Four fucking hours.

That is how long it has been since I was bashed in the head by some pieces of shit who took my girl. There are no words that can describe the fear that grows with each passing minute. The only thing stronger is the rage brewing inside me with nowhere to go. Yet.

The bastards who took her are going to beg to die when I get my hands on them.

The entire drive to the hospital, I went over everything that happened in the last few days, then gone back further to the shit with Roanne and her father. This shit all comes back to Lorzano and Teague and the blowback that was all instigated by that goddamn D.A. months ago when he cut and run.

“Lorzano doesn’t have her,” Stone says, walking back into the hospital waiting room. Sitting his phone down on the table, he yanks a hand through his hair and blows out a frustrated breath. “He lost two guys in that ambush and was nearly hit himself. He wants the motherfuckers behind all this as much as we do.”

“I doubt that,” I ground out, my jaw ticking with fury. “If it wasn’t Lorzano, it was Teague. Should’ve killed that son of a bitch a long time ago.”

“You think this shit’s all connected?” Colt asks from the doorway.

“Too much of a coincidence for it not to be,” Stone nods. “Schrader’s right. Teague set up the ambush and took Shy. No doubt in my mind.”

Jinks looks up at me over the top of his laptop screen. “She should’ve never been off the goddamn lot.”

“Second guessing shit doesn’t fix anything,” Stone argues, his eyes shooting between the both of us.

“No.” I hold up my hand. “He needs to say this shit, let him.”

Closing his laptop, Jinks puts it down on the seat beside him before pushing to his feet. “You fucked up,” he says, striding toward me. “Got Pop on a goddamn operating table, two bullets in his fucking chest. Docs don’t even know if he’ll make it. Shy should be here. That’s on you,” he grounds out, baring his teeth. “Anything happens to her, because you decided to take her on some romantic field trip, I’ll slit your motherfuckin’ throat.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I inform him, not backing down. “There’s a lot of shit you don’t know, Brother.”

“Well, let’s have it.” Taking a step back, he throws out his arms wide. “Straighten me out.”

Blowing out a breath, I yank the photo Dr. Kahn printed off from my pocket, holding it out for him to see. “Shy’s pregnant.”

“Motherfucker!” Ripping the photo from my fingers, he punches me in the jaw.

When he swings again, I am ready for him. Grabbing his arm, I whip him around, and pin his chest to the wall. “You want this to come to blows, then we take it outside. I’m not doin’ this here.”

“You knocked up my sister!” Bringing up his elbow, he hits me on the same side of my face I took the pipe. Releasing my hold on him, I stumble backward. “We can take it wherever you want, but I’m still kickin’ your teeth down your throat,” he warns, facing me, ready to charge again.

“The baby’s not Schrader’s.” Everyone’s eyes instantly move to the door where Henley is standing beside Colt. His arm drops, protectively wrapping around her shoulders. Tensing briefly, she shoves him away. “It’s Troy’s.”

The vein pulses in Jinks’s neck. “She’s having that bastard’s baby? She never said shit about it to me or anyone else.”

“I wonder why,” Henley and I say in unison.

“I didn’t get her pregnant, but that doesn’t change shit.” Bending down, I swipe the grainy photo from the tile floor. Meeting Jinks’s eyes, I hold it up again. “My girl, my baby. Best you get yourself right with that before she comes home.”

The tension in the room is off the fucking charts. This is everything Cheyenne didn’t want. I know that. It wasn’t my place to say shit, or Henley’s. This was Cheyenne’s story to tell, she made that abundantly clear; but I’ll be damned if I was about to let this shit get in the way of finding her. She will be pissed, but I have no problem letting her kick my ass the moment she is back in my arms.

Stone’s phone begins vibrating on the table. Swiping it up before it falls onto the floor, he has it to his ear in seconds. “Stone,” he barks. His jaw ticks violently, his free hand balling into a tight fist at his side. “You’ve got nerve, motherfucker.”

Fucking Teague.

