8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Joshua “Loki” Ledet
“I’m going to keep this short and to the point because we got shit to do. Monica came to me about her sister’s disappearance, and I told her, I’d look into it. I didn’t bring it to you guys because she wasn’t under our protection, so it wasn’t club business. But she was special to me and I’m going to do what she asked.”
Maybe I should have brought it to the brothers regardless because of her affiliation to the club, but hindsight was 20/20. She was gone now and there was nothing I could do about it. We had just lost a brother, and I hated to pull them into more shit. But, until the day I died, I would regret how I handled the situation because I knew there was more I should have done for her.
“I probably should have brought this to you guys, but I try not to involve the club in shit unless absolutely necessary.” I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “She wasn’t anyone’s old lady, or girlfriend, just someone we employed. Not an excuse, just a fact. We just got finished dealing with that shit with Dragon, and lost Stone. I also wasn’t sure how dangerous it was at the time, but now I know. Even if it is too late for Monica, it’s not too late for her sister. So, this is what’s happening. She came to me for help because her sister is missing and possibly caught up in a sex-trafficking ring. There’s an auction held about every six months.”
“Like an auction for people?” Irish, one of the brothers asked.
I nodded. “Yes, women and apparently girls. I’m not sure how young, but Lila, Monica’s sister is only sixteen. Here’s the thing. The police know about it, so I don’t see much happening on that front.”
“Fuck! So, what’s the plan?” Irish asked.
“We got an invitation, thanks to New York.”
“And how do you have those kinds of connections?” Black, another one of the brothers asked.
“That’s not important,” I said cutting in before New York had the chance to answer.
There were only a few members who knew Christian’s connections to the Rizzo family, and I’d like to keep it that way. Not that I didn’t trust my brothers, but I didn’t think it was important for everyone to know the man’s private life unless he wanted them to know. And I knew it wasn’t something he talked a lot about. His reasons for keeping his family connections a secret where his own.
“Anyway, New York is attending the auction and bidding on the girl if she’s there. And before you even ask, yes, we have the money.”
“What if it’s not enough?” New York asked.
“Then we take her,” I said.
“So, we aren’t shutting it down?” Black asked.
“Once we got the girl, we’ll work on that,” I said. “She’s our priority. The auction is being held in or around Savage Order territory.”
Groans and sighs echoed around the room. I couldn’t blame them. Nobody liked dealing with Savage Order. I didn’t know much about Savage Order, but I knew God was a massive prick. And if I hadn’t promised Monica to help her sister, I wouldn’t even fuck with him.
“That’s the reason I’ve decided to bring everyone in,” I continued. “God knows we’ll be in his territory. So, I just want everyone on high alert.”
Nods and yes prez went around the room.
“We have one more order of business,” I said. “I got a phone call around thirty minutes ago from a client of my brother’s. He’s looking for a woman who went missing down here two weeks ago.”
“You think it’s connected?” New York asked.
“It’s possible. She’s an investigative journalist chasing a story. All he knows is that it was a dangerous story. I told him we’d look into it if everyone gave a go vote. I made no promises about the outcome. But I also think I might know her.”
“How?” New York asked with his brow arched.
“I think she might be my best friend’s sister. After Church, I’m gonna make a few calls to see if anyone has any information.”
“And if it’s not your friend’s sister?”
“Personally, I think we should try to get her out regardless because we’re going to get something out of it.”
“What’s the client’s name?” New York asked.
“Brian Hamm. His name sounded familiar, but I can’t place him.”
“Billionaire,” New York said. “Owns a tech security firm and a BDSM club in California.”
“Right. That’s him,” I said. As soon as New York mentioned Brian Hamm’s businesses, I recognized the name. “So, if we do it, he owes the Sinners.”
“I think it might be worth it, just because of who he is,” New York said. “I think we should vote on it.”
“I second that motion,” Irish said.
“Alright the motion to vote on whether to get this woman out if she’s involved is on the table. All in favor?” I asked.
A round of yeses went around the room
“And all who oppose?” I asked, and the room fell silent. “Alright, once I find out more information on this woman, we’ll get together a game plan. Someone send Wires in here. Church dismissed.”
As all the brothers filed out of the room, New York hung back. When the doors closed behind the last man, he looked at me and I could see the question in his eyes before he even asked it.
“I know it’s her, man,” I said, running my hand through my hair. “I don’t know how I know it, but I just do.”
“Did you have a relationship with this woman?” New York asked.
I shook my head because we never had a relationship. We definitely kissed and almost fucked, but it never was more than that even though I had developed feelings for her.
She was younger than me and Johnathan always thought we’d end up together because I always ran off her boyfriends and was protective of her. But it never would have worked because if I had gone after my best friend’s little sister, I would have lost that friendship. I refused to do that because of my selfish reasons. So, when we enlisted, I forgot all about my feelings for her and focused on serving my country.
“Nah,” I said, refusing to acknowledge the feelings I had for her back then. “She was the little sister of my best friend. But I was supposed to keep an eye on her if something happened to him, but my shit got in the way.”
I didn’t have to say what got in the way because New York already knew. My drinking derailed a lot of my plans back then. And it took everything in me not to let it derail things now. But if this was Nikki, I was going to make shit right. I should have lived up to the promise I made, Reggie. And since I couldn’t do it back then, I sure as hell would do it now.
