“He in touch with anyone?” asks Pal. “Could he have thought he was doing something for the club? What exactly did he tell his old lady?”
Beef responds, his voice dry, “Only that it was club business.”
Pal nods. “So maybe it was. Or, he thought it was.”
Or, I think to myself, it was a sure-fire way to stop her from asking questions.
“What else we got, Brothers?”
I waggle my hand causing Demon to focus his eyes on me. “The night of your patch over party, Beef, Mel thought he’d placed a call. Turns out he hadn’t, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t got someone he could hole up with. He may simply have gone to get a break from his ol’ lady, get his head on straight without her nagging in his ear.” I frown. Can’t see Mel’s a nagger, but hey, what do I know what she’s like at home? "What about whoever he ran to when he spent that month away from the club? He ever tell anyone where he went?”
All I get back are shakes of heads.
“Don’t know and never asked.” Mace sums up our response.
“He might not have made a call that night. Did he make one later?”
Cad nods at Ink. “Like all of us, he made a few. I’m going through his phone record checking for any out of state numbers, or ones I don’t recognise. Haven’t found anything suspicious as yet.” He breaks off, and glances at the head of the table. Leaning forward, he clasps his hands and informs us in an even voice, “Before you ask, first thing I did was check. Skull has made or received no calls from his club phone since the morning he parted company with his old lady. Well, since the night before to be precise. The last one was to you, Pal, Saturday evening.”
Pal’s brow creases. “He asked me if I needed him Monday, and I said we,” he nods at Cad, “had it sorted.”
I widen my eyes. “Sound like he thought he’d be back by the next day if that was all he mentioned.”
“Can you trace his phone?” Thunder asks, his jaw tight.
Cad throws him a look that screams what the fuck do you think I’ve been doing? but his reply is polite. “Nah. Not in itself a worry. Could be it’s run out of battery, or he’s turned the phone or just the Wi-Fi off, or hell, the sim card might have gotten damaged.”
Beef and Demon exchange glances.
“He had words with Melissa, you say?” Bomber asks. When Demon nods, he continues, “Then I say that it’s likely he wanted a break. Sometimes it’s best to just head out on a long run, we all know that. Could have turned off his phone as he didn’t want to hear from her.”
Buzzard, our treasurer, who’s married to Sindy, nods in agreement. “Saying ‘club business’ means nothing if he wanted to clear his head. This argument his ol’ lady dismissed as nothing and resolved, might be anything but to Skull. That he headed off and wanted no distractions could make sense. The fact that he hasn’t come back could mean he’s met an accident and can’t.”
I wonder whether Buzz has a point. Demon’s quite rightly kept Mel and Skull’s personal details private, but I know the truth. It’s possible Skull could have made a baby. That’s sufficient to make some men run, or at least, take a moment to get his head on straight and decide how he feels about it. As the treasurer said, their argument, as Demon had put it, is far from reaching a conclusion. Not until Mel takes that test. I begin leaning toward the explanation that Skull’s not returned through no fault of his own.
“Okay,” starts Demon, “we’re coming up with options. One, he wanted space from his old lady. He’s either taking longer about it than he first thought, or has had an accident and can’t get back, or maybe he’s been arrested. The other, he’s been lured away and is being held, or has been killed, by unknown enemies of the club.”
“There’s a third option, Prez.” Beef’s eyes meet Demon’s. They seem to have a silent conversation.
Demon growls. “Don’t want to go there, Brother. Man’s proved himself.”
“Or,” contradicts his VP, “he was just waiting. Biding his time, getting something set up.”
“You’re talking about him betraying the club because of how we treated him?” Mace’s eyes open wide. “Hell of an accusation there, VP.”
Beef shrugs. “Wasn’t here then, only heard what happened. He went through hell and back.”
“And was patched in for it,” Hellfire reminds him. Well, being prez at the time, it had been down to him.
Beef’s not going to give up, and in my view, he’s right. It’s an explanation which needs some exploring and not dismissed out of hand. “He might have needed time to set something up. Then he fucked off when he knew it was going to go down.”
