Chapter 24 Amberly
AMBERLY
“Hey there,” I said softly.
“Don’t be scared. I just need to ask you a few questions about Vlad’s car,” he said.
I looked back over at Saint and he gave me a thumbs up. But part of me was still wary of the situation.
“You—you guys talked?” I asked.
He nodded. “We did. We understand the full story now. And with that, we can help you. But we have to be quick. The car he was driving.”
“So, everyone’s just… okay with this?”
He paused. “This crew has been through a lot. We’ve got a lot of families that popped up out of nowhere. But, yes. Everyone’s okay with what’s going on. We want to help. So, you need to work with me, okay? Prioritize.”
I shook my head. “Yes. Okay. The car. Um, Vlad drives a crimson red SUV. It’s got fully tinted windows all around.
Chrome accents, like his car handles and the gas tank door or whatever.
It’s got a sunroof that’s always open, unless it’s raining.
And he listens to nothing but classical music while he’s in the car. ”
“Do you, by any chance, know his license plate number?”
“Um… I know the first three letters are ‘VLD.’ He always gets that personalized. I don’t know any other part of it, though. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “No need. You’ve given me more than enough to go on. I’m gonna get in here and get started tracking down his car. Figure out where it’s been, and where it might be.”
“Ho-how are you going to do that?”
He grinned. “Hacking into the traffic cameras, of course.”
I watched the massive man—I think his name is Rock?
—walk into the house. And once he was gone, I whipped back around to face the men still in the parking lot.
They all started walking for me, Saint included.
And as I pulled a random cardigan I’d found around my body, they all walked up onto the porch.
“We’ll get your boy back.”
“Glad to have you on our side.”
“We haven’t seen Saint smile this much in a long time. Keep it that way.”
“Glad you’re okay.”
“We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”
Their words were kind. But I had no idea how it was so easy for them to just…
forgive me. I mean, I was glad Saint had that conversation with them without me.
Because that meant I didn’t have to stare down another hoard of men again.
Especially since the idea brought back too many ugly memories I didn’t want to sift through right now.
But part of me wondered if I was strong enough to stand at Saint’s side.
I mean, if I couldn't be with him during an important conversation—like revealing we had a son together—did I have the bravery to withstand this kind of a life with him?
Did I even have a choice?
Am I underestimating myself?
“You okay?”
Diesel’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I nodded.
“I—I think so,” I said.
“Rock’s working on tracking down Vlad’s car right now. Once we figure out at least where the man’s been, we can start retracing his steps. Looking for clues that might lead us to where your son is.”
“And you guys aren’t—”
I sighed and closed my eyes, unable to speak the words. Diesel put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed softly, prompting me to look up at him. Saint approached my side, his warm, comforting hand falling to the small of my back. And when Diesel smiled, the smallest bit of relief flooded my gut.
“No. We aren’t upset. We aren’t wary. We aren’t questioning anything. If anything, we’re in work mode. We’ve got a kid to save. So, it’s all hands on deck until we get Mason back,” he said.
Tears flooded my eyes. “Thank you.”
“Anything for family, Amberly. Anything for you, Saint, and that precious boy we’re going to get back.”
“Thank you so much,” I said breathlessly.
Saint wrapped his arm around me as Diesel patted my shoulder.
He walked on inside, leaving Saint and myself alone on the porch.
I trembled as I fell against him, letting tears of fear slide down my cheeks.
He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head as he slowly moved us over to some rocking chairs on the porch.
“Here. Sit down. Take a load off,” he said.
“I’m so worried, Saint. Mason’s… he’s…”
“Our son will be all right. I promise you, if there’s anyone on this planet capable of finding him and retrieving him, it’s us.”
“How are you not scared?”
“What makes you think I’m not scared?”
“You… you stand so strong. So sure of yourself. You don’t cry. You don’t break down. You’re not weak like me.”
He cupped my cheeks with his hands and drew my eyes to his. Staring me down as he turned his whole body toward me.
“You’re not weak, Amberly. You’ve survived.
And survivors aren’t weak. You’re going against everything you’ve known for the past seven years because of the safety of our child.
That isn’t weakness. That’s the strength of a mother.
The strength of a bull going after its children.
You fought for your life, and now you’re fighting for his.
And that makes you stronger than any of us in this fucking clubhouse. ”
I whimpered before I thrust myself forward, capturing his lips with mine.
His hand gravitated to the back of my head, holding me there as our tongues explored one another’s mouths.
He scooted his rocking chair closer to mine.
