I’ve given Wolf two days now to try and find Devil. Whenever I’ve asked him about it, he says he’s working on it. I’m trying to be patient but the more time that goes by, the more I worry. Something feels… wrong.

Yesterday I finally got up the nerve to talk to a therapist. It’s going to be a long road, but I think a therapist is a step in the right direction with finding myself again. I haven’t told Wolf. I don’t know if he realizes how some of his remarks affect me, but they definitely do. I’ve had one meeting with the therapist, but it went well and she encouraged me to take control of my life again.

I’m going to try and the first step of doing that is to find Devil. If Wolf hasn’t gotten anywhere, I’m heading down there today.

I have to.

“What have you found out about Diesel and that kid? Is that the one King is looking for?”

I stop outside of the office when I hear Wolf. At first, I don’t understand but he mentioned Diesel’s name. I don’t know who King is, but Wolf’s tone is different than I’ve ever heard. Something is telling me to listen…

“Yeah, fuck dude, I don’t know how you got so damn lucky. King has a hard-on for this man Diesel. He wants his head on a fucking pike,” Red responds.

My heart starts beating double time as I listen. This can’t be true…

“That’s why he wants the kid? I thought King was looking for—”

“That’s it though, man. The kid is King’s. Diesel has been raising him as his own for years,” Red laughs.

He laughs.

“Shit. I’ll give the asshole this, he must have balls of steel. I wouldn’t want to piss King off—not with the firepower that motherfucker has behind him.”

“Near as I can tell, I don’t think Diesel even knows, Boss.”

“You’re shitting me?” Wolf answers and you can tell he finds everything about this funny.

I don’t think I ever knew Wolf. I definitely don’t know who this person is.

“Nope. He thinks he’s the father of that kid. It’s kind of hilarious if you think about it. Dumbass has almost died repeatedly defending a kid that’s not even his.”

“Damn, that fucking Savage crew is stupider than I thought. Let’s send King a little happiness,” Wolf says and my heart lodges in my chest.

I knew that Wolf didn’t like Devil or his crew, but this is so far from the man I know—or thought I knew—that I can’t breathe. I lean against the wall, needing it to hold me up, but wanting to do everything I can to keep from being found. The urge to run now is strong. If I can make it to Devil and his club, I might be able to warn Diesel. I don’t do that, though. I’m hoping if I keep listening I’ll hear what they have planned. That will help Devil and his club more.

“What are you thinking? Kidnap the brat and deliver him to King?” Red asks and he says it so calmly that I get sick to my stomach while listening to him.

“Nah. I don’t need that kind of headache—at least not yet. How about we get rid of Diesel for him?” Wolf laughs and I clap my hand over my mouth.

I’m going to be sick.

“Now we’re talking. We can head out now.”

“Sounds good. Take Grunt and Foley with you. We can trust them to keep their fucking mouths shut. I’d go with you, but today is the day I finish that piece of slab in the storm shelter.”

“Thank Christ for that. You’ve done so much to him I think he’s starting to rot. Fucker sure does stink. It’s so bad you’d think he was already dead.”

“Not yet, but that’s definitely coming. I’ll finish the job soon as I get back from this meeting with King and his associates.”

“You still want a man following Torrent?”

“It’s not really needed around here, but if she tries to leave you have them detain her. Feed her some bullshit about the Koreans having a price on her head.”

“She’ll buy that?”

“She’s so damn gullible right now, she’d buy oceanfront property in the fucking desert off of me.”

“You got it, Boss. I’ll get Lester to do it.”

“Sounds good. Let’s get rolling. We both need to get this shit done,” Wolf says and I fight down panic as I quickly move out of the hall. I duck into a small half bath my father always claimed as his because it was close to his office. I turn the lock on the door and I don’t take a breath until I hear footsteps pass on the outside. Then I wait another fifteen minutes before I peek my head outside.

“Hey! Torrent! What are you doing over here?” I look up to see one of my father’s men—Daniel or something like that. I don’t know him that well. He was always more of a loner. He had an accident, and is now in a wheelchair. He can’t ride his bike anymore and the men stopped using his road name because of that. That always seemed horrible to me, but…

Not my monkey and definitely not my circus.

Right now, I have to fight the urge to take off running. I need to act normal, calm and completely in control.

“Hey, Dan… I uh… I was looking for Wolf. I was hoping we’d be able to eat lunch together. His office is empty though.”

“Oh yeah. He had a meeting today. Don’t know much about it. The men don’t exactly tell me shit these days. If you’re looking for a lunch partner though, I’m available,” he volunteers.

Crap.

“Well… I think I might run into town now. I’ve been wanting to get my hair done. I’ll take a raincheck though?”

“Sounds good. You can let me know,” he says, but he’s already wheeling away.

I make my steps go slow and measured and I plaster a smile on my face as I make my way out of the club and around back to my dad’s house. I need to go check out the cellar. I don’t want to… but I’ve got a bad feeling about what I will find there.

I really hope I’m wrong.