Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Eight
I’m calling Selkie for the third time when Oscar thunders through the front door. “Dad! Some guys got Selkie!”
Chills go through me as Henri tears down the hall. “What do you mean someone got my mom!?”
“I’m talkin’ to my dad,” Oscar says through gritted teeth.
“Well, now you’re talkin’ to me. She’s my mom and you lost her.”
“I didn’t lose her,” Oscar snaps. “She took off after Sadie and left me in the car.”
Fuckin’ hell. “Sadie’s out already?”
“He got away from her the first time before she could get him to the cops. She’s the worst bounty hunter in the world.”
Henri balls her fists and takes a step closer to Oscar so she’s in his face. “Don’t you talk about my mom that way, you loser!”
I hear the shake in her voice. She’s more scared than hostile. But so is Oscar as he stares at her with blown pupils.
“Settle down!” I snap. “Fighting with each other isn’t gonna help.”
Henri points her finger towards Oscar. “It’s his fault. Why didn’t he do somethin?”
Oscar’s face flushes with guilt. “I tried.” I can tell he’s on the verge of tears.
“For the love of Jesus! Henri, shut up! Oscar, tell us what’s going on.”
Oscar takes a deep breath. “Selkie wanted to trade me back for Henri so we were on our way over when she saw Sadie and took off after him.” He glances at Henri, then back to me. “She said to wait in the car but I followed her because Brambles wasn’t with us.”
“Oh no!” Henri wails. “The Blackbeards got her!”
“It wasn’t the Blackbeards,” Oscar says. “Some other guys with accents. Like Russian. They had suits and guns.”
“Russians! No way! My mom doesn’t know any Russians!” Henri bares her teeth. “And you ran away!”
Oscar balls his fist. “I did not! I told them to leave her alone!”
“You did?” Henri says with wide-eyes and respect in her tone.
“Yeah, but they took off before I could get to them.”
“Jesus.” I lose my breath as I think of what could have happened to Oscar. What could still happen to Selkie. “You coulda got killed.”
“What would you have done?” he replies between clenched teeth.
“I have a gun, Oscar! It’s different!”
“Sure,” he says sullenly. “You always say do this, do that when there’s trouble, but when it happens, you don’t want me to do anything.”
This time Henri is the voice of reason. “Stop fighting with each other. We gotta go get my mom.” She turns to me. “This is all your fault.”
Take a breath, Eight. Take a breath. “It might not be the same Russians.”
“Who else would it be?” she exclaims. “They saw me and heard about mom. They have a beef with her or something.”
Oscar looks between me and Henri. “What’re you talking about?”
“Eight and his gang met with some Russians yesterday. Me and Brielle went with him.”
Oscar looks at me in horror. “You took Henri and Brielle on a job?”
“Just a meeting,” I reply, feeling chastened. “Nothin’ dangerous.” Which is bullshit and by the look on Oscar’s face he knows it too.
But he moves on. “So you know where they’re at then? We gotta go get her. They had guns and hit her and dragged her away. She’s in big trouble.”
My stomach lurches at the thought of Selkie getting beat up. “Jesus Christ! They hit her?”
“Wow, thanks!” Henri sneers at Oscar. “I feel so much better now.”
Oscar turns to her. “I’m not tryin’ to make you feel better, you idiot. I’m tryin’ to get your mom back.”
She says, “Sorry,” in a small voice,
We both stare at her in disbelief. Hell has truly frozen over.
“Let’s go,” I say grimly.
They scramble after me as I head to the truck. I can tell Henri’s rattled because she hops into the back without protest.
Once we’re in motion, I head towards the clubhouse. “What’s goin’ on, dad?” Oscar says. “I thought we were headin’ to Reno.”
“You’re not comin’ with me,” I tell him. I’m pissed at myself for exposing Henri to the fuckin’ Russians. I can’t believe I did something that stupid. Henri interrupts my thoughts. “I’m comin’ with you. She’s my mom.”
The tension I’m feeling needs an outlet and I explode. “You two are kids! Twelve-year-olds. I don’t have time to worry about you while I’m trying to get Selkie back!”
Dead silence. I glance at Oscar who’s staring straight ahead, his expression hard as nails.
I soften my tone. “I’m takin’ you to the clubhouse where you’re safe. Then I’ll get a couple of brothers to help out.” I glance at Henri. “I’ll get her back. I promise.”
She takes a deep shaky breath. “You gotta get her back.”
“I will.”
“Why would they grab her in the first place, dad?” Oscar says.
The question of the day. “I don’t know.” I think about Selkie, who she is, how she is.
Maybe she picked up one of their boys and they want revenge.
I try to settle the thunder of my heart by rationalizing.
If they were gonna kill her, they’d have done it in the alley.
But that doesn’t allay my fear. There are much worse things that can happen when Brother’s Circle is involved.
“Why are you slowing down?” Henri says as I ease off the gas.
