Rox (Nameless Order: Heart Chapter #1)

29. Mimic

Twenty Nine

Mimic

K nuckles is clicking away like a madman. Every time something doesn’t give him the answer he wants, he curses. I’m not sure what he’s doing or how he’s checking everything, but I can’t look at his screens anymore.

There are cameras, but what none of us realized was the amount of fucking blind spots they have. We missed something in our security sweep, or someone moved them.

I can’t help but beat myself up over it. We did our original sweep but should have done another. We should have put in new cameras that moved depending on motion. Something. Anything. Instead, we have footage that’s fucking useless.

“The huffing and puffing behind me isn’t helping the pressure I’m already under.” Knuckles snaps at me.

“Sorry if making sure you can find her is putting undo pressure on you.” I snark right back at him.

“Dude, your Prez and mine are already going to bury my ass if I can’t find her. You don’t scare me as much as you annoy me now.” I finally turn to snap at him when something in the corner of the screen catches my eye.

“Wait!” I grab the back of his chair. “Rewind this screen!” I point at the one that shows the front of the shop. He grumbles under his breath, but he does what I asked. “There, I know that van! I’ve seen that van!” I practically scream.

Knuckles hunches from the assault on his eardrums, but I don’t have a single fuck to give at the moment.

“Where? Who drives it?”

“I don’t know, but it’s the same one I saw speeding away from Rox’s house the night of the fire. I couldn’t go after them then, but I’m positive it’s the same person.”

“It has to be Mark, right?” Dizz asks.

An enormous amount of guilt crashes over me yet again. If I had just gone after the person that night, Rox wouldn’t have been taken.

All of this could have been prevented had I just protected her better in the first fucking place.

I’m about to respond to Prez when Ink comes into the back room.

“Hey, guys. We have a problem.”

“Of course, we fucking do! My daughter is missing.” Dizz screams at him.

“I know, I know. But Prez. Unless the guy who took her can teleport, it’s not Mark.”

That catches everyone’s attention. Before I can stop myself, I’m rushing forward and pinning Ink to the wall, “What the fuck do you mean?”

“He’s been in August’s chair for the last half hour. I didn’t notice because I was working on my client. When I looked up, I saw him and started asking about the piece. August confirmed he’s been in the chair.”

“Get Stanford,” I tell him as I let him go.

A few minutes later, Stanford’s in the office, and Knuckles is pointing at the screen. “Do you know whose van that is?”

“Ya, that’s Duncan’s van,” he says, seeming just as puzzled as the rest of us.

I bolt from the office. I’m out on the floor and take notice that everyone from this shop is gone, and only Angel, Ink, and August are tattooing. So many people are surrounding Angel’s station that I doubt he can see anything going on around him.

Sure enough, Mark is getting cleaned up, and Duncan is nowhere to be seen.

Where the fuck did he go?

I rush back into the office, “That piece of shit took her!” I yell. I grab Stanford’s collar and shove him against the wall. Knuckles yells either at me or for some help because if this fucker doesn’t give me the answers I need, I’m going to end him. “Where does he live?” I all but roar in his face.

“I don’t know. His address here is a PO box because he flips houses and lives in one while he waits for it to sell. I know him, his uncle, and his dad had three on the go. That’s his work van, so he is in a house that needs work. It could be any of them.” He looks back and forth at myself and Dizz. I hear the panic in his tone, and I see it on his face when he notices that Dizz is no longer here. I don’t need to look at him to know his demon is front and center right now.

Stanford looks to be on the verge of tears because of Dizz. I understand. His demon brings an ordinary man to tears. I am anything but.

“I have the company name here. It’s called Third Hand Construction. They have permits listed at four addresses. He could have taken her to any of them.” Knuckles tells us while printing out information. I’m not sure how he got it, but I am thankful. “Prez, how many can we spare?”

“Not many. We need to keep this running as smoothly as we can.” Prez says, looking at Cowboy, who joined us in the room.

“What’s going on?” Angel says, coming into the room.

“Rox is missing,” Angel looks like he’s going to snap me in two as soon as I open my mouth. “But we have it narrowed down. We’re going to get her.”

“I am going too.” Angel’s voice comes out gruff. I drop my hold on Stanford and put my hands up to stop him from leaving.

“You can’t. You need to stay. We can’t let on that something is wrong,” I say—reason finally seeming to be my strong suit suddenly.

“I don’t answer to you.”

“No, but you answer to me,” Prez barks at him. “Get back out there and pretend nothing is wrong.”

“We’ll take Mimic, Willie, and Goblin.” Cowboy starts to plan. “Dizz and I will go together, mainly because he will kill first and ask questions later and needs a keeper. Goblin will take another house, Willie, and you will split the last two.”

Knuckles hands me a paper, and I go to leave, but Angel blocks my way. I don’t say a word. I just look at him. His eyes bore into mine. If I had to guess, he’s trying to tell me to bring Duncan to him alive and that plans are being made to prolong his suffering and make him pay for taking our girl. She may be my Ol’ Lady, but she is this club’s princess. She’s their girl just as much. I nod, agreeing that I will do what I can to get her home safe and Duncan to him alive. But the in one-piece part is debatable with the rage I’m feeling.

I walk calmly out of the back office and through the front door. Trying to play it cool when I see Willie and Goblin. I shoot them the code whistle that Prez needs them. I don’t wait around to see them leave. As soon as I am a safe distance from the shop, I start to run to my bike. I don’t even bother with my helmet.

Checking the address again, I make my way to that side of town. My tires squeal away from the curb, and I try to keep my wits about me as I speed off down the road. I know I will be no good to anyone as a smear on the highway.

I get held up by a train cutting through town, and the anxiety of not knowing if she’s at the house I am on my way to kills me. My leg is bouncing from how tense I am. I need to get my shit under control. I need to make sure her safety comes before his death and dismemberment.

Once I can go again, I weave through the cars and speed, praying I don’t get pulled over. I make the last turn, and there, backed into the driveway, is the van. I park a few houses back and send the text that will have hell descending on this house.

Me: Got Her.