Frisco

37. Shane

37

SHANE

E verything stopped when we found Kali missing.

My world stopped.

But she was here. She was banged up a little bit, but she was here . Whoever did this to her, I was going to enjoy killing. I was also thinking I’d have to get in line because Kali might insist on doing it first.

She felt my gaze and looked my way. I was letting her see how I was feeling her, and unlike the past times when she’d shy away from me because I got it, a guy like me feeling how I felt and feeling how I felt it, it could be a lot. Made her uncomfortable at times with the bullshit her ex did to her, but not today. Not this time.

She was gazing right back at me, holding my look steadily and I saw the same fierceness she shifted into at the hospital. My woman was ready to declare war on whoever took her friends. Made me fall even more for her. She was fucking breathtaking.

“Oh whoa.” Boise was slowing down for our turn into Granddad’s place.

He came to the road, his arm waving in the air. A big ring of smoke was going up in the air from behind, where our bikes would be.

“What the fuck,” Roadie growled.

Corvette glanced at me, but as soon as Boise pulled into the driveway and paused, both he and Roadie were out the truck.

Granddad was sweating, with blood dripping from his head. He was messed up and he started shaking his head, coughing. I asked, “What happened?”

Roadie and Corvette were sprinting back to check on our bikes. When we switched them out for the truck Granddad let us borrow, we’d grabbed our cuts so those were safe.

“Estrada.”

“What?” From Boise.

Granddad was still shaking his head, but he was having a hard time standing. “I’m sorry. It was his men. They tore in here, looking for you guys. Took Tracey. Smashed our phones.”

Holy.

Fuck.

The world went still when Kali went missing, but it stopped once again because holy fuck.

Roadie was running back and he came to an abrupt halt. “The bikes are fine. They left those, but they tore through the rooms. All our shits everywhere.”

“What’s smoking?”

“Ah.” Granddad grimaced. “That’s my fault, not theirs. They were in a tear looking for you guys and I was so mad, I grabbed my fire torch. Strung it up to my water blaster, but I used air instead. Turned off the water. Tried torching them. Got one, so they might be heading to a nearby hospital. They grabbed Tracey on the way out, but I think they took her as a hostage to get me to stop torching them. Thinking they were going to do something to your bikes, but when I turned that fire on them, they took off real quick.”

“They took Tracey?”

My phone started blowing up. Heckler.

Word got to him, I was sure.

I answered it, but continued speaking to Granddad, “They smashed your phone too?”

“Oh yeah. They did that first. Came in, guns drawn, speaking Spanish. Not that I wouldn’t know they were Estrada’s. They had the Estrada tattoo on their neck, but Tracey knew one of them. I have no idea how she knew them, but she did. She started hollering about her man and his team coming after them. That’s when I turned the torch on. I mean, it all kinda happened at the same time, but it was Estrada’s guys.”

“Shit.” Roadie went still.

So did Boise.

So did I because this was huge if this was true.

I was out of the truck, my phone to my ear in another second. “You hear that?”

“Yeah, but holy shit. What’s going on? You told me your woman was missing last night, but Boise sent me a text saying she was all good and that you’d catch me up. That’s why I was calling.”

Goddamn.

GodDAMN!

This was huge, fucking huge. Monumental.

“How’s Prez?”

“He is not up for this shit.”

“Goddamn, Heckler! We’re at war if this is true.”

“It’s true and you know it. Since when does Granddad lie?”

“Never.” I wanted to hurl this phone, but other thoughts were racing through my mind.

This meant war.

This meant we were behind already. That meant who knew how many bodies were on the ground already.

That also meant all our planning was up in smoke, the planning we took very careful consideration with Connor. But…well fuck, because that would still have to happen, but probably way sooner than we’d anticipated. Than I had anticipated because I wanted time to tell Kali, needed that time.

I was so desperate for it now because I’d lose her.

There was no if about it. It was when I’d lose her.

Fucking Estrada. He came. He knew. He figured it out somehow.

“Ghost, it’s on you. That’s another reason I was calling. Prez suffered a mini stroke last night. He’s back in ICU. They caught it early, but he’s unconscious. This true, and you have to act as if it is, then that means the entire club is at war against the cartel. You need to tell us your orders.”

My mind was still racing. Hadn’t stopped, not since hearing that news and I couldn’t process Prez either. Heckler was now my number two in place. I was now acting national president for the entire Red Demons motorcycle club.

First things first. I spoke, motioning for the guys to come over. “I need to know where Estrada is. His guys hit us last night, tried to take my woman. Did take Granddad’s niece and I’m thinking they also got two of my woman’s friends.”

Heckler cursed from his end.

Boise was on his phone. “I’m calling the team who has eyes on Estrada.”

Corvette had his phone out and I said to him, “Call Crow. Tell him we’re out of time. I need the list of those guys now, and then we need a group to be dispatched to round them up.”

Corvette nodded, pulling his phone out and walking away a little distance.

I said to Roadie, “Call our computer guys. Tell them the make and model of the van who took Justin and Harper, and let them know we need to find the guys who also took Tracey, Granddad’s niece.”

He gave a quick nod before stepping away, his phone to his ear already.