Because maybe Hangman’s involved. Maybe that was the favor Kozlov called in. Maybe Hangman pointed the way to Selkie. Where Hangman’s concerned, it’s not that farfetched. Last year he put Red’s girl and five-year-old sister in the line of fire. He’s unpredictable, justifying the unjustifiable.
“I changed my mind. We’re not going to the clubhouse. Not right now, anyway.”
“We’re going with you?” Oscar asks.
“No. You’re not coming with me.” My brain is racing as I choose then reject places to stash Henri and Oscar.
A safe place that’s not the clubhouse. I don’t know if Hangman’s involved or why.
I can’t really believe that he’d do something like this, but at the same time, I can’t risk the lives of these kids.
Then the light bulb goes off. Red. I’ll take them to Red.
He was a former Jury brother until his mother was killed and his world imploded.
He walked away and Hangman let him without telling us why.
But a brother leaving the fold makes him the enemy.
He’s dead to us and if he betrays us, he’s just plain dead.
I haven’t seen or talked to him in six months, so no one would think of looking for the kids there. And he’d do it for me. He’s good down to his bones and more than anyone in the club, he knows right from wrong.
“Where are we going, then?” Henri asks.
“A friend’s. He’ll keep you safe.”
“I don’t get it,” Oscar says. “Why do we need to be kept safe?”
“They saw you in the alley. They know Henri is Selkie’s kid. The two of you probably aren’t in danger, but I don’t want to risk it. Not until I find out what’s goin’ on.”
There’s a few moments of silence, then Henri says in a small voice, “I’m scared.”
I don’t try to reassure her because she’s smart enough to know it would be bullshit. Instead, I say, “Me too.”
Five minutes later, I pull up to the curb outside Red’s house.
He’s in the driveway playing basketball with his fiancé, Stella, and her sister, Selma.
Lexie, Stella’s best friend is also there.
Red’s six-year-old daughter is sitting on Stella’s shoulders and his five-year-old sister is sitting on his.
Shit. The last thing I need is an audience, which is what I have as they all freeze when they see me.
But it is what it is. I open the truck door and get out. Oscar is already on the pavement, then pulls the seat forward and practically drags Henri out.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Red says aggressively, but his eyes soften as he sees Oscar and Henri huddled next to me.
“We need your help, Red,” I say hearing the panic in my voice. I wave my hand toward the kids. “Oscar and Henri.”
I realize how scruffy I look. I haven’t shaved this morning. I’m still wearing the faded Iron Maiden T-shirt. At least I had the good sense to put on my boots.
Red hands Sorcha to Lexie and Stella sets Gabby on the ground.
“Let’s talk inside,” he says.
I shake my head. “No time for that. I need to leave Oscar and Henri with you. Maybe a week. Maybe longer.”
“A week!” Henri and Oscar exclaim at the same time.
“Maybe a couple of days,” I reply to them. “Until I sort out this mess.”
“Why?” Red sounds aggressive, but that’s fair. He wants to bury his past and he can’t do that if anything related to Hell’s Jury comes back at him.
“You’re the only one I trust right now. I can’t explain. I have to go.”
He glances uneasily at Oscar and Henri, then shakes his head. “I don’t—”
“Of course he will,” Selma says as she shoves herself between Stella and Red.
“What the hell?” Stella elbows Selma out of the way. “Of course we’ll take them.” She looks at Red. “We can put an extra bed in the spare room.”
“I’m not sleeping in the same room he is,” Henri says in disgust as she looks at Oscar.
Sorcha bounces up to her. “You don’t have to. You can sleep in my room.” She stops herself. “I mean me and Gabby’s room. Gabby’s going home tomorrow.” She says to Gabby, “Is it okay if Henri uses your bed while you’re gone?”
Gabby nods at Sorcha. “I get to sleep with her tonight though.”
Sorcha looks disgruntled, but Selma jumps in. “Of course, if it’s okay with Henri.”
“Jesus,” Red says under his breath as he glances irritably at his future sister-in-law.
“Okay, that’s settled,” I say quickly before anyone changes their minds.
“Where the fuck are you going?” Red snarls as I turn back to the truck.
All his girls say, “Language.” It’s like being back at the clubhouse.
“It’s okay,” Stella says as she hugs Red’s waist. “We’ll figure it out.”
Red glares at Stella. “They have no clothes. What about school?”
“Wow,” Selma says. “Do you ever sound domesticated.”
Lexie elbows her. “Shut up.”
I turn towards Red but keep walking backwards. “They’re expelled from school. They need to stay out of sight. And… I don’t fuckin’ know. Buy them some clothes.”
I open the truck door, pause, guilt hitting me hard. I need to be a better father I tell myself as I stride over to Oscar and hug him tight. “Don’t fuck around.”
Henri’s standing to the side looking lost. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I grumble as I grab her and give her a hard hug. “Now get inside both of you.”
Lexie herds them towards the door.
“Eight!” Red snaps. “This isn’t on.”
“I know, Red. I’ll make it up to you.”
I get in the car and see Henri and Oscar staring after me, betrayal on their faces. It doesn’t matter. I gotta keep them safe and I gotta find Selkie before she gets hurt or worse.