CHAPTER ELEVEN
RIGGS
“Who the fuck, are you?”
Without asking for permission, a man in his late fifties sat down with us at the booth we’d inhabited for the last few hours. He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “I know why you’re here?”
“Oh, really,” Gunner eyed him.
The man was wearing a plaid jacket and jeans. He looked decent enough, but we both knew we couldn’t trust anyone but ourselves. We’d been sitting at the bar for a couple hours. It was nearly two in the morning, but we figured someone was bound to come, and that someone had seemingly just arrived.
“I come bearing a word of advice.”
“And what kind of advice can you possibly have for us?” I elbowed Gunner giving him a gesture like do you believe this guy.
“You’re so smart aren’t you Jason Riggs.”
I frowned and the atmosphere became serious rather quickly. “How do you know my name?”
“I know all your names. I also know where you’re all located. I’m an old friend of Ryder Chase.” Ryder was Wolf’s wife’s father, and co-founder of the Hell’s Lovers. The mere mention of his name had me placing some trust in this guy.
He looked around for a second and then laid his eyes back on us. “While you’re out here scoping the place and getting your drink on, shit’s happening where you come from.”
I leaned forward. “You caught my interest old man. What do you know?”
He shook his head. “It’s not what I know, it’s what I’ve heard.”
Gunner looked at me and we sat silently, waiting for more.
The man came in closer and lowered his voice to the point that we had to strain to listen. “If they found out I was doing this, I’d be a dead man.”
“I ain’t got time for all this murder mystery shit. Spill it or leave, man,” Gunner stated impatiently.
“El Rubio ain’t here no more. He left this morning. Said he needed to help a friend down in Cali. Nestor something or other. Didn’t catch the last name.”
“And why should we trust you?” I asked.
“Because that fucking gang murdered my best friend. They shot him down in a bar just because they didn’t like his tattoos. That’s what they said, they shot him in the head right in front of me,” he looked down at the table. “He had three kids and a wife. We were just having a beer at a bar.” He shook his head. “I owe the Hell’s Lovers. Ryder took me in when I needed protection and I vowed I’d look after him and his boys whenever I could.”
“So, what now? You want revenge?”
He smirked. “I thought I was past my vengeful days, but when I saw him sitting there…” he pointed to a back booth. “I recognized his gang’s tattoos immediately. I didn’t say a word, just stared at him. Motherfucker was all alone. I wasn’t sure what he was doing so far away from where he came from, but then I heard him on the phone with a Tuco. He’s got plans and told him he was going to deliver a package for him, something he’d be happy with. After he hung up he disappeared, but then I saw you walk in.”
He looked at Gunner and Gunner raised a brow. “And?”
“You’re also a Hell’s Lover.”
“Was a Hell’s Lover.”
The old man shrugged. “People talk. To them, you’re Hell’s Lovers’ bounty hunter and word on the street is you’re lookin’ for El Rubio Moreno.”
I stared at Gunner. “Bounty Hunter?” I nodded. “It suits you.”
“Everyone’s talkin’ about it. That motherfucker doesn’t have a chance and he knows it. Too many MCs in Seattle respect the Hell’s Lovers. Soon as he heard you were here, the coward ran away.”
“Word spreads like wildfire. So now you’re helping us?” I said.
The old man nodded. “I’m just giving you a word of advice. Whatever you left back in Cali, I suggest you go after it. Tonight.”
With that, the man stood up and walked out of the bar. I stared back at him and a sense of dread swept through me. I looked at Gunner and he nodded.
“Go. Wolf’s going to need you. I’ll continue asking around.”
I ran out to my bike, and took off like a madman. It was a long ride back home and I was going to need to stop halfway. I only hoped it didn’t have anything to do with my Luna.
I PULLED over into a hotel on the side of the road. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but it was someplace I could rest my head. After driving all night and making a few rest stops, I was starting to feel the pain in my back. Thirteen hours on a bike would kill any man, but I needed to get back home as soon as possible. I figured I’d sleep a couple hours and continue on my way, I was still a solid four hours away from L.A. It was getting around three in the afternoon and all I wanted was a hot shower and a soft bed.
