Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
My last words are probably going to be: I’m still hungry.
—Constance to Odin
Odin
We’d been in the war room—that other clubs called “church”—in the Dixie Wardens MC Montana Chapter all night.
Sage had some interesting information to share, and we’d been gathering all the intel that we could on her RV neighbor since.
According to Sage, her neighbor in the long-term stay RV park she was camped at had a truck that fit the description of the vehicle that was seen in Wendy’s attempted kidnapping.
Pairing Sage’s information with the other camera feed that Apollo was able to pull, and we thought that maybe we’d gotten a lead on Errol Fuller.
“I think we should just go check it out,” Hux pointed out, sounding exhausted. “I have an hour max before I need to be at work. And though I’d willingly go kill this guy for you instead of waiting around, I doubt that is what you want me to do.”
I tended to agree.
I mean, we’d done the waiting thing for the last couple of hours.
Nothing in the RV had moved.
Not one single thing.
We’d had all of the prospects sitting on the RV for hours now, and not even a light had come on.
According to Thumper, the only thing that’d moved in the entire neighborhood had been a newer model truck that’d parked on the other side of the RV that they were watching.
It’d left just as quickly as it’d arrived after loading a few things up from behind the RV he was staying at.
“I agree with Hux at this point,” I said. “We’ve been sitting here twiddling our thumbs. I want to know what the fuck is going on.”
Denver nodded. “Then let’s go.”
We arrived at the RV twenty minutes later, and like the prospects had shared, there was no activity whatsoever.
“What kind of RV park is this?” Gentry grumbled.
His eyes went to Sage’s trailer where she was standing on the front porch with her arms crossed and glaring.
At Gentry.
“The kind that’s supposed to keep the riff-raff out,” Sage grumbled.
“Children.” Denver sighed. “This isn’t necessary right now.”
No, it wasn’t.
“Anyone just thought to knock?”
“I don’t think he’s home,” Sage called out. “He leaves early in that truck and comes back late. I haven’t ever seen the man in the daylight. And, to make matters worse, I couldn’t even tell you what he really looks like. Other than he’s a man and has some muscle to him. Shortish.”
“Go back inside, Sage,” Gentry ordered.
I didn’t wait to hear what their argument would be about next.
It seemed like they were always arguing. It was exhausting. Especially right then.
I headed for the door and decided in lieu of knocking, I’d just kick the damn door down.
I was done waiting.
Except, stupid me, I realized that all of the RV doors opened out and not in.
So there would be no kicking the door in like I’d originally been planning.
Hell, there wasn’t even a way to look in the windows because the damn thing was so high off the ground.
“Door’s unlocked.”
I looked toward where Thumper had the door partially open and climbed the steps, throwing the door open wide as I moved.
It hit the side of the camper with a solid thud and then I was standing inside the camper.
“Well,” I said as I finally processed what I was seeing, then stepped back out. “I don’t think we need to worry about Errol anymore.”
“Why?” Denver asked.
Gentry stepped forward and peered in, whistling. “Brutal.”
Denver poked his head in next and winced. “Fuck.”
Thumper could see the gore from where he was standing and scrunched up his nose. “This happened a while ago. The decomposition is at least two months, if not more, old.”
I agreed.
I scrubbed my hands down my face. “What a mess.”
Denver’s phone rang, breaking the silence.
“Hey, Ma,” Denver answered. “Do you mind if I call you back?”
Denver shifted, his phone pressed to his ear, and listened.
His gaze shifted to me, and then he said, “Yeah, I’ll get out there and help. Do you have the girl covered on lunch?”
Denver listened for a bit longer, said his goodbyes, and then shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“What is it?”
Hux had already called me once today telling me he saw Constance at my place.
He’d also sent me a photo of her note pinned to my door with chewing gum.
I hadn’t called her back yet, because I wanted to have some answers for her when I did.
Only, I was no closer to those answers and had added more questions.
“Your woman and her mom are stuck in the rehab facility because a couple of huge dogs were dumped at their property. They’re aggressive and they can’t leave.”
I was immediately turning around and heading toward my truck, the cold wind biting at my face and ears.
The drive to Constance’s place took fifteen minutes.
When I arrived, it was to see Denver and Thumper weren’t far behind.
The others had stayed at the crime scene.
When I got out, I immediately stepped back inside as the dogs came barreling toward me.
Denver stayed in his truck as well, his face torn.
We both knew that if we got out and they attacked, we really wouldn’t have any other choice but to use force.
And all of us were reluctant to do that.
Denver rolled down his window and called, “I gave Boone a call on the way here. He should be here any minute.”
I looked inside the fencing and saw Constance standing there with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, glaring.
I waved.
She flipped me off.
I threw my head back and laughed, unable to stop myself.
When I finally got myself under control, it was to find her glaring harder at me.
I blew her a kiss through the front windshield, and she snapped her teeth at me.
I was getting ready to blow her another one when Boone arrived to save the day.
He got his tranq gun out and popped both of the dogs.
They were silent moments later, resting peacefully right outside the gate that was keeping Constance safe.
I got out of the truck and walked up to the dog, nudging it with my boot to make sure that it was actually down and not just faking because it wanted to draw us closer to attack. The dog didn’t move.
Thank goodness.
I glanced up, right into the angry eyes of my girl.
My girl.
Those two words sounded so damn right.
