Chapter Twenty-Three
Jinx
K ILLER AND I have been out searching for the last six hours with no sign of my girl at all. Everyone we’ve talked to hasn’t seen the man called Garrison but they all know who he is. No one in Pine View can stand him and knows that he’s a fucking piece of shit. He’s vile, abusive, narcissistic, and just as manipulative as Ice was. There isn’t a single good thing we’ve heard about Garrison. Yes, we know his name now. King took a picture from the video of the security footage and ran it through one of his facial recognition programs. It didn’t take long for my best friend to have most of the details about Garrison. What he didn’t want to spend time searching for, his dad worked on. Neither one of them went out searching for Hope even though Hope’s their blood family. They’re more useful in the clubhouse searching for the information we need to put the best plan in place to bring my girl home.
I’d still be out searching with Killer, but Vault called us in. He knows we haven’t slept, eaten, or done anything we should be doing to take care of ourselves. Gwen and my mom made us sit down to get something to eat before they force us to bed so we can get a few hours of sleep. Sleep and eating is the last thing I need to be worrying about right now. Hope is more than likely awake, hungry, scared, and hurt. There’s no reason that I need to be resting when she’s not able to get any herself. Killer agrees with me, but no one else does. Vault has given strict orders that if anyone lets us leave the clubhouse, they’ll be demoted or removed from the clubhouse without hesitation. No one wants that, so we know that the doors will be locked for us and we’ll have to do what Vault wants before we’re allowed to leave again.
Add in how upset Gwen and my mom are and no one wants to fuck around when it comes to the two of us. My mom threatened everyone that if I left the clubhouse without sleep, she would not only kick them all in the balls, but that she’d flatten their tires so they were stuck at the clubhouse with her and Gwen. Gwen told everyone that she’d get Kim to attack them on her behalf because she’s already used up her quota of dealing with idiots when she went down in the cells with Ice. I’m scared of Kim on a good day. I’ve spent a majority of my time around her since she’s King’s mom and when Kim is on the warpath, she takes out anyone who gets in her way and doesn’t care if it’s friend or foe. So, I guess I’ll be taking a short nap after eating and drinking something before Killer and I go back out searching for Hope. That’s why we’re currently sitting at a table in the common room waiting for our lunch to be delivered instead of riding around the city.
“Got a package delivered to the gate,” Bronx says, walking in the clubhouse as he stops at the table I’m sitting at with Killer.
“Who dropped it off?” I ask Bronx, knowing already that this didn’t come through the mail or any delivery service.
“A guy wearing a cheap, knock-off suit. Really fuckin’ slimy lookin’ and he was drivin’ a nicer car than he could afford. You should know that there’s blood on his clothin’ too. I’m not sure what the hell is goin’ on or who’s blood it is, but that’s what I saw when he got out of the car. Said specifically to give it to Killer and no one else,” Bronx informs us as Killer rips open the box without hesitation and I stand from my seat so I can look inside with him.
Killer pulls out a flash drive after opening up the box and hands it straight over to King before standing from his seat as we make our way over to stand behind him and Fox. Vault, Valor, my dad, grandpa, Court, Chrome, Devil, and Raptor join us before Vault places a hand on King’s shoulder.
“Since we have no clue what we’re about to see, I want all women and kids removed from the common room. Right now, it might be better if everyone goes up to our house until we know what the hell is goin’ on,” Vault orders as Annabell walks into the common room and heads for the playpen where Torrin is sleeping while Savannah grabs her kids and the rest of the ol’ ladies make their way to the door to leave the clubhouse. “Bronx and Kian, I want you to stand at either end of the hall to make sure none of the Phantom girls leave their rooms. If any of them give you any shit, I’ll deal with them once we’re done here.”
There’s a sense of urgency as everyone does what Vault has demanded. Everyone knows that whatever we’re about to look at could lead us to Hope and bringing her home. King patiently waits until the door of the clubhouse closes behind the last ol’ lady before he presses play and we watch as the video starts to play. Hope is strapped to some kind of table that’s been lifted in the air so it appears as if she’s standing when she’s really not. My girl is fucking pissed as one man stands next to her and we all listen as another voice starts swearing and grumbling about technology that shouldn’t be used to deliver messages. I can already feel the rage building deep within my body as my eyes remain locked on Hope.
