats had left the canal before he began following the Dark Horse out to the ocean water. When they reached the ocean, they began following the coastline up toward North Carolina. Yankee had managed to keep a decent distance, close enough to keep them in sight yet far enough so they wouldn't be noticed. As Alex and Jax breezed around the Cape Fear River, Yankee had an idea of where they might be going. "Wasn't one of Blackbeard's hideouts by Ocracoke Island?"

  "I couldn't tell you. I'm not much of a pirate buff," Viking answered.

  Willow joined the conversation then, "Yes, plus, there are barrier islands with enough room to hide a good size ship."

  "But it's also populated. Maybe Alex and Jax are hooking up with one of the businesses around the cove?" Yankee yelled over his shoulder.

  "Yes, but if it was a business, why the big boat? Not many businesses are going to have that much storage on the premise. And normally, if it's drugs, it's the other way around." Willow gave him a confused look. "Meaning the drugs are usually coming in, not going out."

  "Oh. I get it," she replied, realizing his point.

  "Guns can go either way," Viking expressed his knowledge.

  "Okay, we can go on the assumption that it's guns they are running. First, Charlie's knowledge of the design of the boat, on top of the pick-up location. Crates, being loaded onto a boat, would look too conspicuous. Especially a luxury boat," Judge added

  "I would think they would want to move the merchandise under cover of night. Not in broad daylight," Viking pointed out.

  "Unless they are traveling now to be right around the corner when it does get dark then leave in the light of day?" Yankee interjected.

  As Hunter and Willow stood to the side, listening to the conversation surrounding them, Hunter's phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing it was Liam, he showed Willow, and she got the attention of the men. They all quieted down as he answered, "Hey, Liam, you're on speaker. Everyone is aware of what's going on, so please speak freely. Did you find anything?"

  There was a hesitation before Liam responded, "You're not going to like it, boss."

  Hunter interrupted him, "Stop calling me boss. Call me Saint or even Hunter."

  "Well, anyway, boss," Liam couldn't call him anything else, "like I said, you're not going to like what I tell you."

  "Spit it out already, Liam," Hunter growled into the phone.

  "She was taken." He paused as he waited for Hunter to absorb that information. Then he added, "This is the shitty part for you, boss. She was taken right next door to the gym. Your surveillance cameras caught the whole thing."

  All the men turned in Hunter's direction. Defending himself, he said, "Until last night, I had no idea she was missing. In my defense, I thought she left early for a vacation with her parents." Turning his attention back to Liam, he asked, "Did you get information on who took her?"

  "Not really; the blue two-thousand ten Chevy had a fake plate on it. Plus, he covered his face with a bandana and ball cap. He was a big guy. She didn't stand a chance against him. We are going to check with the other stores this morning to see if we can follow the truck and see where it went."

  Hunter couldn't say anything. He was still in shock at hearing Hailey had been just steps away from safety, and he had done nothing to help her.

  Judge took the lead and spoke up. "Liam, this is Judge. Thank you for the information; anything else you find out will be beneficial. I'll have Saint contact you with instructions after that."

  "I don't work for you, Judge. When I have something for the boss, I'll call him back." Liam hung up the phone, making it very clear he wasn't taking orders from Judge.

  Judge smacked Hunter on the arm. "Snap out of it, brother. There was nothing you could do. Like you said, you didn't know she was missing."

  Hunter looked first to Yankee then to Judge with tear-filled eyes. "I can't lose another one." Both Yankee and Judge got the meaning behind his words.

  Judge placed his hand on Hunter's shoulder. "We'll get her back, brother."

  Willow knew only the three of them were privy to Hunter's comment. But deep in her soul, she knew whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Hunter," she asked, getting his attention. "Is it okay if I call Mrs. Spenser? She needs to know, and maybe Hailey's dad can help. He might have some resources that could help Liam."

