Har held his hand out for the phone. Brute shook his head.
“So neither of you checked for Massive’s bike since you been there? Fuckin’ hell.”
Cynic moved closer to the huddle. He spoke low so Brute wouldn’t be distracted. “Massive’s bike was there at three, but he’d parked it out back.”
Har asked, “There a back way out?”
Cynic glanced to the side while he thought about it, but Block had joined them.
Block said, “Yeah, but the gate was rusted and we didn’t figure it would open.”
He grabbed the lapels of Block’s cut and rushed forward, but Brute pulled him back. “Stop, Mike. Tiny confirmed Massive’s bike isn’t in the back any longer. Let’s get out there and look for—”
Joules opened the door. “She’s in the woods.”
All their eyes swung his way.
“That don’t make any sense,” Brute said.
Har agreed, but he stormed past his men and broke into a run once he was out the door. He saw Sandy walking along the edge of the property with her phone to her ear. The closer he came to her, the clearer he could hear the ringing of Stephanie’s phone.
Thank God!
He heard the pounding of his brothers’ footsteps behind him. He turned around to catch Brute’s gaze. “Get to my room. This isn’t right. Why leave her in the fuckin’ woods on property? He’s up to some shit.”
Brute got two feet away when Wreck came out the back door of the clubhouse, aiming a gun at them. He heard a gun cock from behind him and he knew Cynic had pulled his gun.
Har strode toward him, yelling, “Where is Stephanie?”
Wreck’s brown eyes narrowed. “Your yes-man shoots me, you’ll never find out.”
“Cynic won’t kill you, dumbass. He’ll shoot out your knee,” Brute said.
Wreck shook his head. “He shoots, I kill Har.”
“You mean to kill me? Why?”
“You’ve let this club go to shit. We’re one-percenters in name only. It didn’t used to be that way.”
“So, rather than renounce the club, you’re going to take the presidency from me, even if it means going down for murder?”
Wreck stood a foot from Har. “You’re going to renounce the club. I’m going to strip your tat and if that doesn’t kill you, I’ll let you live.”
Brute, in the slowest move possible, pulled his gun from his waistband.
Block who stood well away from Brute diverted Wreck’s attention, allowing Brute to take aim. “So what were you doing in the fuckin’ clubhouse? Movin’ in to Har’s room?”
Wreck chuckled but it held no humor. “No. I freed my only ally since you’re too stupid to put him in the shed. Cynic, drop your gun or I’m killing Har before I kill you.”
“Prez, what do you say? You feel like dyin’ today? Or do you want me to follow this asshole’s order?”
Wreck was only watching Cynic and Har, so Brute had been able to move closer to him. Har spoke so Wreck wouldn’t catch on. “I’m not dying today, ’Nic. Lower your piece.”
As he spoke, Har kept his eye on the gun. Something told him Wreck would shoot him regardless, so he lunged fast enough to grab his wrist and had to pray the gun wasn’t pointed at anyone behind him. Wreck struggled against him until another shot rang out. In an instant, the fight drained out of Wreck and Har let the body hit the ground.
Brute still had his gun trained on Wreck. He sidled up to the body. “Feel like shootin’ his ass again.”
Before anyone could respond, a shout could be heard from the front gate. The men ran forward, though from the corner of his eye he saw Joules hang back. He heard him direct Sandy to go inside his room and lock the door.
Rounding the corner of the clubhouse, they stopped short to prevent a collision with Mensa and Finn, the prospect manning the gate. The two of them were restraining Carter, who had been tied up in Brute’s room.
“That’s what the fuck he was up to,” Brute muttered.
Har yanked Carter away and shoved him against the wall. “Where the fuck is Stephanie?”
Carter’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Fuck you.”
He slammed a fist into Carter’s gut. “Wreck’s dead. Whatever he promised you is gone. Where the fuck is my woman?”
His bravado slipped a fraction. “You’re a liar.”
Har pulled him around the corner of the building. “His body’s right over there, dumbass. Now get smart. Where is my woman?”
Block ambled up to them. “Take his ass to the shed, Har. I’ll go review the camera footage.”
Carter jerked with a chuckle. “Good luck.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Har demanded.
Brute took off into the clubhouse. He returned moments later. “My room isn’t the only room Wreck busted into, he was in Block’s room. Bashed your computer to shit.”
Block clenched his teeth and shook his head. “That’s some bullshit, but I’ll still have access to the cameras. That shit goes to the cloud. Gimme a moment while I pull it from my phone.”
Har handed Carter off to Mensa and Cynic. Not knowing what happened to Stephanie had his stomach in knots and it felt like his heart had stopped beating.
If she was dead...
He couldn’t let himself think it. She had to be alive. She had to be.
Har didn’t pray often, but during the interminable wait for Block to tell him anything, he sent up the most heartfelt prayer he’d said in years.
He’d finally found the right woman. He wasn’t late, and she wasn’t hung up on someone else. He didn’t just want her back. He needed her back.
All of this left him feeling things he hadn’t felt since his father died.
Aching.
Helpless.
Desperate.
Chapter 26 I'm Just... Me
Har
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN two minutes or it might have been twenty that Block had been scrolling through footage on his phone. No matter how long it had been, Har deserved a medal for being so patient.
He tilted his head back in an effort
