This day has been a fucking nightmare. Starting with Pres calling an urgent church this morning. The Nevada chapter of the Sinners wants us to start running guns for them. The money’s good, but the risk’s high, and as far as I can see, it isn’t worth the reward.
The club president is in charge, but for stuff like this a unanimous vote from all of us is needed, and we spent three fucking hours debating if we should get in bed with the Nevada brothers. In the end, we all decided that it wasn’t worth it; none of us want to end up locked up.
I got another fucking phone call the moment church finished from a frantic business owner that we provide security for. Someone had broken in and stolen a load of jewellery, and I had to go over and check the video feed.
By the time I get the film of the thieves and pass it to the boys to go track them down, it’s late afternoon and the pull to go find my girl is fucking overwhelming.
I jump on my bike and head back towards Strikers. Livvy’s shift runs till ten tonight, so I know she’ll still be there. Speeding down the highway, I’m fucking desperate to get to her. I’ve had a nasty feeling in my gut all day that something’s wrong, and until she’s in my arms, I won’t settle.
I slow at an intersection and my phone rings, so I pull over to answer it. Daisy’s name flashes on the screen and my heart starts to pound. I texted him earlier to tell him I was on my way, so he wouldn’t be calling unless something was wrong.
“Is she okay?” I ask. I can hear him breathing, but he doesn’t speak, and the sick feeling in my stomach intensifies. “Daisy, what the fuck’s going on. Is she okay?”
“She’s gone.”
“What? What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone? How the fuck can she be gone? You’re watching her. Why the fuck weren’t you watching her?” I shout.
“I don’t know what happened, man. One minute she was here, then she was gone,” Daisy says, worry clear in his voice.
“Well, look for her,” I snarl. “Fuck, do you think someone took her?” I say, suddenly terrified that Mimi got to her.
“I’ve searched, man, but she’s not anywhere.”
“Did you go back to the house? Maybe she went to Gus’s. She and him are close now,” I say, panicked.
“No, man, I’ve been looking all over town, and I’ve even been to the club in case she went there.”
“Fuck. I’ll go check the house. Hopefully she’s there and trying to make a point to me. She’s pissed off at being babysat all the time.” I sigh, a slither of hope filling my chest that she’s just done this to be a fucking brat.
“Echo, brother, I’m so fucking sorry. I should have been watching her better.”
I can hear his remorse and fear, but I don’t care. She’s missing, and it was his fucking job to make sure that didn’t happen. “Yeah, you should have,” I growl.
I kick my bike started and race across town, breaking every speed limit as I fly towards home. If she did this just to be a brat, I’m gonna tan her ass so hard when I find her, she won’t be able to fucking sit down for a week.
Pulling onto the driveway, I kill the engine and jump off. I search the house, but she’s not here. Panicked, I run back to our bedroom and frantically search for something to help me find her. I open our wardrobe door and instantly stop. It’s empty; all of her clothes are gone.
She’s gone, not taken by someone or playing games with me.
She left me.
“Fuck!” I bellow. My fist connects with the wall. Shards of plaster fly everywhere, and a fist-sized hole remains in the aftermath of my anger.
I slide down the wall. My ass hits the floor, and I cradle my head in my hands.
She’s gone.
Frozen, I sit on the floor in shock.
She left me.
My phone’s been ringing in my pocket, but I can’t seem to find the energy to answer it.
She’s gone.
Rubbing my eyes, I blink, forcing them to focus. The sun glints off something just under the bed, and prying my ass off the floor, I crawl towards it. The fine silver chain dangles from my fingers, the heart-shaped charm swinging.
Touching something of Livvy’s jolts me into action. It’s time to fucking pull myself together and go find my girl.
No way am I letting her run from me. She’s mine. I own her fucking ass, and I plan on bringing her home to me. I love her and she loves me. She’s gone ’cause I’m a fucking idiot. We’re forever. I need to find her so I can make sure she knows that too.
By the time I walk into Strikers, I’m so fucking angry I’m seeing red. Marching straight over to Daisy, I grab him by the neck and pin him against the wall, screaming in his face. “How the fuck did this happen? You’re supposed to watch her, and yet she fucking gone. You’re gonna wish you were dead by the time I’m done with you.”
Daisy’s hands scrabble at mine, his fingers clawing at my skin, trying to get me to release my hold. But I’m not thinking clearly; my mind’s consumed by Livvy and the fact that she ran from me.
Brandi’s shouts break through the red mist. “It’s not Daisy’s fault she’s gone, Echo.”
I drop Daisy and his ass hits the floor as he rubs at my fingerprints on his throat. I turn on Brandi, and she steps back in the face of my anger. “Where is she, Brandi?” I snarl, as I stalk towards her.
Fear crosses her face, but bracing herself, she shakes her head. “Gone.”
I step towards her and she steps back. “Gone where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Bullshit. You know where she is and you’re gonna tell me. Right fucking now,” I roar.
Brandi cowers from my rage, her face paling with fear. I didn’t even know he was here, but Sleaze steps in front of Brandi, shielding her completely from me. “Echo, you need to back the fuck away from my old lady before I fucking put you down.” His voice is quiet, but I can hear the violent threat in his words.
I pull in a deep breath and focus on him. “Livvy’s gone, and she knows where she is,” I say as I point menacingly to Brandi.
Sleaze eyeballs me until I back up a couple of steps, and then he turns to his woman. “Is that true, baby, do you know where Liv is?” Sleaze asks her.
She shakes her head. “She’s gone, but I don’t know where.”
Sleaze steps closer to her and grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t you fucking dare lie to me. Do you know where she is?” he snarls.
Her eyes widen, but she shakes her head. “She got in a cab. But I don’t know where she’s going. I promise.”
Sleaze turns back to me. “She doesn’t know, man, I’m sorry.”
“Where was the cab taking her?” I ask.
Brandi’s eyes widen. She looks at Sleaze, whose expression hardens. Then she turns to me again. “The airport.”