Chapter 79
Reaper
Walking over to my workstation, I wipe the grease off my hands and check my phone, but there’s no messages. I dial Lark’s number, needing to know she’s alright, but it goes to voicemail. I try again and again, but each time it goes to voicemail.
Fuck.
I’m about to dial Python when suddenly Nathan’s name pops up on my screen.
“Pres, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault,” he sputters right as I pick up his call.
“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. What’s all your fault?”
“Lark! She’s gone and it’s all my fault.”
Another trickle of ice slides down my spine at the panic in his voice and numbness spreads throughout me. A second later, that numbness is replaced with fire as determination fills me. I will get whoever the fuck put their hands on my woman and they will bleed for what they’ve done.
“What happened?” I damn near growl into the phone as I walk out the back door and toward my truck.
“They needed a new keg from the backroom and I got up to follow Lark like you wanted me to when she just snapped. She just wanted five minutes alone, which I get since we’ve been tailing her nonstop.
She said we already secured the back rooms and Drake was watching the back door.
No one should have been able to get in so I caved.
A minute later though, I got a bad feeling so I went to check on her.
Her keys were in the door, but she wasn’t there.
I went out back and found Drake lying on the ground with a dart in his neck.
I looked around but I couldn’t find any clue back here as to who it could have been. I’m so sorry, Pres.”
“Get back to the clubhouse with Drake. We’ll talk later about your punishment.”
“Understood, Pres.”
Hanging up with him, I start my truck and dial Python. Thankfully, he picks up right away. “Lark’s gone. Are her trackers active?”
“Fuck,” he curses and I hear papers shift around before the sound of keys clicking comes over the line.
“Fuck,” he curses again and my heart drops.
“Her cut and purse are pinging from the tavern still. He’s ditched her phone somewhere down the lane of the tavern and a bit later down the road are her boots.
Some of her jewelry is pinging from your house.
She could have more on, but the signal could be jammed.
” He pauses again and my heart sinks even lower.
“Pres, her injected tracker isn’t coming online. He has to have a jammer.”
“Fuck,” I curse as I run a hand through my hair. “I’m on my way back to the clubhouse. Scour the footage and see what you can get from it. Put a message out to everyone—Mandatory Church now.”
“Will do,” he replies and the line goes dead.
“Fuck,” I curse again as I clutch my phone so hard my knuckles turn white.
I speed through town toward the clubhouse and make it there in record time. My tires skid as I pull to a stop in front of the clubhouse and stalk inside and into Church.
I shut the door hard behind me and turn to face my brothers, all of whom look like they’re ready to rip someone apart with their bare hands.
Python and Smoke’s focus is glued to their monitors; three laptops surround each of them.
My gaze cuts to Nathan nearby and realize Devil must have told him to attend.
I’m pissed as fuck at him, but he isn’t the only one at fault right now.
“Update?” I all but bark as I fight my instincts to be out hunting for the asshole that took my woman.
Python motions toward the screen and I pull it down.
The security footage of the tavern pops up and out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nathan hanging his head when the argument he and Lark had plays.
As Lark unlocks and opens the door to the backroom, I damn near growl when I see someone step out of the shadows behind her, dressed in an oversized hoodie and with a ballcap pulled down low over his face. He places a cloth over her mouth as he grabs her.
Fuck.
Chloroform.
Lark struggles for a bit before she manages to elbow him and then stomp on his foot.
I feel myself grinning when she nails him in the balls and manages to get away from him, but I can tell the chloroform has already started to take effect.
At least a little anyway, judging by how she’s stumbling around.
A growl builds in my chest when he pulls out a taser and I can only watch helplessly as Lark’s body convulses on the floor before she passes out.
Probably from the combination of the chloroform and the stun gun.
Bending down, he puts the rag back over her face.
As he picks her up, we finally get a clear shot of the person’s face.
Zac.
He leaves out the back door. Then the security footage shifts to the back area and parking lot. Zac crosses the lot to a truck that’s parked in the back corner under a lamp that’s burned out.
Or he could have broken the bulb beforehand.
He places Lark in the front passenger seat and buckles her in before climbing in behind the wheel and driving off.
“Is it the same truck we put a tracker on before?” I ask and Python shakes his head.
“No, it’s not.”
“Fuck,” I curse as I grip the edges of the table.
“What about the cameras around town? There’s got to be something,” Devil says, and my head snaps up, watching Smoke and Python intently.
“He headed down Main Street and then turned north onto Seventeenth Street. It looks like he’s headed out of town into the country. At least the fucker isn’t headed toward the interstate,” Smoke says and my muscles coil tight.
I can’t lose my woman.
My light.
My ride or die.
“Lock and load. We’re going hunting. Python, Smoke, keep us all updated with anything else you find that could help us.
Hopefully the fucker will slip up and Lark’s tracker will come back online.
” I pause as I look around the room and I know from the look on everyone’s faces that they want to join the hunt, but we can’t leave the clubhouse unprotected either.
There’s still the issue of Richard and Kelly and I have no idea what they’ll do next.
I’m about to add onto my statement when Odin rasps his knuckles on the table.
“I’ll stay behind to keep an eye on things here,” he says.
“I will as well,” Smithy replies, and I dip my chin in thanks to them.
“Alright, let’s head out and catch this fucker.” I turn, focusing on Nathan. “We’ll discuss you disobeying my orders when we return.”
He dips his chin in understanding, but I can see the panic and nervousness in his eyes. He won’t be kicked out but he’ll be prospecting for longer. Unless Lark is killed, that is.
Nope.
I shut that line of thought down quickly. I won’t be able to concentrate if my mind continuously keeps thinking the worst.
Pushing off the table, I stomp out of Church and into my office. Opening my safe, I pocket some extra ammo and grab my silencer.
Hang on, Darlin’. I’m coming for you.