Chapter Twenty-Four
Banger
Thousands of twinkling white lights welcomed guests to the Brighter Lives’ Toy Drive Fundraiser. The Insurgent men looked out of place amid the dangling snowflakes, glittering trees, beaded and sequined cocktail dresses, and designer suits. Round tables with chairs draped in white and secured with red satin bows filled the large room, and servers balancing large silver trays filled with a variety of hors d’oeuvres maneuvered through the labyrinth of people.
Popping a stuffed jalapeño into his mouth, Banger snagged a glass of champagne with his free hand as a waiter walked by carrying a tray full of flutes.
“Never thought I’d see you drink piss water,” Hawk said, coming up to him.
“I was fuckin’ thirsty. And I can’t catch one of these people to get me a Jack.”
As if on cue, Throttle and Axe came over with four glasses full of amber liquid. Banger took one from Axe and drank a big gulp. “I needed this, brother.”
“Thought you would,” Axe said as he brought his glass to his mouth. “This is a kickass turnout.”
“Cara said it’s gonna double last year’s profits easily. Good to see people helping out the kids.” Hawk took a few bacon-wrapped shrimp and gave one to Throttle.
“Hear you’re gonna be a daddy.” Banger cupped Axe’s shoulder.
“Yeah. Fuck, how the hell am I supposed to know what to do? I never had a real dad.”
“It just falls into place, I guess.” Throttle took a bite out of the appetizer.
“Just make sure you love him and are there for him no matter what,” Banger said.
“I still can’t believe we’re going to have a baby, but it’s going to be okay. Baylee’s designing our house. Do we have a clue who destroyed the toys?”
Banger narrowed his eyes. “When we catch the sonofabitch, I’m gonna kill him. I’m sure it’s related to the shit that’s been goin’ on in the town.”
“He’s probably the same asshole who broke into Jax’s house and scared the shit outta Cherri,” Throttle replied.
“Cara gave me the name of a guy she suspects. She just knew his first name but got a partial plate number and description of the car. I gave it to Blade and he got a match this morning. He went over to the dude’s place, but he wasn’t around. Looks like he owns some property outside of town.” Hawk motioned a waiter over and ordered four more whiskeys.
“We’ll head out there tomorrow and pay this fucker a visit. Tonight I have all the brothers and the prospects on high alert. If the asshole’s gonna pull something tonight, we’re gonna nab him,” Banger said.
“Why don’t you guys circulate a bit?” Belle asked as she came over.
The dark green evening dress showed off her figure, and Banger loved the sheer top that hinted at something only he had the right to see behind closed doors. Pulling her to him, he kissed her and patted her ass. “We don’t fuckin’ ‘circulate,’ woman.”
“Especially with citizens,” Throttle added.
“Yeah, babe. We’re good.” Banger winked at her.
Rolling her eyes, she held up her hands. “You guys are impossible. Do you know where Cara is, Hawk?”
“Last time I saw her, she was on the stage fixin’ some shit.”
“I bet she’s making sure everything’s set when Santa comes out.” Belle rushed off toward the stage.
“Remember when we had ribs and slaw and the event was at Steelers? That was a blast. None of this fancy shit, just good food, whiskey, and a whole lot of people coming out to raise money for the kids.” Throttle shook his head.
“That was before we got old ladies who wanted to kick it up a notch. What can I say? I’m guilty of bringing a rich girl into the fold.” Hawk spread his arms out. “This is all my woman knows. She wouldn’t have a clue how to have a laid-back fundraiser.”
“You better keep her outta the bike rallies,” Axe said, and the men chuckled.
“But we never raised the money like we are now for some of our charities.” Banger clasped his hand on Hawk’s shoulder. “Your woman has done good.”
Hawk nodded, his lips twitching.
Wheelie and Rags came over and fist bumped with Banger and the others. Rags jerked his head toward a pretty woman in a formfitting red dress covered in beads that shimmered under the lights. “Our horny client is here.”
Throttle glanced over, his eyes widening. “Damn. Mrs. Christiansen. There’s no way in fuck I want her to see me. If she starts shit, Kimber will belt her one, and Cara will fuckin’ kill me.”
“You got something with her?” Hawk asked, looking over at her.
“Nah. She’s a bored housewife who wants some cock. We got a lot of those. This one’s just more persistent than the others.”
“Did you give Kimber her ring?” Wheelie asked.
“Tonight.” Throttle downed the rest of his whiskey.
When Tigger and Sofia joined in, Banger saw Wheelie run his eyes over the petite woman, and then he stiffened when Tigger high-fived him. As they talked, Banger saw Sofia and Wheelie steal glances at each other, smiles whispering on their lips. Coldness ran through him, and he made a note to talk to Wheelie in the morning.
The dinner was catered by Gourmet Bites, and Banger had to admit the steak was fucking great. Kylie sat across from him, and she looked all grown up in her sleeveless ice-blue dress. He watched the way Jerry leaned in close to her, stroked her cheek, laughed at her jokes, and looked at no one but her, and he knew she’d found the right man to take care of her. It didn’t mean Banger wasn’t still going to give Jerry shit—he had to make sure the brother kept in line—but a large part of him relaxed knowing his little girl would be taken care of.