I still ended up in his lap, though. He leaned back, rocking us gently as his arm wrapped around behind me. With my arms sliding around his neck.
Then, we sat there in silence. Until…
“Will you tell me about him?” Saint asked.
I paused. “About Mason?”
“What’s he like? What does he like to do? Does he have any food allergies? Does he enjoy sports?”
I smiled softly. “He um… no. No food or medicinal allergies. Though, he doesn’t like peaches.”
“Don’t blame him. The texture’s weird.”
I giggled. “He’s got an equal mixture of our eyes, too. They never fully changed over after he turned five. He was born with your icy blue eyes. But some flakes of brown crept in after he turned five. They haven’t ever fully changed over, so he’s got blue and brown eyes.”
“I bet they’re beautiful, Amberly.”
I swallowed hard. “They’re perfection.”
“Tell me more. Anything. Everything. What does he smell like?”
I giggled. “Like sweaty baby boy and talcum powder. And he’s got my freckles across his nose. They wrinkle up when he laughs. Oh! And he’s a silent laugher. When he really gets going? All sound mutes itself.”
“I’d say I can’t wait to hear it someday, but…”
I laughed as I swatted at him, watching as his eyes found mine. Such desperation. Such anticipation to meet his own son. It made me sick with guilt that I’d hid this from him. That I never went back. That I never told him.
“We can’t change the past, but we’re here now. That’s all that matters,” Saint said.
“How can you be so kind to me right now?” I asked softly.
He shrugged. “Because I love you. And I’ve got many nights going forward to punish you in all the best ways.”
I blushed. “Well, I guess this is where I say I’m looking forward to it.”
“Are you, though?”
I paused before nodding. “Actually, I am.”
We kept up our conversation about Mason, and I focused on the little things.
How he liked playing tag, but not soccer.
How he used to love being rocked to sleep.
How I hoped he still enjoyed those things so I could experience them with him again.
I told Saint how much our son reminded me of him.
How I saw Saint every time I looked down at our baby boy.
I kept going on and on, reliving memories from when he was first born and telling Saint all about my labor and delivery.
Until Rock popped his head out.
“Hate to break up the pow-wow, but I’ve got something.”
“Wait, already?” I asked.
Saint stood up with me in his arms. “What is it?”
“It was easy to track down his car with the description your girl gave. Got a shot of his full license plate since he got clocked blazing through a red light about ten miles from here.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Saint chuckled. “It means he knows where that bastard’s car is parked.”
He carried me quickly inside and settled me at the kitchen table.
Sutton dropped a plate of food and a glass of juice in front of me, then silently chastised me to eat.
But I kept one ear trained on Saint and Rock as they talked in the living room.
I watched as a few of the guys gathered around them, all talking amongst themselves.
And as I ate lunch with Sutton mindlessly, I tried to eavesdrop enough to figure out the next part of their plan.
Not so I could report it. But so I could support them. If at all possible.
“Brewer, I need you contacting your friends at the precinct. Tell them a boy’s life is at stake here and I’m sure they’ll be willing to help,” Rock said.
“Of course. You got it. I’ll make the call now.”
“Saint, once we hear back from the police, we’re heading out to this place. We need to go with backup. We can’t raid that place by ourselves and not expect them to—”
Rock peeked over at me and cut off his sentence.
“It’s okay. Just say it,” Saint said.
Rock sighed. “We can’t go in there guns blazing by ourselves and not expect to be carrying your son’s body out. If we get the police involved with all this, we stand a chance against Lars and against getting your son back alive.”
“Then, do it,” I said with my mouth full.
I stared at all the guys as I took a sip of my juice.
“Do whatever it takes to get my son back breathing,” I said.
“And that task just got a hell of a lot easier,” Brewer said.
He came back into the fold as my eyes darted over to him.
“What’s the word?” Rock asked.
“Turns out, the license plate we had is an SUV they’ve been chasing down for weeks. It’s been spotted at crime scenes around the city, so they’re willing to work with us under the usual agreements,” Brewer said.
“Which are… what?” Sutton asked.
“No unnecessary killing. No superseding the law to get shit done. And in response, if we follow those rules, any assault and killing on our part will be fervently excused,” Brewer said.
I saw Saint’s worried eyes on me. I knew what he was thinking.
He was worrying himself over what I thought.
Over my opinion of this lifestyle. But it didn’t shock me as much as I thought it would.
It didn’t take me aback as much as I figured it out.
I nodded my head before taking another bite of my sandwich, feeling Sutton smile at me.
“Well, what are you guys waiting for? It’s time to go get our son,” I said.