Page 68 of Devil's Dilemma

“Think that’s what we’d all like, Brother. But first we’ve got to find the motherfucker. Cad, over to you.”

Cad looks serious as all eyes turn his way. “We know he was in Vegas on Saturday, that’s when the pictures were taken. I’ve spoken to Beth, Mel’s friend. She was helpful and tried to remember everything she could. The photos were taken in a back street off the strip. Mel’s friend was staying at one of the cheaper hotels and was going back to it at the time.”

“You think he lives there?”

“If he was acting like a tourist on the strip, I’d say no. Can’t tell either way, but Beth said he looked like he knew the area from what she could tell—she, herself, was using an app on her phone to find her hotel.”

“He’s still not using his bank account?”

Cad shakes his head at Ink’s question, and resumes, “No, but it could be he’s living off this woman he was with, or he’s got cash. I’ve been in touch with Mouse, who’s called on Cara’s help.”

My eyes crease, and so do those of a lot of people.

Cad sees and explains. “Long story how they first met, but the long and short of it is, if Mouse needs to get into databases he can’t, Cara helps out.”

Beef’s nodding. “She helped find info on Steph when we needed her to.”

“She’s a sheikh’s wife and some sort of royalty where she lives, so doesn’t often get involved for political reasons. But she sometimes will. Mel’s story tugged at her heart, so she’s willing to do what she can.”

“What’s she found out?” Mace prompts, like me more interested in the information than where it came from.

“It’s more what she hasn’t,” Cad resumes. “First, no Kris Cox owns or rents property in Vegas. He has no vehicle registered to him in Nevada.”

“So, he’s a tourist.” I grimace. Fuck knows where his home base could be. And already, by now, the trail might have gone dry.

“Maybe. Her searches on hotels and rental properties haven’t pulled up anything as yet. She checked the airlines, and no one of that name has flown in or out of Vegas.”

This Cara can certainly get into a database or two. I’m impressed, though disappointed. “He could have driven in from anywhere.”

“He could,” Cad agrees.

“If a man doesn’t want to be found, he could be using an assumed name,” Paladin suggests.

“What I was coming to,” says Cad. “Only lead we got is that he was seen in Vegas.”

Prez takes over. “This doesn’t sound like it will be easy. We could accept he’s alive, pass his details to other chapters and friendly clubs, but for now, leave him in the wind. Or we take proactive steps to find him.”

“Find him.” Hellfire slams his hand on the table. “Man has to get what’s coming to him for walking out on the club. Big disrespect right there.”

“He’d have gotten a beatdown if he turned in his patch,” Bomber observes mildly. “Skull knows what that entails, he’d been through it before. Can’t blame a man for not wanting to go through that pain again.”

“Because of that,” Demon is shaking his head, “if he’d been upfront, come to us and said he’d wanted to leave, we’d have gone easy on him, and possibly not beaten on him at all. Nah, I read it as he didn’t give a damn about the club, nor the woman he left, and just walked away.”

“Doesn’t make sense.” Lizard looks confused. “We weren’t into anything shady, neither Pal nor Pyro were working him too hard. He didn’t give any indication that he was bored, or the life wasn’t for him. What if he came off his bike, hit his head too hard, and forgot who he was?”

“Bit of a stretch there, Brother. But you know, that makes about as much sense as anything else.” Prez raises his hand to stop anyone else butting in. “But it seems we’re not going to rest easy until we find him and get answers.” He nods at me. “Cleanest way for Mel too. She doesn’t need to have a cloud full of paternity issues hanging over her head.” As I raise my chin back, he continues, “Here’s what I propose we do. I’ll get onto Red and send him the photos Mel’s friend took. Get him to get his boys to keep an eye open, maybe do a few sweeps in the area where he was seen.”

Murmurs of agreement go around the table. I’m nodding too. Red is the president of the Las Vegas chapter of the Satan’s Devils MC. We’ve got brothers in the locality, so why the fuck not use them?

“I want to go,” Judge growls. “Got scores to settle with that man.” When eyes go to the bottom of the table, Wills looks eager as well.

“We,” Wills points to Judge and himself, “we prospected alongside Skull. That man was so eager to get his patch, can’t understand how he could just walk away. Can’t believe he thought so little of the club he tried so hard to get into.”

“I want to ask him to his fuckin’ face,” Judge agrees.

“With my fuckin’ fist,” Wills suggests.

Prez nods. “Makes sense some of us go there. Anyone else want a trip to Vegas?”

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