Chapter 16 Cas
Cas
“You wanna hear a joke?” Ricky says.
“Not really, I can’t remember the last time you said anything funny,” Sparky grunts and I smirk.
“Fuck you, asshole. I’m known for funny jokes.”
“Who the fuck told you that?” Sparky argues.
“Everyone who fuckin’ laughs, maybe.”
“How many times do we have to tell ya, they’re laughing at you, not with you.”
Brothers around the table laugh and Ricky frowns.
“See,” Sparky continues.
“Don’t worry about it, Rick, my daughter strangely believes you’re funny,” Pope says.
“You know what, fuck you all.”
The mood around the club is light, we’ve all been waiting to kick back and chill out.
I spent the morning with Lana, taking advantage of the boys staying with Bonnie and JJ, kissing every inch of her body and then making her moan as I pounded into her body.
I left her smiling and relaxed, to see her now has me shooting up to my feet, my heart pounding.
“What is it?”
“Cas, tell me Leo is in here with you.”
My first reaction is to look around. I haven’t seen him since last night when Bonnie picked him up.
“He’s not here.”
“JJ’s missing too.”
Pope stands and manages to squash her fear somewhat. “It’s okay, we’ll get our asses out and look for them.”
She nods and then comes over to me. The bar becomes a blur of movement, and I hold onto my old lady, promising, “He’ll be okay.”
It’s Willow’s Peak, one of the quietest towns in the country. But then again, I know all too well monsters can be anywhere.
“Go over to the main house, and I’ll go look.”
“Find him, Cas,” she pleads.
“I will.”
I walk her out of the bar and watch on as she heads over to the house.
Now she’s out of sight, I unlock the fear. If she were to see it, her worry would only escalate and the chances are, he’s just fucking about with JJ.
Brothers spread out and Ricky hollers my name, waving me over.
I jog toward him and he points over to the land behind the main house. Off in the distance, the two little shits are zipping around on their mini cross bikes.
“Go tell Lana while I go and kick his ass.”
The threat is empty. The sight of him squashes the fear of him going missing and then relief hits me hard.
I walk toward them and whistle to get their attention. Their laughter drowns my call and I bellow, “Leo!”
He looks over and guilt covers his face, along with JJ.
They bring their bikes to a stop and climb off. They push them over and I light a cigarette while I wait.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“We’re just riding our bikes, Uncle Cas,” JJ tells me.
“Your dad will deal with you.” Looking to my son, I arch my brow. “Your mom thought you were at your Aunt Bonnie’s. You rode your bikes all the way here to the club?”
He drop his eyes to the grass and I snap, “Look me in the eye while you explain yourself.”
“We wanted to ride our bikes.”
“So you rode them all the way here?”
They both nod and though I’m a little impressed, I can’t let them see that.
“Don’t you ever do that again. You scared the shit outta your mom.”
And me.
I must have called Leo’s phone a hundred times remembering the time when he was only missing for ten minutes, all the while getting his voicemail.
Each time my anger reaches new heights. My first thought is of Slade.
I'm so used to him being the go-to guy to ask for technical help, but he isn’t here.
“Where the fuck is Zach?” Looking around, I add, “And where the fuck are the twins?”
It's only Sparky, me, JJ, and the prospect. Not even a club girl is in sight. This place has been buzzing with music and life since I first stepped into the place, and it’s now a fucking desert.
“The twins went home to wait for further instruction and Zach’s at Kristen’s,” JJ mutters not meeting my eye.
“My boy is who the fuck knows where and the twins went home?” I can feel my blood pressure skyrocket. “Get Zach here!”
“What do you need him for?” he questions.
“To fuckin’ track Leo’s phone since Hopper ain’t fuckin’ callin’ back.”
“I’ve already got him on it,” he informs me.
I hit call again and the voicemail crackles over speakerphone. I hang up.
“What do you think is gonna happen if Hopper answers?” JJ asks.
I stare at him, imagining all the ways I could smash his fucking face in.
“Are you being deliberately fuckin’ stupid?” I grind out.
