CHAPTER 13 #2
I sighed deeply, pushing my confusion to the back of my mind. It could wait. Jack was right about that. Finding Colt had to be my first priority.
“The Owen’s were looking for Colt because he’d been poking into their operation.
Apparently he’d been to a few of their clubs, asking questions they didn’t like.
They were hunting him down to see what he knew, but they never found him.
Owens was pissed about that, so I believe they never found Colt,” I explained.
“Did they put hands on you?” Mason almost growled, now looking even more pissed.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. The point is, they don’t have Colt, so now we need to find the fucker who hurt me and fast. He has tot be the one who grabbed Colt.
Maybe he thought Colt was on to him, or maybe it was just random and he saw Colt at the club, but I’m sure he has him.
” I forced myself to push back my own flashbacks and just breathe.
I refused to allow my past to overtake me again.
I had allowed it to happen too many times since I returned to the city and it needed to stop.
I needed to get back control of my own mind.
“So where do we start?” Deacon asked from where he had moved to sit in an armchair after helping me take my meds.
Jack was still holding me in hi lap, but I was sat up against him now, my back resting against his front, and Mason was still massaging my thigh.
Thankfully, my pain seemed to be easing slightly, at east enough to allow me to think clearly and breathe.
“Mace, you said the last ping from Colt’s cell was near Temple , right?” I questioned.
“Yeah. According to call logs he called and left Jack and I voicemails, then made one more call before his cell was shut off. That the last signal we have.”
“The other missing people made calls, sent emails, and left voicemails too. I think this guy forces his victims to do that so people won’t look for them,” I explained.
“That makes sense,” Jack agreed as Mason nodded.
“I also think he likely grabs his victims after they leave the clubs. It makes sense. It’s usually late and dark. That’s when he grabbed me,” I went on.
“Time to repent,” The deep scratchy voice reverberated through my head as I once again saw myself on the cold, damp concrete, terrified and trying to escape the monster who had jumped out at me.
“Love?” Jack’s voice ripped me from the horror of the past and back to reality. I looked up at him and tried to hide my slightly panicked breathing.
“I’m okay,” I reassured him when I saw he was watching me with concern.
“Ava, I can deal with this investigation. You don’t need to put yourself through it, sweetheart,” Mason told me as he moved his hands from my thigh and cupped my face with them instead.
“You’re exhausted and dealing with this is only going to bring back more horrid memories for you.
You don’t have to do this. I can find Colt and the fucker who took him. I will find them,” he told me.
“I know you can,” I assured him as I wrapped my shaking hand around his wide wrist and looked right into his beautiful deep dark eyes. “But I have to do this Mason. I have to do everything I can to find my brother and you know it.”
“I do,” he nodded. “I was just hoping.”
“I can handle this, Mace. I’m a mess and you’re right it’s going to bring up some dark shit for me, but I can deal with it.”
“We’re going to be with you every single step of the way,” Jack promised me as he held me even tighter.
“That includes me. I’m going nowhere, sweetheart,” Deak added. I looked over to him and smiled gratefully, knowing how lucky I was that they all were there for me. I didn’t, however, miss the way Mason stared daggers at Deacon when he thought I wasn’t looking.
“So you want to gather surveillance footage from the club cameras? Is that where you were going with your idea?” Mason asked, and I was glad to get back to what mattered.
“Yes. I know most clubs won’t have the footage anymore. Some of these disappearances were years ago, but I know Temple keeps footage for two years, so we should have it from the time Helen, Lee, and Colt went missing. If I saw this guy, I’m sure I’d recognize him,” I explained.
“I can start going through out membership lists. If this guy was watching his victims before he grabbed them, maybe he came into the club?” Jack suggested. “We do basic background checks on all members but I know a bloke who might be able to dig a little deeper.”
“Do it Jack,” Mason agreed with a nod. “I’ll call the station and have some colleagues start trying to track down footage from other clubs.”
“I need to call Ky and update him, not that we have any good news,” I sighed deeply.
“Ky?” Mason questioned.
“K.M. The initials in Colt’s diary. I figured it out. Ky, or Kylan Morton is Colt’s fiancé. He was planning to come out to me. That’s why he was calling me. He wanted to bring his relationship out int the open.”
