Chapter 26
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
ASPEN
Adlet has my hair wrapped around his fist and a knife pressed into my side, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to escape him.
“You don’t want to do this,” I tell him as I try to pull away.
Adlet jerks my head back, making me slip on the soft ground.
“Don’t tell me what I do or don’t want to do, little girl,” he growls.
“Just let me go. We can pretend this never happened,” I tell him as I slip again on the forest floor.
For crying out loud, why is the ground so wet? We haven’t had rain in well over a week.
Adlet laughs darkly as he pushes me against a tree. The bark bites into my cheek, making me cry out. With his hand still wrapped around my hair, Adlet steps up behind me, pressing his body against mine.
“Are you really that stupid, little girl? That’s not how things work. In this world, you pay in blood. Your brother took everything from me, and he’s going to pay for it,” he says, breathing down my neck.
I don’t know if it’s from feeling his body against mine, his rancid breath, or what, but I can’t help but gag.
Adlet tsks as his hand wraps around my throat and squeezes. “Maybe Monster was onto something when it came to you. I didn’t understand his infatuation, but if you have a gag reflex, that could be fun. It’s been a while since I’ve made someone vomit around my cock.”
I can’t help but shiver in revulsion.
What the fuck is wrong with this man?
“Just kill me already,” I hiss.
“Who said I’m going to kill you?”
“You did, you idiot. You said my brother was going to pay with blood. Just get it over with already,” I snap, my temper getting the best of me.
Adlet chuckles. “That would be too easy. Come.”
He steps back and pulls me hard. I fall back onto my ass, the cold earth soaking through my shorts.
“Stop being dramatic and let’s move,” he growls, pulling on my hair.
I scramble up, and he moves the knife back to my side.
“I should thank you for wearing white,” he says, catching me off guard.
“What?”
“If you wore black, I wouldn’t be able to see every time I nick your pretty skin.”
It’s then that I feel the sting. Shit, every time I’ve slipped, the knife has left a mark.
Asher is going to be pissed. He’s going to hate that I got hurt.
He’s going to hate that I was taken, period.
The man is obsessed with me and my safety. He’s going to feel like it was a personal failure that I was snatched.
He’s searching for me. I don’t know how I know it, but I do. I have to believe he’s already noticed I’m not in the booth, that something weird is going on, and that I need help. Between him, my brother, and the club, the cavalry is looking for me.
I just have to buy them time to find me.
Just like last time.
“Where are we going?” I ask, trying to gather as much information as possible.
“Like I told you, your brother needs to pay.”
“So you are taking me somewhere to kill me? Or what?”
Adlet sighs like he’s tired of this conversation.
“Like I told you, you aren’t enough.”
I jerk to a stop as the words register, making the blade slide across my skin.
“Wait, what do you mean I’m not enough?” I ask as I look up at him.
Adlet smiles down at me. “You didn’t think you were the only one, did you?”
He laughs when his words hit me.
“Who?” I rasp.
“You’ll find out soon enough, little girl. Now, hurry the fuck up. We need to get to the others,” he says, pulling on me once again.
As we stumble through the woods, my mind races.
Maggie. I know he has Maggie. She makes the most sense. He’s obsessed with her. He’s always wanted her for himself.
He said others, as in more than one.
Is he talking about the guys who are helping him? Asher told me that they knew they didn’t take down the club completely, and they didn’t know how deeply Adlet’s connections went.
But what if they grabbed someone else? Who would they have grabbed?
Rain?
She would make sense. She’s young and attractive. An easy bargaining chip.
My stomach rolls as I think about my friend as a pawn. It’s fucked up, but that’s the way his mind works.
What if it’s not her, though? Could it be one of the guys’ old ladies? Kim?
Grabbing Kim wouldn’t necessarily make sense.
I don’t know why, but my gut says it isn’t her.
Who else? Who could it be?
“Here we are,” Adlet says as we step into a clearing.
I look up and freeze, the knife slicing into my skin once again.
“Tell me, Aspen, do you like my marks on your body? Is that why you keep walking into my blade?” Adlet asks.
His voice sounds like he’s underwater, and his words don’t quite make sense. I’m too busy staring at the people in front of me.
Maggie’s shoulders drop when she sees me, and even from a distance, I can see the tears streak down her cheeks.
It’s the woman next to her, though, that makes my blood go cold.
Ashley.
How did I not think about her?
How did I not think about Asher’s own twin sister?
Logically, she makes sense. Not only is she Asher’s sister, but she is the least likely one we would have considered. The one person they were never supposed to know about.
But they found out because of me. Because I let her come to the club, I brought her into the world.
Asher told me we had targets on our backs, but I didn’t take his concerns seriously, and now his sister’s life is on the line.
He’s going to hate me.
When they find us, he’s going to be furious. I know it.
“Aspen,” Ashley rasps.
The big guy standing next to her turns and looks over at me. I recognize him immediately.
Caterpillar.
I’ve seen him at the club. I’ve watched him interact with my brother and the guys at the clubhouse.
“You. I recognize you,” I murmur.
Caterpillar smirks. “Left an impression, I see.”
I lick my lips as I scan the area.
Okay, only the two of them and the three of us. We have the upper hand. I just need to buy us more time.
“My brother is going to kill you when he finds out. If you let us go now, you can run. We won’t say anything,” I tell him.
