Chapter 41 Silas
The bane of my existence lights up a cigarette in front of me. The thick scar on his face makes it uncomfortable for most people to stare back at him for too long. I’m not most people. Cassiel Ontiveros, also known as Leather Face to the outside world, is the president of Los Peregrinos. Meaning he has the right to call a club meeting whenever the fuck he pleases.
Cassiel leans back in the fold up chair, listening to each member’s concerns. We’re all sitting in a circle, facing one another, since the meeting room is far from finished.
“Construction is going to take longer than we expected,” Jasper explains. The foundation of the building is up, but it would be another month before we could start renovating.
“This feels like a fucking AA meeting,” Nero says, shifting uncomfortably in the metal chairs.
“We’d be further along if Silas hadn’t been playing kidnapper with my little sister.” I glare at Cassiel and the smug grin on his face.
“What the fuck did you call us here for?” I ask impatiently.
“It’s payday, boys,” Cassiel says and hands Jasper the duffle bag at his feet. Jasper unzips the bag and begins distributing the money amongst the other members.
“The gun runs have been successful. I only had to cut ten percent of the profits to go toward the cost of the clubhouse,” Jasper says. Cassiel and I nod in agreement.
“What’s the word on the Consuelos?” Cass asks Nero and Jasper. They both are working part time as security guards at the hotel as Cass’s personal spies. As much as Cassiel claims he wants nothing to do with the Consuelo family, he hangs around them like a needy ex.
“Nothing to report on my end,” Jasper says.
“Axel is trying to recruit someone to watch over his little sister,” Nero says.
“Apply for the job. We’ll discuss the details later. For right now, I want as much insight into the hotel as possible,” Cassiel commands.
“What about Los Bandoleros?” Jasper asks. Cassiel takes a long drag from the cigarette. We sit there for a few minutes, watching him think over his options.
“They haven’t tried interfering with the club directly, so if Ghost wants to go after them, then that’s on him. We don’t have enough local members to start a war right now,” he replies.
It’s endearing how full of himself Cassiel is. I don’t need permission to kill anyone. I am still trying to find Claudia’s exact location, and all roads lead to Los Bandoleros. Cassiel dismisses the meeting, and Nero and I stay back.
“There was footage of Claudia at the hotel a few weeks ago,” Nero says. We both stand there, watching Cassiel stalled by his bike on the phone.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I ask.
“Jasper found it last night, reviewing older footage.” Cassiel is still talking on his phone when he makes his way back to us. He has that same blank expression that he always carries, but his jaw is clenched.
“You two need to get back to the hotel now,” he commands.
“I don’t take fucking orders—”
“Get to the fucking hotel now, Silas. Your daughter was just kidnapped.”
I don’t worry about the details. I jump on my bike and fly down the highway, with Nero just inches behind me. Panic floods my chest. I see the flashing lights outside the hotel. Police cars surround the entire building. I blow right through them and come to a stop. I rush toward the main entrance, my heart caught in my throat. I can feel her. I can feel Thalia’s panic consuming me.
“You can’t go in there,” an officer says.
His arm goes out to stop me, but the adrenaline pumping through me lashes out. He falls to the ground in shock at the blow I landed to his face. The crowds of people in the lobby watch, trying to figure out what is going on. I push past the crowd, my eyes searching for her.
I skip the elevator and run up the stairs to her penthouse. I come up short and rush back down. Where are you, Thalia? I go to the front desk and rush up the stairs to her office. When I barge through the door, I find her. Her family surrounds her. Her head jerks up, and her big brown eyes find mine. She runs toward me, and I wrap my arms around her.
“What happened?” I ask.
“They took her. They took her from me,” she sobs into my shoulder.
“We’ll find her.” I rub my hand over her hair. “Look at me.” She looks up and tears flow down her eyes. It’s the most crushing sight I have ever seen.
“I’m going to find her,” I say.
Thalia holds on tight to me. Everything around me feels loud. Her cries pierce through me. The pounding of my heart. The ringing in my ears. The blood flashing before my eyes.