“He’s been gone four days,” Hellfire states. “You weren’t here, Beef. I was. I concurred that Skull bore us no ill will for what we had done. Yeah, sure I may have been mistaken, but it’s the least likely explanation that I’ve heard.”
“We’ll probably find he fucked off, then found someone to shack up with instead of his ol’ lady,” Lizard grumbles. “All this fuckin’ worry for nothing.”
“If that’s the case,” Demon’s eyes gleam with that unnatural flare that led to him getting his handle, “he’s due a beatdown worse than he had before.”
Murmurs of agreement go around. I nod my head. I’d make my punch count just for the worry he’s causing his old lady.
Demon’s pinching the bridge of his nose, a sign he’s thinking. I’d hate to sit in his chair. Something blows up? Everyone looks to the prez for an answer. I think everyone’s conscious of the weight on his shoulders and gives him the space to come up with his views. Or we’re silent because, none of the rest of us have any ideas.
Cad’s staring at his tablet in front of him. “Six pm,” he suddenly announces.
Time church is scheduled. We all look at the door expectantly, but it doesn’t open. I glance at Ink and raise my eyebrow. He shakes his head back. Other brothers around the table are making similar gestures.
“Fuck,” breathes out Hell.
“Okay,” Demon says after one more moment. “That’s our confirmation. Cad, widen your search, perhaps get Mouse, Token and Keys on it to help.” He lists the computer experts in the other chapters. “What are we thinking, a two-hundred-mile radius?”
“Make it three,” suggests Beef. “Does he have any contact with the other chapters?”
“Not that I know,” Pal states. “We did talk about him going to Vegas to look at the way they run their security business, but he hasn’t been yet.”
“Okay. We’ll focus on the hospitals and police reports looking for accidents or arrests. Three hundred miles in any direction.” He waits for Cad’s nod. “Next, though I think it unlikely, I’ll talk to the Silvestris. Beef, this would be a good chance for you to meet them. We’ll also talk to RIP, see if he knows anyone who’s gunning for us.”
Again, I raise and dip my chin along with my brothers. Yeah, the prez of the local Wretched Soulz might have heard something.
Demon hasn’t finished. “Lastly, we go on lockdown.”
“What?”
“The fuck? Prez?”
“Hell no.”
Demon’s hand slams down on the table. “Hear me out.” He waits for silence. “We’ve got a brother missing. Could be nothing at all, in which case I’ll tear him apart myself as soon as he shows his face. Could be accidentally dead or injured. Could be deliberate. Could have been captured or lured away. Not risking anyone else and not risking any of our women or my kid being taken. Until we know what’s happened to Skull, I want everyone, and I mean everyone, Hellfire, here.” He has an extra glare for his father. Moira, his mother, hates being at the compound.
As I’ve had the thought which no one else seems to have, I suppose it’s down to me to suggest it. “I know this is unthinkable, Prez, but your reaction, quite sensibly, is a lockdown. No,” I say hurriedly holding up my hand, “not protesting or saying that’s wrong, but it’s the predictable response. Skull’s been missing four days, so why hasn’t something hit us
sooner?”
“Because they were waiting for everyone to be called in,” breathes Beef catching onto my meaning fast, “and then launch an attack.”
“Yes,” but I haven’t finished, “or something’s already here on the compound.”
“Explosives?” Lizard suggests.
I nod at him. “It’s the way I’d do it, yes.”
Demon doesn’t waste a second. “First off, we search the fuckin’ clubhouse. Top to fuckin’ bottom. Ro, need your expertise. If you were Skull, if you knew every inch of the compound, where would you hide that shit?”
I rapidly work to get my mind in gear. “Fuck, Prez. Depends if we’re looking at a man who hid something in a hurry, or whether this has been planned for some time.” My hands massage my forehead. “He’s been gone a few days, if it was the former, what was hidden could already have been found. I’d go for long-term planning, so could be fuckin’ anywhere we wouldn’t normally stumble across. Loose floorboard? We’d better check under it. Backs of cupboards, anywhere he could have hidden shit.”