I got a key and then made my way to the room. I needed to call my girl and make sure she was alright and then I’d drift off. As soon as I was done with my shower I dialed Luna’s number but there was no answer. I waited a few minutes and dialed her again, but still no answer.
I stared at my phone as I laid down on the bed. I placed it on the pillow beside me figuring I could hear it when she called me back.
I was jerked awake by an incessant ringing in my ear. I had fallen asleep and it was pitch black outside. The phone stopped and when I picked it up to see who was calling I noticed over twenty missed text messages from Grayson telling me to call him back. It was seven o’clock and he’d been texting me for nearly three hours. Fearing the worst, I quickly dialed him.
“Hey man, everything alright?”
“Fuck Riggs, I’ve been trying to contact you for hours!”
That sense of dread deepened. “What is it, brother?”
There was a pause and I could feel Grayson’s hesitation. “Tell me, Gray. What the fuck is going on?”
“I lost Luna.”
The words pounded and echoed through my brain and I gripped the handlebar trying to control myself. “You lost what?”
“Luna. I can’t find her. She was with Rahyne this afternoon, they were doing some inventory. According to her, Luna told her she needed to use the restroom. After ten minutes Rahyne thought she was taking too long and went in to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found.”
“Were they alone?”
“Knox was supposed to, but I figured it would be okay to leave them for a few minutes. They were inside goddammit!”
“Fuck! I told you not to keep her out of your sight!”
“Shit, I know! We’ve looked everywhere, Riggs. I can’t find her. I was hoping you’d heard from her.”
“Fuck no, I haven’t heard from her. Shit, I knew something was wrong when she didn’t answer the phone.”
“Where are you?”
“Four hours away.” It hit me then, the alarms went off in my head and Luna’s pretty face popped into my head. I was four hours away from her, how could I have been so stupid to leave her. I felt that tug on my heart and I shut it deep down immediately. I went numb, it was the only way I could cope with any of this.
“Grayson, listen to me very carefully,” my voice was low and serious.
He quieted down and didn’t speak a word as I continued. “Look into her foster father, she never told me his goddamn name, but he lives in the neighborhood behind the old warehouses in Lincoln Heights. Her foster mother’s name was Elizabeth she was a teacher, motherfucker was her husband. If you ask around I’m sure someone will know that piece of shit. Go there, but don’t go alone. I have a feeling something’s going on, something big. I’m a couple hours away.”
“Hey, Riggs. Are you going to be okay?”
“Just do what I tell you, Gray. Keep me fucking posted and let me know when you find him.”
I hung up with Grayson and dialed out to Luna. Pick up, pick up, pick, baby. Please pick up. Suddenly the phone was answered and I could hear heavy breathing.
“Who is this?” I growled into the phone.
I heard a man laugh and then I heard a scream in the distance. I gripped the phone, feeling it creak under the force of my hand. “Who the fuck is this!”
“She’s all mine, now, Hell’s Lover. Your precious Luna is finally back home where she belongs.”
“If you lay one finger on her I’ll rip your fucking heart out.”
“Threats are so pointless, at times like these, don’t you think? Then again you can make all the threats you want. She’s going to give me what I want first. I’m sorry to say I can’t guarantee you’ll get to see her again. Not after I’m done with her.”
“You sick son of a bitch. I know who you are and I will find you!”
“And I know who you are Jason Riggs, and I already have what you most want in this world.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I whispered angrily.
“I can’t wait to meet you, Riggs. In the meantime, I’m going to have a little fun with your bitch. You broke her in good for me, didn’t you?”
I could hear her scream in the distance and I felt my heart slam in my chest. “I promise you, that if anything happens to her I’ll make sure you’ll pay for it for the rest of your miserable life.”
“What happened to just killing me, Riggs?”
“Killing you is too kind for the likes of a shit like you. Torture has a nice ring to it.”
“We’ll see about that, Hell’s Lover. We’ll see about that.”
The phone went silent and without hesitating, I ran to my bike and got back onto that highway. I was going more than a hundred miles per hour, but I didn’t give a shit. If the cops followed me then fine, I’d lead them right where I needed them to be.