“I like this,” Harley said as he shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.
Banger laughed. “You fixin’ to see Santy Claus tonight?”
Bobbing his head up and down, tendrils of hair fell over Harley’s forehead. “Ya. Brashton and me are gonna get there first.”
“You have to let the other kids go first, honey. Remember we talked about it at home?” Belle wiped his face with her napkin.
With his bottom lip out, eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched, Harley crossed his arms without saying a word. He’s Insurgents material. Banger’s chest expanded.
A woman came up to Belle while they were finishing their food. She glanced at Banger, then bent down and whispered something in Belle’s ear that made her brow crease.
“What’s going on?” Banger asked.
“Lindi’s husband wants to leave. Oh… Lindi, this is my husband, Banger, and this is Lindi.”
Banger shook her hand. “If you need a ride home afterward, we can take you.”
Lindi gave a weak smile. “That’s not it, but thanks. Dale, my husband, said he’d play Santa tonight, and now he’s trying to back out. I really don’t know what his problem is. I guess it stems back from when he was a child. He never talks about it, but he’s told me the holidays were a nightmare.” She shrugged. “He just hates Christmas, but he promised he’d be Santa. What’re we going to do, Belle?”
As the women talked, Banger’s mind went back to his Christmas past when his mother would slave for days making food for their holiday dinner, then sit glumly and pick at her meal while his dad would whisper things into his mistress’s ear and feed her. To this day, he hated his father for humiliating his mother that way.
“Daddy, can I go over to Brashton’s table? I’m finished eating,” Harley said.
Jerking his head back, the past fled and he looked at his boy. “Okay, but I’ll walk you over.”
“You don’t have to. I’m big now.”
He chuckled. “I know you are, but there are too many people, and most of them are bigger than you. That’s the deal. Take it or stay here with Mommy and me.”
Scrunching up his face, Harley pushed against the table. “Okay. But I still could go alone.”
Banger walked Harley to Hawk’s table and watched his son run over to Braxton. “Keep an eye on him for me,” Banger said to Hawk, then went back to his table. “What the hell’s going on with Lindi’s pussy-assed husband? You want me to make him get his ass in the fuckin’ red suit?”
Belle leaned in close, and the scent of her perfume lit a fire in him. “Shh… people may hear you. Dale came over while you and Harley were gone, and he told her he was just joking. Something’s terribly wrong with him.”
“Sounds like he needs someone to set him straight.”
“Well, at least he’s going to do it, so we’ve avoided that catastrophe.”
Chimes rang out from an overhead speaker and the lights dimmed a few times. All attention focused on the stage where Joseph stood with a microphone. He thanked all the volunteers and the Insurgents for making the event such a success. Congregated in the front were groups of children who fidgeted in place in anticipation of Santa Claus coming on stage to hand out the toys.
“I’m gonna watch Harley,” Banger said as he leaned in to kiss Belle’s cheek. He walked over to Hawk who was standing behind Harley and Braxton. The two men chatted until the trumpets rang out and Santa Claus came onto the stage. The children went wild, and the applause from the audience was deafening. Harley jumped up and down in place while looking behind him at Banger.
“Cara’s motioning me to come over. I’ll be right back,” Hawk said. Banger nodded and focused on the stage.
Fifteen minutes into Santa calling children up on stage and giving them their gifts, Hawk came back over, his brows snapped together.
“What’s up?” Banger asked.
“Cara spotted that Garret fuck. She said he was standing by the stage.”
Banger scanned the area but didn’t see anyone besides a few Insurgents and volunteers. “What does he look like?”
“Not too tall, wiry, longish unkempt hair. She said he’s around thirty. She’s positive she saw him. Hang tight. I’m going backstage to take a look.” Hawk disappeared into the crowd.
There were so many children crowded in the front, and an uneasy feeling took hold of Banger. Placing his hands on one of Harley’s and Braxton’s shoulders, his eyes darted around the room searching for anything that was amiss. Nothing seemed out of place. Why is the fucker here? Cara’s not the type to imagine shit.
Hawk came back over. “Nothing in the back or around the area. I told Bear, Helm, Tiny, Rags, Cruiser, Klutch, and Bones to watch out for anything that doesn’t look or feel right. I gave them a description of the jerk.”
“I feel something off. What about you?” Banger asked.
“Yeah.” Hawk turned his head from side to side.
“You’ve all been so good this year. Ho. Ho. Ho,” Dale said as he tugged on the white beard.
Banger jerked his head toward the stage. “He’s not too convincing, is he?”
“No. Next year we’ll pay for a professional,” Hawk answered.
Then the lights went out and the room was plunged into blackness. For a second, it was quiet as a tomb and then frenzied voices rose to the surface, children cried, bodies rushed and bumped, and chairs toppled over.
“What the fuck?” Banger said out loud as he reached in front of him. “Harley! Braxton! Call out.” He whipped is cell phone out and turned on the flashlight. Soon the room was lit with an eerie white glow as people held up their phones to guide them to their tables.