“Your friend wouldn’t fault you for that, Prez. You had shit you had to deal with.”
“I did, but what’s my fucking excuse for not doing what I promised to do once I got straight?”
Before he could answer, there was a quick succession of knocks on the door then it opened and in walked Wires. The kid was smart, and I was positive he’d be able to find any information I needed.
“You wanted to see me, Prez?” Wires asked.
“Yeah, have a seat.”
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked as he took a seat in front of me and New York.
It wasn’t standard to get prospects involved in club business, so I understood his apprehension with me asking for him. However, Wires was the only one who had the know-how to do what needed to be done in a short amount of time. The auction was in a few days.
“I need you to find everything you can find on Dominique Honoré also known as Nikki. Financial, medical, video, everything. She works as an investigative journalist out of California. As of right now that’s the only information I have.”
He nodded. “How soon do you need it?”
“You have 24 hrs.”
He let out a deep sigh. “That’s not a lot of time, Prez.”
“Do this and you got your patch.”
His eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“It’s a done deal,” I said, assuring him that if he did as I asked, he would get a yes vote from every member to receive his patch. I’d make sure of it. “Find me something useful and the Sinners will welcome you with open arms.”
Before he could respond, there was another knock on the door. “Come in!” I shouted.
A prospect rushed in. “Savage Order is out front. They’re asking for you.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. “Fuck! What the hell are they doing here?”
“Only one way to find out,” New York said.
I rose to my feet. “Get to work, Wires. I’ll handle this, then check in later.”
“You got it, Prez.”
I walked out of the room with New York in tow. He was the club’s enforcer, so I knew he definitely wouldn’t stay behind. “Dragon, Wolf, Sheol, Wraith, with me!”
All the men stood to their feet and followed me outside towards six members of Savage Order, including God.
“God, what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked, looking at the other men with him.
“We got something for you,” God said with a smirk. “Or should I say we got someone for you.”
My brows pulled together in confusion. “I have no fucking idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
“The flesh trade.”
“What about it?” I asked, trying to keep my anger under control.
I didn’t like being blindsided.
He motioned to one of his men and they stepped towards the black SUV with the tinted windows.
“You owe me one for this, Loki,” he said, folding his arms across his wide chest with a smirk on his face.
“I’ll be the one to determine if I owe you anything,” I said.
The SUV’s door slammed drawing my attention to a frail girl who couldn’t be more than sixteen maybe seventeen.
She was covered in dirt. The white nightgown she wore was also ripped in places and stained. A large leather jacket was wrapped around her frail frame as she walked towards me, her eyes plastered down at her dirty bare feet.
“She won’t talk,” God said, frustration lacing his voice. “She won’t give us her name. She walked up to the clubhouse. All she would say was Loki.”
My eyes shot back to the girl.
“Lila?” Her eyes slowly moved to mine. “Are you, Lila?” I asked again.
“I told you, she wasn’t talking,” God said, annoyance lacing his voice. “I don’t know if she’s fucking stupid or something.”
I took in a deep breath and released it to calm my nerves. It took everything in me not to punch him in his fucking face. It was like he didn’t give a fuck that the girl was terrified probably because she was surrounded by fucking men. Men she didn’t know. There was no telling what kind of bullshit she had to endure. You can look at the state of her and tell she had been through something traumatic. And I could guaren-damn-tee it was all because of fucking men and now she was surrounded by them.
Fucking idiot.
“Do you want the bitch or not?” God growled, grabbing the girl by her arm pulling her towards him. “I got shit to do.”
She shrunk away from him, but he didn’t let her go.
“Take your fucking hands off her,” New York seethed. “Or you gonna have to deal with me, motherfucker.”
I held up my hand stopping New York from stepping to God even though he deserved it. We didn’t need any of this shit right now. However, God knew the only reason he wasn’t lying flat on his ass right now was because my brothers listened to me. New York would be all over his ass if we didn’t have enough shit to deal with, but like I said now was not the time. Either way, God got the hint, and let her go even though he glared at New York.
I turned my attention back to the girl. Hopefully, she’d keep talking to me. “Sweetheart, do you have a sister?”
Her large doe eyes filled with tears before they spilled over and fell down her cheeks. She nodded.
“Do you know my sister?” she mumbled.
“I think I do. Is she the one who told you to find Loki?”
She nodded. “She said if I was ever in trouble find Loki. He was a biker and he would help.”
Explains why she might have gone to Savage Order’s clubhouse.
I let out a deep sigh, as more guilt assaulted me. Monica told her sister that I would help even though I failed to help her.
I reached out my hand. “Come with me.”
Her gaze shifted from my hand to my eyes, her expression filled with both curiosity and fear. The fear gutted me. She didn’t know who to trust. It was amazing she even allowed Savage Order to get anywhere near her. My only guess was that the alternative must have been worse.
What in the hell did they do to her?
“I’m not going to hurt you, Lila. My name is Loki.”
It was like a light entered her eyes and she took a step towards me, then wrapped her thin, frail arms around my waist.
“She told me you would always help me if I needed it,” she whispered against my chest.
A sob ripped from her throat, and it tore at my heart. How in the hell was I going to tell her that Monica was dead?