Page 120 of Paladin's Hell

I move to follow him. “Hang on a sec, Pal. Mace’s car’s got a tracker in it.” Cad’s fingers are flying over the keys. After a moment, he consults a map. “What the fuck is it doing there? There’s nothing around for miles.”

“Where?” He points it out. My head drops into my hands. Taser took Jay somewhere. Mace’s car is missing. No fucking proof, just a feeling inside. Fuck knows how long Taser will hold out before he gives them the information. He knows he’s dead once he does. Right now, I’d prefer to be doing something, anything. “Send me the fuckin’ coordinates, Cad. I’m going to find it.”

“There’s nothing to say she’s there. Whoever took my car could just have used an out-of-the-way location to hide it.”

“Fuckin’ coincidence. Taser could hang out for hours, days, Mace. Nah, she might not be with the car, but there’s nothing to say she isn’t. At least we might find a clue as to where she might be. Even if Taser talks I don’t trust him. He might fuck with us, come up with lies to send us off in the wrong direction.” And all the while we’ll be wasting time. I glance at Mace. “I either believe you, or him. Up to now, you’ve done nothing to make me mistrust you. Taser said you took Jay in your car…”

“Recording already shows he’s lying,” Mace agrees.

“The key is Mace’s car, Brother,” Sparky’s next to me, apparently supporting my conclusions. “Rusty will go with you in case she’s there and needs help. At least we won’t have wasted time sittin’ here twiddlin’ our fingers. The moment Demon gets info from Taser, if he says she’s somewhere else, I’ll go find her.”

“I’ll come with.” Every brother is offering.

In the end, it’s me, Shooter, Pyro, Ink, Lizard, Bomber and Rusty who head out to the car’s location.

The only thing that makes sense in my mind is that Taser’s taken her somewhere to hurt her, and by stealing Mace’s car, was somehow intending to put the blame on the enforcer. If Mace had harmed a claimed woman, they’d have killed him. How the fuck Taser thought he could get away with it, I don’t know.

My hand shakes on the throttle. Bomber’s in the lead, I wish he’d go faster, but I’ve failed once already today to keep the shiny side up due to impatience. It won’t do my woman any good for me to die at the side of the road. Hang on, Jay, we’re coming. Is she hurt? Dead? No, she can’t be. She’s got to be okay. How would I survive if she was gone? I’d die myself. if I never held her again. I can’t live without her.

It seems to take forever until Bomber’s indicating and turning onto a gravel road. A few yards down it opens out into a rough area of ground. There’s the Dodge Charger sitting forlorn, looking abandoned. We park.

“This doesn’t make sense.” Pyro stares at the car. “How could he finger Mace, if his car’s here, and he’s not.”

“What were you discussin’ earlier?” Ink questions as he kicks down his stand. “You were talkin’ to him at the bar.”

Pyro’s eyes find mine. “Christ. He mentioned needin’ to show Mace something. Thought he meant in the clubhouse. Now it starts to make sense. Could have brought him here, I don’t know. Killed him? Found the girl? Come home the fuckin’ hero?”

“She’s here.” I state adamantly. “She has to be.”

“Let’s fan out,” Bomber takes the lead. I’m grateful, I just want to rush in all directions at once. “Anyone know what’s around here? Anywhere he could have stashed her?”

“No idea, Bomber.” Pyro’s scratching his head. “Not been here before.”

“Start looking. Mine buildings, wells. Fuck,” Bomber gives me an apologetic glance, “any disturbed earth.”

“We could be looking in the wrong fucking place. He left on his bike,” Lizard observes, from down on his haunches, his hand pointing to tire tracks in the dirt.

But she’s here. Somewhere. I know she is. I can sense it. I start looking for footprints, some type of clue to follow. Suddenly Rusty brushes past me. He tries the car doors, they’re locked. He raps on the trunk, there’s no response, and that’s won’t open either.

“Anyone got a jimmy?”

My eyes widen in horror. She can’t be in there. She’d have responded if she was. Pyro’s thinking the same thing. Ignoring the car, he starts walking off after Lizard, examining the ground, trying to find tracks.

Slowly, too fucking slowly, Ink walks over with his tool bag, he’s smirking. “Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Brother, if you bust Mace’s car.”

Rusty stands, tossing a tool between his hands.

“If you don’t do it, I will,” I growl.

He looks at me, shrugs, then applies what he’s holding to the trunk. The lock puts up a fight, but it’s not long before he has it popped. He pushes it up.

Oh fuck no. Jay’s inside. Pushing him roughly out of the way, I reach in and pull her out. She hangs limp in my hands, so still it looks like she’s dead.

How fucking long has she been left here, in a car, in the heat of the sun in the fucking desert?

Now it’s my turn to be pulled aside after I lay her gently on the ground. My mind numb, my brain unable to process I’ve lost her forever. I fight, wanting to hold her, unwilling to let her go, even in death. Pyro’s arms are around me, keeping me away. I struggle, but his grip is too strong. It’s Ink who’s there fast with his knife, cutting the zip-tie which holds her hands together. Rusty places his fingers to her throat.

“She’s alive. Just.”

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