Lost is beside me, pulling Owen’s hands down and expertly zip tying them behind him.
“Prospect is on his way with the truck.” Salem appears, his eyes full of mirth as he watches Owen, now unable to ease the pressure against his neck, going red in the face, helpless to get away. “Better loosen your grip, Brother. Before he expires.”
If he passes out, he’ll be easier to transport that way.
Owen’s eyes are rolling up in his head. I realise I need him alive, not dead, so withdraw my hand. When I do so, he collapses to the ground, but weak and with his hands secured, he falls forward, screeching as his head meets the concrete.
“Jeez, all that from a little bump on the head.” Salem kicks the prone man. “He’s going to be fun.”
Knowing the next step is for Owen to come to his senses and start screaming, I sacrifice my bandana, stuffing it into his mouth.
“Ok,” Lost looks up from his phone, “Wrangler’s approaching the back gate now.”
None too gently, Salem jerks the guy up by his tied together hands.
“Oomph.” It’s about all Owen manages to say.
Getting an uncooperative man into the truck isn’t a new occurrence for us, and as expected, it goes like clockwork. Wrangler’s not fazed driving the secured man back to the compound. When he pulls away, Lost and I follow him on our bikes, Salem catching us up when we’ve only gone a short distance.
As we near the compound, my sense of anticipation begins to rise. At last we’re going to get some answers.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grumbler
Parking my bike in its usual place, I fire off a quick text to Niran. While I update him—we’ve got Owen in our hands—I ask him to stay put. Devon’s still out there. If the pair are working together and Owen’s disappeared, the photographer may start asking questions.
The truck doesn’t stop by our clubhouse but continues around to the rear of the second hangar and the entrance to the brig. Salem heads off on foot, whistling to himself and in no particular hurry. Knowing he’ll be making sure Owen is secured, Prez and I continue into the clubroom where we’re greeted by the smell of bacon cooking.
“Hungry?”
“I could eat.” I grin at Prez. While I’m anxious to get started, experience tells me leaving Owen waiting in anticipation will help soften him up, and, of course, questioning is best done on a full stomach.
Even if we didn’t know exactly where we were headed, our noses would be sufficient to guide our way.
Pennywise looks up as soon as we walk in. “It go okay?”
“Piece of fuckin’ cake,” Prez replies, kicking out a chair.
“Want everything, Prez?” Tits waves a plate his way.
“Sure,” Lost agrees, patting his stomach.
“Only one egg,” Patsy calls out as she walks in. She strides over to Lost, reaches down and gives him a kiss. “Don’t want you getting more love handles.”
“You love my love handles.” Lost eyes soften as he looks at his old lady, pulling her down onto his lap. “Tell you what, you can share mine.”
Patsy giggles like a fuckin’ kid, which clearly appeals to Lost, as breakfast forgotten for a moment, he leans his head down and proceeds to make a meal of her lips.
Brakes rolls his eyes. “Is that allowed at breakfast?” he asks primly.
I shake my head, accepting my own loaded plate from the sweet butt.
Deuce wanders in, yawning widely, Keeper following shortly after. Both look like they’ve just rolled out of bed.
“What time d’you call this on a fuckin’ Sunday?” Snips asks, also appearing and making a beeline for the coffee jug.
“Fun time,” Kink, who’s already eating, offers. He winks toward me. I suppress the urge to look under the table. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s had a naked pet sitting beside him.
“Why are you all up so early?” Patsy queries.
Silence descends. “Club business, babe,” her old man reminds her.
Undeterred, she chews then swallows a piece of bacon Lost has just passed to her, and then, with narrowed eyes, looks around the table. “If it’s got anything to do with that kid, Alicia, make it hurt.”
“MC lifestyle rubbing off on you?” I chuckle, mopping up some egg.
“Women should mind their own business.” But Dusty’s got a huge grin on his face.
Patsy looks around, presumably checking her son isn’t within eyesight, then gives Dusty the finger. The unfamiliar gesture makes us crack up.
The heavy stomp of boots announces the arrival of the enforcer. I raise an eyebrow.
“Wrangler and Curtis.” He gives me the answer to my unspoken question as to who is looking after our ‘guest’.
I give a chin lift.
“Where’s Toke?” I ask Prez.
“Speaking to Utah. I think they’ve all pulled an all-nighter.”
“Any progress on the video?”
“None so far.”
That’s not what I want to hear. Every minute that video is still out there is a minute too long as far as I’m concerned. Still, one side of my mouth turns up. It won’t be too long, and Owen will be telling me everything he knows. Maybe he’ll have all the answers.
With that thought, I place my silverware down and take my empty plate over to Tits. I help myself to a coffee, then lean back against the countertop.
“Are we ready to get this show on the road?” I ask generally.
My response is a clattering of metal on plates as brothers hastily finish their meals. It seems we’re all eager to get started.
“I want a piece of him,” Deuce states as he comes alongside, picking his way along the path that leads to the second hangar. “I’ve got a sister not far off Alicia’s age.”
I didn’t know that. “You see her regular?”
“Nah. She lives with my mom. I stayed with my dad. Kinda lost touch. Not that staying with the old man did much for me. He kicked me out when my stepmom had her child.”
Sad, but it’s the way things so often are. Many members come from broken families, and that’s why the MC has become
