Page 70 of Never Wed an Outlaw

Joker sensed the earthquake rolling through my body. Veep's hands were wrapped around mine a second later, helping keep me up, walking me over to the beat up couch in the corner, across from my desk.

Nobody said shit 'til I was sitting down, with Firefly next to me, pale as a ghost.

“Christ, Veep, get them on her,” he said. “You gotta –“

“Tell them to turn their fuckin' bikes around and pin her down!” I snapped, cutting my Enforcer off. “Block off every exit in that damned town. Don't let her out of sight 'til they know we're on our way. Find her a room in town, keep her cozy, as long as they're under her watch, I don't fuckin' care!”

Joker's face softened. “Like I said, brothers, I only got this shit an hour ago. They caught up to her about a half hour before that. By the time I got it, saw it, and texted them back, they'd moved the fuck on. I told them the same thing you just said, believe me. Unfortunately for us, they've got business south of the border. Big Dog told me personally they can't be bothered holding up for our missing girl. They did us a favor just reporting it.”

“You're shittin' me.” I gave him a hard look, but his eyes were honest. That dagger lodged in my guts for the lastseven months gave me the sharpest twist ever.

“No, Prez, I wish I was. Ain't like we've got any authority over their club. They're our friends, and they've just given us a gold mine here. Best we can do is take that shit into our own hands, get on our bikes, and find her.”

Joker laid down so much truth it turned my fuckin' stomach. I had to keep it together. “Get the boys together. Whatever the fuck it takes to bring them all here in the next hour, ready to go. Everybody except Tin and Lion, who'll hold down home with the prospects.”

“On it.” My Veep nodded. He stood, stroked his dog's head, and led the animal out. He never wasted time, a virtue that stuck, despite all the happy changes upending his life.

Me, I had one shot at tracking down my woman, and having something resembling the happiness I'd lost. Firefly looked at me, and I wondered if he'd want to pick up on where we'd left off after this punch to the guts.

“You've still got that thing in your hand,” I said, looking at the bottle. “If you're gonna do it, let's get it over with, fast. I need to be on my feet and ready to ride, hoping to Christ we're not too late by the time we get to Texas.”

Firefly stared at me. His hand released, and the bottle hit the ground with a heavythud.“Prez...you just heard the same thing I did. Whatever the fuck my beef is with you, I'm too big a man to whack the bastard who put a kid in my sister's belly. And what you said earlier...fuck me. I hate it that you care about her, hate it that you're speaking from the heart, killing every last instinct I've got to put your ass through the wall. Fuck you, Cap'n. You've made me a believer, made me think you mightnot be total trash for my little sis. Only thing that matters is bringing Hannah home.”

“Damned straight.” We both stood up.

Only lasted a second before the big man threw his arms around me, squeezing me like a boa constrictor. That big, brotherly hug hurt like it was meant to. We'd been at each other's throats since before she disappeared.

Now, we forced that venom out, shed it in a bear hug mean enough to splinter bones. When he pulled away, so did I.

“Get your shit together, brother. We've got a long run ahead, and you know we're not stopping for any sleep.”

“No breaks except for gas and coffee.” He headed for the door, stopping once before he ripped it open to look back at me, a fractured smile on his face. “And Prez, if I catch you sneaking anything that's straight from the bar, I will kick your ass from coast to coast.”

“I'd expect nothing less.” We shared another nod, and he was gone.

I shook off the remaining booze in my system, tuned up my bike, and set to work packing up the guns we'd need to blow through anyone who got in our way.

Nothing, nobody, and fuck all was stopping me from finding my wife.

One Week Later

Lady Luck wasn't givingus a damned thing without working us like dogs. The first day we rolled into that dustylittle town just south of Odessa and couldn't find her, I nearly hit the roof.

I rode fifty miles further with just Skin and Sixty at my side, stopping at every ranch along the way. Had to bite my tongue 'til it was almost chewed clean through every time the answer came back the same.

No, sir, haven't seen anybody like her.

Don't recognize the plates.

You sure she's been this way? Hardly anybody takes this route if they're cruising to the coast.

That last reply, and every bullshit word like it, caused me to see so much red my brothers had to help me back on my bike before I shot the messenger.

She couldn't slip away from us, for fuck's sake. Not when we were this close, and it wasn't just Hannah I needed in my arms again to make me whole.

She was about to bring my kid into the world.My son, my daughter, my flesh and blood I hadn't known existed for over eight fuckin' months.

Before, I respected boys like Joker or Firefly when they got crazy about their pregnant wives, or their secret babies. After seeing that pic on my Veep's phone, I respected it a thousand times more, felt the pick digging into my brain every merciless second my wife and kid weren't with me.

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