17. Dallas
DALLAS
I laid there in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Being back at the clubhouse and twiddling our fucking thumbs killed me inside. The seconds ticked by in agony. Every time I rolled over to see how many hours went by, I found that only minutes passed. It did my head in, and I needed a distraction.
I had no idea how Char was. Nielson didn’t call anyone with an update.
Dr. Agemon was practically off the grid despite having two autopsies to perform.
And not a single one of us knew how Char was doing.
Was that Marcie bitch hounding her? Was she eating?
Were people treating her well? Was the insanity plea going according to plan?
I knew I needed to try and get some sleep.
Or at the very least, eat something. My sweet girl needed me at my best, and all I felt like was the absolute fucking worst.
There was only one thing to do when all else failed me.
“Yep, we aren’t laying here anymore,” I grumbled.
I kicked my legs and bolted upright. There were so many unanswered questions that it drove me fucking nuts. I had to get my mind off things. I needed to blow off some steam. So I got changed into a pair of shorts and my gym shoes and made my way down into the basement.
It already smelled like funky ass jock strap.
“Gauge must’ve been down here,” I murmured.
I walked over to the racked weights and shoved them onto the leveled bar.
Squats and deadlifts were always good for a whole-body workout, and my body buzzed with way too much adrenaline to be focused on one specific aspect.
I checked the weights on the bar before I slipped beneath it, racking that bar on my shoulders until I felt stable enough to lift it.
I started my reps.
Inhaled on the down, exhaled on the up. Ten reps in, and I racked the weights before I did some stretching.
I lifted my arms over my head and felt my back crack back into place.
I used the wall to stretch my legs, making sure to really dig into my calves.
They’d bothered me lately, and the last thing I needed was to be down and out with all of this shit swirling around us.
Then it was back to the reps.
Three reps of ten each turned into ten reps of ten before my legs felt like Jell-O.
I racked the weights and turned my sights to the free weights.
I walked over and grabbed two thirty-pound dumbbells, just to help my arms warm up.
My legs were thoroughly sweaty. My back felt as if it were crying out for mercy.
And oh my God, the burn felt fantastic. I straightened my arms before I unlocked my elbows so that I didn’t snap my fucking arms off.
Then I hunched over until my torso was parallel with the ground.
And started with my reps of rows.
Sweat dripped off my face as I bounced from exercise to exercise.
Deadlifts turned into clean and jerks. Rows turned into pull ups.
Push ups turned into circuit work, and before I knew it my shorts were drenched.
My socks squished in my fucking sneakers.
I stumbled back against the wall, sliding down with my own sweat until my ass hit the rubber floor beneath me.
I was so fucking thirsty that I could have downed the goddamn ocean without a second thought.
“Dallas!” Deac called out. “You down there!?”
I finally managed to pull myself up from the floor. “Yep! What’s up!?”
“You want some breakfast?” Gauge called out.
I blinked. “Breakfast!?”
That sent their footsteps rumbling down the basement stairs until they stared at me from the doorway.
“Uh, yeah. It’s breakfast time,” Deac said.
Gauge piped up behind him as he stared at me from over the top of Deacon’s head. “Did you not know that?”
I leaned against the wall as my legs threatened to give out. “Has anyone heard about Char yet?”
Deac peered over his shoulder at Gauge before he shook his head. “Nielson hasn’t reached out.”
I raked my hands through my soaking wet hair.
I walked around, forcing my legs to stay strong when all they wanted was to collapse.
All night. I worked out all fucking night.
Eight goddamn hours of pumping away my frustrations in our gym, and I wasn’t one bit more focused than before. Fucking Christ, I wasn’t even tired!
I just couldn’t stop worrying about Char.
“Jesus,” I said breathlessly as I slid my hands down my face.
All I cared about was her safety. All I cared about was getting her out of there and back into our home. All I cared about was getting her here in her bed so that I could tie her down and ravish her until she begged for mercy.
“Smells like dogshit and sweaty balls down here,” Rat said as he galloped down the stairs.
“That’s what happens when you work out all night,” Gauge said flatly.
“What do you want, Rat?” I asked flatly.
I decided to ignore Gauge’s condescending tone.