  "Trust me, princess, Liam is very resourceful," Hunter said finally, getting his shit together. "And if anyone should tell Sophie what happened, it should be me."

  "No," Judge interrupted them. "Let Willow call her. I need your focus here." He jabbed his first two fingers on the bar. "There is something more going on here. Women don't randomly disappear in our town. Unless it's of our own doing." He was referring to Misneach House. What Judge eluded to had the anger of each man there rising. "Wait on that phone call, Willow, until Saint does some snooping."

  She also understood the meaning behind Judge's reference. She voiced the questions running through her head. "Why? Why Hailey? Did she look like a victim?" The tears leaked from her sad crystal blue eyes. "She wasn't homeless or jobless. Why choose her?"

  "We can't answer that, Willow," Viking said, speaking for the men. "From what I hear these days, it doesn't matter who or where they come from. They just need to be alone."

  "Do you think Hailey's disappearance could have something to do with what Jax and Alex are transporting?" Luca added his thoughts. "Think about it. You said drugs usually go the other way. In, not out. The Zapatero family can get their hands on any guns they want. What they don't have is a network of women like the Russians and the Ukrainians."

  "I might lean that direction if more women were missing. But a boat that big wouldn't be picking up one woman," Judge commented.

  "How about eight?" Hunter asked offhandedly.

  "You have to be shitting me?" Judge was beginning to lose his temper. "Where? Where are they all from?" he demanded to know.

  "According to the reports I'm looking at, two are from Marion County, two from Florence County, two from Williamsburg County, and two from Georgetown County."

  Willow heard a collective growl deep in the Demon brothers' throats. "What? What does that mean?" Her voice was edged with fear.

  Hunter clarified what all the men knew. "They are the counties surrounding Hog Inlet. Each is a part of the Demons' territory. Hailey is the only one from our direct area. If the pattern holds, she won't be the only one."

  "So they're snatching them right off the street, and then what?" Willow asked timidly.

  Not one of the men standing there wanted to be the one to enlighten Willow, but it was Hunter who took the lead. "Princess, what we were eluding to is sex trafficking." He gave her a minute to filter through her brain what he had said. When he saw the realization show in her vivid eyes, he continued. "They could be selling these women to anyone."

  Willow's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Do you really think these two things could be related?" Willow didn't know Alex and Jax all that well, but she didn't think they could be part of a
sex trafficking ring.

  "We can't rule it out, Willow," Judge answered. Thinking quickly, as he always did, Judge started barking orders, "Willow, call Mrs. Spenser, and let her know everything we've found out. You might want to hold back on the sex trafficking angle until we know for sure." She nodded her head in agreement. "Have her father see if he can start locating the families of the other missing women. Make sure he tells his buddies to put the word out. No woman should be on the streets alone. Viking, get on the phone to the clubhouse. I want every prospect on the streets, keeping an eye on things. Also, any available members." Viking left to do as Judge ordered. "Saint, keep searching for other missing women." He yelled to Yankee, "You keep doing what you're doing."

  Luca stood for a minute then asked, "What can I do?"

  Judge looked at him, thinking for a second. "Right now, I could use a beer. Later, I hope to use your skills as a diver. So be ready."

  Luca nodded his head. "No problem Judge." He walked to the refrigerator and retrieved enough beer for everyone. "I'm sure you're not the only one." He began spreading the bottles around.

  Willow waved him off when he came to her. "Thank you, Mrs. Spenser. I will be sure to call my family and let them know. And I will make sure Liam gets Mr. Spenser's contact information. Let him know he should hear from Liam very soon." She paused to listen. "Yes, if I hear anything new, I'll be sure to let you know." She paused again, listening. "I will, Mrs. Spenser, and please try not to worry too much. We will find her. I'll check in with you soon. Goodbye." Hanging up her phone and putting it in her pocket, she took the open beer from Luca's hand, swallowing half of it.

  "You think she'll be all right?" Luca asked, referring to Mrs. Spenser.

