by Esme Beal
“You’re right,” I sighed.
“Amy will be just fine. I’m sure of it. I have faith in Ashton. He’ll get the job done.”
“Speaking of which, where is he exactly?”
“He’s… looking into it.”
Noah shifted his eyes away from me. I narrowed my gaze at him. There was something about his demeanor that made it obvious he was keeping something from me.
“What are you hiding?” I said.
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“Noah…”
He let out a frustrated sigh and held up an index finger to me.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell anybody else. If this gets out, you could be putting Amy in danger.”
“You know I only want what’s best for her.”
Noah looked around to make sure that there was nobody else in the room listening. Then he leaned forward and whispered softly so that nobody could hear but me.
“As soon as we got the note, Ashton put in a call to some of his contacts. He figured he would offer a reward to someone willing to put in the work and look for Amy.”
“Makes sense with all of the money he has.”
“Ashton told me he has a meeting with someone today.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “But Ashton assured me he’s more than capable.”
“Are you sure that it’s such a good idea? Trusting a stranger to do a job like this…”
“With the amount of money Ashton’s offering, it’s fair to assume that this guy is willing to do the job. And from what I heard, he seems all right. Ex-military apparently. I think he was a Marine.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod. “So Ashton’s got another man working on the case.”
“See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
Noah put a hand on my shoulder to give me more of the assurance I needed. I was still concerned like everybody else in the shelter but I wasn’t as down as I was just a few moments ago.
“Come on,” Noah said to me. “The kids need another person for their game.”
“Their game?”
“You know how wild they can get. I’m sure it’ll be fun either way.”
Noah almost distracted me enough that I forgot what we were just talking about. But just as we were about to leave the room, someone stepped inside.
“Oh. There you are.”
Ashton looked as magnanimous as ever. He would’ve stood out wherever he was with that expensive suit he wore, let alone a shelter in the Southern Block.
He greeted Noah with a kiss and a hug.
“How did it go?” Noah asked.
Ashton eyeballed me. I stared back at him and couldn’t help but grin.
“You told him,” Ashton said to Noah.
“Ashton—”
“I told you to keep this a secret.”
“You know I could never keep it a secret from Spencer. He was as close to Amy as anybody.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s not like I’m going to tell anybody.”
Ashton let out a resigned sigh and shook his head.
“Noah,” Ashton said, his eyes still locked on me. “I need to speak with Spencer for a moment.”
“Of course,” Noah said. “I’ll be in the other room with the children.”
Noah gave me a wink before leaving me alone with the multi-millionaire.
Ashton put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. He paced slowly back and forth in front of me. It looked like he was getting ready to give me a lecture. I figured I would speak first.
“I understand,” I said.
He looked up at me, his eyes wide.
“I understand,” I repeated. “This is serious.”
“I don’t think you do. I’m well aware that you’re keeping tabs on all of the developments regarding Amy’s abduction but I can assure you, there is nothing you can or should be doing about it.”
“How can you say something like that?”
“Because the people responsible for this are capable of much worse. That much should be obvious.”
“So you just want me to sit back and do nothing?”
“Nobody said to do nothing. But getting involved with a situation like this will only get you into trouble. It’ll only get Amy into trouble. This is very serious. This is very dangerous.”
“Hey,” I said as I put my hands up. “Like I said at the start, I understand.”
Ashton looked me up and down. Even though he was shaking his head, there was still a smile on his face.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he sighed. “Just let me give you another reminder that I am doing everything in my power to make sure that this situation is resolved as soon as possible.”
“After everything you’ve done for the shelter, you don’t have to try and convince me otherwise. I believe you, Ashton.”
“Good. Now I believe Noah needs some help in the other room. This is usually the time when the children are playing their games.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
I patted Ashton on the arm and left the room. I headed toward the spacious playroom where most of the younger ones in the shelter were busy playing. It was easy for Noah to get lost in the crowd. I eventually spotted him playfully wrestling with a group of children.
“All right, all right,” Noah pleaded. “I give up! Let me talk to Spencer for a second.”
The kids scampered off to the other side of the playroom, so full of energy. Noah pushed himself back up to his feet then dusted himself off.
“What did he say to you?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a shrug. “He just said that he’s doing everything he can.”
“What else did he say?”
“That’s it.”
“Spencer…”
“Noah…”
“You know what’s funny? With all of Ashton’s money and power, there are still some things he can’t do. Like keeping you out of trouble.”
“Hey! I stay out of trouble. You don’t live this long in the Southern Block of Snow Falls without being careful.”
“Being careful is one thing. Staying out of trouble.”
“Noah…”
I let out a frustrated sigh.
“…I can’t… I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I have to do something. It’s killing me inside not knowing whether or not Amy is okay.”
