Chapter 18
“Babe, wake up,” Sal’s voice came abruptly through the dream I’d been having about swimming in the ocean.
“Hmmm?” I mumbled. It felt like we’d just fallen asleep.
“Somethin’s up. I need you to get up and come with me,” he ordered, and his tone left no room for messing around.
I sat up immediately. “What happened?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep.
“Need you to get dressed. We gotta get to the club.”
“Okay,” I answered, suddenly wide-awake as I moved to throw on my clothes in the dim light of what had to be early dawn. Sal had never woken me up like this and his tone was not to be questioned. I got ready as quickly as I could, asking no further questions, and climbed dutifully on his bike. We shot off from the curb as the sun crested the sky.
We pulled in behind Wes and Connie, and I saw many of the other members had already arrived. I cringed at the significance of everyone gathering at this hour.
Cal stood with feet braced apart in the great room, arms clasped behind his back with Cole seething at his side. I was surprised to see Henry, the president of The Sinners, flanking Cole. The Sinners was Scarlet’s dad’s club when he’d been alive. Now Henry ran things and he’d helped the Knights out in the past. His presence here did not bode well.
“Ettie was taken last night,” Cal announced, and I heard the collective gasp and a few cries of shock reverberate around the room. My gaze immediately sought out Mack and I found him sitting in a folded chair on the far side of the room, his head bent, his fingers tearing through his hair. Sal’s arm came around me, pulling me into his body as though he had to assure himself I was still there.
“Allen Parker has stolen from us,” Cal began in a tone I’d never heard before. His blue eyes were like ice as he regarded his club, his family. “He has disrespected us; he has spilt the blood of those we love. He will pay in blood,” Cal assured the agitated crowd. “But, for now, our priority is getting our girl back. We’ve called in our brothers, the Sinners. We’ll find her,” he assured the crowd, though his head had turned to Mack.
My gaze landed on Mack and my heart lurched as I observed his utter torment. I knew I had to do anything and everything I could to get Ettie back and an idea quickly began to form.
I turned to Sal, gripping his T-shirt in my fists. “My ma,” I said simply.
Sal’s dark eyes narrowed, his anger so evident I could feel it, but he nodded once and pulled me from the room.
After a brief meeting with Cal, Cole, and Sal, I dialed the number in my call log praying it still worked as Sal paced the concrete.
“Yeah?” her voice rasped.
I felt equal parts of relief and dread that I’d been able to reach her. “Ma?”
“What the hell do you want?” she demanded roughly. Clearly, I’d woken her up, which wasn’t surprising since it wasn’t even 8 AM.
“I have some money for you,” I lied, going along with the plan I’d confirmed with the guys. If her deadbeat boyfriend had crossed paths with Parker, chances were he could do it again. A potential payday would at least get us in the door.
I heard her sit up. “Oh yeah?” she replied, her tone far more lucid.
“Yeah, sorry it took me a little while to pull something together,” I apologized as my eyes shot to Sal’s. He nodded, giving me the silent support I needed to continue.
“You’re lucky I’m still breathing,” she retorted, and I wanted to scoff at the insinuation that anything to do with her and luck went hand in hand.
“Sorry about that,” I said as I swallowed the bile which wanted to rise at having to apologize to her for anything. “I can probably come to you depending on where you are.”
She cackled out a laugh that made me wince. “Same zip code as the last thirty years, I think you’d remember it.”
Oh, shit. I wanted to faint at the thought of having to go back there. Of havingSalgo there.
“Same park?” I asked, referring to the trailer park from my youth. I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to vomit.
“Yep, when can you get here?”
“By tonight,” I answered simply, turning my back to Sal to avoid his eyes.
“How much you got?” she wanted to know. Of course, that was all she cared about.
“Enough,” I snapped before hanging up.