Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
A half-hour later, Vicious and Razor walked back into the house. Grabbing his keys and wallet, Vicious told Lottie they were leaving. All he could find was Sway getting in her truck and pulling away from the marina. “Let’s go.”
As they headed out the door, Vicious was already on the phone with Sherlock. “Sway left my place and got into her truck without any issue.”
“Has anyone checked her place for her truck?” Sherlock dug into the city’s security cameras, continuing to track Sway’s truck as he listened to Vicious.
“Lottie said it’s there.”
“That helps narrow down my search. I’ve been checking traffic cameras for her truck. I’ve spotted it a few times, and I did notice a couple times a car on the road. I’m not sure, but I think they were following her. It doesn’t appear Sway felt in distress by the way she was driving. ”
“Scour the cameras around the apartment. Maybe whoever was in the car saw something or caused a problem farther on her drive.”
“Already on it.”
“We’re on our way.” Hanging up, Vicious locked up the house and headed to his truck with Lottie and Razor in tow. All kinds of things ran through his mind. He was uneasy, his thoughts running rampant. He’d seen a lot of sick shit done to women and to men. If anyone harmed a hair on Sway’s head, he’d gut the one responsible.
If Vicious was right, they could catch the car on one or more traffic cams. Maybe that would lead them in a general direction of what happened to Sway.
The entire ride to the auto shop and Sway’s apartment, the trio kept their eyes peeled. They hoped they’d see something, anything that would tell them it was a misunderstanding. That Sway simply had decided to take a day for herself and they’d find her walking around town shopping. It was all wishful thinking.
Pulling up to Sway’s apartment, her truck was right where it was always parked. Slamming his truck into park, Vicious didn’t bother turning it off as he jumped out. When he went straight over to Sway’s truck and walked around the vehicle, he found it locked and showing no signs that anything happened around it.
Moving quickly, he ran up the stairs leading to the apartment. The door was locked, forcing him to use the key code Sway had given him. When the lock clicked, he pulled his holstered gun out and shoved the door open. He half expected to see her sleeping on the sofa. Moving through the house, he found the place empty. Nothing was out of place. Her clothes she had on the night before weren’t anywhere in the apartment. That told him it wasn’t likely she had come inside.
Walking back outside, he shook his head at Lottie, who was kicking the latest layer of snow from around the truck. Pulling out his phone, he called Sway’s number. He listened as it rang twice then disconnected. Redialling, he listened again as it went straight to voicemail.
Vicious made one more call to Sherlock. Someone had answered Sway’s phone and hung up. Maybe they hadn’t turned the thing off and they could track the phone. He didn’t know how they’d do it, but he was sure if anyone could, it would be Sherlock.
Sherlock clicked on his phone as his fingers moved across the keyboard. “Vicious, I found a camera that shows the area alongside and in front of the auto shop.”
“Does it show anything?”
“I’m cueing it up now.” Sherlock watched Sway pull into the driveway leading to the apartment. When her taillights went out, he saw three hooded figures wearing dark clothing, and he froze as he watched them rush up the driveway. “You need to get over here ASAP.”
Vicious heard the stress coming off the brother. “Fucking tell me.”
“It looks like she was kidnapped.”
Everything in him rippled with anger. He wanted to scream, but his throat felt constricted. Vicious hadn’t felt this kind of anger in a long time. Then, a scary calm washed over him. “I’m on my way. Keep that footage pulled up.” Snapping at Razor, he signalled they needed to leave.
“I’m combing through everything I can find to help us get her back” was the last thing he heard Sherlock say before hanging up.
Twenty minutes later, Vicious and Razor entered the clubhouse with Lottie in tow. Vicious was astonished when he saw every brother there. Few made eye contact with him as they prepared to ride out to find Sway for him. One word came to mind: electric . That was how the atmosphere felt.
He made eye contact with Teller as the man crossed the room, heading toward him. “Vicious, how are you doing, brother?”
“It’s my woman, Teller. My woman!”
“We’ll get her back. You just need to keep your head.” Teller had no idea how Vicious was standing in the clubhouse. He could only imagine where the brother’s head was at. Before Teller could continue, Blackjack walked up, cutting into the conversation.
“Sherlock has a clear picture of a van that appeared to have been following your girl,” Blackjack told him.
“Thanks.”
Vicious looked for Razor so the brother could take care of Lottie, but Razor had disappeared. “Blackjack, this is Lottie. Is there somewhere she can hang out so she’ll be out of the way? ”
“Hey, Sway is my girl, and I’m not being put anywhere while she’s missing,” Lottie argued as Blackjack gripped her elbow and started to tug her forward.
“Let go of me, pretty boy. No Hollywood model is going to drag me anywhere.” Digging her platform Converse into the floor, the rubber soles kept the guy from being able to drag her any farther.
“Blackjack, I’ll handle this one.” Lottie closed her eyes at hearing Razor’s deep voice. Glancing over her shoulder, she shot daggers at the man.
