by Wilder, L.
“You’re right. I’m just so scared.” Trying my best to collect myself, I inhaled a deep breath and wiped the tears from my eyes. “My daughter means everything to me.”
“I get that and if there’s something I can do, I will … but first, I need you to tell me everything you know about what happened to her.”
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Let’s just start with her name … and maybe a picture.”
I pulled out my phone, and after I found a recent picture, I handed it over to him. “Her name is Harper. She’ll be three years old this Christmas.”
A strange look crossed his face as he studied the photograph. After several long moments, he handed my phone back to me and asked, “Where was the last place you saw her?”
“I dropped her off at Bowties and Butterflies, um … her daycare, Monday morning on my way to work,” I stammered nervously. “Ah … That was around eight in the morning. I got a call about two o’clock saying that she was missing.”
“And where is this daycare?”
“It’s just a few miles from our house in Hillsboro Village.”
“They got any idea what happened?”
“No, not really. They think she squeezed through a broken part of the fence and wandered off, but Harper would never go off on her own. I tried explaining that to them, but no one would listen to me. They sent out search parties, sent out an Amber Alert, but there’s been no sign of her anywhere.”
“Have you or your husband gotten any notes or phone calls about a ransom?”
“Ex-husband, and no. At least, I haven’t. I have no idea about David.” Just the thought of him made my stomach turn. Remembering our last conversation, I told Gus, “My ex-husband has been putting on a good front, talking to the media and pretending to be distraught over his daughter’s disappearance, but honestly, I think it’s just for show.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because I know David. He’d just as soon tell a lie than tell the truth, and he’s pretty damn good at it too. That’s why he’s always made such a great politician,” I grumbled as I thought about the countless lies he’d told me when we were together, including the times he said he was working late but was actually having an affair with his assistant.
Gus leaned forward as he asked, “Wait … David James, as in David James the mayor of Nashville? That’s your ex-husband?”
“That would be him.”
“Damn.” He pondered a moment, then asked, “He’s a good bit older than you, right?”
“Yes. Seventeen years older to be exact.”
I was twenty-one and naive when I started working as an intern on David’s campaign. I’d thought his plans to renovate areas of downtown and improve our city’s educational programs were incredible. I also thought he was extremely handsome and was excited to be working on his team. I’d only been working there a few weeks when I caught his eye. We started dating, fell in love, and after a few months, I found out I was pregnant. David wasn’t happy about the news. In fact, he wasn’t happy at all. Thinking the scandal might affect his campaign, he asked me to marry him. When he won the election, I thought he would be happy, but six months after Harper was born, I caught him in our bed with his office assistant.
We had an awful fight, and he finally told me the truth about why he’d gotten involved with me—my family. Even though he’d died years earlier, my grandfather had served as governor in Tennessee for eight years, and my father, Denis Rayburn, was his lawyer and became his right-hand man. Together, they’d made connections that would last a lifetime, and David hoped he’d could use those connections to further his career. I was heartbroken to hear how he’d used me and I left him. Once the dust settled, he tried to take back what he’d said, but the damage was done. I filed for divorce and never looked back. “It took some time, but I’ve learned all his tells. I know when he is lying or keeping something from me, and this time is no different. He’s definitely hiding something. It’s written all over his face.”
“You think he’s the one who took her?”
“No, but I think he might know who did.” I thought back to the afternoon when I’d rushed into David’s office to tell him that Harper was missing. He didn’t even freak out. In fact, he didn’t react at all. It was like he already knew she was missing. “Maybe I’m wrong … God, I hope I am, but something in my gut tells me that something bad is going on with him. It’s a feeling I’ve had for a while now, even before Harper came up missing. I tried telling the detective that I thought something was up with David, but he refused to listen.”
“So, they didn’t find any reason to believe that he was involved?”
“I’m not sure what they’re thinking.” I shrugged. “Even if they believed David was guilty, there’s not much they would or could do about it. I guess you could say that’s one of the perks of being mayor. He has too many people in his pocket. No one’s gonna take the chance of going against him … not without taking a huge risk.”
Gus reached into his front pocket and brought out his pack of cigarettes. After he lit one, he took a long drag, then looked over to me and said, “You know, this isn’t a lot to go on, August, and Nashville isn’t exactly close. We’re talking three and half hours away here.”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but I have nowhere else to turn.”
“I’ll make some calls, but I can’t promise anything.”
Feeling relieved, I reached out and placed my hand on his. “Thank you, Gus. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s gonna take some time … I’ll have one of the boys show you to a room. You can wait there until I find out something.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to go to any trouble. I can go to a hotel.”
“Not any trouble.” When he noticed my startled expression, he explained, “Besides, if something comes up, you’ll need to be where I can get to you.”
“Okay.”
