“Oh, that’s ok then. You know how secretive they are about their home. I can’t even get past the threshold when I come over to say hello.”
I faked a yawn and squeezed Jasmine’s side.
“Come on, flower, let’s get back to bed.” She nodded as she started to move and this Mandy chick waved goodbye and hurried back across the street. She lived in the house exactly opposite Jasmine, I needed to keep an eye on her. I followed Jasmine back inside and as I closed the front door, she started firing questions at me.
“What were you doing out there? Were you snooping around the Miller’s house? Where’s Tyler?”
“Calm down, flower. You want some coffee?” I asked as I strolled past her to get a fresh cup for myself.
“I want tea.” I nodded and she added, “I’ll do it myself, I like it done right.” I stood back, leant against the kitchen worktop and watched her flit around the kitchen. She grabbed her mug, that read ‘The Best Mummy in the World’, threw a teabag in it with one and a half sugars, grabbed two bowls out of the cupboard and began setting the table. She reached for the coco pops and stopped what she was doing. Her hands started trembling, she sniffled and turned to look at me.
“I guess that’s a habit. I was just about to call out to him, I didn’t want to be late for school.”
“We’ll find him, flower,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her. She nodded and sighed. “Sit down and I’ll finish making your tea.”
“Just add the hot water and pass me the milk, I’ll finish it.”
“Solar?” Tyler called out as he rushed into the house. He nodded his head outside and I started to follow him.
“If it’s about Nate then I want to hear it too,” Jasmine demanded.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I told Tyler before I turned back to Jasmine. “One thing you should know, you don’t get to know how we get him back, or our plan.” She was about to interrupt, when out of instinct I placed my lips against hers. She gasped and pulled away.
“What are you doing?”
“Sorry, I was trying to get you to be quiet so you would listen to me.” I paused and she kept quiet. “It seems to have worked.” I chuckled. “Anyway, if it’s to do with Nate directly we would never keep you in the dark but the way we work is together as a club. Old Ladies and club bunnies don’t get to know about club business.”
“But I’m neither of those.”
“No, you’re not, but I will not be putting you in danger.” I ran my hand over her arm until I got to her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. “Enjoy your cup of tea and I’ll be right back.”
I turned away and strolled outside to find out what info Tyler had found. He was leaning up against the wall outside, much like he was last night; his head was resting behind him and his eyes were closed. I joined him and as he was about to speak I glanced over the road to see Mandy’s curtain twitching. Was she watching us?
“Keep an eye out on that one.” I nodded my head gently at the house across the road. “She seems to be watching us.”
“No problem.”
“So what did you find out?” I dug my phone out of my back pocket when I felt it vibrate.
Church, 30 mins. VP
“I gotta be at church in thirty minutes. Give me a quick run down.”
“It doesn’t look like anyone actually lives next door. There isn’t any furniture except for a single bed, kitchen table and curtains. The kitchen cupboards are empty; no food, no dishes, not even a toilet roll in the bathroom.”
“Any bills?”
“Nothing, man. It’s pretty empty in there.”
“Ok. Look, I gotta get to the clubhouse. Bring Jasmine over once she has finished getting ready.”
“No problem,” he said as he stood up straight and ran his hand over his short blond hair.
“How old are you again?”
“Nineteen.”
“Shit, that’s young. I can trust you with her, right?”
“Of course, man.”
“You need to get some scruff on that chin of yours, make you look older.” I chuckled as I ambled down to my bike.
“Hey, I’m in the prime of my life, unlike some of the older ones.” He rose his eyebrows at me and I couldn’t stop the booming laughter that escaped my throat.
“Thirty-two isn’t old, many years of practiced stamina. I could give you a run for your money.”
“Whatever, old man.” He laughed as he disappeared into Jasmine’s house. Normally, I’d never let a prospect talk to me that way but when it was a bit of fun, I was definitely the one joining in.
***
I strolled into the clubhouse and it was all quiet. I glanced around the bar and it was empty except for Missy who was cleaning down the tables. She was one of the club bunnies that had a lot of stamina and always wanted to try out new things for variety in the bedroom. I stopped in my tracks and pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since VP text me yet. Either the guys were in there early or they would all be rushing to get in there.
“Hey, Solar.” My gaze shot up from my phone when Missy purred my name.
“Hey, Mis. Are the guys already in there?”
She shook her head and swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. “I missed you last night.” She pouted.
“Yeah?” I smirked. It was always nice to be missed. “What did you miss?”
“This.” She grabbed my cock through my jeans and squeezed.
“Solar? Church now!” Prez shouted as he peered out of the door.
“I thought you said they weren’t in there yet?” I growled at her, clamping onto her wrist tightly.
“I just wanted a minute alone with you,” she quietly said.
“Don’t ever make me late for church again!” I bit out, stormed around her and followed Prez into the meeting. “Sorry I’m late,” I mumbled as I took my usual seat at the back of the room.
Prez slammed the gavel down.
“Toes, what did you find out?”
“This,” he said as he handed us all a print out of missing children. “These kids have all gone missing over the last month.”
“Wait,” I interrupted him. “This is the street that Jasmine lives on.” I looked up at him and he nodded.
