Chapter Eighteen
Ghost
“P ops, what are you doing here?”
“I don’t know why I didn’t think about it when you were at the house,” he says, dismounting his hog. “Hunter was over at the house so often that he was like my own son.”
“I know, Pops. His actions are a surprise to me, too.”
“It’s not that, son,” he says. “I didn’t just think he was like my son, I treated him like one, too. Even gave him chores and allowance.”
“I remember,” I say, still not following.
We’re currently outside the Cage. I’m not expecting Hunter to leave for several more hours, but I don’t plan to leave my spot unless it’s to follow him to my woman. I’ve already placed the magnetic tracker under his vehicle, but he could always switch cars after leaving here. I can’t take that chance.
“Damnit, Rhett. Think.”
“Pops, my mind isn’t in the right place for mind games right now,” I admit.
Sighing, he reaches for my chest and pulls out my cross necklace that was tucked beneath my shirt.
“What was my greatest fear?” he asks, holding the cross in his hands.
“Losing your kids,” I answer, everything clicking into place. “Holy fuck, Pops. I completely forgot that you gave Hunter a necklace, too.”
“One he doesn’t take off,” he smiles. “I know for a fact he doesn’t because I saw it on him last month when he stopped by to give your Ma a birthday gift. Plus, I drilled it into all of your skulls to never take the damn necklace off.”
“We had ours updated,” I remind him. “We didn’t do the same for Hunters. Can you still track him?”
“You didn’t need the damn chips updated,” he grumps. “That was just Knox wanting to play with electronics.”
“So, you can track him?”
“Better than that,” he smiles widely. “I can tell you exactly where he’s been over the past three months. Every stop he made and for how long he made it.”
I grab Pops and hug him tightly.
“Old bones,” he laughs. “Loosen your vice grip, or they will grind to dust. Your Ma would be so mad.”
“Can’t have that,” I say, releasing the old man. “I fucking love you, Pops.”
“Go on back to the clubhouse,” he laughs. “Knox has already started shifting through the stored information on my old laptop and should have something for you when you get there. I’m going to go have a drink. Bring my new daughter home, son. Or you’re grounded.”
“You got it, Pops,” I say, straddling my own hog and heading back to Knox.
***Amara***
I need my meds in a bad way. I can’t seem to focus on anything with my head pounding as if it’s letting me know that it’s had enough electrical shocks for the day. My body feels like it’s shutting down, each seizure taking more out of me than the last. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. Even with my emergency nose spray, I don’t think it would help.
I lie on the cold, hard floor, trying to muster the strength to move. Every muscle aches and my mind feels like it’s wrapped in fog. I can barely keep my eyes open, but I know I can’t afford to fall asleep again. Not here. Not now.
Time seems to stretch endlessly. Minutes feel like hours, and the silence is deafening. I force myself to sit up, leaning against the wall for support. I try to focus on my breathing, to calm the storm raging inside my head, but it’s no use. My thoughts keep drifting back to Ghost, wondering if he’s looking for me. Wondering if he’s found any clues.
“Hang in there, Snow,” I whisper to myself, my voice barely audible. “He’s coming for you. He’ll find you.”
But the words feel hollow. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on to that hope. My body is betraying me, and without immediate medical intervention, it’s only a matter of time before the next seizure hits. And it could very well be my last one.
I close my eyes, trying to block out the pain and the fear. I think of Ghost, of the life we were building together. I think of my daughter growing up without me. I have to survive this. I have to get back to them. But the darkness is closing in, and I can feel myself slipping away.
I don’t know how much longer I can fight.
As I sit here, struggling to stay conscious, I hear footsteps approaching. My heart leaps into my throat, a mixture of hope and dread. The door creaks open, and I force myself to lift my head.
Hunter stands there, his eyes cold and calculating. He looks me over, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Looks like you’re having a rough day,” he says, his tone mocking. “I made another five grand tonight. It wasn’t as much as I was hoping for, but it’ll do.”
“Please,” I manage to say, my voice weak. “Let me go. I won’t last much longer if I don’t get help.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Why would I do that? You’re more valuable to me like this.”
Despair washes over me, and I feel tears sting my eyes. “Please, Hunter. I’m begging you.”
His expression hardens, and he steps closer, crouching down so he’s at eye level with me. “Beg all you want, Snow. It won’t change a thing. You’re mine until I decide otherwise. I’ll be back. Got a new camera.”
With that, he stands up and leaves, the door slamming shut behind him. I’m left alone in the darkness, my hope fading with each passing second.
I have to hold on. I have to survive. But as the pain intensifies and my vision blurs, I don’t know how much longer I can keep that promise to myself.
***Ghost***
I can’t believe he fucking left early.
“Which way did he go?” I ask Venom over the phone.
“I don’t know, brother,” he says. “I fucked up. He left in the middle of my match. The guard on duty for the private entrance was a new guy and I didn’t tell him to let me know if Hunter left. This is on me.”
“It’s on me,” I correct him. “I should have known my best friend was a fucking lunatic.”
“Here,” Knox says. “I think this is where he’s keeping her. It’s his parents’ old house.”
“It burned to the ground,” I say. “That’s how his parents died. Otherwise, I would have had King check there after he searched Hunter’s house.”
“According to these blueprints, the foundation was still solid, so they rebuilt it. The house was left to Hunter.”
“That fucker never said a word about it,” I grit out.
“He was probably the one who set fire to it,” King says.
I never would have considered the possibility before, but it turns out that Hunter will do just about anything for money.
“Since Snow was taken, Hunter has spent the majority of his time at that location,” Knox says. “According to your dad’s software, he was there, and he was at his house. That’s it.”
“Reynolds, you’re with me,” I say. “King, I want you waiting at a distance in case he gets past us. Knox, honey, we have to leave you here by yourself. Will you be okay, or do you want King to drop you off at his place?”
Venom took Sophie over there before he left to fight, and Taylor, Mitchell, and Jax are still there protecting the rest of the family.
However, Knox went through some shit and still has a hard time being anywhere but here unless he’s with Taylor.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I could make myself leave without Papa,” he says, his Little popping his head out. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, King.”
“No worries,” he smiles. “Will you be okay here on your own, or do you want me to wait for your Papa to come get you?”
“I’ll be fine,” he says. “All three of you go and find my sister. Bring her back.”
I hesitate to leave him alone, but I know that he’ll be safe here. Even still, I send Taylor a quick message.
We think we know where Hunter is keeping Snow. I’m heading there now with King and Reynolds. Everyone else is on duty at the Cage tonight. Knox is at the clubhouse. He didn’t want King to bring him to you so you might want to make plans to come get him. I hate leaving him alone. I’m sorry, brother.
Taylor: Don’t be sorry, Ghost. Go get your woman. I’m going to go and get him. I’m locking the women and kids in the panic room until I get back with Knox. Jax will stay with them, and we have a couple more guards on the property somewhere outside. Focus on Snow.
“Your Papa is on his way,” I tell Knox. “Don’t leave this room until he gets here. Got it? I’m locking this door, the building’s door, and the main gate. Keep your security feed up at all times and your phone by your hand. Taylor knows the code and has all the keys. You don’t need to leave this room for any reason.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that situation resolved, I put my full focus on the task at hand. Getting my woman back and killing my best friend.