“Fuck man there’s more going on than even our informant is telling us,” Crusher says as we walk out the door. I try not to wince at the clanging of the doors, but I do just the same.

“I know.” We walk towards the visitor’s area where the lockers we were given to hold our personal items are located.

“So what the fuck are we going to do? We need to get him out of here.”

“Call Eagle, tell him to speed this shit up. I don’t care what money is involved or who we need to pay.”

Crusher doesn’t respond, but there’s not much to say.

We wait while the guard behind the counter takes our claim ticket. He pushes are cellphones and billfolds across to us. We grab them and leave. I hate that I’m so relieved to get out of there. Guilt eats at me, because I’m leaving my brother in there to rot. Hell yeah, Eagle needs to get on the ball.

Once we make it outside, I put my shades back on and stop when I get on my bike. Shit, maybe I am pussy whipped, but I want to check in with my woman. That’s when I notice that I have twenty missed calls from Irish and Nailer. Crusher gets on his bike beside me, but he doesn’t talk. Maybe he can tell from my face that shit is fucked up.

“Yo! What the fuck is going on?” I say as soon as Irish picks up the phone.

“Dragon, man Nicole is missing.”

Holy fuck, my heart hurts.

With three words I know more fear than I have ever felt in my life.

“Motherfucker, I left her in your care! You better be fucking joking and let me say right now… that fucking shit ain’t funny. I’m going to personally pull your head out of your ass

backwards…”

“Dragon, her girl called and asked her to meet at their house. I made her take Nailer. Hell, Dragon, Nailer said it was an ambush. He opened the door and some fucker knocked him out cold. When he woke up your woman, her girl and whoever hit him were gone, but.... Shit man.”

“What damn it?” I feel a knot in my chest and I know it’s fear. Total fear.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Fuck man... there was blood everywhere.”

I think my heart stops. Whatever I’m feeling in this moment goes beyond fear.

“What about the cameras at the house?” I ask, trying to think. Anything the club owned had cameras on them but fuck, the cameras on that old house were ancient. Why the hell hadn’t I thought to change them sooner?”

“It looks like the girls got away into the hills. Some fucker came out behind them, got in a car and left.”

“So, he didn’t follow them?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.

“No, but we haven’t heard from Nic. The boys have been combing the hills and the main road.”

“Crush and I are about an hour out. Call the Ohio Chapter and tell them we won’t be there today. Then you put every fucking man we have out searching. I want her found, Irish. If she’s hurt, I’m taking it out on your motherfucking ass for letting her leave during lockdown!”

I look at Crusher while I start up my bike.

“Home, now!” I order, not explaining the rest. I figure he heard enough of the conversation that I don’t need to clue him in.

My fucking palms are sweaty and my heart is beating out of my chest. I’m not a praying man. I figure God turned his back on me before I was born. It’s the only explanation for the way my life started, but right now, I find myself praying and praying hard. I need this woman. Last night cemented that for me, when she held me and told me she just needed me. Fuck. No one has ever ripped me open like that before. They sure hadn’t claimed me and been proud of that shit. In my experience women wanted to fuck the president because I was the president, but that was about it.

Nicole could care less about the club or my position in it. I still don’t understand what it is between us, but after last night I know this girl is it for me. I have to have her. I have to keep her and fuck, she has to be safe. She just has to be.

Hold on Mama, I’m coming. I repeat that mantra over and over, in my head… all while praying she can somehow hear me.