Page 83 of Petty's Crime

My thoughts return to RoseLyn. That fucking kiss was meant to knock the pent-up attraction between us on the head, but it did the opposite. It showed me how much I wanted her, and the old Petty hated that. Now, though, I no longer need to keep her at arm’s length. I’d told her secrets that could destroy me, what I told her in confidence is known to everybody. It’s down to her there’s no longer a need to keep the person I really am locked up. I can be myself. And the new Petty wants RoseLyn.

But that takes me back to that I’m a member of the Satan’s Devils MC, and I’m never willingly going to give that up. And RoseLyn’s had a recent example of why she should stay far away from me and my club.

What’s that expression? You can’t have your cake and eat it too. I’m afraid that applies a little too much.

I miss her.I’d spent so much time with her over the last few weeks, I feel there’s a part of me missing. But while I’ve got a chance of remaining a Devil, I’m not going to give that up.

I move to a different position to try to get more comfortable, hating that I’ve been restricted to bed rest while Doc thinks I could be concussed. I want to be out there, facing RoseLyn, trying to make everything between us right.

I’m not left alone to brood for long. Roller comes in for a while and keeps me company, followed by Titch who seems to think he’s got something to apologise for, though I assure him I don’t blame him for being taken in by Britney. Cher puts her head around the door to see if I want anything, and then Zeke comes to sit with me. They bring a book in with them and seem content to sit and read while I doze. I admire their sensitivity for realising I appreciate company, even if I don’t want to talk.

After they leave, I’m again left alone with my thoughts, and RoseLyn re-enters them. I close my eyes, imagining I’m watching her sing. Hell, what a voice on her. And the way she moves—

“Petty! We need you in church,” Crash roars as he slams my door open, but pauses and looks at me dubiously. “You gonna be able to move, Brother?”

What a question. It will hurt, but when’s that ever stopped me. The painkillers have done their job and I’m a master at being able to get around with bruises and broken ribs. I wouldn’t be summoned if it wasn’t important. While earlier I might have worried such a demand for my presence was to be a discussion about taking my patch, from the concern on the VP’s face, I quickly dismiss that notion.

“I can be there,” I confirm to the VP, while taking my time and moving carefully. I manage to get my legs onto the floor and pull up the pants he’s thoughtfully handed to me. Unable to completely swallow the groan, I manage to bend and get my socks and boots on next, then the tee, which Crash helps me feed my hands through the armholes, and finally the cut that he nabs off the chair and slides onto my back. I pause, willing the dizziness away, and belatedly ask, “What’s up?”

“RoseLyn’s missing.”

Missing?I move faster than I should and a bolt of pain goes through my head. Reaching out a hand, I steady myself on the doorjamb.

“Careful, Brother,” Crash growls, his hand resting on my arm. “Take it slowly now.”

“What the fuck happened?” I rasp, angry at myself for being so fucking helpless and furious at Britney for making me this way.

“She didn’t turn up at the casino,” he says tersely. “Bart couldn’t raise her on the phone so went out to check on her. Her car’s in the driveway, front door wide open, and her purse and phone are in the house. There was no sign of her.”

I have to concentrate on getting down the stairs as my head is woozy, whether from the painkillers or the blow I’d taken I couldn’t say, so I don’t ask for more information until I reach the bottom, then I swallow my words as I hear the commotion. The door to church must be open as I can hear the loud voices from here. Crash hastens me forward.

Red’s eyes flick to me as I enter, clearly assessing my state. Roller leaps to his feet and pulls a chair out for me. I ease myself down, looking around and noticing the expressions on my brothers’ faces. I see Hammer and Cobra both looking flushed while others are angry, or in Titch’s case, he looks downright disgusted.

Prez bangs the gavel and the shouting dies down. I just want them to get on with explaining what the fuck Crash meant when he said RoseLyn was gone, but luckily, he’s on the same wavelength.

“Where the fuck is RoseLyn?” I ask, as I take my seat and gingerly sit down. “Saul’s dead. There’s no one after her anymore.”

Red shakes his head, and rubs at his temples. “Fuck. Petty, I’ll repeat it for your benefit.” His eyes flick to mine, and then back to the table again. “RoseLyn’s missing. She’s not in her house, and hasn’t taken anything with her.”

“So what the fuck are we doing about it?”

My voice is too sharp, but as Red’s eyes again meet mine, I can see some sympathy in them so know he’s giving me a pass. “Keys has pulled the security footage, and this is what we’ve found.” He nods to our computer guy.

Keys passes his laptop to me. From the reactions of the others, I’m the last one to see it. It shows the view from the front door. RoseLyn is being pushed out, her hands tied behind her back. She’s taken to the rear of a car parked behind hers, then she’s gagged and though she puts up a good fight, is bundled into the trunk of the car which then departs the scene with wheels spinning. I notice two things. One, the car has no plates, and the second, her abductor is wearing a baseball cap and his face has been turned away from the camera the whole time, except for the short moment when RoseLyn was struggling. But that brief glimpse only showed he has a beard.

“You let her go back home alone?” I turn accusing eyes on my prez.

Red doesn’t look happy about it. “Saul’s dead. There didn’t seem to be a risk.” He turns the tables on me. “What would you have done different?”

Nothing. My hands clench as that’s the rub of it. Prez did nothing wrong.

“Saul was working with someone. That fucker we think is in the cops,” Indian states. “Could be him.”

“We any closer to finding him?” I was out of the loop when it all went down.

Crash sighs heavily. “No. We pressed him on it, but he kept his mouth shut. Then RoseLyn insisted on seeing him, and you know how that went down.”

I know how it ended, with a bullet in his head, and with RoseLyn seeing the club for exactly what it is. Unfortunately, her view can’t be rectified, and as for him, dead men tell no tales.

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