Cain immediately took up the camera. “If you’re not ready for this, Suzie, I’ll come get you.”
“No! It’s not that! I love the work. The more I do, the more the professors put on me. I think they like that I follow through. I’m actually doing more math-related classes than astronautics.” She smiled brightly. “But math makes the world go ‘round.”
Angel giggled. “It certainly does, baby.” There was a small pause as Angel glanced up at Cain. Her dad was about to say something, but Angel interrupted him. “So, you wanting to come home for Fall Break?” The question was asked casually, but Suzie could tell her mother wanted her to come home. Suzie did, too.
“No. I have a lot of work to do. I just wanted to touch base with everyone. How’s Cliff and Daniel?” It was a deflection. She could tell Cain saw it, but Angel just wiped her eyes once and plowed on.
“They’re good. Both are coming home next weekend and starting their training with Cain, Bohannon, and Sword.” Angel beamed, obviously proud of the boys, but mostly just glad they were coming home.
“They do well enough, I’ll hire them at ExFil.” Cain looked even more proud than Angel.
“What about Hannah and Gunnar? They managed a takeover yet?” Suzie was still deflecting, but, like everyone else in the club, she loved the little ones more than life itself. When she was home, she spent most of her time with the babies, especially Willa, Helen and Trucker’s baby. She was surprised none of the other ol’ ladies had children yet, but she knew most of them were now actively trying. They all giggled about it -- and the fun in trying -- every time they got together.
Cain laughed. “Not yet, but it was touch and go for a while. I actually expect Hannah to break off and start her own chapter soon. Might even start an offshoot of ExFil.”
“That sounds about right,” Suzie agreed, smiling affectionately.
“They’re definitely positioning themselves for either that or a hostile takeover,” Angel added. “Could be either.”
Again, there was a silence, her parents still smiling but looking at her expectantly. Finally, she took a breath, careful to keep her smile in place. “Stunner wouldn’t happen to be around, would he?”
Angel looked up at Cain, her smile faltering. Cain’s grin remained firmly in place, but Suzie knew enough to see the strain and worry in his eyes. “He’s fine. Had a small scuffle last night but walked away without a scratch.”
Suzie knew her dad well. He was telling her the strict truth, but was holding back more than he wanted her to know. If she pushed, they might figure out her interest in Stunner was more than that of a treasured friend. If she didn’t, she’d worry herself into a panic attack.
“I-I tried to call him, but he wasn’t answering his phone.”
Angel gasped slightly, and Cain turned the camera away from her, moving a little distance away so Suzie couldn’t see her mother. “He’s probably got a lot on his mind, baby. Don’t take it personal. He’ll see you called and get back with you.”
“What’s going on?” No way she could keep herself from asking. Something was way wrong, and her heart sped up, her mind going in a thousand different directions. Most prevalent was the question as to if there was a woman involved.
“Pig showed up at the Boneyard last night with Kickstand. Pig and Stunner got into a bit of a scuffle. You know how Stunner hates Pig. Anyway, I finished it. Pig won’t be back, Kickstand is on probation, and Stunner decided he needed some space.”
Suzie felt the blood drain from her face. “Where’d he go?”
“Didn’t say. I suspect he’s on his way to Palm Beach. Got a call from Thorn this morning asking if everything was good. Stunner probably reached out to them as a courtesy. Thorn finally got the deal closed on that old firehouse he wanted to buy a few months ago. They’re moving the club, and Stunner will be a big help to them in the muscle department.”
“H-he went to Florida?”
Cain frowned. “Yeah, baby. But he’ll still be there if you need him.”
Suzie wasn’t so sure. Stunner had barely spoken to her since she started MIT. Had he decided she was grown up enough he could finally get on with his life? That she didn’t need his protection anymore?
“O-OK. Just…” She took a breath. “If you talk to him, tell him to call me?”
“You got it, sweetheart.”
She gave everyone her love and made them promise to hug and kiss all the babies for her. The second she could, Suzie signed off and took several deep breaths.
Immediately, she clicked Stunner’s profile icon and clicked the “call” button. It rang several times. No answer. She picked up her cell and called him. Again, no answer. She tried again. Same result. The third time, it went straight to voicemail. Suzie felt like she’d been gutted. That was deliberate. He’d turned his phone off. He was avoiding her. Last thing she did was send off a text.
Whatever I did, I’m sorry.
Tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. Her mind was in chaos. Her heart in shreds.
Stunner… was gone.
* * *
Suzie’s text made Stunner want to howl in anguish. He’d just pulled into Salvation’s Bane’s new compound when he’d gotten the text. He’d known she’d called, but, being on the road, couldn’t answer. Sure, he had a Bluetooth earpiece and mic hooked to his phone, but it was still hard to hear with the wind and the noise of the pipes.
On the other hand, he had been avoiding her. At first because he missed her so much he wasn’t certain he could hold himself together. If he lost it, he was liable to drive his ass to Cambridge, throw Suzie over his shoulder, and carry her sweet ass home. That would sure make school comfortable for her. She’d