“Good morning, Coco.”
She bared her teeth at me. “What part of this morning is good?”
She looked rough.
Her hair was all over the place, half up in a ponytail, half falling out at her nape and beside her ears. She was wearing a ratty sweatshirt that looked like it’d been through a war. Leggings that had a hole in both thighs. Socks that came way up to her knees, probably covering more holes.
Then there were the earmuffs that were too small for her, but she was wearing anyway.
God, she was beautiful.
I grinned. “I mean, it can’t be bad. Your knight in shining armor showed up to save the day.”
The tease slipped out of me so easily that I was a little bit surprised.
As were the men behind me.
“He said more than four words.”
Thumper.
“That smile on his face is creeping me out.”
Denver.
“I think he might actually like her.”
Boone.
I ignored them all and continued to stare at the woman who was slowly chipping away at my heart.
“I would say, if anyone is my knight in shining armor, it would be Denver. Since he’s the one who got the call. Not you,” Constance pointed out.
Denver had the good fucking sense to keep his mouth shut.
My smile was freakin’ huge on my face. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” She angrily crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you going to move them or what? I have somewhere to be.”
God, I loved her.
I fucking loved her.
I had to be fucking crazy for falling for her so damn quick. Not because she wasn’t exponentially lovable, but because I wasn’t someone who should be falling in love.
“I guess since I’m not your knight in shining armor, maybe I should let Denver do it,” I continued to tease her.
Constance’s eyes blazed. “You have to the count of three… One.”
My brows rose.
“Two.”
My stupid smile was hurting my face.
“Two and a half…”
She leaned down and caught the hose hanging on the fence.
“Two and three-quarters.” She started to press down on the nozzle.
“Children.”
I looked to the side to see Janet standing there nearly laughing with amusement.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Get going, please. Wendy’s going to be worried if Constance doesn’t show.”
She had a good point.
And I didn’t want to traumatize Wendy after the day that she’d had yesterday.
I’d known that Constance would send her. Not because she wanted to, but because Wendy wouldn’t allow her not to send her.
That was why I’d asked another one of the prospects to sit at the school this morning.
I crouched down and gently moved the dogs out of the way of the gate.
The gate opened and Constance stormed off, stomping across the yard in rubber boots that were too big for her.
I started to follow her, but Janet caught my sleeve. “Leave her be. She’s frustrated and had a bad morning.”
“Bad why?” I asked.
“She didn’t sleep well last night,” Janet explained. “Saw her light on more than it was off. And when she went to find you this morning, she couldn’t. She wanted to talk to you, and my baby girl doesn’t deal well with frustration.”
I watched said girl stomp through the yard, all the way up the stairs, and into the house. The door slammed behind her.
“So what you’re telling me is I should’ve called,” I guessed.
“You should’ve called,” she confirmed.
Shit.
I was no good at this relationship thing.
I was rusty, and the last one I’d been in had ended in disaster. I needed to get my butt in gear and figure it out.
“I think you should’ve called, too,” Denver pointed out.
He’d actually told me to call her last night and tell her what was going on, but by the time we’d gotten into the nitty gritty of it, and I had something to share, I’d realized that I didn’t have her damn number.
Which was quite stupid of me.
“Shut up,” I grumbled.
The guys crowded close, and Boone squatted down, ass to calves, to study the dogs.
“Look familiar?” I asked Boone and Denver when they got close.
“Aren’t those the two missing dogs?” Thumper wondered. “The ones that went missing when the teen boys yeeted themselves?”
Crass as ever.
“They look it.” I crouched down next to Boone. “Same markings.” I touched the white spot on the top of one of the dog’s eye, making him look like he had an eyebrow. “What the hell do you think is going on?”
“I was thinking they looked familiar,” Janet said. “What were they dropped off here for?”
I tugged the note free that was stapled to the rangy looking dog’s collar and flipped it over.
It said nothing more than “thought the families might want them back.”
“This is so freakin’ weird,” Janet said.
The door to Constance’s house slammed for a second time and then she was marching down the stairs, looking only a small amount more put together.
She still had the sweatshirt on. She also had the boots. But now she was wearing leggings without holes and socks that came up to her mid-ankle, slouched down low into the boots.
Her hair wasn’t any better, either.
I grinned.
“You love her, don’t you?”
I looked at Janet, who was crouched down low in the middle of the dogs and my club members.
“Yeah, I do.”
“She deserves it,” she exclaimed. “She’s beautiful and kind.
Loving and determined. But she is so focused on Wendy that she’ll never take care of herself like she needs.
” She studied me with eyes so intense it was uncomfortable to face her.
I forced myself not to look away. “My baby is the best thing that’ll ever happen to you. ”
I sobered immediately as the SUV peeled out of the driveway. “I won’t disappoint her again, Janet.”
She patted the dogs lovingly on the sides before she turned to Boone.
“They’re gonna take extensive rehabilitation,” she said. “You have the room for that? And the time?”
Boone shook his head. “No. You willing to take them on?”
My heart leaped. “Is that safe?”
Janet laughed. “Take a look around you, Odin. This is your new life. Wild animals and chaos both.”
I guess she did have a point.
If I went all in, I’d be dealing with my fair share of wild animals.
“Okay, but Wendy gets nowhere near them.”
Janet burst out laughing. “You’ll do, Odin. You’ll do.”