Chapter Seven
King
FOR THE LAST week, I’ve been looking all over for Brynn.
She stopped answering my calls about five days ago and isn’t reading any of the messages I send to her.
I haven’t been blocked yet because the little red message isn’t popping up alerting me that my messages aren’t going through.
Brynn just isn’t reading them.
I believe she’s turned her phone off since the calls are going straight to voicemail.
As far as I knew, things were going really good between us.
I hadn’t gotten around to asking Brynn out on another date yet because of therapy and some shit going on with the club.
When I’m with Brynn, I want to fully be in the moment with her and that’s no less than she deserves.
She deserves to be treated like a queen and that’s what I’ll give her.
Right now, I’m just trying to ensure that I have the time for her to dedicate my full attention to her when we’re together.
Late at night, I’ve been trying to find the female biker.
It seems her and Brynn have disappeared at the same time and that’s not something I can easily forget.
Why the hell would both women disappear at the same time? Unless they were both the same person.
Brynn is the girl I’ve been trying to find who rides sport bikes.
It makes sense because she grew up in an MC and wouldn’t be the first woman to ride a bike with all the men in her life riding.
I’m sure she grew up on the back of a bike and only wanted to get one of her own when she was old enough.
That’s how Zoey felt when she was growing up and I can sense the same independence within Brynn.
It wouldn’t take someone long to see that about the woman who’s full of fire and sass.
A side I want to see much, much more of.
Pulling my chair up to a different computer, I get to work trying to figure out who Brynn is.
It doesn’t take me long to get her last name even though she never gave it to me.
Without realizing it, my Kitten gave me all the information I needed to find her.
Not only is Brynn’s dad a member of the King’s Vengeance MC, her grandpa is fucking Blood.
He’s the President of the club and is known by every biker far and wide.
You don’t have to be in a club to know who Blood is.
Not only is he a very caring man who goes out of his way to support his community, but he’s also known by bikers who are involved club life as being a fucking hard ass who doesn’t give second chances to anyone.
He’s ruthless and known to take out his enemies without remorse.
Blood’s fucking notorious and I honestly can’t be surprised that Brynn’s related to Blood.
Searching up Brynn’s vehicles, I find that she does have a sport bike registered to her.
Pulling up a picture, I see the bike she owns, but it’s not how it looks now.
She’s definitely customized her bike and I can almost guarantee that she’s done the work herself.
Brynn doesn’t seem like the type of girl who would ever let someone else do the work on her bike.
The only exception to this would be if her dad, uncle, or another family member was to do it for her.
Even then she’d be right there with them and watching them with her bike.
Brynn would have been raised to take care of her bike and treat it like her baby, not trusting anyone to touch it without her being right there to watch everything going on.
I hesitate for a brief second after searching up her vehicles before I close the laptop and shut down doing a deeper search on Brynn.
When I learn anything about Brynn, I want it to be because it’s come from her mouth.
I’m not about to break her trust by digging into her past and the life she leads now on a damn computer.
Brynn wouldn’t be happy about me doing that and she’s someone I want to build something with.
I don’t need to date her for a long time to know that.
One date and a few minutes sitting in a bookstore with her told me all I need to know about wanting to continue getting to know her and building a relationship with Brynn because she’s someone I see as my equal and the woman who will give me what I need and want in life.
Laying back in my bed, I let the pillows comfort me and try to push away the pain.
Therapy was even harder today than it has been up to this point.
I don’t know if my therapist was in a horrible mood today and decided to take it out on me or if he’s decided that I’m ready to step it up even more.
All I know is I’m the one who’s paying for his decision.
My entire body feels like it’s on fire and I did take half of a pain pill just to take the edge off.
I feel my eyes closing just as the door of my room opens and I watch as Hope and Jinx make their way in my room with a tray of food.
I’m not hungry from the pain and the medicine I’ve already taken.
Letting my eyes slide closed again, the medicine pulls me under and I sink into oblivion as my cousin and her husband talk amongst themselves.
W aking up, I’m groggy as fuck.
It takes several minutes for me to determine what the hell is going on and where I am.
My room is cloaked in darkness and I know I’ve slept the day away once again.
This shit fucking sucks and it’s time for me to try to get things in motion to find out where Brynn is.
Looking around the room, I find Hope sitting on the chair at my desk.
She’s reading a book and doesn’t realize I’m awake yet.
A soft smile is on her face as she enjoys the story she’s been sucked into.
My cousin loves to read and no one gets in her way of buying books.