“Yeah, and the two girls are from the street next to hers and the other three boys from the one in the other direction.”
“So you’re saying these kids have all been kidnapped in the same two mile radius?” Holes asked.
“Yeah, someone had to know the area. Had to have been watching these kids and their houses,” Toes added.
“Did you find where this Martin bloke is?” Prez asked.
“Yeah, I got an address for him.” He slid the piece of paper over to the Prez. “Anything else?”
“No, sorry, Prez. I couldn’t find anything else on child kidnapping or trafficking. I hacked into the police files, all these kids are still on-going investigations.”
“You’d think they would pull out all the stops knowing that these kids were disappearing from the same area,” Tat added.
“Get ready to ride boys, we’re headed for London,” Prez announced. “Within the hour. Get Tyler to bring Jasmine here, she can stay here so all the prospects are with the bunnies and Old Ladies.”
I nodded my understanding and the Prez slammed down the gavel.
Chapter 4
Jasmine
“What do you mean pack a bag?” I asked Tyler as he came in and told me we needed to be at the clubhouse in thirty minutes.
“You need to stay with me and the other prospects at the clubhouse for a couple of days.”
“A couple of days!” I yelled. “Why? No, forget that. I’m not going.” I sat back down onto my soft brown sofa and looked over at the pile of toys in the corner of the room that hadn’t been touched for over a week. My chest ached and I felt sick when I thought that my son was in danger.
“Please, Jasmine,” he begged.
“N
o, tell Solar he can come and stay here if I need someone with me.” I didn’t want to leave. What if Nathan managed to escape and came home? I knew deep down that was a long shot but I couldn’t give up hope of finding him.
“The brothers are going away for a couple of days. I need you at the clubhouse so we can keep an eye on the bunnies and Old Ladies too.”
“Going away?” I asked, sitting forward. “Have they found out something? Do they know where Nate is?” Hope soared in my chest.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. All they told me was that I needed to bring you to the clubhouse now. Please?” he pleaded. I sat there quietly wondering what they could have found out, I needed to get there to find out. Then I remembered what Ashlyn told me, they won’t tell you what happens in that room and how they will get your son back.
“Look, I’ve tried being nice about this,” Tyler stated. “You can go and pack a bag or I can drag you from this house without taking anything with you.”
“You know what?” I began, standing up. “Get out of my house. I will not be spoken to that way. Forget your help, I’ll find another way.”
“Too late, sweetheart. A plan is already in place.” Tyler bent at the waist, pushed his shoulder into my stomach and the next thing I knew I was being hoisted into the air and thrown into his car. He locked his car as he rounded the bonnet before getting to his door. He unlocked it, climbed in and relocked it.
“What are you doing?” I screamed as I pulled at the door handle.
“I was given orders to get you to the clubhouse.” He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.
I sat quietly in his car while he drove the ten minute journey in just over five. He slowed his car down and wound down his window.
“Hey, man,” the prospect on the gate said. It was the same guy that I had met the day before when I came looking for help.
“Steve.” Tyler nodded. We sat there in silence waiting for the gate to open, and once there was enough space, Tyler pulled his car in and parked it by the clubhouse doors.
Once he unlocked the car, I pushed my door open and headed back for the gate.
“Jasmine!” Tyler yelled at me. “Where are you going?” he asked as he stepped in front of me and placed his hands on my upper arms.
“Home!” I yelled back in his face.
“I don’t think so.” He threw me onto his shoulder again and started walking. I pounded onto his back and kicked my legs.
“What the hell is going on?” I heard Solar bark and his strong arms grabbed my waist and pulled me off of Tyler’s shoulder. “You ok, flower?” he asked as he turned me around to face him. His hands were still on my waist and I couldn’t help but think that I liked his hands there, I liked him looking after me. I liked that he made me feel small and delicate; one of his hands could wrap around my whole upper arm and I loved that he was tall, my head only came to his chin.
“Sorry, Solar, man. She refused to come with me so…”
“So, you manhandled her?” he cut Tyler off. He looked down at me again. “Did he hurt you?” I shook my head and he exhaled a breath and relaxed slightly. “Where are your bags?”
“I didn’t get a chance to pack.” I didn’t want to get Tyler into trouble but he also shouldn’t have grabbed me the way that he did.
“Shit. Come with me.” He held out his hand for me and I slipped mine into it. We stepped through the clubhouse doors and started walking down the dimly lit hall when a voice behind us shouted.
“We leave in ten minutes.”
“No problem, Prez!” Solar shouted over his shoulder. There were lots of doors and a big staircase. “That’s the kitchen in there, the bunnies communal room is in there. Don’t go up the stairs unless invited that’s where the Prez lives with his wife and kids. These rooms are all occupied.” He motioned with his hand to the left side of the hall. All the doors were closed. We kept walking until we came to the last door on the right hand side. Solar slipped a key into the lock and pushed the door open, he motioned for me to go in first. The room was light and airy, there was a double bed that looked freshly made, along with a wardrobe that had clothes lined up neatly inside. Solar walked over to it and closed the door.
