She looked back at me with a sad smile, “The only thing I have heard is that she is safe. But I will not tell you anything else Clutch, I won’t betray her again.”
I swallowed, nodding, thankful to know she was still safe. Still out there.
Over the next month we worked meticulously bringing down parts of the trafficking group. Hunting anyone that Cypher could find who were connected, who could lead us to eradicating the entire group. Meg and Dani were both now the first Sisters in our clubs history, we had been so focused on rebuilding the club and taking care of thetrash, so we hadn’t had an official church meeting to pick their road names or the celebration that should follow.
Marisol was still staying at the clubhouse and was up and moving around, but she was quiet. A heaviness had settled around her and she was refusing to talk to anyone. I didn’t ask Axel what was going on with them and he didn’t offer. But if she was around so was he, a silent shadow guarding her.
As soon as I was medically cleared to ride, I took my bike out. The air was frigid, a bite that felt good on my skin. Meg who had been taking lessons and had purchased her first bike had asked to come along. Torch and Ledger had followed. Without thought I ended up back at that parcel of land that had caught my attention months ago, after Bex had first disappeared.
I stopped and without question so did the rest of my group. I got off my bike and walked over to the edge of the property, Meg came up beside me. Her phone in her hand.
She looked around the property, taking a deep breath. “It’s for sale, you know.”
I looked down at her, “How do you know?”
There wasn’t a sign, no indication that the lot was for sale.
She held up her phone and it had listings for land in this area. “I made friends with the realtor that helped me buy my ba… building.”
She had closed the bakery temporarily while she was healing, but I heard she hadn't been back yet. Something that I knew had been bothering Cypher.
“She showed me this app, it collects information from all property sites and lists them.”
My eyes moved across the land, the ache eased a little as I took a deep breath, “Can you send me that?”
And she did.
I bought the parcel of land that week and had been quietly working with Torch on finishing the plans we had started for the house on the compound.
When we weren’t hunting or working, we ended up at the property. The piece of land that felt like the only thing I had left to connect myself to her, even though she’d never stepped foot on this land anddidn’t have any idea what I was doing. Everyone in the club had their hands in helping me with the house, they showed up quietly to work and then disappeared just as quietly. It's like the club members were using the build of the house, just like I was… as a form of penance.
Thanksgiving passed quietly, no one said a thing about celebrating. But by the time Christmas came around the clubhouse had been fixed up and everyone had helped give direction in what they wanted from the space. Angel asked everyone to celebrate Christmas eve as a club, a family. And we did. Tables were pushed together to form one long one. We all worked together to make the meal, to clean up. Cal got presents from the club and Mara and Marisol had stockings for the babies that the club was anxiously waiting on. Mara had shown up for dinner with Gavin, the younger Dr Hart. Angel didn’t look thrilled about it but he didn’t say anything.
A sort of peace had come over the compound, everyone working together. Rebuilding, talking more than I ever think we had before.
I didn’t go to the New Years party, not interested in celebrating a new year when she wasn’t with me. Angel found me at the property, it was freezing, but I didn’t mind. Working on the house was the only thing that calmed my mind and lessened the ache.
“Find out anything new?”
That question was loaded and we both knew it. We were still looking for clues about Bex, but we were also looking into who had protected the group we had hunted, all those years ago. The best guess was corrupt politicians or police. But we didn't have anything concrete yet.
Angel stood beside me, helping level the piece of wood in my hand, “No. Cypher is still looking though and Meg has one of her brothers helping.”
He handed me a screw and held the wood steady.
“Mara said Bex is safe, but she is still refusing to give any more information than that.”
I grunted and kept working, when we were done on the section I was working on Angel stepped back and asked, “What if she never comes back?”
It seemed like everyone had been asking that question. I shruggedknowing the only thing I could do was make it so she could come back if she wanted, to make me someone she wanted to come back for.
The rumble of a bike caught our attention, Cypher stalked towards us. A look of frustration on his face. I moved to the next section I wanted to work on and he started pacing next to Angel.
“Someone fucking erased her.”
I stood up tall, my spine going rigid. My eyes snapped to Cypher and Angel grabbed Cypher’s shoulder saying, “You gotta explain that, Brother.”
Cypher huffed and then dragged his hand through his hair, he looked wrecked, “Rebecca Pierce. If I hadn’t met her in person, If I hadn't looked into her before… I would have assumed she never existed. Someone wiped her entire history. That and the lead I thought was good for where she went… after. It fell through. Led me to the fucking Chief of Police… no thank you. But I am going to keep digging. I will figure this out.”