“Where’re the boys?” Hawk asked.
“I don’t know. They were right in front of us before the lights went out. I should’ve kept my hands on them. Fuck!”
“Braxton! Harley!” Hawk yelled as he and Banger pushed through people.
“Everyone remain calm. There’s been an outage. Power will be restored soon.” Lindi stood on stage and Banger glanced over and noticed Santa’s chair was empty. That’s strange. I gotta find Harley. Fuck!
“Maybe they went backstage,” Hawk said, rushing ahead.
Banger caught up to him and as they approached Tiny and Bones, the room was flooded with light. The patrons cheered and applauded and children scrambled over to their parents.
“Did Harley and Braxton come this way?” Banger asked the brothers.
“It was so fuckin’ dark, I couldn’t see a thing, but when I turned my flashlight on, I didn’t see them,” Tiny said.
“I heard some kids screaming and I tried to see what the hell was going on, but by the time I took out my phone, I didn’t see anything. I ran out of the room but didn’t see shit. Are the boys missing? Tiny asked, his forehead creasing.
The sound of his heartbeat thrashed in his ears. He’d been a one-percenter for thirty years, and he’d been faced with all kinds of danger, but he never let it affect him. But at that moment, terror seized him, squeezing every nerve in his body, splintering his heart.
“Banger!”
Belle’s voice made his stomach knot. What the fuck am I gonna say to her? I shoulda never let him out of my grasp. And Braxton. Fuck! He whirled around and saw Belle approaching him. He clenched his jaw.
The festivities of the night resumed with one major change: Santa Claus had vanished. Lindi stood on stage, her eyes swimming with tears, and read off the names of the children while a few volunteers handed them their toys.
“Where’s Harley?” Belle asked, her face glistening with sweat.
“He’s not with you?”
Fear crossed her face. “No. He was in the front with you, Hawk, and Braxton. Where’s Braxton?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and held her gaze. “We don’t know where the boys are, but we’re gonna find them. You gotta be strong and let me do what needs to be done to find them.”
She jerked away from him. “What do you mean you don’t know where they are? Weren’t you and Hawk watching them? My God, what if some sicko kidnapped them?” She covered her mouth with her hand. “This can’t be happening,” she mumbled as terror overtook her face.
“Don’t fuckin’ freak out on me. I got shit to do. We’re gonna find the boys. I need to know you’ll be okay.”
“How can I be okay? I’m petrified!” Her voice broke and he drew her close to him and held her tight while he ran his hand up and down her back.
“It’s gonna be fine. I’ll make it fine. You gotta believe in me,” he said in a low voice.
All around them, people laughed, children ran, and Christmas music filled the air, but they were in their own private hell. Ethan and Emily came over.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Emily asked.
Banger pulled away and guided Belle over to Emily and Ethan. “Take care of your mother. I got something to do.” He knew that every second he did nothing was a second that took his son farther away from him.
“Where’s Harley?” Ethan asked.
Belle covered her face and shook her head. Banger gently shoved her closer to Emily. “It’s gonna be fine. I have to go.” He walked away and went over to Hawk. “The boys are missing. Belle’s a fuckin’ basket case and I don’t blame her. I gotta get a grip. We both do. We gotta focus or this isn’t going to turn out good.” He knew he had to put a wall between his love for his son and his determination to find him. If he let emotions enter into it, he’d slip up and it may cost his son his life.
With a face of stone, Hawk nodded. “We need to focus on getting our boys back. Cara’s convinced this fucker Garret is involved. I agree with her.”
“How’s your woman doing?”
“She’s trying to stay brave. She doesn’t want her parents to know anything’s wrong. But I know she’s dying inside and it’s fuckin’ killing me.” Hawk pounded his fist on the nearby table.
Rock ran up to them. “Throttle, Axe, Tigger, and Chas were outside talking to people and several of them said they saw two men rush out of the community center dragging two boys behind them. A couple of them said that the boys were telling them to stop.”
“What the fuck did they look like? Did they see where they went?” Banger asked.
“When I went out to question them, they said one was medium height, kinda looked like a dirtbag, and had stringy brown hair. The other guy was wearing a suit. They said the two didn’t look like they fit together.”
“Did they get into a car?” Hawk said.
“A van. It’s the fucker your woman pegged.”
Banger kicked the table over and people jumped out of the way. “We fucked this up. I fucked this up! We had him. He was here, and I fuckin’ handed my boy and yours to him. Fuck!”
Hawk place a hand on his shoulder. “No use blaming yourself or me blaming myself. We don’t have time for that shit. We gotta find them. Now.”
Banger let out a harsh breath. “You’re right. Get Blade over here.”
As he waited for Rock to find Blade, he tried to focus on finding his son, but Harley’s face kept flashing in front of him, and Banger knew he’d be scared. A weight settled on his heart.
Hang on, Harley. I’m coming to get you.
Not finding him wasn’t an option.
And when he did find him, Banger would tear apart the bastard who took his precious son.