Victoria
I was a bundle of nerves. Working out the kinks with the restaurant made me feel like things were almost back to normal. I even went ahead and did some scheduling for items for next week just for a little peace of mind. Because I honestly felt like I was going out of my mind. All I wanted was my daughter back, safe and sound, without any injuries or drug addictions or anything else. Was that too much to ask?
Seeing the extent to which Grant’s guys were willing to go, the lengths they would take to try to find their boy and my daughter warmed me up to them. I never thought I would be here, in their headquarters. I always rolled my eyes whenever Trenton had talked about Devil’s Horns. Now I understood why people joined motorcycle clubs. It really was like a second family. And in between my phone calls, a few came up to ask me if I needed anything—water, beer, food—if they could get me a chair—I was pacing, too anxious to sit down—and if I was all right. It made me feel welcome, like they thought I belonged. A few girlfriends or wives were over, so I wasn’t the only female around, and everything just helped to settle me down a little.
After learning about the guards having guns, any sense of ease that I might’ve had was shattered. I had given those same guards lip. I had talked back to them. I hadn’t been threatened, but I had come close. If Grant hadn’t showed up, what might have happened? I definitely dialed it back a bit when he came over.
I might’ve gotten myself killed.
I was trembling the whole ride back to Grant’s place, and I needed him. Bringing him to the bedroom had been an impulse. My intention had only been for us to sleep together—as in sleep together, actually sleep—but then I wanted a good night kiss, and one turned to three, turned into a make-out session, turned into something more.
Was it just sex? I wasn’t so sure anymore. It wasn’t fucking, that I knew. It was more than that. It set my soul on fire, made my body all tingly. It was amazing, mind blowing.
It made me feel safe.
Which I desperately needed. I so needed to feel safe.
But it also made me feel guilty. What if Sage was in danger? What if she was hurt? What if she was somewhere, right this moment, crying and calling out for me?
And here I was, having sex.
In a way, the sex felt life affirming. After the danger I had unknowingly walked into—the armed guards—I wanted to do something that put my stamp on my life, that proved I was the one in charge.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, and I woke up a few times during the night to find his arm still wrapped around me. And for those brief moments, when I first stirred and felt his embrace, I felt happy. Not just safe. Happy.
The guilt kicked back in again. I liked this man. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to see who exactly he was outside of the crazy frantic bustle to find our people. What did he want out of life? What were his hopes and dreams? Would he ever settle down?
Somehow, for me, he had already come to be more than just a one-night stand. I had only fancied myself in love once. The guy had seemed like a keeper at first, but then, the closer we became, the more he relaxed around me until he finally let his true colors show, and, man, were they ugly colors.
Love. What was I thinking? I was moving way too fast! I didn’t love Grant, but the thing was, I could see myself falling for him if I wasn’t careful.
Should I be careful, though? If Sage’s disappearance showed anything, it was that life was short, and you should do what you could to be happy for as long as possible.
Life was short.
My cell buzzed, and I stirred, reaching for it. Grant was still asleep, so I slipped out of the covers and left the room, not wanting to disturb him.
It was early, very early. I blinked a few times to be able to see who was calling. Georgia Henderson.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Victoria? You still looking for your girl?”
“Yes, I am.” I gripped the cell phone until it dug into my palms. “Have you seen her?”
“No, I haven’t, but there is a black car here.”
“Okay…” I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“I’ve seen it before a few times. Always late at night. I don’t sleep a lot. I have insomnia, and sometimes I like to look out my window at the stars. Well, like I said, I’ve seen that car before, and I know I’ve seen Trenton go on down and talk to whoever is in the car. I’ve never seen the people in the car, and they just pulled up now. Not sure what exactly they’re doing. Should I call the police?”
“Can you see the license plate?”
“The car is backed in. I can’t see the plate.”
“Can you take a picture of the car? What year and make and model is it?”
“Oh dear. Hold on.” There was fumbling. “Okay. I took a few pictures. Without the flash. I don’t want them to see me. And I can’t tell the year and everything just by looking at a car. Sorry. It is black, though.”
“Thanks.” I grimaced. Not a whole lot to go by.
“Should I call the—oh, wait. They’re leaving. Strange. They didn’t get out of the car or anything. Just parked, took a look, and now they’re gone.”
“Okay.” My mind raced. What could I do? What should I do with this information? “Do you feel safe?”
“Oh, dear, no one is gonna bother little old me. If you don’t want me to call the police, I won’t. It won’t bother me none. I try to keep out of messes.”
As long as she knew what the mess was. She was a gossip, that was for sure.