It doesn’t take long for the second man to appear on camera after some words are exchanged and Hope runs her mouth. When I focus on her once again, Hope’s angled her head slightly differently and I see a red mark on her face in the shape of a handprint. It’s not fully detailed and it’s barely visible, but I can make it out regardless. I know the second Killer notices it as well. His entire body goes rigid and he locks his muscles down from standing up straight as we continue watching the video play out before us.
Suddenly, we’re watching these two stupid fucks beat the hell out of Hope. She barely flinches and doesn’t scream out in pain or anything. Even when we see her skin split open from wounds being created by rings one of the fuckers is wearing. Still, it doesn’t stop my girl from running her mouth after several minutes of being hit repeatedly. While Hope is still attached to the table, hardly breathing heavy at all, the men are covered in sweat and panting like fucking pussies from the little bit of energy they just exerted.
Just as suddenly as the video started playing, the screen goes black. King goes to hit stop when a voice suddenly fills the room.
“This is your one shot to get the slut back if you truly want her back. You have something that belongs to me inside your clubhouse. Morgan is mine. When you bring her to me, I will hand over the girl to you. Every day you make me wait, is another day that she gets beaten and hurt. If I have to wait too long, I have no problem selling her to the highest bidder. Or letting my men have their fun with her. The choice is yours—my property for yours. I will send a message tomorrow with a location and time. If you do not show up with Morgan, I will start cutting off body parts and sending them to you in the mail. I am not playing games with you,” a man says and that’s when I lose my shit.
Turning from the table King and Fox are sitting at, I pick up the closest object to me and start smashing it until there’s nothing left but the splinters in my hands. I grab the next closest thing to me and repeat the process. Losing all track of time, I continue smashing up everything in the common room that’s not nailed down. I don’t stop until two sets of arms grab me and hold me tight so I can barely move.
“Let me fuckin’ go!” I yell out, my chest heaving from my panting as sweat covers my body. “Get your fuckin’ hands off me!”
“Jinx!” King yells so I stop fighting against him and my brother. “Fuckin’ stop. We know this is hittin’ you hard to see your girl on that screen bein’ attacked the way she just was. You gotta hold that shit in and be the man she needs you to be so we can bring her back home where she belongs.”
“No, King! You don’t get to say that shit to me. Hope is your fuckin’ blood and you’re just sittin’ there as if she’s out shoppin’ or havin’ a fuckin’ spa day with the girls. That’s not the fuckin’ case! She’s been taken and now she’s bein’ fuckin’ beaten. All because some sick fuck wants another person he sees as his property. Either fuckin’ way we lose here,” I yell as my dad and Killer step up before me.
“Carson, King’s right. You gotta calm down or you won’t be goin’ to get Hope back with the rest of us,” my dad says, using his calm voice that he thinks makes my brother and me calm down but only pisses me the fuck off.
“No one’s tellin’ me that I won’t be there to get Hope and bring her home!” I yell, starting to fight against King and my brother all over again.
“Take him to his room and lock him in. If he wants to destroy shit, he can do that to his own stuff. Deegan, start cleanin’ up this mess. When Jinx calms down, he’ll be out to help you. Jinx, you won’t be let out until I know for a fact that you’ve calmed the fuck down,” Vault orders and I want to argue with him, but I won’t go up against him when I’m filled with as much rage as I currently am.
King and Devil take me to my room and unlock the door before shoving me inside. Devil is the one to shove me and he does it just hard enough that I end up a few feet from the door. King has it closed and is locking it before I can even get fully turned around. Walking up to the door, I start pounding my fists against the wood so hard that I hear the creaks as it threatens to crack under my hands.
“Let me the fuck out! I know someone is out in the hall and you can hear me!” I shout, tears filling my eyes because all I can think of is Hope being hurt after getting kidnapped. My girl has already suffered through so much and this is just one more horrendous thing happening to her because of someone else. “Let. Me. Out!”