Adlet pushes me to the ground, and I scramble toward the girls, who instantly lean into me. All the while, Adlet and Caterpillar laugh like I said the funniest thing, making my blood go cold.
Whatever they have planned for us isn’t good.
We need to get away from them as soon as possible.
ASHER
“They walked through there.” The little boy points into the timber.
“Are you sure?” Panther asks him.
His little head bobs. “I remember because the branch makes a V.”
If shit weren’t going to hell, I would think it’s adorable that he makes a V with his arms to show us what he means before pointing to the trees.
“Thank you,” Panther tells him. “Stay with them until you get the all clear,” Panther tells someone.
I don’t bother waiting around. I head toward the woods and start scanning the ground.
“What are you looking for?” Ridge asks as he joins me.
“I’m hoping for footprints.”
Together we scan the ground.
“Here.”
Crouching, I scan the ground ahead. In my mind, I picture Adlet dragging Aspen through the woods.
“Is there anything back there?” Panther asks behind me as he approaches.
“According to Maps, it’s nothing but timber for about five miles,” Eagle says.
“How do we want to do this?” Yak asks.
“We track them from here. We go in quietly. We should have some sort of sign about where they are. Then we can split and circle them before going in,” I tell them.
“Track them? Did you put a tracker on them?” one of the other guys asks from the back of the pack.
“He’s talking about tracking their footprints, you idiot.” Yak huffs.
“Can you do it? Follow the tracks, I mean?” Panther asks.
I look up at him and nod. “In my sleep.”
Darkness flashes behind his eyes. “Then let’s do it.”
Standing, I take a deep breath. “Everyone, stay fucking quiet and only step in my footprints. We can’t let them know we aren’t far behind them.”
The guys nod in understanding.
I remove my gun from my holster and press forward.
For the first time in a while, I lean into my training and do everything I was ever taught.
I listen for the forest creatures. Are they singing, or are they quiet because they know danger is lurking?
I follow the prints in the ground, thankful that the ground is still damp enough to leave impressions.
I pause when I see them lead up to a tree. Dread settles into my stomach.
Did he…
Before my fears can take over, I push them into a box in the corner of my mind.
I’ll deal with them later.
Aspen needs me, and I can’t afford to spiral now.
We keep pressing further. We pass by spots where someone slipped, disturbing the moss. Only when the trees start to thin do I pause.
With my free hand, I turn to face the guys and press my finger to my lips. I grab my phone from my pocket and type out quick instructions.
There is a clearing ahead. I say we split up now into three groups. Have two go to the sides and one circle all the way to the back. Once everyone is in place, we step into the clearing.
I hand the phone to Panther, and he reads it before typing another message below mine.
You think they are in the clearing?
I nod.
He takes the phone back and types out a quick message before he passes it to the guys. Without being told, they separate into their chosen groups.
Yak gives me my phone and slaps me on the shoulder before walking away.
I look down at the screen and see that Panther told them to text him or me when they are in position and to avoid the club chat at all costs.
I frown when I read it.
Do you think a brother is helping them?
I hand Panther my phone.
I don’t know, but I’m not willing to risk it.
I slip my phone back into my pocket and think it over.
While it makes sense, I don’t believe it.
I haven’t met any active members who have raised any red flags, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility.
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t had the best interactions with some of the brothers, and there is one I don’t like, but I don’t want to believe they are behind this. They could be, though.
Twenty minutes later, we get the final text from Yak.
Yak
GPS says we are directly across from you.
I show Panther my phone, and he nods.
Quickly, I make a group chat with Eagle, Yak, and Talon.
Me
Press forward, stay silent, and don’t make yourself seen until necessary. Whoever is closest to the girls is the one responsible for getting them out.
I press send and pocket my phone.
“Ready?” Panther mouths to me.
I nod, and we press forward with Trout and Prairie trailing behind us.
When the clearing comes into view, my heart skips a beat. I almost trip over my feet, but Panther lays a steadying hand on my shoulder.
Maggie, Aspen, and Ashley are huddled together in the tall grass and wildflowers. If the situation were different, I would think they were just hanging out, maybe having a picnic, not being held hostage. My eyes move from them to Adlet and Caterpillar talking off to the side.
They aren’t paying attention and have no idea that they are completely surrounded.
Briefly, my eyes move back to my Aspen and then Ashley.
My sister.
My twin sister.
What the fuck is she doing here?
We knew about Maggie and Aspen, but we never even thought about Ashley.
Fuck.
This is why I didn’t want her to hang around. I knew it wasn’t safe.
But you’ve enjoyed spending time with her and getting to know her again, a little voice in the back of my mind reminds me.
Panther squeezes my shoulder, grounding me in the present.
“Adlet,” I say as I step forward, gun trained on him.
Both men turn. Adlet smirks when he sees us, but Caterpillar takes a step back, almost as if he’s afraid.
“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” Adlet says.
“Let them go,” I tell him as I carefully step forward.
Adlet laughs as he turns to face me. “What are you going to do about it, huh? You are a cop. Tell me, did you call this in? Are your little piggies rushing in to save the day?”
“I didn’t call anyone,” I tell him honestly as I work my way closer.
“Really? Has the cop turned sides? Tell me, what are you going to do?”
“This.” I place my gun back in the holster and lunge.