“Lottie, take a walk with me. Please.”
Tears filled her eyes. She was scared for her friend and pissed that Vicious, Razor, and every other guy in the damn room looked at her like she couldn’t help. “Razor, I want to help.”
He saw the anger and the worry in her beautiful eyes. If he were a smart man, he’d let Blackjack deal with her, but the idea of another brother handling Lottie brought his hackles up. It wasn’t a reaction he liked, and he’d take a closer look at his feelings once they found Sway. For now, he’d tuck Lottie away where she wouldn’t be a distraction. “You’ll just be in the way and slow us down.”
On a huff, she stormed off, heading anywhere but where she was at that precise moment. Razor could follow her or not, Lottie didn’t give a rat’s ass. Suddenly, her arm was grabbed, spinning her around. “Listen to me, little girl. You might be able to pout and get your way with Dawson Franks, but not with me. When I tell you to do something, you’ll do it. You’re in my house, and there are rules that you will follow. Do you understand me?” When she remained tight-lipped, Razor got in her face. “Lottie! ”
“I fucking hear you.”
“Good. Now, let’s go.” Razor took her toward the back hall, where his room was. He didn’t miss the snickering that some of the brothers were letting loose. When he managed to get a less than agreeable Lottie down the hall, he unlocked the door and led her inside. “All I’m asking is for you to stay in here.”
Lottie looked around at the dark walls lined with book-filled shelves and the leather cigar chairs flanked by a single iron bed. The dark grey comforter looked warm and inviting. It wasn’t what she expected inside an outlaw motorcycle clubhouse. “Whose room is this?”
“Mine. No one will bother you in here.”
“Please, don’t forget I’m in here, Razor.”
“There’s no way I could forget you, Lottie.” One more look at the raven-haired beauty and Razor stepped out, closing the door behind him. Trouble.
Standing behind Sherlock, Vicious watched the feed. His heart thundered in his chest as they used the city’s camera feed to follow Sway’s movements through the area. The car stayed behind Sway until a block from the repair shop, then they lost sight of the vehicle as Sway’s truck turned into the driveway and parked. Vicious saw the three individuals heading up the alley. His hands clenched into fists, wanting to punch something.
Then he saw Sway struggling with two hooded figures while the third watched. They hauled her back up the drive. He and the others watched as Sway fought to get free. She slapped one of the assailants before the third figure shoved a gun in her mouth. Vicious swallowed hard, wanting to turn his head, but he forced himself to watch as Sway seemed to be talking to the gunman.
She began struggling again as they half carried her, half dragged her down the alley. He could see the heels of her boots trying to dig into the icy ground. They watched as she appeared to be screaming for help, then she was hit over the head with the gun.
Vicious grabbed the back of a chair to stay upright as he watched Sway crumple against the building. Then, he caught a reflection of the gunman in the window of the adjacent building. “Sherlock, go back a frame and freeze it. Can you enhance that reflection?”
Sherlock’s fingers floated across the keyboard of his computer, and like magic, the image came into view. Vicious knew the man he was staring at, as did most of the brothers. “That’s Jerome Michel. He’s a hangaround for that support club. What’s their fucking name?” Vicious snapped his fingers, hoping someone could give him the damn name. When no one said anything, he threw the chair he’d been holding onto.
The chair crashed into a pair of barstools, sending everything tumbling to the ground. Beer bottles toppled over, spilling liquid across the bar top and floor below. A tumbler hit the floor, splintering into jagged shards of glass. The outburst sent a few of the club girls who were standing around diving behind the bar to stay out of the line of fire.
“Dead-Eye Warriors,” Joker shouted at Vicious as he grabbed the chair the brother was about to send sailing across the room. No one ever said Vicious didn’t have a temper. The man just kept it hidden.
“Let’s get their fucking President on the line. I want Jerome Michel’s fucking head,” Teller ordered.
Taking hold of Vicious, Teller looked him in the eye. “Let’s gather the information we need from them, and we’ll go from there.”
“Teller.”
He knew what Vicious was gonna say and stopped him. “Let’s not start thinking the worst. This could be a kidnapping for ransom. Keep it together for Sway.”
Vicious gripped Teller’s shoulders, holding on to him. Nodding, he agreed with Teller. “I want my woman back, Teller. I don’t care what I have to do to make that happen.”
“I’m with you every step, brother.” Vicious heard Teller, and for the first time since the brother stepped into the chapter, Vicious believed him.
“Thank you.”
“Let’s see what we can find out from the President of that support club,” Teller suggested and shouted for Sherlock to make the call. When he turned around, he saw Croon and Squatch standing there looking lethal.
“Give us the word, brother, and we’ll rip this town apart looking for the VP’s ol’
lady,” Croon told him.
“I appreciate the two of you staying to help.” Teller nodded at both men as he headed to call in some major favors.