“Do you think you’ll be ok sleeping in here?”
“Whose room is this?” I asked, looking around.
“Mine.” I spun around to look at him. His? Why would I be staying in his room?
“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t stay in here.” I couldn’t help but let me gaze linger on his bed. Why did I want to be in that bed with him so much? What was he doing to me? I should be concentrating on finding my son, not having impure thoughts about the handsome man standing in front of me.
“It’s all clean. I haven’t stayed in here for several days.” Why did that statement disappoint me?
“Do you know where he is?” I asked as I sat on the edge of his bed and looked at my hands. I felt Solar move closer to me, I could smell him, that mix of leather and body spray had my heart racing. His large hands pushed my knees apart so he could kneel down in front of me. I couldn’t stop the small gasp that escaped between my lips.
“Flower?” I looked at him, his green eyes were darker than normal. Was he attracted to me? Did he want me like I wanted him? I couldn’t control my hand and before I knew it, I was feeling his soft beard and grasping the back of his neck. His hands tensed against my knees, like he was uncomfortable. My hand dropped from his neck and I scooted back on the bed and crossed my legs.
“Do you know where Nate is?” I asked again. How could I even be thinking about being with Solar when my baby boy was out there somewhere lost and alone? I was officially the worst mother ever.
“No, we could have a possible lead but I need to ask you something.” He rose to his feet and paced in front of me a couple of times. “You’re a school teacher, right?”
“Yeah, I teach at Whirlwood Primary school. I teach year four; seven year olds. Why?”
“Have you heard about any other missing children?” I shot off the bed to stand in front of him.
“No, have there been others? Is it the same person? How is someone getting away with this?”
“Flower, I can’t say.”
“Please, Solar,” I pleaded as I grabbed hold of his forearms to stop him moving away from me.
“Shit. I didn’t say this ok?” I nodded, eagerly awaiting the information. “A few more have gone missing in the same area that you live.”
“Oh no. It has to be the same person, right?”
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Solar, let’s ride!” someone shouted from the other side of the door.
“Don’t mention that to anyone. Stay inside the clubhouse. We should be back within a couple of days.”
“With Nate?” I asked, hope brewing inside my chest.
“I can’t promise anything, flower.” He sighed as he gripped the side of my neck and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “See you soon.”
“Wait, I don’t have any clothes or anything.”
“There’s shower gel, soap and stuff in the bathroom. New toothbrush and toothpaste in the cabinet. You can wear anything of mine.” He pointed towards the chest of drawers.
“I think it’ll all be a bit big.” He nodded, grabbed hold of my hand and we left the room.
“Here’s the key to my room. Lock it if it will make you feel safer.”
“Thank you.”
Once we rounded into the bar area, Solar looked like he was looking for someone. There was Ashlyn in the room and she had a small blonde girl with her, the guy wrapping his arms around her must be her husband, Iron, I think she called him. He had his arm in a cast. How was he going to ride a bike?
“Cam?” Solar called out. Another blonde woman looked up, she had a baby in her arms and she smiled at him. He nodded his head for her to come closer and she placed the baby in the VP’s arms and strutted over to us. “Cammie, this is Jasmine. Jasmine, Cammie is Holes’ Old Lady and that’s thei
r son Harley. Cam, can you look after her? Lend her some clothes until I can take her back to her place once we’re back? All you ladies are staying here, right?”
“Yeah, we’re under strict orders not to leave, especially as Jono is going with you. He’s driving with Iron.”
“Great. You going to be ok?” he asked, turning back to me. I nodded and he smiled as his hand trailed down my right arm and he squeezed my hand. “See you soon.” He waited for all the other guys to leave before he started following behind them.
“Solar.” The blonde that was behind the bar yesterday stopped him. Was her name Missy? He turned towards her and she threw her arms around his neck. “I’m going to miss you, come straight to my bed once you get back,” she said it loud enough for everyone to hear and looked straight at me with a smirk on her face. He pushed her back.
“I gotta go,” he grumbled before stepping around her and leaving. Were these two a couple? No, she was a bunnie. Solar had already told me about their part in the club life. Maybe they were a regular hook up? Why did that thought make me want to cry? I should be focused on one thing and one thing only, Nate.
Chapter 5
Solar
It had taken us over five hours to ride to south London, we had stopped twice to stretch our backs and rehydrate. Each time I checked my phone in case there was any update on Jasmine from Tyler; I hadn’t heard anything from him since I left.
“Let’s get this shit over with,” I grunted as we stopped at a petrol station to refuel.
“How far away are we from Martin’s place, Toes?” the Prez asked.
“Not far, about ten minutes down that road.” I looked over my shoulder to where he had pointed and it was full of rows and rows of houses and blocks of flats. It was dirty; rubbish lined the pavements, the sides of the buildings all had spray paint on them and weeds were growing everywhere.
“We ok to ride? I don’t fancy leaving my bike here,” I added.
“Yeah, this place is full of clubs, the noise of bikes won’t be unusual,” Toes said as he mounted his bike. We all followed suit and one by one we filed out of the petrol station.
Unexpected Love (South Coast Brothers Book 5) Page 3