CHAPTER TWELVE
Zeek
WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING AROUND for hours. We’ve stopped and asked everyone Lip knows if they know anything but we’ve come up short every time. The only place left is the actual sheriff’s office.
Lip pulls up outside the Department and Parks building.
“You planning on just going in and asking if they have her?” My tone laced with derision.
“No, someone will be off shift soon, and we’ll make him tell us.”
My chest tightens with pride. My pussy brother does have some balls.
“I like the way you think.”
Looking back up, some guy carrying a bag of leaves climbs into a black truck.
“Here we go,” Lip whispers, pulling in behind him.
As soon as the truck pulls down a deserted street Lip floors it, pulling in front of him and slamming on the brakes.
Quickly, I get out.
“What the fuck! Do you know who I am?” the cop yells as he jumps from the vehicle.
Getting to him before Lip, I grab the fucker by the throat and slam him against the side of his truck so hard I swear his shoulder dents the fender.
“Do you know who the fuck I am?” I push through gritted teeth.
“Easy, brother, we’re just getting information, remember?” Looking over my shoulder Lip stands with his arms crossed.
Exhaling a furious breath, which does nothing to calm me, I ease my grip…some.
“Did a sheriff bring a blonde female into custody by the name of Jillian McAdams?” I ask, trying to keep my anger in check. It’s not working, my hands are shaking with the need to slam my problems into this asshole’s jaw.
“No, no blondes, and nobody by that name.” He shakes his head frantically.
“You know what I’m going to do if you’re fucking lying—”
“I’m not lying, man, I promise!”
Looking down I flick his nametag.
“Well, Tyrese, if I find out you’re lying…I will be back. And my brother here,” I glance at Lip. “He won’t be here to save you next time.”
Tyrese’s eyes widen, his head mimicking a bobble head. “No, I swear. I’m not lying.”
Giving him one last push, I step back. Rolling my shoulder to help ease the tension I march back to the SUV and get in.
Lip follows, putting the car in drive and racing off.
“He took her to Vegas,” I mutter, my hands flexing.
“I’ve tried all my contacts, nobody has seen them in town.”
“I need to get back to the casino, to my club,” I state, staring out the window.
“I can’t believe you of all people fell for a fucking pig.” My head whips in Lip’s direction.
“Unless you want to be pushed out of this fucking car, I’d watch the way you talk about her,” my tone threatening and stare icy. He furrows his brows, gripping the steering wheel with his other hand. “She ain’t like that. You don’t know her like I do.”
“I’m just wondering if some pussy is worth all this, man.” He shakes his head. “Especially a cop’s.”
“Yeah, well, if memory serves me right I’m pretty sure a certain someone was just as screwed up in the head when his chick was taken from him.” His jaw clenches, eyes that look familiar from when we were kids and he wanted to beat me resurfacing.
“You had to go there, didn’t you?” Looking down at my knuckles the emotions I felt when I took his girlfriend rears up. I was angry, when people are angry they do stupid shit.
“I wasn’t going to hurt her, I was just trying to get your attention.” I shake my head, looking out the window.
“I should be killing you for what you’ve done.”
I lift a brow, a small smirk curling my upper lip. “You could have killed me, but you didn’t.”
He looks at me quizzically, shifting in his seat nervously. “At your club, you could have shot me in the head and been done with me, but you didn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I missed my target, I guess.”
“No, you hit your target perfectly. You shot me where you intended to shoot me.” I look at him, right at the time he looks back at me.
“What the fuck you getting at?”
“You didn’t want to kill me.” I smile a big toothy grin, but he isn’t smiling. In fact, he looks fucking pissed.
He slams on the brakes, turns the car off, and gets out. That’s when I realize we’ve reached the Devil’s Dust club.
Resting my head on the back of the headrest, fear strikes my chest. What if Cross has Jillian? What if Uncle Frank gave the order to take her out however he saw fit? Shaking my head, I attempt to clear the negative thoughts from my mind.
Slowly I climb out of the car. I need to find a phone, call my boys back home. See if they’ve heard or seen anything.
Walking into the club, all of the Devil’s Dust men stop what they’re doing and look at me. All eyes on me, silence filling the club and I get the overwhelming feeling I am not welcome. I don’t blame them, coming here was such a bad fucking idea.
“I’ll go.” I turn to leave.
“Wait,” Lip states.
One hand on the door, I turn my head over my shoulder.
“You can stay at my place until you figure out your next move.” My brows furrow. Did I hear him right?
“Brother, what are you doing?” Bull asks, lighting a cigarette casually.
Lip looks at me, and crosses his arms. The way he takes a deep breath conveying what he’s about to say is hard for him.
“He’s my brother, he’s family. As much as I hate his ass and want him out of here. I can’t turn my back on family. It’s just as much my fault as it is Zeek’s with what went down. I disrespected his club, and his name. We all know when someone spits on our club colors, it’s open grounds for war.” He runs his hands back and forth through his hair. As much as I don’t want him defending me, he’s right. In our world, if someone disrespects another club’s colors, it’s game fucking on. That’s what happened between us, a fucking war. “Zeek wasn’t here to hurt Tom Cat, he was here for me. I haven’t been the brother I should have been, and I need to fix this. I understand if none of you get that, I do. Cause truthfully, I’m not sure that I fucking get it.” Shaking his head, he looks down. I can tell he doesn’t want to help me, but feels the need to. The club is silent, everyone looking between Lip and me.
“I get that, son, I do,” Bull adds, blowing smoke into the air.
“Doesn’t mean I forgive him.” Lip hits me with a hard stare.
“I can live with that,” I state, turning to face him fully. “You don’t have to do this though, I take full responsibility for what I did. I don’t expect you or any of your men to help me. Coming here…” I run my hands through my hair. “I just didn’t know where else to take Jillian to keep her safe.”
“I have a friend in Vegas, works as a trooper. I’ll give him a call, see if I can work in a favor.” Bull rubs his chin thoughtfully.
“I’d appreciate that.” I nod gratefully.
“I have a bike you can use to get back to Vegas, too, I’ll get the prospect to pull it out,” Lip offers.
I am taken aback, watching the Devils work together and come up with a solution. And they’re doing it all for Lip. They have his back, regardless if I deserve any of this or not. This is the brotherhood that Lip wanted, what he deserves. Comparing my club to theirs, we lack that kind of loyalty. Hard. If I was Bull, and this was my club I wouldn’t be breathing.
This is a fucking brotherhood.