Jinx honestly goes out of his way to buy her any book she wants to read and I think twice a month they go to Turn the Page where she’s allowed to buy as many books as she wants and my best friend happily indulges her.
“You’re up,”
Hope says, pulling me from the thoughts in my head as I watch her stand from the chair and make her way over to me.
“I am.
Hate sleepin’ the fuckin’ day away like this,”
I grumble, my voice a raspy growl than it usually is when I wake up.
“I know you do, Kingston.
You were just in so much pain when you got back here.
We couldn’t let you suffer because you hate sleeping the day away,”
she says, her voice almost a whisper of nothing as she looks down at me.
“Do you want something to eat?”
“I don’t know if I’m hungry.
I mean, I should be, but I kind of feel nauseous.
Maybe it’s because I need to eat somethin’,”
I answer her, my voice still nothing more than a growl.
“I’ll get you something soft and easy on your stomach.
Maybe some soup and toast.
You can pick and choose what you want to eat or something,”
Hope says, putting her book down after sliding in a piece of paper as a bookmark.
“Do you want me to call your girl?”
“My girl?”
I ask her, not sure what she’s talking about since I really haven’t said anything about Brynn since the night of our date.
“Brynn.
Do you want me to call her? I can get her over to keep you company or something,”
she says, a smile on her face as she looks down at me.
“No.
I don’t know that she’s still in Pine View.
Haven’t seen her in a week and she’s not answerin’ any of my calls or messages,”
I state, taking the bottle of water my cousin hands over to me.
After sipping the water so I don’t get sick, I put the cap on the bottle once more and set it on the nightstand.
Thankfully, Jinx put me in bed close enough to reach the stand.
In the past he’s put me more in the middle of the bed and I can’t reach a damn thing when he does that.
Not because my arms aren’t long enough to reach, it’s because I’m in too much pain to move the distance to reach the stand and whatever is on it.
Every now and then he forgets, but I remind him before he can leave me there and leave the room.
Hope certainly can’t move me on her own and I’m not about to have her try.
My cousin is stubborn enough to try it and she’d only hurt herself.
“Did something happen between the two of you?”
Hope questions me, her voice taking on a surprised tone because I typically don’t open up about anything to those around me.
“I don’t know.
We’ve been messagin’ and talkin’ on the phone since the date.
I’ve been bustin’ my ass to get everythin’ taken care of so I could take her out again.
Suddenly, it’s radio silence from her.
I’m gonna say it’s been about a week now,”
I tell her, not looking at Hope until I start talking once again.
“I’ve been to the bookstore on a daily basis and sat at the table on the second floor where I met her.
She hasn’t shown up for even a few minutes.
Before I leave, I wander through the bookstore to make sure she hasn’t chosen a different table and some other hidden nook.
It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.”
Hope’s face goes pale and she reaches up to place her hand in front of her mouth.
A slight gasp leaves her as she stumbles back and drops into the chair at my desk once again.
“Um, you said she sits at a table hidden away on the second floor and she hasn’t answered you in about a week?”
Hope finally questions me after a minute of silence as she thinks about something.
“Yeah.
Hope, what’s wrong?”
I return, concern filling me as I try to sit up higher in bed to no avail.
“Savannah and I were at the bookstore a week ago.
We were wandering around the second floor and talking about you taking Brynn out on a date finally.
She couldn’t believe you had a good time.
I can’t be a hundred percent certain, but I believe the bet might have been mentioned, Kingston.
We didn’t know anyone else was up there.
If you said she’s in a hidden nook, is it possible she overheard us and realized we were talking about the two of you?”
Hope informs me, her voice wavering with emotion as she stares at me with tears filling her eyes.
“Fuck!”
I growl out, my voice loud as the door of my room flies open to reveal Jinx as Hope starts crying and trying to apologize to me.
“What the hell is goin’ on in here?”
Jinx roars, racing to Hope’s side and pulling her into his arms as he looks over at me.
“Your wife and Savannah decided it would be a good idea to talk about my date and the bet at the fuckin’ bookstore.
They were there a week ago and that’s the last time I heard from Brynn.
So, I’m pretty sure she overheard their conversation and that’s why I haven’t heard from her since then.
I think she left Pine View and don’t know where she would’ve gone.
At this point, I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to talk to her about this shit and let her know that while I did have to ask some girl out at the bookstore, I want her for more than just that.
I truly enjoyed my time with Brynn on our date and want another one.
Now, that’s been taken away from me by my lovin’ cousin and Savannah,”
I state, anger lacing my voice as I look at my best friend and focus on him.