He had no clue how close he was to death with it anyway.
Had to at least give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Uh,” Rat drew out as he studied me, “just… coming to see if you guys wanna eat before the food gets cold.”
I peered over my shoulder at the weights. “I gotta rerack and clean up first.”
“I’ll help,” Deac said as he came the rest of the way into the basement.
“I got it,” I said with a grunt as I heaved the weights off the lifting bar.
Deac yanked the weight out of my grasp, though. “We need to be at our best, so you’re going to take the help whether you like it or not. Got it?”
My shoulders slumped softly. “I’ll never be at my best with her gone.”
Deac just nodded, though.
“Sorry,” I murmured as I pinched the bridge of my nose, “I know I’m being difficult.”
“We all miss her,” Deac said as he slid the weight back into its rightful resting place.
“We haven’t heard anything at all?” I asked. “Not even about those fingerprint results?”
Deac shook his head as he helped me with the rest of the weights. “He said today, but he didn’t specify what time. I’ve got my phone close, though.”
“We should all have them close,” Rat said as he started back up the stairs, “I’ll go make sure the rest of the guys keep theirs on them.”
“Good idea,” I murmured as I started disinfecting everything I used that night.
“So we shouldn’t be expecting her to come home today?” I asked.
When Deac didn’t answer, I turned and looked around for him.
I couldn’t find him or Gauge anywhere, which was odd.
I knew I was being a whiny little bitch about things, but dear God, we were going on day fucking three of Char being in that place without release.
Was that even legal? Could they even do that?
Was I really the only one struggling with this?
“I honestly don’t know, Dallas,” Deac said.
I turned to find him wiping down a bench in the corner, and the pain behind his eyes reminded me that we were all in this together. That I wasn’t the only one worried to death about her.
“We’ll get her back,” Gauge said as the smell of fresh food and coffee moved with him, “we just have to be slaves to the process now.”
My stomach growled out for the whole fucking world to hear. “I wondered where you went.”
Gauge chuckled as he set the massive tray of food down on a random bench. “Figured we could all use some food and caffeine.”
Deac came over and divvied everything out while I sat cross-legged on the floor.
The three of us perched wherever we could find, and I nearly inhaled my food like it was my only source of life.
The eggs were over easy and cooked perfectly.
The toast was extra crisp, which was great for dunking into the runny yolks.
With every bite I took, I felt my strength returning.
With every glug of coffee, I felt my bones coming alive again.
The silence while we ate didn’t last long, though.
“Guys?” Plug asked as he knocked softly on the open basement door.
“Yep?” the three of us asked in unison.
“I’ve got a surprise for you guys when you’re done eating this fantastic smelling breakfast.”
I furrowed my brow. “What surprise?”
Plug sniffed the air before he wiggled his eyebrows. “Carlyle and I got a secure video feed set up in the precinct. We’ve got eyes on Char in the sanctuary.”
And just like that, my legs moved as if they were stationary for years, itching to be freed from their confines.
I abandoned my post and practically shoved Plug out of the way as my shirtless form bounded up the stairs.
I heard Deac and Gauge hot on my heels. Deac kept barking out questions for Plug to answer as he raced with us, but I didn’t give a shit about any of that.
I needed to see her with my own eyes.
I needed proof of life in a way that held my soul hostage.
And when I finally got in front of that projector screen, I realized that it wasn’t just the two security cameras they had in their hallways.
Someone got a video feed locked right on the holding cell area.
I pointed at the screen. “How the fuck did?—”
Plug chuckled. “Again, you really didn’t think I’d let those little black cameras go to waste, did you?”
“Good fucking job,” Deac said through his chuckles as he patted Plug’s back.
Even Gauge was all smiles as he sat down at the table with the rest of his coffee. “Might as well get comfortable. This is all we’ll get until we can get her home.”
And he sure as fuck didn’t have to tell me twice as I sat down, sweaty body and all, on the other side of the table.
Facing the only shot we had of the woman who stole me away, heart, body, and soul.
“Just hang on a bit longer, sweet girl. It’s almost over,” I whispered.
“You’re right,” Deac said as he patted me on the back, “just hang on a bit longer, Dallas. It’s almost over.”