Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Divorced.
It wasn’t that I wanted her in pain or that I was glad her marriage had failed, but damn. She was free, and there was hope in that.
It meant I might have a chance to right a wrong.
I didn’t know how bad the damage was. Didn’t know how many pieces she’d had to pick up on her own or if she’d even want to see me again. But I sure as hell knew one thing. I wanted to see her, and I wanted to see her now.
I was just about to ask for the address to the college when Shep announced, “One more thing…”
“Yeah?”
“There’s been a major uptick in missing women in the area.”
“What are we talking about here? Ten or twenty? What?”
“Thousands. Hell, numbers have almost doubled in the past six months, and no one’s talking about it.”
“So, what’s the deal? The cops are just sitting on it?”
“Hard to tell what the fuck they’re doing. You know how it is with cops. Never know who you can trust and who’s gonna fuck you in the ass.”
“You’re right about that.” I let out a breath before adding, “So, whatcha thinking?”
“These two guys Grim have been working over might be into more than they’re letting on.”
“We were just talking, and Grim thinks the same.”
“I’ll look into ‘em and see what I can find out.”
“Sounds good. Let me know what you find out and send me everything you found on the girl.”
“You got it.”
I ended the call with Shep, and I took a minute to let everything he said sink in. It was clear something was going on with these attempted abductions, and it was concerning, especially since an attempt was made at our backdoor. But it wasn’t enough to make me forget what he’d said about Devin.
Even with everything that was going on, I couldn’t shake the need to see her. It was consuming me as I made my way back out to the main floor. Preacher was finishing off his beer, and as he glanced up at me, it was like he already knew that something was on my mind. His eyes narrowed as he asked, “You good?”
“Yeah. You?”
“For the time being.” His eyes were still narrowed. “You heading out?”
“Yeah, I’ve got something I need to take care of. I’ll be back later to check on things.”
I turned to go but didn’t get two steps before I heard Preacher’s voice behind me. “Hold up.”
I stopped and turned back to face him. “Yeah?”
“How long have we known each other?”
Preacher leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. I already knew where this was headed, so I answered, “Long enough.”
“So, you know I know something’s going on with you.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on, or am I supposed to sit here and guess?”
“It’s personal.”
“Personal as in a woman has you tangled up or you got a swollen prostate kind of personal?”
“Personal is all I can give you right now.”
He wasn’t the kind of man who liked being kept in the dark. Not about anything. So, I was surprised when he nodded and said, “Alright, but if you need me, just say the word.”
I gave him a nod, then made my way outside. The air was thick with the smell of hot pavement and exhaust, and the sun was just starting to set, throwing long, dark shadows across the lot. I got on my bike and glanced back at the door. Preacher was a good president and an even better brother.
The thought had me thinking back to that night in West Memphis. A rival MC was stirring trouble that rippled all the way to us. They had to be dealt with, so we went to hash it out. We knew they were dirty and came prepared.
Only a few words were spoken before fists went flying and shots crackled through the night. One of them raised a piece at me, and I didn’t even have time to duck before he fired a round. I thought I was a goner until Preacher tackled me and took a round straight to the shoulder.
The man didn’t even flinch until the guy was down, and he knew I was out of harm’s way. Hell, blood was pouring down his arm, and he was still barking out orders, making sure all of us made it out of there in one piece.
When the smoke cleared, I tried to thank him. He just shrugged me off and said, “You’d have done the same.” And he was right. I would have, and I did on more than one occasion. But that’s what we did. We stood by each other through thick and thin.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d still stand by me when he discovered that I hadn’t been honest with him about Devin, at least not completely. He knew she was important to me. And he knew I let her walk away. But he never knew why. He never knew how much I truly loved her, and he never knew just how bad it hurt to let her go.