I park my car outside of Harker’s house. I knock on the door several times and hear rustling from inside.
Harker opens the door and looks at me as if I’m a policeman with a search warrant.
“Mr. Jamison, morning,” I say nonchalantly. “You’re home. I was hoping to talk to your son, Bryce.”
Harker looks at me strangely. “I didn’t know you knew Bryce.”
“Not very well, but Elle does. I am sure you saw the emergency text this morning. That is why I’m here. My father sent me.”
“Your father,” he repeats with ice in his words.
“Can I come in?” I say, pushing against him into his home. I notice some things have been trashed around the house. I also could not miss the large bruise on the top of Harker’s head and scratches on the side of his face. “What happened here?” Before Harker can answer, I beat him to it. “We installed a tracking device on Elle’s phone that lead me here. I know she’s here.”
“She isn’t!”
I take out my cell phone. “I don’t want to do this. You’re a good member, you really are. You’re just really full of shit today, aren’t you?”
“Don’t call Cain! Please!” To see a large muscular man like Harker Jamison beg for me not to call my father is off putting. Some blood is trickling down his forehead. I spot a dish towel on the floor and throw it at him and point to my forehead.
“Then make this exchange easier for me. Bring Elle to me, now!”
“She’s not here,” Bryce says from the foot of the stairs. “I mean she was, but she left.”
I nod my head at him and look back at Harker. “You didn’t keep her here? You did not call anybody? Why?” Harker doesn’t answer. “Well, where did she go at least?”
“I don’t know,” Harker says. “I wasn’t able to go after her.” His father looks towards Bryce with rageful eyes.
I point a firm finger at Harker. “You need to stay here. If she comes back, do not call anybody but me. Do you understand?”
Harker looks at me confused. “Lance, the message this morning strictly said to call a ranking member, and you’re not one. Rule number—”
I cut him off. “How many rules did you fuck up today? How many rules? Never mind, you will probably answer that rhetorical question. The answer though is the amount of fines I could put on you are heavy! You might even be eligible for a lashing or two. Make your life easy by helping me. Now, I need to talk to your son, alone.”
Harker nods his head and leaves the room without another word.
I can see Bryce shivering like it’s cold outside. “Bryce, I know you don’t know me well, and what you have probably heard about me isn’t nice. Elle is in danger though. You know what I’m a part of, what your father is part of, right?” Bryce nods. “Elle is especially important to The Beasts. They intend to kill her.”
“Why?” Bryce say, not understanding the limited time I have to find her.
“I can’t tell you everything right now. Time is everything. If the wrong person finds her, she’s dead.”
“You’re not going to hurt her?”
“You know where she went, don’t you?
Bryce shrugs his shoulders.
I walk up closer to him and take my cell phone out of my pocket. I dial a number and give Bryce the phone. He looks at me strangely and puts it to his ear.
“Hello?” Bryce asks. When Danna answers the phone and speaks to him, his whole face lights up. I wave him to give me back the phone. “Okay. Look, Lance needs the phone. Love you too. I’ll talk to you soon.” Bryce’s smile widens as he gives me the phone back. “Okay I believe you. I tried to run after Elle with her travel bag when she ran out, but all I saw was her getting into a grey sports car. I figured she may have waved someone down that was driving by.”
I ask Bryce a few more questions about what the sports car looked like until I know for sure it is Chase Aldridge Elle is with.
“I have to go. Thanks, Bryce.” I turn and leave before he can say another word. I almost run towards my car outside.
She is with Chase Aldridge!
What the fuck what she thinking?
I turn on the ignition and shift my gear to drive. I let out a deep breath with the thought that she could already be dead.
Chapter 6
Elle
Chase drives up to his large home, and I look at him unimpressed.
He sighs. “Nobody is home. Do you really want to be on the run from people like The Beasts with no shoes, wearing that hideous teddy bear sweater? Once Jaxson did not come home, I feared the worst for you, and him. I made a bag for you and waited at one of the only places I knew you might show up, your friend’s home. I have some clothes ready, and twenty thousand in cash. Do you think that’s enough for where you will need to go?”
“I have no clue. How long were you outside Bryce’s home?” I ask.
“At least five hours. I just had a feeling you would show up. I was hoping you would call me.” Chase brandishes a smile at me playfully. “I know you don’t trust me. I get it. Let’s just get what you need, and you can start running again. Can I ask where you plan on going?”
I wave my head. I did not even know the answer completely. I thought about going to Candice’s home. Hopefully, she had saved up every penny from working the streets like she said she would. Twenty K from Chase would easily help us go anywhere in the country. We could start somewhere fresh. Change our names.
Part of me worried that I would be bringing my friend into something dangerous.
I