  "Next to my mom, Sophie is one of the toughest women I know. I feel sorry for the guy who took Hailey if she ever gets ahold of him." She looked Luca in the eyes. "But it was the hardest call I've ever had to make." Glancing over her shoulder at Hunter, she added, "I'm just glad I did it, instead of him."

  Luca looked back and saw who Willow was referring to. "He took the news really hard. You think there's more there than we know?"

  "I believe so, but that's for another time. Right now, we need to figure out what the hell is going on. The timing of these women going missing and Alex and Jax being involved with a cartel seems to be too coincidental. You have no idea how hard I'm praying that they are two very separate things."

  Luca opened his arms, and Willow gratefully walked into them. "I am always here for you, Chica." He kissed her on the side of her head before releasing her, saying, "Everything will work out, Willow. These men will see to it. Now, I need to make myself useful. I'm sure they will all drink their way through lunch. However, I will make sure they eat a decent dinner."

  Willow watched as Luca made his way down the stairs to the galley. She then finished her beer and joined Hunter at the bar area. "I need Liam's information, so I can text it to Mr. Spenser," she told him.

  Hunter reached for his phone resting on the bar and handed it to her, saying, "Look for his name in my contacts; take anything you need." He glanced toward the stairs. "And I know you and Luca are partners in the sea, but if you need a hug, you can come to me." Hunter was not a possessive man, but seeing Willow in Luca's arms definitely brought out his dominant side.

  Willow hadn't thought twice about how Hunter would react to her hugging Luca. "Hunter, you know there is nothing between Luca and me. There never was, and there never will be. But he's always been there for me, so it's just a natural reaction for him to comfort me when I'm stressed." She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. "You are busy gathering important information. I'm not going to interrupt you for a hug. But I see how serious you are about it, so from now on, I will seek the comfort of your arms if need be. Okay?"

  Hunter was pleased that she had observed his reaction and had understood that he wanted her to come to him. He swung the stool he was sitting on and opened his arms to her. "I will always be here for you, Willow."

  The tears leaked from the corner of her eyes down her cheeks as she threw herself into his big, safe arms. A sense of peace flowed through her as she felt his warm body against hers. Mumbling into his shirt, she said, "I will always seek out the strength in your arms."

  Hunter engulfed her, holding her close to him, realizing he needed her as much as she needed him. Knowing Hailey had been just moments away from the safety of the gym had ripped the Band-Aid off his own scarred heart. He kissed the top of her head. "How are the Spensers?"

  Willow pushed back to look in his glassy grey eyes. Still wrapped in his arms, she explained her conversation, "At first, they both broke down crying, but as I told them about the involvement of Liam and the Celtic Demons, it brought out the mama bear in Mrs. Spenser. I could hear Mr. Spenser in the background barking orders at someone on his phone." She smiled as the image came to mind. Holding his phone up, she said, "I need to send Liam's information before Mr. Spenser rallies a lynch mob." She kissed him on the cheek.

  She turned to leave, but he caught her arm before she could go. "When this is all over and Hailey is safe, I will ask for their forgiveness for not keeping their little girl safe."

  Willow could feel the guilt emanating from his body. Placing her palm on his cheek, she told him, "This was not your fault. Some sick son of a bitch took her off the street. There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened to Hailey."

  He placed his hand over hers, needing her strength. He bowed his head a bit. "Yes, there was. I could have hired someone to monitor the surveillance televisions. Had someone been sitting in a chair watching, they would have seen it in real-time."

  "Hunter, stop. You couldn't have prevented this. Besides, if she hadn't gone missing, we wouldn't have found out about the other missing women."

  He turned his head, his lips kissing her palm. Then, pulling her into another bear hug, he whispered, "Thank you, princess, for the faith you have in me. Now, go send the information, and I will resume my search for more missing women." This time, when he kissed her, his tongue grazed along her teeth, gently touching his tongue to hers, teasing her, at first, then taking total control.

