Chapter 27
Beast
Things have been quiet since Biketoberfest, over the past three weeks, too quiet for my liking, though. No one has seen or heard from Anton and his goons since they left that night.
Thanksgiving is next week, and I want things to go off without a hitch. For my girls, this will be the first one we all spend together as a real family. Also, it will be the only one before the babies arrive and complete our little family.
Mom is still with us, and we still have the girls on lockdown for the most part. We leave for my girl’s doctors’ appointments. Bella is on bedrest now and doesn’t walk at all; I carry her wherever she wants to go. When I can’t, Val, Romeo, and Lorenzo help.
She has grown beautifully, but it’s too much for her tiny fame to handle. Her blood pressure is still up, and at this point, Doc said it’s not going to go down. So we have to find ways that won’t raise it higher. We can’t afford for her to be in the hospital just yet, so bed rest it is.
The guys and I have a plan to sniff out Antonio soon. We all agree we want this done by the New Year.
Bella had her doctor’s appointment today, and Doc is sending her downstairs for bloodwork and a glucose test. She said, normally they wait until a woman is between 24-28 weeks pregnant, but with Bella having twins and her high blood pressure, she wanted to do it early. Bella is 20 weeks, halfway through, God willing she doesn’t go early.
We have our entourage with us today - Ace, Blaze, Snake, Hawk, Ryder, Jules, and Ces. Jules and Ces wanted to join us, and I needed enough guys for extra protection. It may be a little bit of overkill, but when it comes to their protection, the more eyes, the better. My brother Ryder still hasn’t claimed Ces, so in the eyes of our Club, he is my responsibility. I don’t take this responsibility lightly, either. He’s too important to my girl, which makes him important to me.
After her blood work, my girl is starving and wants a nice, big, juicy, bacon cheeseburger. So, we hit up a diner on the way home with the best burgers around.
We all sit and enjoy an excellent lunch together. The food is filling, and as my girl's belly gets full, I can see she’s starting to become exhausted.
It’s been a long morning and afternoon for her, and she is ready for her afternoon nap. The babies take all her energy these days. She naps a few times a day.
I settle with the server treating everyone to lunch for tagging along with us today.
I’m just helping Bella up from her chair to bring her to the restroom before we head out when Ace’s phone rings. After a minute or so, he waves me off to take her with a look that says get her out of here. I hand my keys to Ces as we walk away from the table.
On our way out of the diner, I notice Ces and Jules are already in my cage, and the guys are waiting on their bike scanning the area. Ace is standing by the door when we exit. He gives me a look that says we need to talk, but first I need to get Bella in my cage. He follows us, and I get her locked in her seat before turning to him.
“What the hell is going on now?” He gives me a look that I know all too well. “Antonio is back for the girls. Now is our time to get him.” He shakes his head. I take him in, I can see it’s worse than I could ever imagine. He looks torn between worried and mad as all hell. He almost looks like he might be sick at any moment.
“Tell me, man, I can see it all over your face.” I’m not in the mood for bullshit, and he can see that, so he lays it on me.
“Gigi’s missing,” he says, and my stomach turns. I think I may lose my lunch. Oh, dear God, please don’t let him get to her. We can’t lose her, it would destroy my Bella and our family. I have to find her and fast.
“She stole Dusty’s phone and snuck out of the compound, somehow. Throttle is trying to track the phone, with no luck, just yet.
“He searched Dusty’s phone records and apparently, this isn’t the first time she’s taken his phone. She’s been doing this shit for months. She’s been texting a friend of her’s named Abigail and had a fake Facebook account. She’s only connected with a few of her old friends, until today. Today, a burner phone belonging to Antonio, contacted her with a message, it came in three hours ago. It was for her to meet him or he would kill you, Bella, Ces and my Jules in your cage. I had the boys check your cage for any explosives, and it’s clean.
“Antonio sent her a picture of all of us leaving the compound and having lunch together, to prove he could get to them. He scared her and so she...” he doesn’t finish because his phone rings again.
“Gator,” is all I hear him say before I tune him out to think. I do notice the worried look on his face, though.
My heart that was just full of joy and happiness is now shattered, I think for the first time in my life... No maybe the second, I’m scared and fearful. That bastard - it’s always that bastard - got his hands on her, and he’s going to hurt her. I can’t let that happen, we have to get her back before he leaves the state with her and we can’t find him.
Shit, this was Bella’s dream not too long ago, and I dismissed it, not thinking much of it. How wrong was I to do that, fuck?
I take a few deep breaths to compose myself; I can’t worry Bella just yet. I can’t let her see how I feel or she will be devastated.
