Chapter 13 Cinerator
The excitement of bringing Gwen to the clubhouse and introducing her to the club was short-lived when I noticed Det. Castor’s patrol car parked in the lot. I pulled up to the front of the building and cut the engine.
Lifting Gwen, I rose off the seat and set her feet on the ground. “Might be trouble. Stick close to me, okay?”
She nodded.
It wasn’t what I expected when I entered. No tension radiated off G.D. as I approached him, holding tightly to Gwen’s hand.
“Sit down, Cin. Det. Castor has some news you should hear.” His gaze shifted to Gwen. “You too, honey.”
We both sat in empty seats, but I hauled Gwen into my lap, daring Det. Castor to say a word about it.
He didn’t. The detective seemed worried. I didn’t like the emotions coming off him. They weren’t directed at us, which meant the trouble involved something else.
“What is it?”
“NCIS agent Nate Barnes is a fraud.”
The fuck?
Det. Castor shook his head. “Not the real agent. He’s alive and well and living in Texas. No clue someone swiped his identity and used it to deceive everyone he met.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? No one thought to double-check his I.D.?”
“Our department slipped up. We never verified the photo. It’s a fucking mess, to be honest. Worse, he’s in the wind.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” G.D. asked, looking as annoyed as I felt.
“It means he skipped town. Or he’s hiding. Not sure. We’ve got an APB out for his arrest, but this guy knows how to work the system. I’m not confident we’ll catch him.”
“Christ,” G.D. cursed. “You dropping this in our lap and that’s it? Fucking hell, Mike.”
“I’m giving you the courtesy of a heads-up. Letting you know a dangerous man is out there, probably with a vendetta against your club.”
Gwen was the one who answered him first. “Why do you think that?”
“Because it doesn’t make sense. There’s a connection we’re missing. He had it out for the club, but also your sister, Gwen. You’re not safe.”
I stiffened at his remark.
“As much as it pains me to say it,” he went on, “I think it’s best you stay with the Grave Prowlers. The club has the best shot at protecting you. Resources I don’t have, if you take my meaning.”
I sure did.
“Okay. I already planned to, but thank you.”
“Wish I could do more. We’re hunting this bastard. If you find him, I want to know.”
I snorted. Sure.
He ignored me. “G.D., I need this assurance from you. I won’t let the slippery fucker get away. Count on me to bring him down the right way.”
“Only if the club agrees.”
“That’s all I can ask. Know if you need me, I’ll be ready.”
G.D. stood and held out his hand.
Mike Castor didn’t hesitate to take it as they shook. “Respect for you. You know that. Doesn’t matter what side I land on.”
G.D. grunted, “Same for me.”
The detective left as I turned to my pres. “What are we gonna do?”
“Something isn’t right about this,” Gwen whispered. “I can feel it. It’s in my gut. I don’t know what connects Becka, Marshall, and that guy posing as Barnes, but it’s important.”
“I know, baby.”
G.D. held her gaze. “Know that the club is going to figure this out. We always do. Doesn’t matter how long it takes.”
A promise like that from the president of a motorcycle club carried weight. A finality that Gwen understood.
“I appreciate it.”
Her phone began ringing, and she stared at the screen. “It’s Penny.”
Gwen told me about the woman from the shelter who stole money from her purse. It pissed me off. What the hell did that bitch want from her?
“I’m going to answer it. Maybe I can convince her to give it back to me if she hasn’t spent it.”
Doubtful.
“I’m going to take the call outside. It’s too loud in here.”
The noise level resumed in the full bar once Mike Castor left.
“Don’t leave the lot.”
“I won’t.”
I watched her slip outside, thinking that my whole world now revolved around a slender blonde with the ability to wreck me.
“Damn. You got it bad, Cin,” Fiend joked as he plopped down beside me.
Ghost joined us, taking the seat beside G.D. “Completely whipped.”
I flipped them both off. Couldn’t deny it was true, though.
“How is it none of you other fuckers can hold onto a woman?”
G.D. scowled. “Because they fucking cheat.”
Ghost shrugged. “Haven’t found a woman that makes me want to give up any other pussy for the rest of my life.”
Fiend lifted a beer. “I’ll drink to that.”
Gwen’s brother walked into the bar, waking up after he crashed in one of the guest rooms. I forgot to mention to Gwen that he was here. Ethan never left after we finished our business with Max.
