“Hello,” the woman greets me, looking up from the papers when I stop before her desk. “How can I help you today?” The cheerful greeting only irritates me, but I know she’s only doing her job.
“The name’s Haught Ackerman.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Ackerman. Your wife said you’d be stopping by to sign the papers for her account.” My wife. It hits me in the gut and I can barely breathe. It hasn't been long, but it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve held her in my arms, told her how much I love her. The woman motions to the chair at my left but I refuse, knowing my presence was more intimidating with me standing over her.
“Papers?”
“Yes, for you to be added to all of her accounts.” She sifts through the paper tray on the corner of her desk until she finds the folder belonging to my little bird.
Opening the file, she takes a few papers and sets them in front of me. “I’ll just need you to sign here next to these colored flags,” she smiles as she points to each place I’m supposed to sign my name. Seeing everything my woman’s done to include me in her life makes her absence almost too painful to bear.
“Is there a problem?” she asks when I fail to move.
“Look, Janie,” I say, seeing her name on the nameplate on her desk. “Larken is missing. The last time she was seen was when she was here doing all of this,” I nod to the papers.
She frowns and glances at her watch.
“She was here a couple of hours ago. We finished up and she asked where the restroom was. Maybe she just had another errand to run.”
“No one saw her leave this building. Is there anything you can remember? Anything that might help me find her? Was there anything going on at that time other than the money delivery the bank had?”
Her scrunched-up face at the mention of the currency transfer gives me hope that she’s possibly thought of something new. “We didn’t get a delivery today,” she frowns.
What. The. Fuck.
“Are you sure about that? The friend that was waiting on her outside said they saw one leaving here,” I tell her, not wanting to mention that I had seen the truck myself on our surveillance feed.
“I’m positive” she shakes her head again and glances around the open room. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but this isn’t our day,” she says quietly to keep from being overheard. “Is she in some kind of trouble?” She looks me over, then takes a look at X by the door.
“Nothing I can’t handle. Thank you for your time, Janie.”
“I hope she’s alright. She seemed very nice.” Concern is written all over her face and she watches me turn to X and leave the building.
“Son of a bitch,” I shout when we’re outside by our bikes. Straddling my ride, I pull out my phone and call Roark.
“Speak.” Roark barks.
“The bank wasn’t scheduled for a money shipment today. Lark was taken. That has to be how they got her out,” I growl keeping eye contact with X who tenses at hearing the news. My eyes shift to Trick. His lazy ass allowed my woman to be taken.
On the other end of the phone, Roark is telling me how they will try to track the movements of the truck, see if they can get a visual of the plates. I barely hear him. My beast is clawing to be free so he can rip Trick limb from limb. I’m inclined to let him.
“Hack,” X’s voice breaks through the red haze in my brain, “this isn’t the time or place, brother. Killing Trick isn’t going to help you find her.”
I ignore him and Roark who is demanding I return to the club, baring my teeth as I charge at Trick.
“Why the fuck didn’t you go inside with her? I trusted you to take care of her!”
“It’s a fucking bank, Hack!” Trick yells, holding his hands up to try to keep me from ripping his yellow-bellied throat out. “They have an armed guard inside. She should have been safe!”
“Hack!” X yells, once again wedging himself between me and Trick. “We don’t need the cops breathing down our necks. Pull it together. Let’s head back to the club and see what Roark has found, if anything.”
I let X halt my advance on Trick but I can’t let his incompetence go without retribution.
“You and me, we ain’t finished. I need you to help me find her, but after that, consider this your warning. I’ll have your blood for this.”
Trick wisely holds silent as I stalk back to my bike.
Popping up the kickstand, I peel away from the bank without another word and recklessly speed my way to the clubhouse. I pray that Roark has answers for me when I get back. I’ll scour every inch of the earth to find my mate, my little bird, and God help anyone who stands in my way.
357
Hacker
“Fuck!” I leap off my bike almost before it stops moving, anxious to see what the boss may have found. I’m acutely aware of Trick coming in hot behind me but force myself to focus solely on reaching my office. Everyone gives me a wide berth as I stalk inside, no doubt sensing the rage emanating from my every pore. I’m sure word of what has happened has spread as I catch the scent of sympathy from a few of the old ladies as I pass by. I don’t want their fucking sympathy, I want
