She stopped the first member who crossed her path. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah?" The biker's gaze lowered to her breasts.
Wanting to help Trina and get out of here, she said, "Do you know where I can find Speeder?"
"Speeder?" The biker frowned. "Ain't seen him."
"Is there someone I can ask who would know where he's at?"
"Prez." The biker turned around and yelled before turning back around. "Hang on. He'll meet you out here."
"Thank you." When he left, she moved over beside Zach and Trina. "We'll find him."
"Maybe I should just go home and wait." Trina lifted her hand to her mouth and attacked her thumbnail.
Zach stared at the bikers, distracted from the immediate problem.
"Let's see what we can find out first," she said.
Zach's concern over Trina hadn't surprised her. He was a good boy. Family looked out for family, and of course, he'd be concerned if his friend wanted to find her dad.
She was proud of him for thinking of someone else when he had every reason to be selfish and upset over moving to Avery Falls.
"Bonnie?"
She turned and faced Demon. He had his long hair tied behind his neck, but she would've known him anywhere. He was a gruff character, covered in tattoos.
"Hi." She stepped toward him, out of earshot of Trina. "I don't mean to bother you, but my son is friends with Speeder's daughter, Trina, and she can't find her dad. I told her I'd help her track him down so she can go home."
Demon's gaze flickered off her before coming back. "You've checked at the house?"
"The kids have, and he's not there."
"Give me a few minutes, and I'll see if I can find him."
"Sure." She pointed over her shoulder. "We'll wait outside."
Demon nodded, pulling out a cell phone. She wrangled the kids outside and looked over at the car, making sure Kenny was still there. He had his feet hanging out the open window and the music blasting.
Considering the music was just as loud inside the clubhouse, she let him be. Working her shoulders in a circle, she yawned. It'd been a long day.
"How long is this going to take?"
She shrugged at Zach. "Until we find Trina's dad."
"He's never gone," mumbled Trina. "He barely lets me have two seconds alone."
"Weren't you with Zach today?"
Kids exaggerated all the time, including her two sons. The last time she had to ground them, they acted as if their life was over.
"He made me call every hour." Trina sniffed. "But he stopped answering around noon."
Oh, dear. She wanted to reach out and hug the young lady, but she suspected if she tried, Trina would either fall apart or run away.
Teenagers were hard to pin, and hormones could have them doing the opposite of what they wanted.
The door shut behind her. She turned, hoping for answers.
Demon walked down the two steps and approached her. "Speeder's out on club business and will be gone all night. Is there a way that Trina can stay with you until tomorrow?"
"I..." She widened her eyes. "I have two teenage sons."
That was reason enough not to invite a girl their age to the house. Not to mention, she had a feeling Zach found Trina interesting. She had no idea if a friendship was developing between the two or her son was having his first crush. Time would tell which direction they were headed. But by then, it could be too late if they were flirting with their sexuality.
"Speeder has only had his daughter living with him for a couple of months. Their relationship is still new." Demon lowered his voice. "I only ask because Trina's had a hard time adjusting, and she seems comfortable with your boy."
She blew out her breath. He'd given her a load of information, and yet there was twice as much he wasn't telling her.
As a single mother, she understood how difficult it was to make sure someone watched the children.
"Okay. One night," she said, already planning how she was going to handle three hormonal teenagers through the night.
"I'll have someone ride up to your place if Speeder gets back earlier."
"I'd appreciate that." Feeling more than her thirty-two years, she inhaled swiftly, pumping herself up for a long night. "I need to get them home, feed them dinner, and calm things down before it's time to sleep."
Gathering the kids, she filled them in on what was happening, assuring Trina her dad was okay and business kept him away.
She could tell by Trina's face; she hadn't believed her.
On the way home, she decided the only way they were going to fit in the house and have their own area was to put Zach on the floor in the living room with the sleeping bag and Trina in his new bed. Then, she would stay up all night to make sure the teens stayed in their rooms.
Chapter Nine
Zach and Kenny tossed the football back and forth in the front yard of Bonnie Durham-Murphy's house while Trina sat in the sunshine, not far from the boys, plucking blades of grass out of the ground. Trip had parked his motorcycle off the road a mile back.
His search for his friend ended unsuccessfully.
If Speeder was a normal man, the outcome would've been different. But Speeder had the physical prowess to stay ahead of him, even in his condition.
When he'd arrived back at the cave, the Alpha Bio Project controller had already left. The reprieve gave Trip time to decide that he would go to Prez and tell him of his findings.
Spending the night in the woods, covering several miles in his search for Speeder, he'd come to accept his decision to go after him and not report him to the controller. A clear sign that something had gone wrong inside of him. If the program worked, there would be no question on what he'd do—friend or no friend.
Before he