“You gotta calm down, Carson. Please calm down. We all want to bring Hope home and I hate seein’ you this way. As soon as you calm down, I’ll let you out. I promise,” my brother says through the door and I can hear the pain in his voice but I can’t help myself as I continue to pound my fists against the wood.
It feels as if an eternity passes before I’ve completely worn myself out. Sliding down the door after turning and placing my back against it, I sit on the floor and stare into nothing. My eyes are heavy as my heart feels as if it’s ready to beat right out of my chest and I can’t suck in a full breath of air. A lone tear slips from my eye and slowly rolls down my cheek as images from the video play on repeat in my mind. Dropping my head as I pull my knees up to my chest, I rest my forehead on my knees and let one image play after another to fuel the rage filling me so I have it when I go get my girl. That’s what I’ll use to take out every stupid fucker who thought it was okay to touch her in any way.
I hear murmured talking through the door that’s still at my back. Pushing myself off the floor when I hear the lock disengage, I turn to face Killer as he makes his way into my room. Killer shuts the door quietly behind him and takes a look around because I didn’t make a mess in here. The only reason I didn’t is because Hope just cleaned the room and I’m not about to make a mess before we bring her home.
“Feelin’ any better?” Killer asks me as he pulls out the chair at my desk and takes a seat.
“Not at all. I won’t feel better until Hope is in my arms and I know she’s okay,” I answer him honestly as I walk over and take a seat on the edge of my bed.
“I get it. You have lost your girl, but she’s my Baby Girl. My daughter that I held from the second she was born and who I spent so many years lovin’ and protectin’. Hope will always be my Baby Girl even when she’s old and gray with a ton of grandbabies runnin’ around. I’m so fuckin’ pissed that I want to race out of here with no plan in place or even a clue about where she’s bein’ held. But, if we both take a few seconds to think of the situation we know the only one who is gonna get hurt will be Hope. We have to play this shit safe and put any potential risks to Hope above everythin’ else. So, I need you to get your head in the fuckin’ game and calm down. I’m not gonna let you stay back when we go get my daughter because you can’t control your emotions. Lock that shit down, Jinx. You can do this,” Killer states as he stares at me and I know it’s taking every ounce of control he possesses to do the same thing he’s asking me to do.
“Killer, it’s fuckin’ guttin’ me to know she’s out there after survivin’ a fuckin’ hitman and bein’ laid up for so long after his attack on her. It seems like she can’t catch a fuckin’ break and I should’ve been with her. I didn’t fuckin’ protect her,” I state as Killer gets up and makes his way over to me.
“You have been doin’ nothin’ but protectin’ my daughter your entire life, Jinx. Every time she got in trouble, got hurt, or anythin’ else, you’ve been at her back and silently supportin’ and protectin’ her. If you think I don’t know that, then you need to pay more attention to the shit goin’ on around you,” he says and I smile because I know exactly what he’s talking about.
Whenever Hope was doing something, I was always close by to make sure she didn’t get hurt. Killer was always a few more steps behind even if Hope never once saw him. Hope’s dad knows way more about everything she’s done over the years than he’s ever let her know. The day she first got on a dirt bike after he told her she wasn’t allowed to ride one, Killer was there cheering her on as she rode around the backyard of the clubhouse. If he wasn’t at work or on a run, Killer was busy running behind his girls to make sure they were protected.
“I will give my life to ensure she’s safe and gets to keep on livin’ her life, Killer. That’s one thing you never have to question,” I promise him once again before I take a deep breath in and slowly releasing it. “I’m calm and I’ll remain that way. I won’t get left behind when everyone goes to get my girl.”
“Okay. King found somethin’. Let’s go see what the hell is goin’ on,” Killer states as we leave my room tighter and I find my dad and brother waiting for us in the hallway.
Killer nods at my dad as they have a silent conversation. Devil stands at my side as the four of us make our way downstairs to the common room where Fox and King are still busy working on their laptops while the rest of the guys are sitting around, eating, having a drink of water or something else non-alcoholic, or just talking. Killer and I make our way straight to Fox and King with my dad and brother following along behind us. I’m ready to find out where the hell Hope is so we can bring her the fuck home where she belongs.