Wolf
I adjust my painful hard-on as I walk over to my desk and sit down. “Well, asshole, what’s so damn important that you would interrupt Pepper and me?”
“It’s bad, Wolf. Dog’s sister was beaten so badly, nobody can tell who she is. Her jaw is broken, and she can’t talk. They identified her by her driver’s license,” Slick explains quickly. He knows I want as many details as fast as I can get them.
“Has anyone told Dog yet?" I ask.
“No, he’s on patrol, so he has his walkie-talkie with him. He left his cell in his room. The police called his mom when they couldn’t reach Dog. She came in from the apartments, and I was the first person she saw. She's hysterical. She’s with Bear right now until we get in touch with Dog.”
“Call an emergency meeting for church. I’ll call Travis to go out and relieve Dog. We need to beef up security. I’m going to call in some guys from another chapter to come in to help out.”
“Yeah, before this is over we’re going to need their help. You want to tell Dog before or after we get to church?” Slick asks. I know he hopes he doesn’t have to be the one to tell Dog the bad news.
“We’ll tell Dog as soon as he gets in here. Wait a minute, how did they get her? Did she not make it to lockdown in time? I ask knowing she knows better than to leave the grounds during a lockdown.
“Not sure. I bet she did and then snuck off the compound to meet the boyfriend. Dog told me she’s been giving him and his mom attitude about not being able to see him.”
“All right, let’s get this in motion.” I nod, dismissing Slick from my office. I call Travis and tell him to relieve Dog and send him directly to my office. As I’m waiting for the man, my cell dings with a text from a number I don’t recognize. I open the attached file, and there staring at me is a picture of a brutally beaten woman in a hospital bed. The text reads, ‘Next time this will be one of your family members.’
Throwing the phone down on my desk, I stand and ram my fist through the damn wall. Fuck, they worked Dog’s sister over hard, and this shit just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I run my hands through my hair, tugging it to make it stand on end. I hate to be the one to break this shit to Dog.
I forward the text to Ghost, telling him to put a trace on the number.
There’s a knock at my door and in walks Dog. He knows something’s wrong just by looking at me. “Sit down, man. I got some bad news.” I motion to the chair opposite mine on the other side of the desk as I sit, tugging my hair again. Wearily, Dog sits and looks at me pointedly, an edge of caution flickering in his eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry to have to tell you this.”
“Don’t you dare tell me someone is dead,” Dog warns.
“Nobody’s dead. It’s your sister, though. We think she somehow snuck off the property to see her boyfriend and was snatched. She’s at the hospital and has been beaten bad. Your mom isn’t doing well with this—you need to be calm for her. She’s with Bear, waiting on you. Slick and Bear will go to the hospital with you,” I explain.
I watch as Dog lets it all sink in, ready if he needs me. He just stands, looks at me, and nods his head. He starts to go out the door, then stops and turns around. “I’m going to motherfucking kill whoever had something to do with this. I’ll kill them one by one if I have to.”
I round the desk and approach him. “I know you want to. We’ll take care of them together, but we need to be smart about it. We don’t even know for sure who was involved, but we’ll sort it out. I know this isn’t what you want to hear. I would fucking kill anyone who touched mine. You go ahead and get your family taken care of, and then we’ll make plans tomorrow. We’re meeting for church now so I can get everyone else up to speed. Keep me informed on your sister’s condition.” I clap my hand over his shoulder as we leave the office.
Church is chaotic as we discuss the ongoing issues the MC has been faced with suddenly. They’re pissed to hear about Dog’s sister, Abby, but for now, we have bigger problems—like the Dwellers. The brothers were shocked to hear that Crystal admitted to being sent by the Dwellers to spy on us and that she’s agreed to help us. I don’t think many of them trust her knowing that she turned tail so quickly, and I can’t say I blame them. For now, we’ll work with that intel we’ve got and burn that bridge when the time comes. We set a plan in motion to watch over the plant at the daycare until we can extract the enemy, and now we need to figure out who the other plants could be at the strip club and the bar.
“Tank, did you find out who was on duty when the Dwellers’ prospect snuck into the compound?”
“Yes, it was prospect Bill. He said he heard a loud noise outside the gate so he opened it and walked outside the perimeter about twenty yards. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so he went back in and locked the gate up. This was right before the sun started coming up.”
“That means the fucker was inside the gate for over three and a half hours. I think we need to have a deeper look around the compound. There is no telling what he might have done while he was in the gate!” I snap.
Ghost, our tech guy, speaks up. “I’ll go back over the surveillance tapes. Also, it might be a good idea to check around the compound for a break in the fence.”
“I’m on it,” Shadow says.
“Okay, brothers, meeting adjourned. We’ll have another meeting when the guys from our other chapters get here.” I slam the gavel against the table.
