Page 27 of Brave as It

I don’t know if I could be calm if my daughter was missing. One thing I do know, Tripp and Ruby, the whole damn club will give out whatever marker, money, or anything necessary to bring them home.

“Of course. No marker. They are family too. I know my cousins they won’t accept a marker. Time is wasting. We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Karma says before ending the call.

He looks to me as I use my hand control to press the gas more and go a little faster. I’ll take the damn ticket if I get pulled. We don’t have time to fuck around.

“What the fuck is going on? What in the hell did I do so wrong in this life to have everything I love vanish with too many questions?” He asks to the air around us while looking at his phone. He doesn’t hesitate to call Link.

“You get someone to him, Karma?” Link answers without so much as a hello. They grew up together in Freedom Falls, Idaho. Lincoln, Draven, and Nixon still live there, but have come to visit Haywood’s Landing. I know they are amped up wanting us to get to Hollis.

“I’m on my way.” Karma tells him. “Got another situation.”

“Oh fuck,” his cousin says what we are all feeling.

“Hellions marker for this. Tripp called it.” Karma continues and Link cuts him off.

“Name it, no marker, no money, just tell me what the hell you need from us.”

“Maritza and Dia Crews are missing. Phones are off. Switch them on. Find them. I need a trace of something. Tripp and crew are ready to roll out but need some direction.”

“Text me Dia’s number. We got Maritza’s. I get a beat on them; I’ll reach out to Tripp. You go get fuckin’ Hollis, Dillon.”

The call ends without another word. I’m not surprised Karma has his cousins watching out for Maritza. She has his son more than Hollis’s actual mom, Anna.

Karma is clicking away on his phone as we pull up to the airport. “Brother, you ain’t gonna believe this shit!”

“What?” I ask getting parked and ready to exit the van in my chair.

“On a whim, I checked my phone. I share my location with Maritza, except when it’s club shit and she shares hers with me since she has Hollis so much. Her phone was off Ruby said. Maritza’s phone just came on. Her location can’t believe this shit. She’s in Florida too. Not far from where Link found Hollis.”

“Call Ruby. If Maritza is there it’s most likely Dia is with her. Maybe Hollis called her.”

The concern on his face is fierce. “What if my psycho ex is setting her up? I don’t trust Anna at all.”

“None of us fuckin’ do brother. One thing is for sure, and two things are for certain. One is we will get there come hell or high water and the two women best at going to war for someone they love are closing in on your son. No one will fight harder for your boy than Maritza Castillo and Dia Crews.”

Karma gives a halfhearted nod. “Situation shouldn’t be this. My ass shouldn’t have passed out so hard I missed the calls and texts. We lost precious time. She got too far with my kid.”

Time is against us. He is not wrong.

“Yo, whatcha got?” Tripp answers.

“Round up, ride out, fly out, I don’t know but Link is sending over location. Maritza is in Florida, same general area as Hollis. Last text from Link said they pinpoint Dia with Maritza. When we lined up what they sent us on Hollis and what we have on Maritza, they aren’t together yet, but they aren’t far from beingreunited. I think Hollis called Maritza and she went out for him. Get the South Carolina guys on the way. Call Ravage. Call who the fuck ever can get there. We got a flight, so time is not our friend.” Karma states and I take the phone with a desperate concept.

“There’s a club in Florida where they are. I talked to a fucker. Shit isn’t good with me and him. I threatened his ass because well, he was a dick standing in the way of me talking to Emmalee. No matter now. He’s patched according to his cut I saw on the video. Sinister Sons MC. Call up their prez. They are in the area and may take a marker to be our eyes ‘til we can get there. They may not, but what harm is there in giving the offer?”

It’s a long shot since I told them I was starting war less than an hour ago, but I’m not against humbling myself for Dia and Maritza’s safety.

“You got it,” Tripp says before muttering to Tank to reach out to the Sons. “You two get on the plane. Reach out when you land.”

We end the call and go about doing exactly that.

I’ve never had a flight feel like eternity before. My mind is no longer focused on Emmalee, but on my family. Hollis, Maritza, and Dia need all of us and I’ll do anything to keep them safe.

Anything.

NINE

EMMALEE

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