“Then what fucking club is this bitch talking about?” Cub asks.
Carver stands abruptly, stepping toward the television.
“The sheriff’s office believes that as many as twenty-five Scorpion members may have lost their lives in the explosion,” the news reporter says, answering Cub’s question. “It’s also believed the cartel may have been involved in a house fire that is responsible for the death of two individuals. A nearby neighbor has reported to us that the club’s president, along with his mother, lived at the home. It’s not clear if they were the two bodies found inside.”
I glance at Cole and Carson.
I’m not going to question them in front of everyone because they managed to solve a huge problem our club wasn’t able to fight right now. Not with the new shipments we have coming in, and especially not with Mila’s hearing in a few weeks.
Wizzard is the first to speak after the broadcast ends. “At least this happened when we were all at the concert. There isn’t any way we can get blamed for this.”
The president in me takes over. “I think we need to pull some of our patrols back. Send the other chapters home. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves,” I tell them. “Have a few of our guys out monitoring the roads but nothing unusual. Talk to a few of the landowners who work with us and have them keeptheir eyes open. Tell them to call if they see anything suspicious. I think we just caught a break, but we can’t let our guard down.”
Everyone gets to work immediately.
“Why aren’t you freaking out about Serenity?” Cub asks quietly in my ear.
My gaze rests on the twins. They’re relaxed, so I’m almost certain she’s okay. Their asses are still sitting on my couch because they know better than to run off before I’ve asked my questions. They’ve put me off long enough.
“Stick around. I think we’re about to find out she’s not in Colorado anymore.”
His eyebrows jump to his hairline, and he falters back. “You don’t think she planned this. How could …” His gaze follows mine. “Those little fuckers.”
“They saved our asses with the help of their family, and that was a mighty big ask of them.”
Cub notices Carver hanging around. “He didn’t go dark. You sent him after her,” he accuses, finally putting everything together. “You never really let her go.”
“My soul doesn’t have the capability,” I tell him honestly.
“Where is she?” Carver asks the minute the five of us are alone. “I’ll go get her.”
Carson holds up his hands. “Ain’t no one going to get her. She’s fine.” He forwards each of us a text he got from his dad. It includes a picture of Serenity being held by a woman with long hair. She’s asleep, but she doesn’t look very good.
Cub falls into a chair. “Fuck.”
I glance at him and then at Carver.
Carver stares at his phone. “I shouldn’t have left her. I won’t make that mistake a second time.”
I watch him walk out before going back to the message on my phone. The twin’s dad holds nothing back. He told his sons everything that transpired this evening down to the way hefound her. It’s his final sentence that explains the tug I’ve felt all night. She’s getting farther away from me.
We’re taking her home.
But this is her home. Mila and I are her home. There’s nothing stopping that now.
“Listen, brother,” Cole says. He walks over and crouches in front of Cub. “No one did anything wrong. Our club had to look out for Mila above all. That was the Bastard’s job. My family’s job was to look out for Serenity, because we just couldn’t do both.”
Carson looks at me next. “She needs someone to be there for her like she was for Mila those first few days. Let her have that. Keep Carver here. I promise you my parents will take the best care of her.”
“What if she never wants to come back?” I ask, hating how pathetic I sound. How can I miss her so badly when we’ve barely just met? Peanut nudges my hand as if to tell me he misses her too. It’s the first time he’s paid me any attention since she left.
“Don’t worry. She won’t want to stay long. Our mom’s a terrible cook,” Cole says in attempt to lighten the mood.
“Who is the woman in the picture?” I ask, lowering myself to the couch beside Carson. I’ve met their parents. I have no clue who this lady is, but Serenity looks comfortable with her.
“Her name is Jesse. She’s our dad’s best friend,” he tells me. “Guaranteed she’s the one who set everything ablaze.”
A smirk lights Cub’s face as he looks at the picture of her on his phone. “Is she single?”