24. Crystal
24
CRYSTAL
Ade’s personal alarm goes off and I stare at my phone. It’s never gone off before. We’ve taught him what to do if a stranger comes along, or if he’s uncomfortable at any time and we’re not there. We have safe words. But this is making me break into a sweat.
Ever since the kidnapping, and all the shit that’s gone down at the clubhouse, all of the MC kids have a GPS tracking watch.
“What is it?” Casey asks, frowning.
“Ade’s alarm just went off.”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah.” I scramble to call Ryder, making sure I keep my tone as calm as possible. Of course, I want to ask him what’s going on. Ade’s alarm went off, and are they okay? But I can’t say any of that.
He picks up on the last ring. “Hey, honey.”
“Is everything okay? You’ve been a while.” I pace, trying to keep my breathing even and my tone calm.
Don’t say it. Don’t fucking say it!
“We’re fine, babe. But we stopped off for ice cream and got a little held up.”
Ice cream.
Holy fuck.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
I flap my arms at Casey as she jumps off the stool, grabbing her phone.
Our family code word. Mention ice cream in a sentence and it sounds the silent alarm. He’s under duress.
As the blood pounds in my ears and I think of something to say, Ryder adds, “And before you ask, he’s fine. He’s playin’ Crocodile on his watch.”
I don’t know how I manage the next sentence without crying. “Okay, well, drive safely. I hope you got extra ice cream. I’ll see you soon.”
“Be there soon, Sugar.” Ryder clicks off.
I turn to Casey. “Oh, God, Case, something’s wrong. He said ice cream and mentioned Ade’s playing Crocodile ; that’s the danger app on his watch.”
“I’m already calling Cash,” she says. “Cash! It’s Casey. Ryder and Ade are in trouble. We don’t know what happened but they’re in his truck, and he used two safe words to let us know they’re in danger… Uh, yeah, I think so… I don’t know… Yes, we’re home, but they were going to get pizza…”
My hands are shaking so much, I can barely hold my phone. Then Casey yells at me to get my attention. “Cash is asking about the GPS?”
I tap onto the app but there’s no signal. I shake my head, then hit the app that links to Aidan’s watch. It’s showing their location. “They’re moving,” I garble. “They’re heading south on I-10. Tell him about Ade’s security app.”
Casey repeats what I say as she continues to talk to Cash. Then my phone starts ringing. I jump as I scramble to answer it. It’s Pipes.
“Crys?” Pipes says. “Just got the SOS from Cash. I’m right near your place.”
“It’s Ryder,” I cry. “And Ade. I don’t know what’s happening, but something’s wrong. He just called me and used two safe words… I’m freaking the fuck out…”
“I’m a few minutes away.”
“No, we’re going to get in Casey’s truck now and follow the?—”
“No!” he barks. “Cash’s orders are to sit tight until I get there.”
Of course, Cash knows I’m not going to sit around crying. I’m going to take action.
Alarm, followed by rage, boils up inside of me. “I’m not sitting here waiting for my husband and child to be murdered, or assaulted, or… or…” I can’t even finish the sentence.
“I’ll pick you up, we can all go together,” Pipes reasons. “Cash won’t be happy, but he also knows nobody can keep you down. But wait for me.”
“You’ve got two minutes,” I tell him. “Then we’re gone.”
I hang up at the same time Casey does.
“Cash said he’s sending the boys out immediately and he’ll follow behind,” she says right at the same time I blurt out, “Pipes is on his way. We’re taking your truck.”
“Who the hell would do this?” Casey rubs her temples. “Carjacking?”
“I’d say so. We need to move.”
“What about Pipes?”
“We’re closer to the I-10 than the clubhouse is. Even if the boys just left, we’re still ahead of them.”
I dash off to the bedroom.
“Where are you going?” Casey calls after me.
“I’m getting my gun.”
“Holy shit,” she cries.
Casey is no stranger to any of this; she deals with gunshot victims and assaults every single day. I’m relying on her to stay levelheaded here, not question my morality.
