Chapter Sixteen. #2
Jinx knew the route he’d ridden, and he’d head back that way, staying in the shadows and treeline. He wouldn’t let Darcy and Wade be taken.
He’d killed before; he’d do it again.
Shotgun
“There’s gotta be a lead!” he roared, launching a chair against the wall. Bear moved closer to contain him.
“Everyone’s out, Shotgun, everyone,” Chance promised.
“We ain’t,” Shotgun snarled.
“You aren’t riding in this state,” Chance snapped.
“It’s been four hours,” Shotgun yelled. “Someone must have seen something. Has anyone reached that fuckin’ prospect yet?”
Chance shook his head. He and Bear continuously kept dialling Jinx.
Everyone had answered but him. Chance had also had a missed call from the prospect.
The odds of Jinx, Allegra, and the kids turning up missing at the same time were astronomical.
He reckoned Jinx had witnessed something.
Chance didn’t for one minute believe that Jinx would have hurt them. It wasn’t in the kid.
“Are the cameras up yet?” Rain demanded from where he sat in the corner.
“Leila will let us know.” The kidnapping had been timed perfectly. The city’s camera system was down for a server change, meaning there was no footage of Allegra being snatched.
Some witnesses had phoned it in, and it had taken the police an hour to identity Allegra.
They’d contacted the family, who’d then tracked Shotgun to see if Allegra was at the club.
As soon as Shotgun had been alerted, he called Chance, who reached out and sent the brothers out looking.
Allies had been alerted, and everyone was searching for Allegra and the kids.
Chance had also put an alert out on his missing prospect.
His gut told him that the two disappearances were linked.
Jinx
Step. Step. Step. One foot in front of another. Step. Step. Step. He ignored the pain coming and kept going. It didn’t matter that his piece of shit boots were tearing his feet to shreds. All that mattered was saving a brother’s kids.
Jinx hadn’t failed Hellfire yet, and he didn’t intend to now. He could have thumbed a ride, but what if the car that stopped was the kidnappers? Jinx was paranoid, but rightfully so. He had precious cargo with him.
Would the club even keep him with no ride?
Jinx couldn’t afford new boots, let alone a new bike.
It was a piece of shit, but it had been his.
He’d worked his ass off for that, and it was gone.
Anyway, Chance would kick him sooner or later, so Jinx was resigned to it.
Might as well be now. Step. Step. Step. Keep going.
Save Shotgun’s kids. Make Jinx’s worthless life mean something.
Pyro
Five and a half hours. No ransom demand, nothing.
Nobody had a clue where Shotgun’s family was.
For four hours, they’d checked the city and surrounding towns.
Where the fuck was Jinx as well? Pyro rode past the truck stop and reacted before realising it.
Pyro headed towards a black van, and a chill sank into his stomach as he saw what some truckers were observing.
The crushed Hog, which had been destroyed by the van, belonged to Jinx.
Pyro leapt off his bike and raced over. “Did anyone see the rider?” he demanded.
“No, man, it’s been here ages. We called it in several hours ago, but the cops haven’t come yet,” a trucker replied.
“Fuck!” Pyro roared. The police were looking for Allegra, and if they’d attended this call, they’d have had this lead earlier. He yanked his phone and dialled Chance.
Jinx
Darcy walked by his side, as did Wade. He’d carried them most of the way, but even though they were little, they were heavy.
Jinx’s shoulders felt the strain, and Darcy and Wade were strolling until he could carry them again.
He’d taken a few rests, but he couldn’t stop long, or he’d never start moving again.
The sun was setting, and night was falling, but Jinx knew he was close.
He’d been walking all day; the clubhouse wasn’t far.
Jinx turned the corner of the road and spotted Hellfire’s gates. Step. Step. Step. He approached the gate and punched in the security code. Jinx stepped through and picked up Darcy. His shoulder screamed, but that was okay because safety lay ahead.
“Fuck!” someone roared. Jinx reacted and dropped Wade’s hand and shoved the kids behind him. He whipped his weapon out and blinked wearily into the encroaching darkness.