Noah looked over my shoulder. I turned around and saw Ashton in the distance, leaning up against the doorway. There was a curious look on his face but from where he stood, he couldn’t hear Noah and I talking.
“Fine,” Noah sighed. “I’ll tell you something. But you have to promise me you won’t do anything crazy.”
“I promise you that I’ll only do what’s best for Amy.”
Noah twisted his lips but I knew the words were burning the tip of his tongue.
“…After Amy’s story got published, Ashton got a text message from the abductor,” Noah said.
“What?” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me? How did they get Ashton’s number?”
“I don’t know. A man like Ashton, it’s not too hard to get a hold of him. The police traced the number and found the guy it belonged to. Police are questioning him but he says his phone was stolen.”
“He could be lying.”
“Or he could be telling the truth. There’s no telling what. But there might be some clues surrounding that man.”
“Right…”
“He works at a bar called Tsunami.”
“I’ve heard of it. It’s not that far from here.”
Noah raised his eyebrows at me. He already knew what I was thinking, so he didn’t bother having to say anything. I put my hands on his shoulders and smiled.
“I’ve lived in the Southern Block my entire life,” I said. “I know how to deal with these people. I have to do my part to get to the bottom of this.”
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nbsp; Noah looked back at Ashton in the distance. He was still staring at us with his hands in his pockets. After a few seconds, he suddenly turned around and left the doorway.
“She doesn’t have much time left,” Noah said. “If you’re going to start questioning people, can you at least do me a favor?”
“What’s that?”
“You’re already here. These kids need someone to play with…”
I gave him a nod.
“Of course,” I said. “Tsunami can wait for tonight.”
Chapter 3
MARSHALL
I’d been to enough bars in my time to know my way around them. Hell, this wasn’t even the only bar I’d been to in Snow Falls. The situation was a little different though. With Ashton’s orders, I had to make sure that things didn’t get out of hand. I had a job to do and nothing was gonna stop me.
Not even the wild scene at Tsunami.
Apparently, out of all the bars and nightclubs in Snow Falls, Ashton had to direct me to the one place where there was more action than I wanted there to be.
The music was loud but all of the conversation drowned it out. Every man and woman in the bar had too much to drink. Tough Alphas looking for an excuse to rough someone up. Omegas just looking for someone to spend some time with. Then there were the Betas who seemed to be egging the whole wild scene on.
Dancing. Talking. Joking. There were even some punks who looked they were on the verge to throw down. And they all did it in a packed barroom.
“Great,” I sighed to myself.
Remember… The little girl…
If there was someone capable of doing what they did to Amy, this looked like a place they would spend their time at. I scanned the bar and searched the crowd. I figured I would start in the most obvious place.
I squeezed next to the bar and waited before the bartender gave me her attention.
“What are you having, big man?”
“Not drinking tonight,” I said. “I’m here looking for someone.”
“We’re all looking for someone, sweetie.”
“This isn’t what you’re thinking. I heard a guy who works here lost his phone the other day.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow at me and leaned back a bit. She looked me up and down, her eyes crossed while she examined me.
“What’s it to you?” she said.
“I’m just looking for some information.”
“Information, huh? Cops already came down here and scooped my man up. They questioned him. He didn’t do it.”
“I don’t care if he did or he didn’t. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of it.”
“Look…”
She leaned forward and pressed her palms down on the table.
“…I don’t know anything. If you’re not gonna drink, I suggest you leave. Owner doesn’t like it when people come here and take up space without spending any money—”
“There’s a little girl who got kidnapped. I’m sure you know about it. I’m just trying to find her. She’s only got a few days left, if that. If something happens and you could’ve done something about it, you’ll regret it.”
The bar was rowdy all around us. I could see the frustration growing on her face. But I stood my ground. I kept staring at her until she finally broke.
“I told the cops everything I know,” she said. “My man got his phone stolen.”
“Do you know who it was?”
“Security footage looks like it could’ve been anybody. You see how crowded this place is.”
“The footage. Do you still—”
“Police took it. I caught a glimpse of it though. Might’ve been some bikers.”
“Bikers?”
“They were around when he lost his phone. But it could’ve been anybody.”
“That’s as good a lead as any.”
“You want my advice, talk to Cyan.”
“Cyan?”
She pointed in the corner of the bar. There was a group of bikers sitting there, drinking, smoking, and acting just as wild as the rest of the place.
“He might know something. But if he asks who sent you, it wasn’t me.”
“Right…”
“We done here?”
I pulled a few bucks out of my pocket and threw it on the counter.
“Why don’t you get me some whiskey?” I said. “Cheap stuff.”