I hear the straight pipes of the Harley as I pull on a sweater and change into my joggers.
A few minutes later, Pipes is storming through the house, calling my name.
“She’s getting a gun,” I hear Casey say.
His voice drops. “Are you okay?”
He’s so sweet to Casey; I don’t know why she’s so mean to him.
“I’m fine. Shaken up, but Crystal’s gone off the deep end.”
“I can hear you!” I yell.
“I meant you to!” she yells back.
A few seconds later, Pipes is striding into my bedroom. The look on his face says it all; he looks ferocious. And for fun-loving Pipes who is rarely ever serious, that’s saying a lot.
“If you insist on comin’, I’m drivin’,” he says.
“Deal.” There’s no need to negotiate, because that’s taking away precious time.
Casey appears in the doorway and throws Pipes her keys and he takes off. We’re hot on his heels as we follow behind towards the truck parked in the driveway.
Now isn’t the time to break down. Now is definitely not the time to cry, or to think about my son and my husband being held hostage by this lunatic. How could this happen?
Who would want to do this?
We get to the truck and Pipes opens the back door for Casey.
“Still a gentleman under pressure,” she sasses.
“The operative word bein’ under ,” he chides back. “I’m more than happy to be on the bottom anytime, Pumpkin.”
“Pipes!” I all but scream at him. So much for him being ‘so sweet’. . “Focus!”
“Shit, sorry.” He slams her door shut once she’s safely inside, then jogs around to the driver's side, muttering, “It ain’t my fault she’s cute when she’s sassy.”
These two will be the freaking death of me. I questioned Casey on the car ride home why it was she and Pipes are always at loggerheads, but she refused to give me anything. Claiming he was a manwhore and he had very few manners, not that she cared. I pressed her for intel, but Casey has always been pretty closed about discussing her relationships with me, even though we’re close. I think she thinks it’s going to scar me because after my kidnapping, a lot of things did just that. She doesn’t like stressing me out, but I’m her sister. I want her to share things with me. Even if it is with guys in the MC, not that she’s been with any, but it isn’t like none of them have tried.
“Did you and Ryder piss anyone off lately?” He begins to reverse out of the drive as soon as we’re buckled in.
“No!” I say indignantly, then add, “Not that I’m aware of.”
I punch in the coordinates to Ade’s GPS from my phone and a small sliver of hope tingles up my spine as I watch the car on the highway. Even though we’re not that far behind, it seems like eons away.
Then, Cash calls Pipes and he puts it on speaker. “Hey, Boss.”
“Pipes, where are you?” Cash barks. He sounds madder than a hellcat.
“Enroute,” he says. “I’m about fifteen minutes behind them, less if I press the gas.”
“Good. I’ve sent Giggs over to Ryder’s to keep watch over the gir?—”
“They’re with me.” Pipes visibly cringes.
“Of course they are,” he mutters. “Hi, Crystal. I told Casey to tell you to stay put.”
“You’ve known me a long time, Cash,” I say. “If anyone messes with my family, you know I’m going in guns blazing no matter what.”
“Let’s just calm down on the guns blazin’ stuff,” he admonishes. “We don’t need any guns goin’ off until we’re sure it’s aimed at the right people.”
“Oh, it will be. I’ve been practicing at the gun range,” I say proudly.
“I don’t even wanna know,” Cash mutters.
Pipes is in charge of the new gun range the club just bought recently, and they’re about to open. It’s fun, and my aim is pretty good. Not that I ever imagined I’d ever be aiming a real gun at someone. Still, that someone just kidnapped my baby and my husband. So I hope they’re ready for the fight of their lives because I won’t be backing down.
“Don’t blame me,” Pipes says. “I had nothin’ to do with that. They insisted, and I don’t know if you’re aware, boss, but they’re very persuasive women. Need I remind you that one of them has a gun.”
Cash ignores him. “Stay outta sight, and once the car stops and you get a location, let me know. Crystal, send the coordinates to Jett and do not set foot outside that truck.”
“Already on it,” I say, sharing the location with Jett on my phone.