My blood boils at the fact Teague actually has the balls to call and start barking demands like ordering takeout. “If he even touches her,” I warn, my teeth grinding together painfully.

“You want anything from this club, you’ll put her on the goddamn phone. Now,” Stone says, moving toward me. “Yeah.” His voice softens immediately. “You hurt?” My heart hammers in my chest, watching Stone like a hawk, trying to figure out what she is saying on the other end of the phone, but he is hard to read. “Yeah, he’s here. Okay.” Holding out the phone to me, he nods his head. “She’s askin’ for you.”

I don’t hesitate. “Shy?” I ask the second the phone is at my ear.

“Schrader,” she sighs into the phone, emotion filling her voice. “God, I’m so sorry.”

“Not you who’s gonna be sorry,” I promise her, hoping like hell that piece of shit is listening. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assures me, but I don’t miss the tremble in her voice. “How’s Pop?”

“Nothin’ a few stitches won’t fix,” I lie, not wanting to add the stress to her load right now. “They’re workin’ on patchin’ him up now. We’re all more worried about you.” Jinks looks to me immediately, nodding in silent understanding. The last thing I want to do is upset her further at a time like this. Her mind needs to be focused on taking care of herself and the baby. Not on whatever is going on here with us.

“Good,” she sighs again, sounding relieved.

There is a struggle on the other end of the line. “Shy?” She screams my name and starts to says something else, but her voice is quickly muffled. “Shy!” I’m fucking frantic. My eyes fly wide, moving to Jinks, who looks as worried as I am.

“She’s being well taken care of,” Teague says into the phone. “Whether it stays that way depends on you.”

“If you lay a hand on her, motherfucker, I’ll—”

“I’m afraid you won’t be calling the shots here,” he interrupts me, his voice calm and confident. “I am.”

“What do you want?” I ask, knowing that question has the power to be a double edge sword. Is there anything he could possibly demand that I wouldn’t give to get her back? What if what he wants is more than I have to give?

“Ah, I recognize the desperation in your voice, Schrader.” I can almost hear the smug bastard’s smile through the phone. “Very much like Stone when Roanne was taken and he asked for my help. I told him then, like I will tell you now; I have no tolerance for betrayal, nor sympathy for those who choose to take from what’s mine and get caught doing so. You stole from me as well. I want it all back. My truck, my crates and Connor; along with the money Stone gave to Lorzano. Money that rightfully belonged to me. Yes,” he says, his voice filled with arrogance. “I know about that, too.”

“Your man was just as dirty as ours,” I inform him, wondering if he knew Connor was robbing him blind.

“Which makes him mine to deal with how I see fit, doesn’t it?” His tone is ice cold. “Being that I am a realistic man, and I quite enjoy Cheyenne’s company, I am going to give you twenty-four hours to make this happen. I will call back then to arrange the exchange. For her sake, be ready. I am not a patient man,” he warns, then ends the call.

“He hung up.” Tossing the phone back to Stone, I head for the door.

“What did he say?” Stone asks.

Stopping in front of Colt, I swallow hard. Turning around to face Jinks and Stone, I recap the entire call, telling them everything Teague expects from us and the timeline we have to get it together.

“There’s no way to make any of that happen and he damn well knows it,” Stone bites out. “He’s baiting us.”

“Call me if anything changes with Doc, or if Teague calls back.”

“Where the fuck are you going?” Jinks grounds out angrily. “We’re not finished here.”

“I’ve got an idea.” Grabbing my phone, I head for the front doors. “Whatever we have to settle can wait until Shy’s home.” Yanking my phone from my pocket, I scroll through my contacts for the one number I never thought I would ever need and hit send.

“Dispatch,” a woman says after two rings. “Is this an emergency?”

“Sweetheart, I need you to patch me over to Acting Chief Ashmead.” Walking across the lot, toward Shy’s car, I light up a smoke.

“Your name, Sir?”

“Yeah, you just tell her it’s her new best friend,” I inform her, then take a drag from my cigarette. “She’ll know exactly who it is.”