“Not at all, Cas. I'm genuinely interested in hearing what’s going through your fuckin’ head, cause Hopper has the upper hand, he knows it and he knows we know it. That phone ain’t gonna ring until he decides to call.”
Sparky drags his ass off the stool and stands himself between me and his son.
“Shit like this is a long game.” He looks to me and says, “You know that, Cas.” And then he looks to JJ, “And you’re findin’ that out now.” He swigs from his bottle and adds, “While we don’t hear shit from Hopper, Leo is alive, so let’s cut the fuckin’ tension and fuckin’ work together.”
I huff, “Are you sober enough?”
“Fuck you, Cas. This shit ain’t even touchin’ me.”
“Put the bottle down then, cause when we do know where my boy is at, we’re hittin’ the road. I can’t be havin’ you killin’ yourself on the road.”
His laughter echoes around the bar. “Please, I could ride while in a coma and still make it in one piece.”
The phone rings and fucking finally, Leo’s name fills the screen. Hitting answer, I put it on speakerphone. My heart pounds wanting to desperately hear Leo’s voice, but knowing I'm not.
“Is that you, Castiel?” Hopper singsongs.
I have to force myself not to react at his fucking sarcastic tone or the use of my name.
“It’s me. Let me talk to my boy.”
“Can’t do that, he’s a little busy in his time out.”
Leaning on the bar, I grind out, “You wouldn’t have called if you didn’t have something to say so get on with it.”
“It’s time we met.”
I catch JJ’s eye. I told him to wait for this call. Now he knows I knew what I was talking about.
“Name a place and time, and we’ll be there.”
“Who’s we? Haven't I taken care of most of your men?” The laughter in his voice riles my blood. Before I can retaliate, he rattles off a location and a time, then the fucker hangs up.
JJ taps away on his phone then informs us, “It’s a six-hour ride.”
“We’ve got thirty hours to get there, get some sleep and be ready to ride,” I tell him, and he walks out.
Sparky slams his bottle on the bar and stretches his arms above his head.
“I’ll be back by sunrise tomorrow,” he tells me and leaves me alone in the bar.
I can’t stand the silence or the ghosts I can imagine yelling at me from the other side, I head home and find Alannah sat at the kitchen table, her mug of coffee gone cold, and her staring into space.
“Hopper called. He agreed to meet.”
“Well,” she says then clears her throat. “When you save our son, you can fix your relationship. You know as well as I do, the club will break if you’re both at odds.”
“Shit will get fixed, darlin’, I swear it to you.”
“That’s all I need to hear. I won’t have my family fighting like you did the other night. Not ever again.”
“I hear ya.” I pull out a chair and join her. “You’re not only worried about Leo, what’s going on?”
She glances out of the window in the direction of Leo’s house.
“Holly’s worrying me. She's acting like Leo’s on a run, and that he’ll be home at any moment.”
I admit her reaction took me by surprise. I was ready for the tears and fear, but it never came.
“She’s lookin’ after three kids, two of which are babies, she’s probably keepin’ it together for them.”
Besides, it’s nice to have someone still have solid faith in me to bring my own blood home alive and well.
Reaching for my old lady, I pull over to me and get her comfortable on my lap. I wind my hand into her blonde locks and massage the back of her neck.
“That feels nice but it doesn’t stop me from worrying.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For how I’ve been over the last couple of weeks. To say it’s shook me is an understatement.”
“I’m still here so you couldn’t have been that bad,” she says, trying to lighten the mood.
“You don’t have to act like I haven’t been an asshole.”
“I’m not,” she tells me. She cups my cheek, and adds, “I need you to be an asshole now. You need to do whatever you have to in order to bring our son home.”
“I’m not talking about how I am with other people, I’m talking about me and you. I shouldn’t have pushed you out.”
“No you shouldn’t have but I get it. Just please, be my husband and the boys’ father. We need you.”
“I’m here, babe. I’m always here. This last couple of weeks won’t ever be repeated.”
She leans in and I savor her lips on mine. She deepens the kiss and then wetness slips between us. I pull back and her tears drop like boulders.
“Don’t lose faith now, darlin’.”
Between Leo being gone and Alannah’s strength waning, I need to step up and be the strength my family needs.