Chapter 18

Greer

It’s been six weeks since Spook lost his life. Everyone hovers. They never leave. Their mouths are constantly moving. But I don’t hear or feel anything. I’m dead inside.

I search for any weakness in their fortress that is keeping me in and hindering me from escaping. I’ve planned my escape to a T, but everytime I see an opening it’s closed by another body that won’t leave me be.

One of these days they’ll fuck up and I’ll be able to slip past them undetected. They have no clue the demented ideas that have surfaced in my thoughts when it comes to plotting Dimitri’s demise. He and my mother started this and I’ll make sure I’m the one to finish it.

Today’s the first day that Trigger has left my side for more than ten minutes. It’s a nice reprieve. He relentlessly talks unless he’s asleep and even then, he’s next to me in my bed. There’s only one man I want next to me and he is no more.

I allowed myself to feel deeply for someone other than my daughter and he was taken from me. I will never make the same mistake twice. I will never let another in that deep-rooted until I take care of the driver behind the wheel who continues to inflict his plague on me from afar.

Realizing I’m in my room alone, I get the sense that my time to flee has come. I get out of bed and make my way to the window. Looking out in the parking lot, I see it’s full. Great, while the rest are living it up I can use this as the diversion I need.

Going to my closet, I pull out a small bag and pack some clothing and the cash I have stashed in a shoebox. I move to my nightstand and pull out the handgun Brute taught me how to use when I first got here and stuff it in the bag. I leave a note for Mitz on the nightstand and pull my boots on.

Lifting the window, sticking my head out to check my surroundings, I slowly slide out and into a crouching position.

I walk over to a hole in the fence and squeeze through running towards the woods for cover. I know I only have a matter of minutes before someone comes to check on me.

Coming out of the clearing to a side street, I pull out my burner phone and call a cab. It arrives within five minutes and I’m on my way to my destination.

***

Spook

It feels so good to be out of the hospital and away from the smell of disinfectant and the worrying of nurses and doctors.

Pulling up to the Devils clubhouse and taking in all the bikes and vehicles to welcome me home is overwhelming. I can’t wait to get inside to Greer and Ryland.

Inching out of the truck, since my back is still sore, my feet finally reach the gravel. I breathe in the fresh air and sigh. It feels liberating being back here.

Queenie’s the first to embrace me out of the crowd of people conjugating. I take in the crowd, but don’t see Greer. I pull back.

“Where’s Greer?”

“She’s still in her room.” Queenie says softly. “She hasn’t been the same since we got news of the explosion.”

Mitz walks towards me with Ryland in her arms and I can’t help but smile widely. I’ve missed this little girl so much. I take her from Mitz’s arms and bring her tight to my chest.

“Little princess, I’ve missed you so much. Let’s go see your momma.”

I head inside with ‘welcome home’ and ‘glad to have you back’ shouted at me. Going down the hall, I come to Greer’s room and exhale loudly.

I open the door to stillness. Her bed is rumpled but empty. Her closet door is open. I look around the door into the bathroom that too is empty.

I look behind me to Trigger, Queenie and Rudy. “Where is she?” I growl.

They come further into the room and it’s then I notice the window is open.

“She’s gone.” I roar. “She’s gone.” Ryland startles in my arms and I wrap her tighter to me. “I’m sorry baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Trigger and Rudy are on their phones while Queenie stands in the middle of the room sobbing uncontrollably.

My day started with the excitement of getting back to my woman and child to the devastation that she’s gone and I’ve got no clue where she’d go.

Brute barges through the door in shock that Greer was able to get from under his nose without him knowing. Mitz heads towards Queenie to console her as they both fall in a heap on the bed.

I look out in the hallway to see Dani leaning against Ryker burying her face into his chest. I walk towards them.

“Ryker can you take Ryland for a second. I’m going to head outside and see if I can track where she went from the window.” He nods and I reluctantly hand Ryland over. I turn to Trigger who’s pacing the width of the room. “How long was she in here by herself?”

He stops and makes eye contact with me. “She was in here maybe twenty minutes. I didn’t leave her until I knew you and dad were close. Shit, I should’ve just stayed in here with her.” His realization results in him crumpling to the ground. “How many times do I have to let her down before I learn? She’s fucking been so out of it. I should’ve known better.”

I leave them all in her room to soak in that she got away on their watch. They all knew she wasn’t right and that she sure as hell shouldn’t have been left alone, but the time to bitch them out isn’t now.

I round the clubhouse and find Poison and Banshee taking in the window and the ground below it.

“See any tracks?” I ask.

“Yeah.” Poison replies. “She went from the window to the fence. There’s an opening big enough for her to get out that leads to the woods.”

“Let’s check out the woods and see if we can get anything.”

The three of us head towards the gate and walk around to where the opening is. The woods are dense but there’s enough coverage for Greer to hide if she wanted to.

Banshee breaks my consideration of what I’d do if I was Greer. “If she went straight through, she would have ended on the side street. From there, she could’ve gone anywhere.”

I agree. If she was so desperate to get away, she could have ended up taking a bus to anywhere.