“Are you sure he don’t have anything to do with this? When did you even meet him?”
“I’m sure, Mace. He was completely devastated to find out Colt was missing. He loves him, that much was clear.”
“Why the bloody hell would Colt think he needed to hide the fact he was dating a guy from us? Surely he must know we wouldn’t care?” Jack asked.
“His asshole Dad. That bastard would have made damn sure Colt felt unable to be honest about his sexuality. He was such an asshole, always trying to shape Colt into what he wanted him to be,” Mason answered.
“Exactly,” I agreed. “The man was a monster and tyrant. The kindest thing he ever did for Colt and I was to die pretty young.” I hissed.
I hated even thinking about the asshole who fathered me.
I would never think of him as my actual father.
“Anyway, we have work to do. Jack, can you get the membership lists up and we’ll start picking out applications we think need looking into deeper? ”
“I ‘ve got it all on my laptop at the club. I’ll need to go and pick it up.”
“You do that and can you get the surveillance footage from Temple too? I’ll call in and get some officers working on gathering the footage we need from the other clubs.”
“Can’t you get membership lists from those clubs too, so we could cross reference who has membership at them all?” Deacon suggested.
“We’d need a warrant for that,” I told him. “It’s better for Colt if we keep this investigation on the down low.”
“If we turn this into a big, official investigation the press will quickly get wind of it. If the guy sees we’re looking for him and panics, then he could kill Colt and run.
We have to keep this quiet,” Mason added and I shuddered at just the words he spoke about Colt being killed.
I had to believe he was still alive. It was the only way I could keep functioning.
“Yeah, okay. I get that. I can go with Jack and get the surveillance footage though. I know the system better,” Deak offered and Mason nodded.
“Let’s get moving then. Mace, you need to make Ava something to eat before she does anything though. Can you handle that?” Jack asked with a small chuckle.
“Ava can make herself something to eat,” I retorted as I glared up at Jack.
“No you don’t. You’re resting today, no arguments.
You can help Jack when he gets back, just so long as you can d it from the sofa.
You have to let your body rest,” Mason said firmly.
“And yes, Jack. I’m quite capable of making something for breakfast,” he added as he looked over my head menacingly.
“Just asking. You can’t blame me! Last time you were here you broke my bloody toaster,” Jack defended.
“It was old as shit and you know it!” Mason threw back, making me laugh out loud.
“Fine.” Jack stood and placed me down in the warm seat he’d just vacated, wrapping a blanket tightly around me which he pulled from the back of the sofa. “Rest. Let Mason take care of you. I’ll be back soon.”
“Just be careful. Owens said he’d back off, but we still don’t know what this psycho sonofabitch is capable of,” I warned as I covered his hand where it rested on my hip.
“You know I can look after myself, love, plus I’ll have the big guy with me,” He said as he nodded to where Deacon now stood beside him.
“We’ll be fine.” He leaned in and plated a gentle kiss on my cheek.
The smell of his aftershave wrapped around me and I found myself grabbing the collar of his navy shirt without thinking.
I pulled him back down and chastely kissed his lips.
I couldn’t have stopped myself if I’d have tried to.
Jack was only shocked for a second before he leaned even closer and kissed me back, again just a peck, but we were both smiling when he stood up and backed away a few steps.
“Be good,” he told me playfully as he pointed a finger at me.
“You know me,” I told him with s shrug.
“She’ll be good,” Mason said as he appeared at Jack’s side and stared me down.
I had no idea what I was doing playing with them as I was.
I knew it couldn’t last, but it felt so good while I could have it.
Have them. Even knowing I’d be hurt when it ended, I couldn’t hold back from the way I felt for them.
Then Deacon crouched before me and I found myself taking in every single inch of his handsome face.
His dark hair was shining in the light coming through the windows and when he smiled softly for me, I almost melted there and then.
He was devastatingly good looking, and he was also kind, patient and understanding.
He made me feel safe the way Jack and Mason did, and I knew he shouldn’t after knowing him a matter of days, but he really did.
Getting involved with him was a terrible idea, especially when I was already so caught up in Mace and Jack, but I couldn’t seem to stop the way my heart lurched every time he was close.
I had feelings for him and I knew it. In just days I was falling for him.