  Willow's body came alive at the first flick of his tongue. Feeling her hard nipples on his chest had him ending the kiss. Setting a weak legged Willow on her feet, he told her, "You better go before I take you back to the cabin and finish that kiss properly." As she turned to leave, he smacked her ass, making her jump.

  Her hand going to her stinging ass cheek, she shrieked, "What was that for?"

  "A reminder of what's to come when this is over." Hunter's one eyebrow raised as a grin spread across his mouth. He quietly added before turning back to his computer, "And, I am the only man who will ever make you feel what you're feeling right now."

  Willow then remembered that they were not alone. Her face blushed a deep red when she looked at the men on the Black Rose, smiling at them. Too embarrassed to say anything, she took Hunter's phone and headed for the staircase to the deck below.

  Hunter glanced at his brothers, asking innocently, acknowledging their smiles, "What? You all would have done the same thing if you were in my shoes."

  The men all laughed and agreed with him, except Viking. He hadn't found the one who was meant to be his other half yet.

  Putting the fun moment behind them, Judge asked Hunter, "Have you found anything else?"

  "I narrowed my search down to waterfront areas." Hunter hesitated and looked at Judge. "The numbers are staggering, and those numbers are from the ones reported."

  Judge moved to stand behind Hunter, looking over his shoulder. The low growl that erupted from Judge said everything to the men. "You have a time frame for these?" Judge pointed to a cluster around Hog Inlet.

  "Within the past month," Hunter cautiously answered him.

  Judge wanted to beat the shit out of something but, instead, raked his fingers through his sandy blond hair. Bowing his shaking head with frustration then throwing his ar
ms wide open, standing to his intimidating height of six-four, he shouted, "How the fuck is this possible? That all these women are disappearing in Demon territory, and we know nothing about it?" The anger radiated through his body as he slapped his hand on the cut covering his well-defined chest. "It's my job to make sure everyone in Demon territory is safe to walk the streets at any hour of the day."

  Viking interjected, "This isn't all on your shoulders, Judge. We were all wrapped up in getting Santoro out. When we were out on the streets, we were looking for product, on top of no one even knowing this was happening." Shaking his head, feeling some of the guilt Judge carried, he added. "Why didn't anyone in town say anything to us? They all have to know by now we're here to help, not hurt."

  "They probably never put it together. All of the missing women occurred in random places. Nothing linking them together, except for one thing. They were all taken close to water." Hunter tried to relieve them of some of the burdens they would all carry.

  The deck was silent when Willow returned. Feeling the anger in the air around the men, she gently placed Hunter's phone on the bar. Looking to each of their distraught faces, she told them, "The Spensers have been updated." Yet, needing to know what happened, she blurted out, "What did I miss? What else could be wrong?"

  Hunter answered for all of them, "Nothing, princess, we are finding out just how widespread this all is—"

  Yankee finished his thought for him, "And yet, how close."

  Willow approached Hunter cautiously; she wasn't really sure she wanted to know what they had found. Her eyes swung to the computer screen as her hand covered her gasp. When she could find her words, she commented, "There has to be a mistake." She turned her watery blue eyes toward Hunter for confirmation. Not receiving one, she glanced back to the screen. "There has to be a hundred of them, and this is just South Carolina." The tear slipped down her cheek.

  Closing the screen, Hunter took her in his arms, comforting her. "Willow, that doesn't mean they were all taken. It only shows that someone was reported missing. Some could be runaways, others leaving their abusive partner and going into hiding." Hunter tried to make the situation not so dire. Holding her at arm's length, he smiled at her, trying to make her feel at ease. "We will deal with that issue right after we figure out what Alex and Jax are really picking up. Now, I know you didn't get much sleep. Go back down to the cabin, or curl up on one of the chaise beds for a bit. If they are going to Ocracoke Island, it will be some time before we get there."