He motioned his hand over to one of the men at the bar and lifted his chin. “Gunner. Take her down to one of the empty rooms and help her get settled.”
To my surprise, the man I’d met at the convenience store nodded, then stood up and started in our direction. Gus took another long drag off his cigarette, then smashed what remained into the ashtray. When Gunner made it over to us, Gus stood up from the table and asked, “Your mother … She live in Nashville too?”
“Yeah. She’s still in the same house where I grew up. It’s about twenty minutes from me.”
“Has she been doing okay?”
“I guess. For the most part anyway … She’s worried sick about Harper, but she’s holding it together.”
He nodded, then his eyes dropped to the ground. He stood there silent for a moment. I had no idea what was going through his mind, but I could tell from his expression that something was troubling him. Finally, he lifted his head but didn’t look at me as he asked, “Is she happy?”
There was something in his voice, regret or sorrow, that made his simple question seem like there was something more—something I wish I understood. It might’ve actually explained those nights when my mother cried herself to sleep or would sit for hours just staring off in space, but only she could answer that.
“When I was a kid, I thought she was happy … but now, looking back, I’m not so sure. She’s had to face some hard times, more than her fair share, but she always tried to focus on the positive side of things and encouraged me to do the same.”
“Yeah, I remember that about her.” He started to walk away, but suddenly stopped and turned back to me. “Hey … You ever wonder where you got the name August?”
Another odd question.
“It’s not exactly a common name, is it?” I shrugged. “I just figured Mom was trying to come up with something unique … I figured it was the month she got pregnant with me or something like that?”
“Yeah, I guess that could be a possibility.”
With that, he turned and left, leavi
ng me more confused than ever. Once he was gone, his biker friend motioned me forward. “Come on. I’ll get you to your room.”
As we headed down the long, narrow hall, I expected him to say something about our previous encounter, but he didn’t say a word. He wouldn’t even look at me. I was already unnerved, and his silence wasn’t helping matters. I was trying to think of something I might be able to say to him, something that might help smooth things over, when he stopped in front of a door. He opened it and waited as I stepped inside. To my surprise, the room looked like your typical hotel room. There was a full-sized bed with a desk in the corner and a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. It even had its own bathroom with a shower. His tone was short as he pointed to the bedside table and said, “There’s a remote to the TV in the drawer, and I’ll have one of the girls bring you a bite to eat.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.” I gave him a half-smile, wishing he’d go back to behaving like the playful guy I’d met at the convenience store, but his expression didn’t change—not even a little. “I couldn’t eat right now even if I wanted to.”
“Okay.” He took a piece of paper and pen off the table and started writing. Once he was done, he handed the paper to me. “You need anything, just call or text this number.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Before I could say anything else, he walked out of the room and closed the door. As I sat down on the bed, my mind drifted back to the moment I entered the clubhouse and how scared I was. It was like I’d entered a different world—a world filled with secrets and danger. I found myself wondering if my mother had felt the same way when she’d first come to the clubhouse all those years ago. I was even more curious about her relationship with Gus. Hoping to find some answers, I reached into my purse and took out my phone. I dialed my mom’s number and as soon as she answered, she asked, “Did you find the clubhouse?”
“Yeah, I’m here now.”
“Did you talk to Gus? Is he going to help you find Harper?” she asked frantically.
“He’s going to try.”
“Oh, thank god,” she replied, sounding relieved. “Did you tell him about the daycare and—”
“I told him everything, Mom.”
“Good. Then, he’ll find her.”
“You really think so?” My throat started to tighten. “’Cause I’m not going to be able to survive it if something happens to Harper.”
“We’re going to find her, sweetheart, and I really do think Gus will help us get some answers. That’s more than anyone has been able to do.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was keeping things from me, so I asked, “What’s the deal with you and this Gus guy?”
“I’ve already told you. He’s an old friend of mine.”
“I know that’s what you told me, Mom, but I’ve got a feeling there’s a lot you aren’t telling me about him … and his club.” Thinking about how prim and proper she’d always been with her little pant suits and refined etiquette, I told her, “I wouldn’t think that these are the kind of people you would’ve run around with … at least not with Gran around.”
“I met Gus when I was still living in Memphis. He helped me when some guy tried to steal my purse. We spent some time together, but that ended when I accepted a job in Nashville. I started seeing your father shortly after, so I lost ties with Gus. Simple as that,” she answered nonchalantly.
“So, you guys dated?”
“Yes.” She exhaled a deep breath before saying, “It’s hard to explain, sweetheart. Just remember … you can’t always judge a book by its cover.”
“Maybe not, but some things are hard to overlook.”
“It’s not as hard as you might think.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “By the way, how is he?”
“Gus?” I thought for a moment, then replied, “Umm … fine, I guess. He kind of freaked out when I told him I was your daughter.”