“Can you think of anyone who’d want to hurt you, or Ryder or Ade?” Cash goes on.
“No.” I shake my head. “Nobody.”
“What about back home? You just came back from the funeral.”
“We didn’t see anyone, only Stu, Ryder’s stepbrother, and he was cool.”
“You sure about that?” Cash definitely doesn’t sound so sure.
“Yes, he wouldn’t be carjacking Ryder in the middle of New Orleans. He had plenty of opportunity to behave badly when we were there,” I say. “It’s not Stu.”
“Fine, I know you think you can do somethin’, but rage is gonna get you killed, Crys. I mean it. The boys are headin’ in the same direction right behind, so hear what I’m sayin’. You’re not to leave that truck. That’s an order. I don’t give a fuck what you’re about to say; if you go against my word, then you know what’ll happen.”
Tears spring to my eyes. “You can’t do that, Cash. This is my family!”
“And we’ve got a sharpshooter, plus two very mean sons of bitches in the form of Tag and Harlem who won’t be takin’ too kindly to carjackin’, especially a child being involved. Not to mention the rest of the club who are on their way.”
“I get that,” I say. “But?—”
“No buts, just listen for once. I know how headstrong you are, and I’m warnin’ you right now, Ryder won’t be happy if you can’t listen to simple instructions.”
“But Pipes is here, and my sister. We’ll be there before anyone else?—”
“Do you really wanna put Casey in danger, too?”
“Of course not.”
“We’ve dealt with shit like this before, we’re no stranger to it. You’re too emotionally involved, and that’s when accidents happen.”
I know he’s right, but my instinct is to go after them and fight. This is my family. The two people I care about most in the world.
“Crystal?” Cash’s voice awakens me from my reverie. “Are you understandin’ me?”
“Yes,” I say. “I’ve got it.”
“Good. I’ll be on the road, so keep in touch with Jett for any updates.”
“Got it.”
He hangs up.
“Well, he’s a party pooper,” Casey says from the backseat. “Like, seriously.”
“He means what he says,” Pipes warns. “So no matter what the two of you have cookin’ up in your heads, think again. This is dangerous. If anythin’ happens to either one of you, it’s on my head.”
“I’m not doing anything,” I protest. “I’m not a complete idiot. Someone has my husband, and my son. I’m not going to go rogue, but I am going to protect myself, and Casey.”
“Yeah, about that,” Pipes says. “Cash said to stay inside the vehicle. We’ve got the whole MC chasin’ Ryder’s truck. Don’t wanna be caught in the crossfire. So, I’ll be needin’ that gun.”
“I’m not stupid,” I huff. “And you’re not taking my gun.”
Pipe’s hands tighten on the wheel. “Maddenin’ woman,” he mutters.
“The MC has a point,” Casey interrupts. “There are a shit ton of members, and only two of us. We’re both emotionally connected. I’m not saying we’re completely useless, but we always talk about chicks in movies and books who don’t listen, and then get their asses shot.”
“I take it you’re the rational sister?” Pipes turns his head to the rearview mirror.
From my peripheral, Casey flips him the bird.
“I’ve never fired a gun, but I’m always willing to test out target practice,” she throws back.
Pipes pouts and makes an ooh noise as he shakes his hand. “Feisty. You know what, pumpkin? I’ve got a shootin’ range about to open. You can practice all you like.”
“I meant on you . You’re the target.”
“Me?” He sounds incredulous. “What did I do?”
Yes, that’s a very good question. One I have no interest in right now while my son and husband are under siege. “Will you two just quit it for half a second, please?” I press my temples. “I’m trying to think.”
“You don’t need to think about anythin’. Just keep your eyes on that GPS and we’ll figure the rest out as we go,” Pipes reassures me.
I don’t know how he can be so calm. Then again, he’s always been good in a crisis.
My entire life is in that fucking truck.
I turn to look out the window. I feel hysterical; angry one minute, crying the next. A million things go through my mind: Is this a random act? Or is it something more sinister? And if so, who and why? We have no enemies. I haven’t pissed anyone off lately, enough to cause my family to be a target anyway. Neither has Ryder.