Demon stares, then nods. “You heard Pyro. We fuckin’ tear everywhere apart. Then, when we know it’s clear, or,” a glance of pain goes over his eyes as he knows, in that case he’d have to admit we’d all been betrayed, “we’ve cleared it, we go on lockdown.”
Serious looking men start getting to their feet. When Liz and Ink hang back, the others take their cue from them, and suddenly, everyone’s looking at me.
“Where first, Ro?” Bomber throws out.
I roll my head back, close my eyes, and visualise the compound. “It would either have to be in the clubhouse, or in one of the outbuildings close enough to cause damage. We’ll start in the basement and work our way up.”
“The businesses?”
“Yeah.” I seem to have been put in charge of the search, but hey, I know fire and its behaviour. “Liz, get the tattoo parlour checked out.” We’ve just opened a new one. Fucking bad time if that was taken out. “Rusty, check the bowling alley.” Christ, we have families and kids going there.
“I’ll take Tits Up,” Mace offers, as we’ve yet to put in a permanent manager.
“Sparky,” I ask, “can you check the auto-shop?”
“I’m with you,” Bomber offers.
“Me too,” says Ink.
“We…” Pal nods at Wills and Judge, the newly made up members, “we’ll check the furnace.”
“Everyone else fan out. Every inch, every bike, every fuckin’ car, needs checking. We’ll each do our rooms and I mean look in the closets, under beds, any loose floorboards. Oh, and Cad, do a sweep…”
“Did one earlier, Pyro. We’re clean.”
“Thank fuck for that.” Demon sighs loudly. “Meet back here in an hour or call Pyro if you find something.”
I nod but close my eyes briefly. I’m known for starting fires, putting them out, and am the closest thing the club’s got to a bomb disposal expert. I sincerely hope no one finds anything.
Men disperse. As I go out into the clubroom, I see them all rushing past Mel who’s standing with her mouth open. Brushing a hand over my face, I know she’s here for an explanation, what I don’t want to do is tell her the situation could have gotten a whole lot worse. Demon’s worried about a fuck load more than just her, but who else is going to take a moment to talk to her?
Obviously, no one. I approach her. “I thought you went home.”
Her face turns slightly. There’s no way she can miss the clubhouse has suddenly become a hive of activity. “I came back. I couldn’t settle. What’s going on, Pyro? I heard you coming out—have you any news? Where’s everyone going?”
Her questions are valid as she can hear a number of bikes starting.
“Whoa, darlin’. No, no news. We’re just checking some shit out.” I eye her, she looks tired. And in her possible condition, with the worry, it’s understandable. “Look, Mel, why don’t you go back home? You can’t do anything here. I promise, as soon as we know anything, I’ll come update you. We may know more in another couple of hours.” Or, so I hope.
“Home feels so empty. If I’m here and you get news…”
She’ll be safer at home if I end up having to play with explosives. “Nah, Mel. As you said, Skull will expect to find you there. You go home and see if there’s been any sign of him. If he comes back, tell him to get in touch with us at once.”
A little frown plays at her lips. Christ, I hope she’s not going to argue. I want to get on with what I need to do.
She’ll need to come in on lockdown once the place has been cleared. Will need someone to encourage her, and that can’t be left to a prospect. Might as well be me as anyone else, she seems to trust me. And, as so far, Demon, Beef and I have kept her secret, doesn’t seem any point bringing anyone else into it right now. Women like to keep that sort of shit under wraps, at least until it’s confirmed.
“Look, Mel. I’ll come around to your house later, make sure you’re updated, okay?”
“You promise? Any news or not?”
“Yeah, I promise, Mel. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can’t say what time it will be, but I promise I’ll come.” Unless I’m blown into smithereens before then, but that I keep to myself.
I didn’t realise Demon’s come up behind me. “Scat, Melissa. You’re more use to Skull at home for the moment. Pyro will come see you later. I guarantee that.”