“Did he seem angry?”
“It’s hard to say what he was feeling. He stormed out of the clubhouse for a few minutes, but when he came back, he seemed okay. That’s when I told him all about Harper. After I finished telling him everything, he asked about you.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. He wanted to know how you were doing and if you were happy.”
“Oh. That kind of surprises me.”
“Why wouldn’t he, especially if you two dated?”
“It’s complicated.” I could tell she was ready to change the subject when she asked, “Have you heard anything from David or the police?”
“I got a call from Detective Haralson earlier, but I wasn’t able to take it.” I looked down at my watch and was surprised to see that it was after ten. “I should call him back.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“You know I will.”
When I ended the call with my mother, I had every intention of dialing Detective Haralson’s number, but instead, I opened my pictures on my phone. I started scrolling through all the different photographs of Harper, and my heart literally ached with grief. I missed her terribly. I’d never been away from her this long, and it was killing me. I thought back to the day I found out I was pregnant. At first, I was nervous, but that changed when I started to feel her growing inside me. Early on, I knew that she was going to be special. I could just feel it, and when she was born and I held her in my arms for the first time, she took my breath away. I’d never seen a more beautiful creature. She was so absolutely precious with dark, soulful eyes, full rosy cheeks, and tiny fingers and toes. As she grew older, her little personality started to blossom, and anyone could see that she was kind and so very smart. I’ve always been so proud that she was mine and that I was her mother—and as her mother, I would do whatever it took to protect her—even if that meant putting my own life in danger to do it.
CHAPTER 3
Gunner
When I got back to the bar, I was relieved to see that the guys were still sitting at the counter. They were talking amongst themselves, and from the looks on their faces, they still had no idea what was going on. As I sat back down next to Blaze, I asked, “Where is he?”
“The last I saw, he was headed to his office,” Riggs answered.
“He didn’t say anything to any of you?”
“Nope. Not a word.”
Concern crossed Blaze’s face as he asked, “Did you see the look on Gus’s face when she said her mother’s name?”
“Yeah. It was hard to miss.”
“So, it’s not just me?” Blaze had always been good at reading people, especially his brothers. Whenever something was going on, he was one of the first to pick up on it. This time was no different. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he looked over at us. “You guys think there’s more going on with this chick than just her missing daughter?”
“Definitely. Just not sure what,” Murphy answered.
“You boys can stop trying to figure it out,” Moose told us as he walked into the bar. He was the club’s VP and knew Gus better than anyone. Moose was there when he started the Memphis chapter and has stood by him ever since, making him one of Gus’s closest friends. “Gus will talk to you when he gets good and ready. Until then, this conversation ends here.”
“Understood. We wanted to make sure everything was okay with him.”
“Everything will be fine as soon as we find August’s daughter.” He walked over to Riggs and said, “I’m gonna need you to find out everything you can on David James, and not just the basic stuff. If he’s dealing with any under-the-table bullshit, I want to know about it.”
Riggs was our club’s computer hacker, and he was amazing at his job. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do on that fucking computer, including gathering intel on folks that no one else could find. He stood up to leave and told Moose, “I’ll see what I can dig up.”
Once he was gone, Moose looked over to me and
said, “Gus wants you keeping an eye on August.”
“Whatever he needs me to do.”
“Just make sure she isn’t left alone. If you aren’t around, have a prospect on her.”
“He thinks she’s in danger too?”
“No way to know for sure. This thing with the kid could be a random kidnapping or it could be something more. We just don’t know yet. Until we do, Gus doesn’t want to take any chances. All of you need to stay alert. You see anything out the norm, you be sure to let Gus know about it.”
Before he walked out, T-Bone asked, “What about the run?”
“We’re still on for the morning. We’ll have to make some changes, but it’s too important to postpone.” He shook his head as he headed out of the bar. “Timing isn’t on our side, but we’ll just have to make the best of it.”
Everyone had things that needed to be done so we all left the bar, and without saying a word, went our separate ways. Following Gus’s orders, I started down the hall towards August’s room. I’d almost made it to her door when Rider called out to me. “Yo, Gunner.”
“Yeah?”
“Gus wants to see you in his office.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
I figured I still needed to check in on August, so I knocked on her door. When she answered, I could tell she’d been crying, and it tugged at me in a way I didn’t expect. I wanted to console her in some way, but there was little I could do. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was still sniffling as she asked, “Did he find out anything?”
“Not yet. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” She looked at me—not with a quick glance, but really looked at me. Sadly, her eyes were masked with heartache and pain, making it impossible to know exactly what was going through her mind. “Do you need anything?”
“No.” She shook her head as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. “I’m okay.”
“I need you to stay put. No going outside or even down the hall without me at your side.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”