Seeing the money was enough to put a smile on her lips. She gave me a wink then poured me a glass. I figured having a drink would make it less obvious what I was here to do. The last thing I wanted was to get anybody’s attention.
The bartender went back to her business and I had a small spot at the bar all to myself. I took a sip of my drink and noticed there was a man standing right next to me.
He was shorter than me. Light hair. Some scruff on his chin. Looked like an Omega from how unassuming he looked. Smelled like it, too. But he wasn’t like everybody else in the crowd. Kinda handsome in his own way. There was something else about him though. He didn’t seem as interested in being at the bar as everybody else.
Oh, and then there was the fact that he was looking right at me.
“You need some help, friend?” I said to him.
“Not looking for help,” he said.
“If you’re looking for a drink, I’m not the type to buy another man a drink. Not tonight, anyway.”
“I wasn’t looking for a drink. Just… enjoying my time at the bar.”
“Enjoying yourself, huh? Without a drink?”
He looked down at his empty hands and shrugged.
“Yeah, well, it’s hard to get this woman’s attention. We’re not all six-foot-six like you are.”
“I’m only six-foot-five, so that’s no excuse.”
“And I’m barely six-foot even. There’s a difference.”
“That’s still not a good excuse.”
“You got a drink. You’re taller than me. You got anything else?”
Even though the stranger might’ve seemed annoyed, he was still smiling. It was enough to make me do the same, which was kinda remarkable considering the circumstances.
I gulped down the rest of the whiskey and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Well, I’ve got the rest of the evening to enjoy,” I said. “Good luck on getting that drink.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
He gave me a wink. He was cute in a way. I would’ve stopped and given him more of my time if I wasn’t here on business.
I turned my back to him and started walking away. Then I felt something strange. A feeling I couldn’t shake.
He’s watching me. I know he is.
I turned around and saw the stranger looking right at me. No emotion on his face, I didn’t know what he was thinking.
Who cares?
I shook my head and brushed away any concerns I should’ve had and headed to the group in the corner. They were even louder up-close.
I stood next to their table and they all seemed to ignore me. Finally one of them took notice.
He was a smaller guy. Leather vest. Bald head. Skin tan and a bit wrinkled. He looked like he was in his 30s or so but he sure wasn’t acting like it with the big smile on his face and the two women sitting on his lap.
He looked up at me from his seat then sized me up.
“You lost?” he said.
“I’m looking for Cyan,” I responded.
The rest of the men at the table stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to me. It didn’t matter that there were five of them. A group of bikers wasn’t about to intimidate me.
“Are you Cyan?” I said to the bald man.
“Who’s asking?”
“Just a man looking for some information.”
“Information, huh? You got a phone? Why don’t go on the Internet? You can get all the information you need there.”
The group all burst into laughter. The leader of the group smiled at me, sticking his tongue out and licking his teeth.
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Just relax… You’ll get what you need from him…
I breathed a hard breath through my nose and stayed calm.
“A man’s phone got stolen here recently,” I said. “You wouldn’t know anything about that now, would you?”
I put it as bluntly as I could. I wasn’t about to waste any more time on this guy than I had to.
“Are you a cop?” the man said.
“I’m not a cop. But if you keep talking to me that way, you’ll wish I was.”
Two of the bikers jumped up from their seats.
“Settle down, settle down,” the man said as he put his hands up. “This guy isn’t gonna try anything.”
I wasn’t even looking at the other two men. They eventually sat back down but the tension between me and the group didn’t go away.
“I’m not gonna give any information to you,” the man said. “Not to any cops, not to any punks. So you best be on your way—”
“A little girl was abducted three days ago. A ransom message was sent from a phone stolen at this bar.”
“Are you saying I did it? You think I’d do some sick shit like that?”
“No. I don’t know who you are. But if you’re any kind of man, you’ll wanna see the ones responsible for this pay. I’m not asking you to help me. I’m just asking for what you know.”
The man kept eyeballing me. I figured it was a long shot but I wasn’t about to play his game.
He kept staring at me, that satisfied smirk on his lips. He kept licking his teeth as his smile grew even wider.
“My name’s Cyan,” he said. “What’s yours?”
“Marshall.”
“Marshall… You seem to have a lot of interest in this case.”
“I was hired to look into it.”
“I see…”
He shooed the women off of his lap and stood up. He straightened out his leather vest and looked down his nose at me.
“Everything I tell you, you didn’t hear from me,” he said. “You got that?”
“I’m just trying to find the girl.”
“I don’t know much. Just heard that it was probably one of the motorcycle clubs around here.”
“Which MC?”
“I don’t know which MC. You know how many clubs are in Snow Falls? Apparently not, since you don’t look like you’re from around here…”