We all file out of church and head to the kitchen for supper. I scan the room for Pepper and head over to her as soon as I spot her. I lean down to kiss her and she turns to me, giving me her sweet lips for a quick kiss. Realizing what she just did in front of everyone, her face flushes bright red. I just squeeze her shoulder and give her a smirk.
“Is everything alright?” she asks.
I bend down to her, whispering, “No, it’s not, but we will talk about it later. Now’s not the time.”
“Okay,” she agrees. I like that she just accepts what I say and doesn’t question me in front of the others. “Sometime in the next day or so I’ll need to go shopping, Wolf.”
“Make a list, and then we can send someone after what you need.”
“No, I want to do my own,” she insists. “I can drive myself if you point me in the right direction.” Damn, she’s snappy.
“Babe, you can’t go out by yourself right now, much less shopping,” I explain.
“I can take one the girls with me then.”
Turning my head sharply, I narrow my eyes at her, trying to get my damn point across with a harsh tone. “I don’t think you fuckin’ get it, Pepper. You will not go anywhere outside of this compound by yourself or with one of the girls.”
Without further argument or even a backward glance, she clears her plate and glass from the table and leaves the room with a bit more sass in her step. I know she’s pissed at me right now—hell, I’m pissed as hell, too. I’m the damn Prez and the weight of the situation at hand is weighing down on me. Dealing with Pepper’s smart mouth sure as hell isn't helping. There’s no making her understand the severity of the situation when she’s not familiar with MC life. I can’t tell her what’s going down, just that she can’t leave and it’s for her safety. But having some asshole she’s just met two days ago put a lockdown on her entire life has to be frustrating. Fuck—that woman has me overanalyzing every damn thing. Shoveling a bite of food into my mouth, I try to focus on the random conversation happening at the table. It’s all a mess of noise, nothing making any damn sense. Guilt riddles me for snapping at Pepper, so I push away from the table to go looking for her. I hear voices in the bar area, so I head that way.
“Sweet pea, you’re like a breath of fresh air. If you weren’t already Wolf’s, I’d take you as mine right now.” The ugly sneer that's usually present on Dog’s face is hidden by a smile. I hang back out of sight, curious to hear Pepper’s response.
“Who says I’m Wolf’s? That’s news to me!” Pepper’s face sours. “What’s with that man thinking he can just lay claim on me like I’m a possession and his word is law?”
“He claimed you at lunch today, when he said that Slick was sitting in his seat,” Dog reminds her.
“Oh, I thought they were just being funny. You know, like where is your name on the chair?” She tilts her head at him, her brows scrunched up like she’s confused.
Dog chuckles and shakes his head. “No, sweetie, that was his way of letting everyone know you’re off limits.”
“Well, I’m sure glad you told me because I had no idea he was for real.” She blows out a breath like the wind was just knocked from her lungs. “Enough said about that. What’s wrong with you?” she asks with a worried frown.
Dog’s voice is harsh and angry as he goes into detail about his sister’s attack, and Pepper winces with each sordid detail. She links her arm through his and rests her head upon his chest, and that’s my cue to let my presence be known. I know she’s trying to be a friend, but men like Dog can take a woman’s generosity as weakness. He’s my brother and a damn good man, but I sure as hell don’t trust his big ass far enough to throw him.
The thud of my boots echoes off the walls with each step I take into the room, surprising Dog and Pepper. “Well, what the hell’s going on in here, Dog?” I straighten my shoulders and glower down at the bastard. “Why’s my lady all cuddled up next to you?”
Dog gives me a pointed look and opens his mouth to speak, but Pepper jumps up from the couch and gets right in my face. “You!” She pokes at my chest, her adorable face contorting with obvious anger. “Who I talk to, cuddle with—whatever—none of that is your business! Besides, Dog doesn’t need your attitude right now! He’s had some bad news and he needed a friend!”
“Wolf, man, your lady was just trying to help me deal. Don’t take any offense,” he says with his palms up in defense. I tip my chin at him. Dog knows me well enough to know if I thought he was making a pass at my woman, I’d beat his ass first and ask questions later. “I’m going to check right now to see if Mom and the guys are ready to head to the hospital.”
I clap his shoulder as he passes by. “Later, Dog. Let us know if you need anything else.”
He smirks. “Lucky bastard.”
Pepper stands stock-still, her arms crossed over her chest as smoke rolls out of her ears. Damn woman can’t get a clue.
“Babe, go upstairs to get ready for tonight’s party. I have a few things to handle, then I’ll be up so we can talk.”
She rolls her eyes and moves to go around me, huffing angrily under her breath. I grab her elbow and jerk her into me, kissing her breathless. As I release her from my grip, her eyes flutter open and she touches her lips. “Go on, baby, I won’t be long,” I say softly.
Pepper nods, her eyes locked in a haze as she slowly does as she’s told.