Peer, pacing on the far side of the room, said, "Bantorus is still dealing stolen cars out of their Pitnam Chapter. Stealing their money out of the safe never slowed them down over the last six months."
"I'm scheduled to call the Slag Seattle Chapter tomorrow. I'll ask them what the money package looks like that is set to go to Norway. In the meantime, Brage can make the decision whether Marcus or Joel will take a crew up to Pitnam and check to see if any extra security has been put up around the place. As we all know, it would be good to line the crates on the next shipment to Norway." Roar steepled his hands. "Now, I need everyone to listen."
"Our insider has informed me the Feds started a new file on us after the member from Blue was found murdered close to the clubhouse." Roar lowered his hands and sat back in the chair. "While our hands are clean on that crime, we need to make sure we stay tight. Crew leaders, I want you to put one of your seasoned members with each prospect. Toughen them up and make sure they can handle any questions if they are approached by an outsider. Nobody rats us out and lives. Slag was built on loyalty, brotherhood, and respect for our heritage. We are one. Drill that into them and keep us safe."
"Slag," said Elling.
Glenn, Marcus, Aron, Joel, Rune, Viktor, Peer, and Brage said, "Slag."
Roar ended the meeting. Brage stood. When Elling called his name, he hung back while the others left the room.
Elling closed the door. "I wanted to update you on the search into Dinah's past."
"Did you find out anything?" Brage sat back down at the table near Roar, who stayed for the private meeting.
"Not enough." Elling sat between the two men. "I dug deeper into the rumor that her father was a Moroad member."
"What did you find out?" asked Brage.
"I found out there is a hell of a lot of Moroad Motorcycle Club members who've been killed in and out of prison over the last thirty years." Elling exhaled loudly. "The three years I concentrated on that could be around the time Dinah was taken by the Reed brothers, there were a total of eight lost men. Out of those members, three of them were married. That's not enough information because most of those guys don't go through the legal system to get a marriage certificate. Of those three, Moroad is still supporting the widows. We can either try and make contact with them and see if any of them had a daughter stolen, but I'm going off my gut instinct that if the crime against the club were bad enough they murdered one of their own and stole a child from her mother, the club wouldn't be handing out money out of the club's earnings to Dinah's mother."
"Agreed." Brage inhaled deeply, frustrated at the obstacles in their way. The urge to go see Dinah had him shifting in the chair. "Damned situation. I don't know what direction to go in without more information."
"Dinah hasn't volunteered anymore?" asked Roar.
"It's not about if she will or won't, she has no memory of another life with a different family. Just a dream that has always bothered her and never made sense until she came here and we learned about her birth certificate." Brage shrugged. "All she can do is hope the memories come back."
"She's trying too hard," said Elling.
Brage nodded. "It's stressing her out."
"I imagine," muttered Roar.
"I need to go see her." He stood. "Thanks for looking into everything."
"Not a problem, brother." Elling slapped his hand down on the table. "I need a drink."
Brage strode out of the room. He took the stairs two at a time. His inability to take away the pain or provide answers for her weighed heavily on him.
She deserved to know where she came from and the hope that her mother mourned her loss when Dinah was stolen. Like everyone, she wanted proof that someone, somewhere, loved her.
He opened the bedroom door. His heart pounded at the sight in front of him. Dinah sat on the side of the bed, her arms around her middle, and rocked as she cried.
Always strong, even when he'd put her in lockdown and kept her away from others, to see her hopeless and sad broke his heart.
She looked up. The pain in her eyes humbled him.
Before he could get to her, she jumped to her feet. He caught her, and she jerked away from his touch. Giving her space, he tried to wrap his head around what could've gone wrong in the two hours he was away from her at the meeting.
"Babe." He stepped in front of her. "What's wrong?"
"Everything." Her pain turned to anguish. "I need to go to Idaho."
"Why?"
"Because I don't have anything here." She clenched her teeth together and growled. "I've been wearing the same six outfits over and over. My mail slot is probably full back at the apartment. I can't even remember the last time I put gas in my Jeep—God, my Jeep. I love my Jeep. It was the first thing I ever bought myself, and it was used, but it was mine. Now, everything that's mine is gone. Just gone."
"Dinah, you can—"
"Don't tell me what I can do or can't do." She glared at him and finally muffled her scream of frustration, pushing past him and walking out of the room.
He followed her out the door and watched her hurry down the stairs. Perplexed about what was behind her tirade, he jogged after her.
She made it outside before