“Gio, what’s the matter?” Bella’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I turn to look at her trying to get out of the cage. I rush over to stop her and get her locked back in again. I take her in my arms needing her in my embrace to ease my raging nerves.
I don’t want to tell her and have her stroke out from her blood pressure. Then she’d have to be admitted to the hospital, and I can’t protect her there and look for Gigi.
Shit, I don’t know what to tell her. I never got a chance to think that far ahead. Gator called, all I could think about was getting Gigi back before he could hurt her, and not showing Bella any of my emotions. I guess the last one backfired on me, she must have seen my face before I composed myself.
Fuck, fucker, fuck, I don’t know if I should tell her now about her sister in her condition or wait.
Nevertheless, if I don’t tell her something and stay silent like I am now, that can’t be good for her either. Her breathing is already starting to accelerate, and she is shivering in my arms. I have to say something, I don’t want to hurt her more, and I hate lying. Especially, to her and she does have a right to know, it is about her sister who she has taken responsibility for. I will wait to tell her.
“Nothing, baby, nothing,” I say, but she can see right through me. She’s worried, and I need to stop her from thinking anything bad.
“Baby, I need you to stay calm for me. I can’t have you freaking out. Remember what Doc said, if your pressure goes too high again, you would have to be admitted to the hospital. I can’t protect you in there. Can you stay calm and not worry about anything for me. I need you to trust me to take care of things. Please, do that for me, baby.” I say in a calm and soothing tone, which I don’t feel at all inside right now.
That’s all she’s getting from me until we get home and I can make sure her blood pressure is good. Then, I’ll relax her the best way I know how, and tell her the rest later, if need be.
A storm is raging inside me, and I swear, as God is my witness, I’m going to find Anton and end this by the end of the weekend. That bastard’s ass is going to be torn to fuckin’ shreds, and he’s going to be tortured for days.
It’s Wednesday afternoon, so that gives me four days to get him in my clutches and finally end this shit on my terms.
I look over at Jules, and she gives me a look not to tell Bella anything until I’ve had time to figure it all out. She was sitting next to Ace at the table when he received the call from Gator, and I watched her face the whole time until I left. She heard everything Gator said. She knows if I tell Bella it could set her off, and hurt her and the babies. That is why I’m not going to tell her everything just yet. I cannot chance her health over all this, I won’t lose her or our babies if I can help it. Her and our babies are my top priority, and Gigi is next on that list. I will find her before it’s too late and keep her safe.
“Gio, I promise, I trust you more than anyone. Please, just tell me what happened?”
“We need to get home, mio angelo, then we will talk. Everything is under control and will be fine. Okay?” She nods, and I let her go and run to my side of the cage to get us home.
The whole drive back, I contemplate how to tell Bella all this without harming her.
I promised Bella I would protect her and our family, and you can bet your ass that’s exactly what I plan on doing. With an army at my side, I will end this shit, once and for all. My girls and my baby boys will never fear that monster ever again.
I will have Gigi back in our arms, unharmed if it’s the last thing I do.
We get back, and I carry her straight up to our apartment with everyone following us. Once I have her settled in our bed, I can see she wants her answers, and I still don’t have a clue how to tell her.
“Baby, I have to leave you with mom, Jules, Sam, and Ces for a little while. The guys and i have Church, there is some shit going down that needs our immediate attention. I’ll be back soon, and we can talk more. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. I promise. I need you to stay here, take a nap and eat. Can you do that for me?” She nods, and I kiss her.
“We love you, Princess. Please stay here and be a good girl, okay.” Val says sternly from the door.
“I love you all too. I’ll be good, but I want answers when you all return,” she says sassily.
I tuck her in, place a kiss on her nose, and tell her how much I love her and our boys. Before I even leave the room, she’s out cold.
Mom stops me in the kitchen on my way out to give me a hug and tells me to do whatever it takes to get her back to us safely. Val filled her in before we got home.
Now, it’s time to come up with a plan and search for my other girl. She is so going to get her ass beat when I get my hands on her for this stunt of defiance. Once I get her back in my arms, I may never let her go again. Bella and I will be keeping her close for the rest of our life’s. I’m never letting go of my girls, ever!
I can’t believe Gigi fell for his shit and didn’t trust my brothers and me enough to keep them all safe. I have to remind myself, she’s just a teenager and easily manipulated. I’m sure that’s exactly what that bastard did to get her to leave the safety of the compound.
He used Bella against her sister and Gigi wanted to protect Bella and our babies. She doesn’t want his hands on her again to hurt her. Especially, after what happened a few weeks ago in the bar.