“I’m gonna stop by,” I said, making up my mind on the spot. If they came back, I could tail them. At least it would give me something to do. I felt like I was going to go stir crazy if I had to have an unproductive day. As a restaurant owner, I never had a moment to myself, and even when it was off hours, there was still plenty to do. This sitting around, hoping, and waiting thing was wearing on me.
“Are you—”
I hung up. Grant was still sleeping, and I glanced at the time on my cell. It was even earlier than I thought it was. Four in the morning. Ugh.
After leaving a note for Grant, I got in my car and hightailed it over to Trenton’s apartment.
I called Georgia the moment I parked to make sure the car in question hadn’t returned.
“No. I honestly thought the car wouldn’t show up since Trenton’s gone away, or else I would’ve mentioned it to you earlier,” she said.
“No worries,” I assured her.
“I’m gonna call you right back if I see them.”
“Thank you.”
She hung up first this time.
It only took me five minutes before I was bored already. Guess I wasn’t meant for a stakeout. Having nothing else better to do, I went to Trenton’s apartment. Really, it was silly to, since I was pretty sure Grant had locked it, and I didn’t know how to pick a lock.
But the door was ajar.
My mouth dry, my chest tight, I pushed open the door.
The place was wrecked. Ransacked, clothes all over the place, table and chairs upturned.
The bathroom was even worse. No one thing remained in the cabinet under the sink. The cabinet behind the mirror had also been emptied, the contents of both scattered all over the floor. A shampoo bottle had broken, and the soap drenched the floor.
Someone had come here. Looking for the drugs? Or looking for money?
Freaked out, I started to call Grant as I left the apartment, but then Georgia was calling.
“They’re out front again,” she hissed.
I dashed back to my car, a hand up to help cover my face so they couldn’t see me. Before I could climb in, though, they were already driving away. They hadn’t parked this time—just a drive by. I did manage to get a look at the passenger, and I could’ve sworn he was one of the guards who gave me lip at the bar.
I tried to tail them, but as soon as they slowly drove through the parking lot, they took off at a blazing speed. Traffic laws be damned, I tore after them, but the town was starting to wake up, and I got caught behind traffic, and soon their taillights disappeared from view. I tried to find them again, but I had lost them.
Feeling defeated, I started back toward Grant’s loft. I was still a few miles away when my phone dinged from a text. Probably about the restaurant.
I pulled over just in case, and thank fuck that I did.
I’m safe, Mom, but I wanna come home.
Tears filled my eyes, blurring the words. I cried and cried and cried, the hardest I ever cried in my life. My girl was alive. She was safe.
But why couldn’t she just come home if she wanted to?
I wiped away my tears and did my best to compose myself, reading and rereading the text a hundred times.
Only once I was sure that I had myself together did I call her. Maybe she couldn’t talk. Maybe she wouldn’t answer. Maybe she had texted instead of calling me for a reason.
But she picked up.
“Mom?”
Hearing her call me that almost made me burst into tears again. “Sage. Honey. Are you all right? Where are you?” My voice shook, but I sounded comforting, at least I thought and hoped I did.
She burst into tears.
Oh no. It took everything in me not to cry, too. Was she hurt? Had Trenton hit her? Had bad guys come after them? I had so many questions, but I bottled them all up inside. The last thing I wanted to do was to make her stressed out. I wanted her to feel safe while talking to me. I wanted her to take her time telling me what happened. I wasn’t going to demand answers.
So I made comforting noises and whispered to her that it was all right, all while hoping I was helping her feel better and praying I wasn’t lying to her.
“You’re all right,” I repeated for the twentieth time. “You’re all right.”
“Mom…” She sniffled.
“Take your time,” I said. “Take a deep breath.”
She listened.
“Another one,” I coached.
She did.
“Do you feel any better?”
Fresh tears all over again.
Damn it. Me and my big mouth.
It took me even longer to get her to calm down again, but that didn’t matter. I was just thrilled to hear her, even if she was crying. Sage was alive! She might not be happy, but she was all right!
When she seemed to be calming down once more, I ventured asking, “Where are you?”
“Douglastown,” she said, still sniffling but not outright crying anymore. “Moonshine Motel. Mom, you can’t tell anyone where I am, though. It’s not safe. I…I have to go.”
And she hung up.
I immediately dialed her back, but she didn’t answer. I sent her text after text, but she didn’t reply.
Douglastown, huh? Moonshine Motel.
I sent Grant a few texts. I’m all right. Then, Sage texted me. She’s all right…for now. And then, She’s at Moonshine Motel in Douglastown. Going now.
I was near the highway. There wasn’t a point in going back to his place to get him. He could meet me there. I couldn’t wait. I had to get to Sage.