Granddad was taking it all in before hobbling over to me. He wiped his face off with the back of his shirt, squinting around. One hand went to his hip and he let loose a long sigh. “Can’t say I fully know what’s going on, but can see that it’s a big deal those guys coming for you–”

“They might’ve been looking for me.”

Kali had gotten out of the truck and was standing not far, hugging herself.

“Kali.” I started for her.

She shook her head, stepping back. “No. Don’t do that. Don’t coddle me–”

“Boss! Hey, Boss! Ghost.” Corvette came running back over, his eyes panicked. “Just hung up with Crow and got a call from Machete. He was jumped. Him and his woman were on the highway and he said a van pulled up. They shot at him, and took his woman.”

GODDAMN!

“He okay?”

Corvette nodded quickly, his eyes skimming over Kali, who wasn’t reacting. “Boss. Shot one of the guys, but he said there was a guy in the van that looked burned. Machete was hit, but they don’t think it’s serious. Bullet went right through him. They’re taking him to the hospital now.”

“Okay. Tell Stripes. I want six of our guys with him at the hospital. Once he’s cleared, he’s going to be hightailing it after Claudia. We need to figure out the situation before he gets there.”

Corvette nodded, relaying my orders to Crow.

Kali spoke up. “It’s the guys who took me and Aly. We got away, but they can’t go back without hostages. So they’re rounding up who they can. I mean, I don’t know, but it’s a hunch. Makes sense. How many times are people kidnapped? Can’t be a coincidence.”

Tracey. Now Claudia. Two females for two females.

I shared a hard look with Boise, who was coming back. “You hear all that?”

“Most of it. Team still has eyes on Estrada. He is sitting tight in Texas, in the Valley.”

I nodded, but dammit I did not like that. “He’s protected more down there than anywhere else.”

“What’s your call, Acting President?”

At the term, Roadie, who’d come over, and Corvette looked at me a little different. They grew more serious, more alert, less panicked. I looked at Kali and she was watching me back, still steady, the same look she had at the hospital and in the truck. She was waiting.

She wanted vengeance.

First things first, though. “We need to alert all the clubs between here and Texas. Estrada’s guys got those hostages for a reason, to take back to Estrada. I want them stopped. Hostages rounded up, safely, and I want all of his men still alive. Send the word out.”

Boise, Corvette, and Roadie all got to work, sending out the texts.

“Boss,” Roadie was texting as he spoke up. “Computer guys hacked into the transportation system. They’re checking street cams, but picked up a speeding van ten miles from Frisco. Makes sense if those are the guys who hit Machete.”

Relief flooded me, but something else too. Something darker. Something harder. Something that I didn’t like was inside of me. “I want the exact coordinates. We’re going to converge on that van and we’re going to do it the same damn style we’ve done in the past. Organized and smart.” Which meant, we just found our first battle.

I turned for Kali, and it’s like she knew. She started backing up, shaking her head. “Don’t cut me out. Not now. They have my family. And my sister.”

I shared a look with Granddad, sending him an unspoken question.

He got it, raising his hand, and he gave me a nod.

“Kali.”

“No, Shane!”

“Kali.” I lowered my head, drawing closer to her. “You got a concussion. I don’t care if it’s a slight one or not, it’s still a concussion. I made myself a promise when I discovered you missing. I told myself that I’d never put you in harm’s way again, not intentional or unintentional. Now, some of that I can’t hold to, but I gotta try for my own heart. You hearing me?”

“No,” she cried out, a single tear slipping and falling down her cheek. “I can handle it. I’m a nurse. I know my own head.”

My girl. She never once brushed the tear aside. Didn’t think she even knew it was there.

“They have Harper. Justin.” There were deep sobs in her voice, but she was holding them back. “Claudia will probably rip them apart, but Harper. Not Harper.”

“I know.” I moved in, my hands closing around her arms. I just needed to touch her, but I made a point not to make her feel like I was closing her in. I was learning or it was cementing she had an issue with that. “But I gotta go do what you’ve been getting all those warnings about me, with what we do. I need you safe, and baby, how your head is, you would not be safe with me.”

She let out a growl. “Goddammit, Shane.”

“I know.” I motioned to Granddad. “He’s going to stay with you while we go.” To him, I said, “I’d be worried about the both of you here. We got guys in Frisco. I’d feel better if the both of you were there.”

Granddad tightened his mouth, taking in his place, the big ring of smoke rising up from his place. “Yeah. There ain’t much more I can do right now. Fire and police will probably be heading here, and to tell you the truth, I’ve got no interest in being here when they are. I feel a certain way about police.”

It was decided. “Granddad, pack a bag. You got five minutes. I’ll have you drive the truck, you and Kali.”

He took off limping back to his place, wiping his face again with his shirt.

Roadie yelled, “Got ’em! We know where they are.”

Thank Christ.

I shared a look with Boise before saying, “We need guys on them now, watching, following.”

“I’ll do it.”

I gave him a nod and he took off, going for his bike.

Kali motioned for the truck. “I’m going to wait here.”

I went over, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Means a lot, you being okay with going with Granddad.”

She glared up at me. “Don’t get comfortable. It’s cause I got a damn concussion.”

I grinned, needing a taste of my woman. She was like heaven, just like always.

“I’d expect nothing less.”

We rolled out five minutes later.