The other thing that worries me, and I hope Gator is on top of it, how the hell did she manage to get out undetected? We need to check all our fences around the compound immediately. I’ll tell you one thing if I find out someone in this compound had anything to do with it, I will split him or her in half with my bare hands.
Gator better have sent the prospects out to do it already. Especially Dusty, when I get my hands on that little shit, he is going to wish he was never born.
I remember the agony I felt in my heart when I found out what he did to Bella. Ya, and this just about matches that feeling, if not worse.
This is the worse news, her being with him and knowing what that sick bastard is capable of doing to her. He could annihilate her worse than he did Bella, which would devastate Bella all over again.
When Ace said her name and his, a sharp pain sliced my heart.
Thankfully, Val and the guys have stayed quiet, too quiet for me, but quiet all the same in front of Bella. I can’t have her finding out until the time is right. Soon, I will calm her and tell her. When we can be alone and naked, I will give her some details, but not until then.
We enter the meeting room and the second I lay eyes on Dusty, I push all my worries aside, and my fury comes back with a vengeance.
He’s standing against the sidewall looking down at his feet. I don’t even think, I just pounce on him, pinning him to the wall with my forearm against his throat.
“How could you be so stupid to let her get to your phone? Does she lead you around by your dick too? Are you that fuckin’ desperate for the kid that you would let your cock make all your decisions?” I growl at him as Ace and Blaze try to get me off him. I don’t budge, I’m in beast mode, and I’m like a brick-fuckin’ wall.
“If anything happens to her, anything, I’m holding you fully accountable. I’ll be dragging your ass to the shed, you got me, shithead.” His face is pale from losing oxygen.
“Let him go,” Gator orders and after a second of hesitation, I do. He starts to cough, filling his lungs with air.
Val, Lorenzo, Romeo, and Bash come up to my side and growl at Dusty.
“I didn’t know she was sneaking my phone this whole time, man. I care about her, a lot, and I don’t want anything to happen to her, that’s why I always stay as close to her as I can,” he takes a deep breath and then looks me in the eyes.
“If something happens to her, it will be my fault, and you have my permission to take me to the shed, not like you need it. I feel horrible that I let this happen.” He rubs his chest over his heart, not even bothering with his throat anymore. His heart hurts more than his throat. I know the feeling, but I can’t give him a pass on this one. He doesn’t know what Anton is capable of doing to her, I do.
He must see the look in my eyes, and her brothers because he opens his big fuckin’ mouth again.
“I know what he did to Bella, so does Gigi. She’s not stupid, she figured it out the day they knocked us off the road. I don’t want that to happen to her, I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back. All I want to do is help,” he says, knocking the wind out of me.
I bend forward with my hands on my knees and control my breathing and emotions before I kill him with my bare hands. I feel a hand on both my shoulders from one of the guys.
Val comes in front of me, I’m sure he wants his turn with the kid too. He’s going to have to wait.
“Enough of this shit. Beast, straighten your shit out. Everyone, take a Goddamn seat, now,” Gator orders and I do as I’m told.
As I sit, I see Maddox beside Gator, at the head of the table, the look on his face is pure hatred. Not towards me, towards Antonio. He knows the whole truth about what happened to my girl. As do most of my brothers, after the encounter with Anton at the bar, a few weeks ago.
He’s another man that I had to add to the list of haters, that what a piece of the bastard.
Gator starts Church and Throttle informs us of what he’s found. She’s close, at a hotel, a few miles away, which gives us a chance to get to her. He’s probably waiting for a chance to get Bella before he leaves. I hope Gigi is unharmed when we get her back.
We formulate a plan and get things ready to leave at midnight.
Gator ordered all our brothers, from the other chapters to get their asses here ASAP for back up.
He’s sending 50 of our best men with me and the guys to get her out safely. We will be getting Anton before he slips away.
He has a dozen men, from Maddox’s Club because the hotel is close to their Clubhouse, surrounding the hotel now, on guard, just in case they move her. Or, if Anton leaves for any reason they are to follow him.
As Church is wrapping up - three hours later - Gator receives a call from Torch. Bella found a note in her nightstand from Gigi, and she’s hysterical. She also received a text on her cell.
I don’t think twice, and neither do her brothers. I don’t wait for anyone to follow me either, I just book it to my girl, to soothe her before she hurts herself or our babies. She could cause herself to have a stroke or go into early labor.
I have a duty to protect her and our family, by any means possible, I fuckin’ will. I have a way to relax her; I just have to be alone with her first.