Chapter Twenty-Five
Hollywood
T he minute we arrived back at the clubhouse I went in search of Winter. I owed her an apology and the truth, and I needed to see her. I was a fucking idiot for ever making her think for one second that I didn’t want her, that she wasn’t important to me. I knew, hell I’d known for weeks that I felt more for her than getting my dick wet.
All of my brothers who had women, went to them and wrapped them in their arms because they knew after that meeting with JT that they were all in danger. It was the way we lived, and everybody understood but that didn’t make it any easier when times were rough.
“Winter.” I rushed into the room that used to be Gio’s, but I’d taken over while I looked for a place to live. “Winter,” I called out to her again and scanned the room. Her things were still here but she wasn’t.
I raced back to the bar and scanned the area again just to make sure I hadn’t missed her. “Where is Winter?”
Peyton stood and frowned. “We haven’t seen her for a while. I just assumed she went to her room after, you know, everything that happened.” Her gaze was a mix of anger and sympathy.
“She went out to smoke about fifteen minutes ago,” Pike offered. “Out back,” he clarified to let me know there was no way she could escape.
I took off at a full run down the hall that led to the back, but it was empty, just as I knew it would be. There was a cigarette in the ashtray with one long ash attached to it. “Fuck!” I rushed back to the room once more in search of anything I missed the first time around. My gaze landed on a torn sheet of paper and all the blood left my body. I snatched it off the bed and read it while my heart tried to drop kick its way out of my chest.
Hollywood,
I know you’re going to be pissed and I’m not sure how to tell you this, which is why I didn’t call. I wrote you this message instead. I’m sorry.
I pulled out my phone to see if there were any missed calls but there was nothing. With my heart in my throat, I read Winter’s words.
The guys who’ve been after me have figured out a way to get to me. Lu. They have her and she’s a sister to me. I love you and I’m not sure if you feel the same and I might never know because I can’t let Lu get mixed up in this. They said they would kill Lu if I don’t come and take her place so that’s what I’m going to do. I can’t let Dad’s bad decision cost me my best friend. I understand why you don’t want to tell him about us. You’re not sure about me or us and you don’t want to risk that friendship for a fling. I get it. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I get it. Maybe I’ll see you again. Maybe I won’t. Either way, I love you.
My fucking legs gave out and I dropped down on the bed in front of half the damn MC.
“She left,” I said. I wanted to be mad that she hadn’t given me more time, that she hadn’t trusted in me, but I couldn’t because I never gave her a reason to.
“We’ll find her,” Gio promised. “T-Bone and Pike are already out on the streets to see if they can find her. She couldn’t have gotten too far.”
I knew what he was trying to do, and I appreciated it but other than Winter, there was someone else on my mind. “I have to let Winston know.” He might hate me forever for this, but he had to hear the words from me. I picked up her note again and stared at it like it held all the answers in the world. Turning it over I saw the writing on the back, “Hey! There’s an address here.” I relayed it to Gio and before I knew it, he was on the phone to T-Bone.
Ending the call, Gio turned to me, “Okay, they’re gonna check out that place.”
“I need to go—” I started.
“Hang tight, brother,” Diesel said. “That warehouse is ten minutes from here, once T-Bone and Pike get there they’ll let us know what we’re up against.”
It took all my strength not to run off half-cocked. That ten minutes was the longest ten minutes of my damn life. When Gio’s phone rang I almost jumped out of my skin.
I knew something was up when I saw the look on his face. “What is it?” I asked.
He ended the call and fixed me with his dark eyes, “Pike said the place is empty. No sign of the Jade Devils. Nothing.”
“Dammit!” I exclaimed.
“They wanted to lure her out,” Rocky added.
I was spiraling as I paced the length of my room, “They must have been waiting for her, she’s been gone, what? Half an hour max? They could be anywhere now. We need to get on the streets!”
“I feel you brother, but we can’t just ride off without any idea where they’re going,” Diesel insisted. “Let’s figure out where she is and how we’ll get her back first.”
“I can’t. If something happens to her… I have to talk to Winston. Now.” I looked up and I hated what I saw, all of my brothers looking at me with pity in their eyes. “I owe him that much.”
“Nobody’s judging you, brother. We’ve all been there.”
Rebel cleared his throat.
Rocky threw him an annoyed look. “And those of us who haven’t, will be sooner or later.” He could see that his words hadn’t had the desired effect and nodded. “Gio and Rebel will go with you. Slate, can you check the road cameras and see if we can get eyes on whoever took her?”
“On it,” Slate replied. “Good luck, brother.”
***
Everything was a blur as my club brothers all jumped into action. I took a minute to get myself in check and then got back on my bike and headed to Winston’s house. Everything had happened so fast that we hadn’t even had a chance to put our plan to get him into a hotel in action. I wasn’t sure what to say or how to tell him that he misplaced his trust in me in so many fucking ways, but when I knocked on his door and saw the confusion on his face, I couldn’t find one fucking word.
“Hollywood, what’s going on? Where is Winter?”
I shoved my hands through my hair. “Can we come in?”
“Yeah,” he nodded looking at me, and then at Rebel and Gio. “Of course. Just tell me what the hell is going on?”
I looked into the eyes of my oldest friend, and I fucking froze. Again. His phone trilled in the living room at the same time mine buzzed in my pocket. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what we would find. “Fuck!” The word roared out of me and anger took over the fear and the hesitation.
“This can’t be.” Winston’s voice was full of emotion and when he returned to us, he was pale and confused. “Hollywood?” He held up his phone to confirm that he got the same message I did. “Pay up or you’ll never see her again.”
“We’re going to get her back,” Rebel assured him. “They took her friend Luisa,” he explained the story. “She snuck out while we were trying to make a deal with them.”
There was no anger or blame on his face, just disappointment and fear.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Winston.”
“They took Luisa,” he said. “It was the one guaranteed way to get her to ignore her own safety. Like you did for me many times. Including now.”
I didn’t want his easy forgiveness, dammit. I wanted Winter back. Now.
“I’ll take that.” Rebel snatched both phones and turned away. “I’m sending these to Slate, maybe it’ll help us figure out where she is.”
“I can help.” Win shook his head and let out a sigh that held the weight of the world on it. “I should’ve thought of it before. I’m not an expert hacker but I know my way around enough to be useful.” He was hopeful and I knew Slate would appreciate the help.
“Four hands are better than two,” Rebel encouraged him. “You need a computer or something?”
“Yeah.” He perked up. “I’ll just grab it.” He took off down the hall to his office.
It should’ve made me feel better, but it didn’t. The only goddamn thing that would make any of this better would be finding Winter and killing as many Jade Devils as I could. “I need to get some air.” The words came out on an angry grunt, but I didn’t give a damn as I yanked open the front door and slammed it shut behind me. I looked up and down the block to see if anyone was watching Winston’s house, but I didn’t see anyone.
Good. That would make this easier.
Based on the photo I had a half decent idea where they might be holding them because I knew they had no plans to let Luisa go. The Jade Devils only owned a few residential properties, and I guessed that’s where they were. There was no point telling them what they would find out for themselves soon enough.
I hopped on bike and took off, determined to save my woman.