“Lower the gun, kid, you’re home, you made it,” Chance said from close by.
Jinx wavered. Was that really Chance or his mind playing tricks?
“Jinx, put it down, prospect, that’s an order,” Chance snapped. Jinx lowered the gun and stared at the dark shape that was his president.
“Couldn’t save Allegra. Sorry,” he said, and then tipped forward.
Shotgun
He caught Jinx as he face-planted. Rain had Darcy and Wade in his arms, both kids in shock and covered in spots of blood.
Jinx had walked straight past Rascal at the gate, not even acknowledging him.
Rascal had called in and chased after Jinx.
Shotgun hadn’t believed his eyes when the prospect appeared with Wade and Darcy. But the kid wasn’t right.
“What the fuck is wrong?” Shotgun demanded as he lowered Jinx carefully to the ground.
Bear knelt and began checking Jinx over. Shotgun hurried over to Rain.
“Inx!” Darcy wailed, and Shotgun took her.
“Are they okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, Jinx must have kept them hydrated, but I think they’re in shock, and they’ve got to be starving.”
“I’ll go get them food,” Rascal offered as he jogged towards the clubhouse. Leaving the gate unattended wasn’t something the club usually did, but in this instance, it wouldn’t be for long.
“Jinx has been shot. Call an ambulance,” Bear announced.
“Check Jinx’s feet,” Chance ordered.
Everyone looked at Chance in confusion. He shone his phone over the path Jinx had taken, and they all saw the bloody footprints.
“What the fuck?” Bear muttered and eased Jinx’s boot off. Even unconscious, Jinx released a pained moan. “Holy shit. Get me some water and clean towels.”
Shotgun ran towards the clubhouse. The prospect’s feet were a mess.
Had the kid been walking for seven and a half hours?
It fuckin’ looked like it. Shotgun raced to his bunk, knowing there were clean towels, and grabbed a bowl of lukewarm water.
Shotgun passed Rain on the way back as Rain brought the kids inside for safety.
“Fuck me,” Shotgun exclaimed as he peered down at Jinx.
Bear had managed to remove the boots and socks and was grinding his teeth.
The prospect’s feet were a mess of red, torn, blistered tissue.
They didn’t even resemble feet, just raw flesh.
It looked like someone had taken a grater and rubbed them raw.
“Jinx walked. He walked those kids home for nearly eight hours, with two gunshot wounds and feet in that condition,” Bear said, holding Chance’s gaze.
Shotgun swallowed. That meant something. Meant a fuckload.
Jinx opened his eyes as Bear placed his feet in the water and wailed. The agonised scream that tore from his throat made Shotgun wince. He knelt and pulled Jinx to his shoulder as he released a sob.
“Where’s that fuckin’ ambulance?” Chance growled. He yanked his phone and got onto emergency again.
“Couldn’t save Allegra. Barely saved the kids,” Jinx muttered, his voice choked with pain and tears.
Shotgun held him close. “It’s okay, man, just relax. You got them home.”
“Couldn’t trust anyone. Had to walk. My cell broke. Was unable to call for help.
“Kid, you did more than enough,” Shotgun reassured him.
“Must have worried you,” Jinx stated, and Shotgun realised the prospect was blaming himself.
“No. We were aware you were involved, I knew you’d save my kids,” Shotgun said.
He felt emotion rise and choked it back.
Jinx had just set a fine example of what brotherhood really meant.
Nothing would ever make Shotgun turn against this kid.
Jinx had sealed himself as a brother forever in Shotgun’s heart and mind.
“Failed,” Jinx murmured and screamed as Bear touched his foot.
“Fuck, do we have anything to knock him out?” Shotgun demanded. The kid’s agony was grating against him. How he’d walked on those feet, Shotgun didn’t know, but Jinx had. The kid was a fuckin’ hero.
Jinx closed his eyes, and Shotgun hoped he’d passed out. If it were possible for Shotgun to take the pain, he would. But that was impossible. All Shotgun could do was helplessly hold the man who’d saved his kids. How the fuck did he start to repay that?