She glances at Demon, must see by his set expression she won’t be able to budge him from his instruction, then gives me a look. I respond with a sharp nod. At last, she collects her purse and leaves.
“Now what?” Demon asks, his eyebrow raised.
“Now we start tearing this fuckin’ place apart.”
There are three false alarms. Twice my heart is in my mouth as I’m faced with unfamiliar objects, and a third not so strange, though why a prospect would think a butt plug could conceal an explosive I’ve no idea, but I check them all out. I even have to race to the bowling alley to investigate some piping. But, thank fuck, at the end of it all, we’re as certain as we can be that there’s no explosive hidden on the compound.
One by one brothers report in that apart from the items I’ve already examined, they’ve found nothing suspicious.
I’m tired, mentally drained. It’s not fun staring death in the face as I examine something that could be booby trapped or have a hair-trigger on it. So, at the end, when Demon reminds me of my promise to go see Mel, I wish I hadn’t rashly taken that on myself.
Around us men and women are coming in carrying bags. Some looking happy, some resigned, and some complaining.
Demon watches them for a moment. Then, to me, instructs, “Bring her in, Ro.”
“Tonight?”
He thinks for a moment. “Either that or stay over at her place and bring her in in the morning. I’d send someone else, but…”
“But I know she could be pregnant so will handle her with kid gloves.”
“Exactly.”
Chapter Twelve
Melissa
Something was up. Something they didn’t want me to know about. Do they have any idea why Skull disappeared?
If they do, they’re doing better than I.
My period should have arrived yesterday, it didn’t. I’ve had no tell-tale cramps, cravings or water retention that I’ve come to expect in the days before I’m due. On the way to work today, I headed down to the pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test. I’d wanted to use it with Skull beside me. If we were starting out on this new journey, I wanted it to be together. As I’m normally regular as clockwork, I’m starting to think that test will be redundant, just confirmation of something deep down inside I already know.
I’m pregnant.
Or, maybe I’m not? Maybe not knowing where Skull could have gone has mucked up my cycle. But it was only today I’d started to worry, and even then, had been more annoyed at his club for keeping him away when I’d expected him home. It was only when I found out they knew nothing about his
disappearance that I became distressed.
Where is he?
I love him. I’d know deep down inside if he was dead, wouldn’t I? My own heart would stop beating.
His club doesn’t know where he is. Could he have lied? Could he have shut me up with those words, club business, knowing it was the one thing he could have said which would stop further questions?
The test on the counter taunts me. Should I find out for certain? If I’m not, that would be one less worry on my mind. Conversely, a positive result could be a comfort, if Skull has really gone, he may have left part of himself behind.
He can’t be dead. But what other explanation is there for him staying away from me, and from his club?
I stuff my hand into my mouth and bite down hard with my teeth in an effort not to cry. Even if it’s just me, I’ve got to be strong. Can’t break down.
My phone rings. I pick it up fast. It’s Beth.
“Hey, Melissa. You okay? Why did you need the afternoon off? I told them you’d been sick.”
I could tell Beth. She’s my friend, she’d be around like a shot to comfort me.
But what could I tell her? My man, my biker, the person I expected to spend the rest of my life with has done exactly what had held me back at the start. He’s gotten fed up with an overweight, older woman, found a newer model, and had moved out.
Okay, so that’s just supposition. Is it easier to think I’ve been abandoned than to imagine Skull losing his life? Neither thought brings any relief.
In the end, I tell her nothing. “Beth, it’s actually the truth. I was sick, didn’t explain earlier as I couldn’t stay out of the bathroom long enough.”
“Oh, Melissa. Do you need anything? Shall I come around? Is it something you’ve eaten?”
“No, and no, Beth. I think I’ve caught a tummy bug or something. Don’t want you to catch it. But can you tell them at work? I don’t think I’ll be in tomorrow, and maybe not Friday.” But I hope to be. I hope I’ll get news, an explanation. Or, best of all, see Skull walking through the doorway. “I’ve got to go, Beth. Nature’s calling… again.”
Satan’s Devils MC -Colorado Box Set: Books 4-6 Page 10