“It was an accident,”
Hope cries out, her voice hoarse as she looks at me.
“Jinx, take Hope out of here and tell Ghost to come find me when he has a few minutes,”
I bark out, laying back against the pillows on my bed and trying to get comfortable.
It won’t happen, but I can still try.
“I’m sorry, Kingston,”
Hope says before Jinx leaves the room with her and I’m once again alone to think about where she’d go and who she’d run to if she felt betrayed.
There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Brynn feels I betrayed and lied to her when we had our date.
No, I didn’t tell her about the bet on our first date or the two times I saw her in the bookstore.
I wanted to establish a foundation with her and get her to trust in me a little before I mentioned the bet.
If it had been anyone other than Brynn, I would’ve had the first date and never saw the girl again.
After going out with her, there was no way in hell I wasn’t about to tell her what led me to the bookstore.
I wouldn’t let us build a relationship without her knowing that because eventually it would have come to light and I refuse to let her question everything we’d built together.
When a knock sounds on my door, I call out for Ghost to come in.
It won’t be anyone other than him and I know that.
“What’s up, King? Jinx said you wanted to talk to me,”
he asks, sitting on my chair at the desk and looking at me.
“Need a favor from you.
A large one.
I need to figure out where Brynn disappeared to.
Savannah and Hope were talkin’ about the bet at the bookstore and I’m pretty sure she overheard.
Haven’t heard from her in a week and that’s when they were there.
I don’t know if she’s hidin’ out here in Pine View or if she’s chosen to run away somewhere else,”
I tell him, not sure what other information I could give him to go in search of her.
“Why me?”
he questions, a smirk on his face as he looks at me and sinks deeper into the chair.
“Because you can get where no one else can.
I know you’re the one to handle this for me because if you don’t want to be seen, you won’t be.
The last thing I want is to piss Brynn off.
All I want to know is if she’s okay and whether or not she plans on comin’ back to Pine View,”
I tell him, trying not to show the pain I’m feeling as he sits in here with me though I know I’m not doing a good job when I wince as a muscle spasm hits me.
“I get it.
Didn’t think you’d be the guy to let a girl go, King,”
he says, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at me.
“Not lettin’ her go, Ghost.
Need to figure out a way to talk to her and make her listen to me instead of lettin’ the doubts an overheard conversation fester until she doesn’t want anythin’ to do with me again.
It was hard enough to convince her to go out on a date with me.
Pretty sure that’s because she grew up in an MC and didn’t want to date a biker,”
I tell Ghost with a smile on my face because I’m gonna blow his fucking mind when he asks his next question.
“What MC?”
he asks, causing a smirk to show on my face.
“King’s Vengeance.
She’s the granddaughter of Blood.
That’s gonna stay between the two of us, Ghost.
Don’t need anyone else knowin’ until she’s ready to share that piece of information,”
I tell him, knowing Ghost won’t say a word to anyone about our conversation.
“Fuck! When you pick a girl, you sure as hell go all the fuck out.
You sure you know what you’re doin’ choosin’ to go after Blood’s granddaughter.
Heard he’s real protective of his family and not many get close to them for any reason?”
Ghost questions me, leaning forward in his chair.
“Don’t want anyone but her,”
I answer simply as Ghost smiles back at me.
“Didn’t think so.
I got you, King.
I’ll find her and let you know where she is.
Give me a few days to find her.
Gotta tell Vault I’ll be gone for a few days.
He shouldn’t care.
Won’t tell him what’s goin’ on, just that it’s personal and I need to take care of somethin’,”
Ghost states, standing from the chair and leaving me alone.
This conversation is the most I’ve heard Ghost talk in a very long time.
He’s usually very quiet and doesn’t say more than he absolutely has to.
That’s how he’s always been.
The only person he actually opens up to is Geek.
Those two are thick as thieves and Geek is the only person in the world who can get Ghost to open up when he doesn’t want to.
I’ve seen them having conversations more often than not when they’re hanging out in the common room.
They take women together and always share.
There isn’t a time they don’t share their woman and I’m not sure if that’s something they’ve really thought about doing when it comes to one, or both, of them wanting to settle down with an ol’ lady.
Laying back against the pillows, I once again close my eyes and let sleep claim me.
Despite sleeping all day long, I’m still exhausted and can’t stop sleep from taking me under.
Right now, I don’t want to because I can dream of Brynn and things being different than what they currently are—her not talking to me because of a conversation that shouldn’t have taken place away from the compound or in public.