Chapter 53
CHAPTER
FIFTY-THREE
LOOT
I don’t go back to the clubhouse after the meeting with the Russians. We can debrief on that shit later. Right now, all I want to do is see my woman and my son. I head straight home.
When I pull into the driveway, I don’t even notice that Juliette’s car isn’t there. I have blinders on and ride directly into the garage, closing the door behind me as I kill the engine of my bike. Reaching for the door, I push it open and step inside the house.
I expect the scent of dinner to greet my nose instantly. I also anticipate the sounds of Juliette and Cade to greet my ears, maybe some background noise like a movie or music.
Something.
But instead, I’m met with deafening silence.
“Jules,” I call out.
Again, silence.
“Cade?”
Silence.
The house is dark and quiet. No smells, no sounds, nothing. It’s eerie. Moving through the house, I check the bedrooms and bathroom but find nothing. Slipping into the small backyard, I look around for signs of life, but again, nothing.
My heart races, my stomach curdles, and I know deep in my marrow that something is wrong. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I call Juliette’s new cell, but it doesn’t even ring. It goes straight to voicemail. It’s either dead or turned off.
Fuck.
I haven’t gotten around to buying Cade a cell phone, although it’s on my fucking list, especially with as much as he stays after school for activities. I’m really fucking regretting that at the moment.
Panic begins to set in, and my mind spins. I don’t know what to do, and for a moment, I fucking spiral, but then I shake my head from side to side and get my fucking shit together. Sucking in a breath, I hold it for a moment, then let it out slowly.
Turning around, I walk back into the house. Flicking my gaze down to the phone I’m still holding, I call Elodie. She’s Juliette’s boss, so she should know where Juliette is. The phone rings a couple of times, and then I hear her answer. The background is loud, and I already know where she is
The clubhouse.
“Loot?” she calls out. “You should come down here. Cade’s here with Alex.”
Ending the call without saying a single word, I march out of the house, climb onto my bike, shut the garage door, and then I’m fucking gone.
I don’t know how I get to the clubhouse without causing an accident, being in an accident, or catching a ticket, but I do.
The gate opens as I ride up. Thankfully, I don’t even have to slow down.
Flying down the driveway, I move hard and fast until I get to the parking lot. I almost have to lay my bike down. I come in a bit too hot. Once I get parked, I run into the clubhouse. The music is low, there are people standing around, and my eyes scan for him.
Once they land on my son, I hurry toward him. I look him over, inspecting him for injuries, and let out a sigh of relief when I don’t see any. A deep voice clears their throat, and I shift my attention upward to see Alex standing just a few feet away.
“She’s not here,” he states simply.
Looking back down at Cade, I give him a hug, and he knows it’s time for him to walk away. I watch as he makes his way over to Elodie, who is sitting at a table with her attention focused on me. I notice that she looks worried.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I demand.
Alex shakes his head once. I watch as he runs his fingers through his hair. I open my mouth, ready to give him a piece of my mind and demand that he hurry the fuck up with whatever it is he’s going to say, but I don’t have to because he starts talking.
“We were at the strip club. Everything was fine. She walked out before me, and I locked up. By the time I got to the parking lot, I could tell she was acting off. Then she asked me to pick up Cade and bring him here, not home. Honestly, I expected her to meet us here.”
“Do you know where she is?” I grind out through gritted teeth.
Alex shakes his head. “I watched her drive away, but I don’t know where she went. I didn’t like that she left, but I knew I needed to get Cade to safety. I don’t know if there was any real danger or if it was just a feeling she had. But she’s not here.”
It was fucking danger.
I know it.
I open my mouth to say something, though I’m not sure what. Then I shift my attention to Elodie. “You got any way to track her in that car?” I demand.
Her eyes widen, and I watch in disappointment as her head moves from side to side. Fuck. No tracker. Lifting my hand, I run my fingers through my hair, tugging on the ends once before I let my hand fall to my side.
“She’s not at your place,” Alex murmurs. I don’t respond because it’s not a question. He looks over his shoulder, then shifts his gaze back to meet mine, and his eyes widen. “What about her place?”
“The fuck are you talking about?” I demand.
“Yeah, have you looked there?” Elodie asks.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growl.
I almost call her a bitch, but I refrain—just barely—because she is Wrath’s old lady and that would be disrespectful as fuck.
But I’m really goddamn close. Impatiently, I wait for someone to tell me what the hell is going on.
They don’t speak fast enough, and I start to demand answers when Alex speaks again.
“She rented a place in town, and we helped her do everything. She moved all her shit out of the motel, as far as I know, and went to your place. But she still has it. Like it was a full-year lease.”
My fingers itch to wring his neck only because he didn’t tell me this information the second I walked through the door. “You know how to get there?” I demand.
But then, before I can tell him to get his shit and let’s fucking go, Fantasy and Wrath make themselves known.
“We’ll go together,” Wrath states.
He knows about Juliette’s ex from the things I’ve told him, and he also knows she’s my old lady now, just in case something like this went down. I don’t argue. I watch as Alex dips his head and looks down at Fantasy’s phone as they put in the directions for the condo.
Thank fuck someone else is going to be leading this, because I can’t even think straight right now, let alone try and figure out directions. Less than five minutes later, we’re on our bikes and riding toward the condo.
Fuck me, I had no idea she had a place, let alone where it was. All I’ve been worried about is fucking her as many times and in as many different positions as possible. I knew Victor coming back was a real possibility, but I didn’t think he’d have found her this quickly.
The closer I get, the calmer I feel. I’m going to tear this fucker from limb to limb, and I’m going to enjoy it.
Every goddamn second of it.
I can’t fucking wait.