Truth be told, he fit in. The other members liked him. He could take a joke, knew how to bullshit like the rest of us, and seemed to like the atmosphere.
“Where’s G?”
“Outside. She got a phone call and couldn’t hear well inside the bar. Check on her for me, will ya?”
He flipped me off. “Run your own errands, asshole.”
The table erupted in laughter.
“Since I want to see her, I’ll go out, but I’m not saying shit about you.”
“That’s fair,” I chuckled. “Good to see you’re still a pain in my ass.”
“Not gonna stop being one either.”
G.D. grinned at Ethan’s retreating back. “He’d make a good prospect. Anyone want to sponsor him?”
“Hell no, Pres. Gwen would have my ass for kicking his on a regular basis.”
Ghost snickered. “I’m happy to do it. Not sponsoring anyone right now. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen a candidate like him.”
“Agreed.” G.D. gripped his shoulder. “Congrats, fucker. You get to break the news to him when he comes back in.”
I didn’t mind Ethan becoming a brother. He was loyal, didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, and had the grit to be a Grave Prowler.
Gwen would have to accept what her brother would soon become.
Ethan wasn’t gone for more than a minute before he rushed back into the bar. “You said Gwen was outside, Cin.” His voice sounded tight. Almost panicked.
Fear poured out of him.
“She just walked out there about ten minutes ago.”
Ethan shook his head. “She’s not out there.” His eyes took on a wild look. “Tell me the worst isn’t happening. That I’m not about to lose another sister.”
Fucckkkkkk.
“No! I don’t accept that,” I snarled as I shot to my feet, running outside and nearly shoving Ethan out of the way.
My gaze bounced all over the lot. The only thing I noticed was the prospect at the gate, hunched over.
“Pres!” I shouted as I ran toward him.
“Right behind you!”
As soon as we got close, I saw the blood. His throat had been slashed. The kid was already gone. Or so I thought.
G.D. threw his head back and roared. The dark beast inside him fought to get loose. He shook with rage. Dropping to one knee, he searched for a pulse. “Get him to the Tree. Maybe it’s not too late.”
Fiend and Nightmare, who must have joined us when he realized something was wrong, picked up the prospect and rushed toward the back of the compound. A gate would open to a dirt road, leading them into the forest where they’d reach the hollow and summon the Tree.
“His name?” Ethan asked, fists clenched.
“Juke. He protected your sister more than once. Prevented her truck from being stolen.”
No one knew that but club members.
And yeah, the fucker who tried it with me had already done it once. Juke caught him. I sent him to watch over Gwen a few times when I was busy.
Ethan shook his head as if trying to clear it. “You said she was on the phone. Who called her?”
“Penny. Don’t know a last name. Gwen said she stole money out of her purse, and she wanted to talk to Penny about it.”
“Gwen’s friend Cary owns the women’s shelter. She would know Penny.” Ethan already had his phone out and was dialing the number. “Hey, Cary. Sorry to bother you, but I need your help.”
While Ethan got the information we needed, I turned to G.D. “What’s the plan, Pres?” I had to follow orders no matter how badly I wanted to hop on my bike and try to find her scent. Maybe I could track her down on that alone.
G.D. picked up on it. Maybe my thoughts and emotions were transparent enough that he could tell I was close to letting the monster inside me loose. My control was slipping. “Ride. Her soul and yours are connected. Find your woman.”
I ran toward my bike before the words were out of his mouth. In less than a minute, I was riding out of the gate, refusing to focus on Juke’s blood. That prospect was a fighter. He was young. The Tree could save him.
I turned my focus to Gwen. The wind whipped around my body, bringing in smells from the forest, animals, and the exhaust from my bike. I concentrated harder. Seeking that scent that I loved. That sweet, intoxicating smell that I recognized the first moment I saw her.
One that followed her from one life to the next.
A way I could always find my soulmate.
Just when I thought I had failed, I caught it. The scent mixed with two others. One I recognized as the man who impersonated Nate Barnes. The other, a female I never met.
The horrible truth started to sink in. Gwen was taken. Her kidnapping was intentional. Penny and the fraudulent agent were working together.
They fooled us all.
A bike rumbled behind me, and I saw Ghost. The others wouldn’t be far behind. I had backup if I needed it.
Gwen’s scent led to an abandoned hunting cabin. It wasn’t hard to find.
I stopped before they could hear my bike approach and stashed it behind a tree. From here, I planned to approach on foot with the advantage of surprise.