Despite what Cash insinuated, this isn’t Stu. It can’t be. He has no motive, and he couldn’t have gotten to New Orleans that fast, or carjacked Ryder when he was right there in front of him just yesterday. Some big part of the puzzle is missing. I just need to try and fit it together.
Of course, there have been a lot of crazy things happening in the MC over the years, and these last few months have been hectic. But all of that has died down. Everything has been peaceful for months.
It seems in this club, the past always seems to catch up with somebody at some point.
I stare at the GPS, trying not to count down every second that passes. I also ignore every single traffic hazard Pipes maneuvers through, including a red light, in order to catch up. Then all of a sudden, Ryder’s truck stops on the map.
“It stopped,” I say, staring at the screen.
“Where are they?” Pipes tries to look at the screen, but ends up honking a car as he swerves into the other lane.
“We want to get there in one piece, Pipes!” Casey shouts. “Jesus!”
“The bayou,” I whisper. “The fucking bayou!”
“It’s gonna be okay,” Pipes tells me. “We’re less than five minutes from the location.
A few moments later, Jett calls. I put him on speaker.
“Got the coordinates,” he says. “The boys are ten minutes behind you.”
“That’s too long,” I say. My throat thickens as I try not to lose it. “That’s too long, Jett!”
“This is Ryder we’re talkin’ about,” Jett says in an annoyingly calm voice. “He can handle himself.”
“He’s not armed,” I say. “I don’t think he’s armed.” I realize I don’t know.
How can I not know?
“Cash said Ade sounded the alarm,” Jett goes on. “Smart little kid.”
“He’s just like his daddy.” I barely get the words out. I feel Casey’s hand on my shoulder. She gives it a squeeze and I press a hand over my mouth. Maybe I’m having a delayed reaction, but everything hits me at once. There’s only one reason they’re going to the bayou. I know this.
“Keep your phone on you,” Jett goes on. “I’ll call you back soon.”
“Okay, thanks Jett.” I hang up and turn to Pipes. “Why did they stop at the bayou?”
He doesn't look at me. “I don’t know.”
“I mean, the MC takes men out there to get rid of them, right?”
“Not always.”
“Don’t lie, Pipes. They do. Oh, my God.”
“It’s gonna be okay.” Casey squeezes me harder. “Like Jett said, it’s Ryder. He can handle himself. He’s not dumb.”
“He may not be dumb, but he’s not armed, either. And Ade…” I trail off.
Pipes turns his head for a second. “Do you trust me?”
I wipe the tears voluntarily falling. “Yes.”
“Then know this: I’m not gonna let anythin’ happen to either one of them. I know how to shoot, it’s what I’m good at. Nobody’s beaten me at the range yet.” I have to admit; that is kinda comforting. “I’ve got two weapons and I’m not afraid to use them.”
Our eyes meet. “I won’t lose my family, Pipes.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Pipes is right,” Casey chimes in. “I’ve seen him shoot, he’s really good.”
Pipes flicks his eyes up to the rearview mirror again. “You have?”
She ignores him. “The point is, the MC always comes out on top. The odds are in our favor.”
“But we’re still not there yet,” I cry. “That’s a shit ton of time for… for…”
“That’s not gonna happen. Ryder won’t let anyone hurt Ade.” Casey’s voice is low and not as panicked as it was before. I wish I could get my own under control, but I’m freaking the fuck out.
“She’s right,” Pipes adds. “The man is a machine, especially when he’s angry. Sit tight, we’re not far behind.”
I fold my arms over my chest. I’ve never been more afraid of anything in my life. I’ve never been so scared. And now I’m supposed to just sit in the car while God knows what is going on out there?
The fucking bayou.
I can’t even think about what could be happening.
I close my eyes, thinking of something, anything, to take my mind off this terrible situation. All I come up with is telling myself it’s going to be okay.
I love you, Ryder. I love you, Aidan. I’ll be there soon, and we’ll all be together again.
Just hold on.
That’s what I need right now.
Just a few more minutes…