I hold Nicole until she cries it out. Eventually, exhaustion takes her over and she sleeps. I will not be sleeping. Fuck, after my woman talking like she was leaving me, I may never sleep again. At thirty-six years old, I don’t think anything or anyone has ever gutted me like hearing Nicole tell me she needed time away from me.

I get her settled, and she snuggles up against the pillow. I get dressed because I need a drink. Fuck, I need a drink. First, I have business. I called the church meeting, I have to talk to the men. I’m running late, but what-the-fuck-ever at this point. Today has been one shit-storm after another.

“Does your woman know where Dani is?”

I barely make it out the door when Crusher comes at me. I reach out my hand and push his shoulder back. What the fuck?

“Nicole is sleeping fucker, step back into the main room and we’ll talk.”

“Fuck, that. I need to find Dani. Does your woman fucking know where she is or not?”

Crush’s face is red, his hair is rumpled, and the brother looks torn up. How did Dani get her hooks in him that deep, before I realized it?

“You need to step the fuck back, man. I told you Nicole is sleeping. She cried herself to sleep, and by God she’s going to rest. You feel me?”

Crush rakes his hands through his hair.

“You don’t understand Drag, this bastard will hurt her.”

Somehow, I just know the her he’s talking about, is not Nicole. Probably, because I’m not stupid.

“You knew about this shit?” I growl, walking through the hallway towards my office where we’re meeting.

“I knew she was running. Didn’t know what from, not until all this shit went down. She left me a damn note, a fucking note!”

“Something you want to tell me, brother?” I ask, as we close the door to the office. The others are already here.

“She’s mine, Dragon. I’ve got to find her, and you can either help me, or get the fuck out of my way,” Crush says, and the room goes deathly quiet.

“You need to calm your ass, and sit the fuck down,” I say quietly. It’s taking all I have right now not to lay my brother out.

“Bullshit! If Nicole were involved, you’d be tearing the place apart trying to find this motherfucker!” Crush argues.

I grab him by his cut and slam him back against the wall. His hands come up, but he doesn’t fight me. Still, I can see the need to do so in his eyes.

“Nicole is involved, motherfucker. Now, you need to listen to me. Step. The. Fuck. Down. Do not cause me more shit, because all that will do is slow us down.”

He stares at me; his body is rigid.

“I will find her, Dragon.”

“No, Crush, we’ll find her. Last thing you need to do is go off half-cocked and take on this dude. He’s a bad motherfucker, and he has the money to back that shit up. We’ll handle this my way. You feel me?”

He shrugs away from my hold, I let him. I’d like to acquaint his teeth with my fist for mouthing off to me, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry.

“Freak, you got my info?” I growl, turning back to the table where the rest of the men are sitting. For now, I’m letting Crusher slide. One thing is clear though, his head is not in the game. I’m going to have to be careful how I deal with him. Part of me understands it, hell, I’ve been there with Nicole. Still, you got to keep your head at all times. If you don’t, your woman ends up dead and maybe a lot more along with her.

“Yeah, man,” he replies, sliding over a manila folder towards me. I pick it up off the table and look through the information he’s gathered on Michael Kavanagh. I thumb through the papers while sitting down.

“Where’s our guest?”

“Frog’s sitting on him at the shed,” Hawk speaks up.

I look up at all my brothers. None are smiling, which is good because we’re in the middle of a crap-fest. That said, Bull’s look is different. Fuck, I can’t deal with more than one fucking mess at a time.

“Call Frog, tell him to let the son of a bitch go.”

“The fuck you will, that might be the only lead we have back to Dani!” Crusher yells.

“Crush, man, I’m not telling your ass again. Rein your shit in. Nicole said Dani left on her own. She promised to check in soon with Nicole. We’ll have to wait to handle that shit then. For now, listen up, because I’m not going to fucking explain myself to you again. We’re letting the weasel go and we’re following him back to his man. Got it?”

“We need to work him over and find out exactly what they know about Dani. We can get this Michael’s whereabouts from him that way. None of this cat and mouse shit,” Crusher argues yet-a-fuck-again.

If I were still standing up, I’d kick his ass. I’m too fucking tired and worn out to fool with it right now.

“Get the fuck out!” I order instead. The room goes silent.

“Damn it, Drag! We have to…”

“You’re not hearing me motherfucker, I said get the fuck out. I can’t deal with your shit right now. You are out of this, until you manage to get your head out of your ass, untie the knot in your balls, and listen to sense.”

“Drag!”

“Get out, motherfucker! Now.”

Crusher’s face is frozen, and he’s pissed. I can see it big time, I also know I’m doing this now, so there’s not a bigger problem later.

He stomps out the door without another word.

I sigh heavily. Fuck.

“Now, let’s talk over this shit and then you call Frog and tell him to let the son of a bitch free.”