They couldn’t know that the forest would shield me. My footsteps never made a sound. Soft moss grew beneath my boots, silencing the placement of my soles.
I closed my eyes and summoned the trees, asking them to close in and prevent anyone from escaping. No one would pass through except my club brothers. The trees knew Gwen belonged to me and helped without hesitation.
Sunlight was slowly being extinguished as I approached the cabin. The trees blocked out the rays and turned the sky above into darkness. Wind rushed through their limbs as a storm brewed overhead. The elements weren’t controlled by the trees, though. That was Ghost’s ability.
Dropping low, I paused outside a window and listened.
“You stupid bitch! I told you not to steal from her.”
A whiny female voice answered. “Babe, please!”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not anything to you.”
A screech followed, and I heard a thud. Risking a peek, I found Gwen tied up and a gag in her mouth. Blood trickled from the side of her head. Her eyes were glassy, and I wondered if they drugged her.
“You promised! You said if I got her to trust me and helped to get her away from the biker, you’d take care of me.”
He didn’t answer.
“Shane! Please.”
“You’re right,” he agreed with a coolness I knew meant he planned to kill Penny. I felt rage from him. Annoyance.
The girl? Penny seemed desperate. Confusion and fear dominated her emotions as Shane pointed a gun at her chest.
“You’ve never been worth the hassle.” He fired the gun and shot her three times in the chest.
Her body jolted as she screamed. He kicked her aside, stepping over the growing pool of blood seeping into the wooden floor. I knew she was dead as he snarled in disgust.
Gwen moaned, and I could feel her pain. She was disoriented.
“Get up, bitch. We need to move. That fucking biker will come for you, and I’m done dealing with his shit.”
I still didn’t get it. What did Shane and Penny have to do with Gwen or Becka? Cyber couldn’t find anything online. Maybe Shane knew how to cover his tracks. Still, it didn’t make sense.
What was the motivation for murder?
I couldn’t let him touch Gwen, so I had to get this fucker outside the cabin. “Hey, asshole!” I shouted right as I kicked open the door. “Prepare to meet Death.”
Shane pointed his gun toward me and fired. I moved out of the way, much faster than humanly possible. I couldn’t keep it up for long because it used a massive amount of energy, but it saved me from a hole in my gut.
“You really are a nuisance, aren’t you?” He fired again, and I dodged it a second time.
I didn’t have the fucking patience for this guy. Instead of trying to get him to talk, I rushed him. My shoulder slammed into his chest as he pulled back on the trigger. The bullet whizzed past my ear and hit something metal, bouncing off to land somewhere I couldn’t see.
The force of the collision sent Shane and me to the ground.
I pulled back my fist and punched him on the side of the head.
It didn’t stop him. With rage as a catalyst, he fought with a determination I didn’t expect.
This fucker was strong, and he knew how to fight.
We rolled around on the ground, knocking into furniture.
A cast iron skillet dropped beside my head along with a lantern. It crashed to the floor beside the skillet and ignited the floorboards. I had to end this before the fire got to Gwen.
I reached for the skillet and raised it high, bringing it down on Shane’s head. It knocked him unconscious, long enough to scramble to my feet and grab Gwen.
The little cabin’s walls were already ablaze. In only minutes, the whole thing would burn to the ground.
I scooped up Gwen, wondering why she remained silent.
Her eyes were closed as her head lolled against my shoulder.
I didn’t have time to assess her inside the cabin.
I jumped out of the doorway and through a wall of flames.
Rushing to the grass as the sky opened up and rain began to fall, I searched her body for any burns.
There were none.
With relief, I bowed my head for a moment, knowing I could have lost Gwen in there. My hand slid behind her back to lift her when I felt something wet. It wasn’t the rain.
Lifting her, I noticed the red liquid smeared on my hand.
No, no, no, no, NO!
How did this happen? Was she shot before I arrived?
I yanked up her dark blue shirt and saw the wound. A bullet hole in her back. Fuck! The bullet that ricocheted. It must have hit her.
Ghost shouted as I turned my head, seeing him pull Shane from the cabin. “I’ve got him. We’ll get answers.”
“Gwen is hit! I’m taking her to the Tree!”
A mournful howl rose around us. I struggled to breathe as I felt Omen’s sorrow.
No. I wasn’t losing Gwen. I refused.
If I had to take her place, so be it.