Axel
Nothing was working.
How could Summer just disappear? I’d reached out to everyone I could think of, but no one had seen her. Not even a rumor of a single mom and her kid moving into a new town. She must have gone farther than I’d thought.
The worst part was, all my club brothers knew. They knew Summer had gone on the run and taken my kid. And they knew I hadn’t been able to find her. The longer it went on, the worse it made me look.
I stared at the ceiling every night, fantasizing about killing her. Putting my hands around her throat and watching her struggle for air until she stopped moving.
But I couldn’t. Stryker would kill me—literally.
He didn’t care if she went off and lived her own life—she didn’t know anything that would threaten Mayhem—but she was still his old lady’s daughter.
That meant I couldn’t kill her. None of us could.
At least, not without permission, which was never going to happen.
And that pissed me off, too.
Although if I got my hands on her, but she didn’t die, I could probably argue my case.
None of it mattered until I found her.
The sun was going down as I rode out. Alone.
There was one angle I hadn’t tried. Strictly speaking, I probably should have gone to Stryker first. But this felt like a better-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission situation.
Besides, I knew the guy. I wasn’t using a club resource. I was just meeting a guy for a beer.
I parked outside the bar and went in.
Jesse was already there, seated at a table with a half-empty drink. He wore street clothes, which was expected. He wouldn’t have met me in a bar in uniform. Not a good look for a cop.
Especially a dirty cop.
A few heads turned as I walked to his table, but I ignored them.
“Well, holy shit,” he said with a shake of his head. “They did let your sorry ass out.”
I dropped into the chair across from him. “No thanks to you.”
“You know there wasn’t anything I could do.”
“I know. I’m just giving you shit.”
“Are you gonna have a drink?” he asked.
“Yeah. You want another one?”
“Sure.”
I got up and ordered two beers at the bar, then brought them back to our table.
“Thanks.” Jesse lifted his bottle.
I clinked mine against his and took a long drink.
“So, how are you?” He set his beer down. “It’s been a while.”
“Not bad. My parole officer is a dick, but they usually are. How about you?”
He shrugged. “Can’t complain, I guess. My wife spends all my money, but what are you gonna do?”
“You have kids, right?”
“Two of them. Teenagers. That’s been interesting.”
I chuckled. “I bet. Mine isn’t quite there yet. He’s ten.”
“How’s he doing?”
“I wish I knew. I’ve been trying to see him, but his mother keeps making it difficult.”
“She won’t let you see him?”
Glancing away, I shook my head. I didn’t want to look too sad—couldn’t oversell it. “No. She won’t even give me a chance.”
“That’s rough, man.”
“I get it. I did time. That freaks her out.”
He took a drink. “Yeah, you almost can’t blame her.”
“Almost.”
We lapsed into silence for a long moment, and I let Jesse stew on what I’d said. I had to play this right, or he might refuse to help. Even though we had history.
I’d known him for years. We’d grown up in the same neighborhood. We weren’t friends, exactly, but he’d helped me out of a jam a few times. And he did favors for Mayhem—always for a price.
Finally, I rested my forearm on the table and leaned closer.
“Can I be honest about something?”
“Sure.”
“She left town with my son, and I don’t know where they went. I’ve been trying to find them, but haven’t had any luck.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that why we’re here? You think I can do something?”
“I know it’s a big ask. But I gotta try. He’s my son.”
“Who else knows you’re here?”
“No one.”
With his eyes still on mine, he took another drink. “You sure about that?”
“Absolutely. This is between you and me.” I reached into my vest and pulled out the envelope filled with cash so he could see it.
A flash of heat—almost looked like lust—crossed his face. Jesse had always loved money.
“You have no idea where she is?” he asked.
“No. She took off with some guy. I should have gotten his plates, but I didn’t. Guess I wasn’t thinking like a cop.”
“Shouldn’t matter. I can find her.”
“Is anyone going to ask why you’re looking into her?”
He rolled his eyes. “What am I, an amateur? I know how to do this shit without leaving a trail.”
“I shouldn’t have doubted you.” I casually took out the cash and handed it to him.
He tucked it into his jacket. “Give me a few days. I’ll have a location. I can’t guarantee she’ll still be there, but I’ll be able to tell you where she’s been.”
A grin stole over my face. “Perfect.”
He lifted his beer again, and I did the same. We both drank.
Three days later, I got a text with two words.
Tilikum, Washington