Page 93 of Primal Urges

His monster was dead.

29

CADEN

Hanging up the phone, Marcus looked up at Cade.

“He’s been spotted on a surveillance camera at a gas station an hour west of here. The sheriff’s got contacts in the area trying to get security footage to see if they can track their movements.”

A surge of hope jolted through Caden.

They had a lead!

“Well, let’s get moving!” Caden shouted, jumping to his feet.

“Cade,” Marcus called before Caden had a chance to leave the room. “We need to be prepared for what we might find.”

Caden looked over at his boss and friend. He wasn’t willing to entertain any outcome other than the one in which Lucas was standing alive and well.

“Luc will be okay. You’ll see. He’s a lot stronger than he appears.”

Marcus shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant. If Lucas was successful in whatever plan he had concocted, there is a very real chance that he may have murdered his ex. Depending on who arrives at the scene first, we might be looking at a possible murder charge.”

“No. That’s not happening. I don’t care who finds him; he’s not going to jail for defending himself.”

Ace stepped forward. “We need to make sure that Sheriff Burke is the one who finds Lucas first. Burke won’t let anything happen to him. He’s always helped to protect the crew and our community.”

“Good point,” Marcus said, walking over to where Caden was waiting. “You deal with Burke, and I’ll let the boys know we are going hunting.”

Fifteen minutes later, Marcus and his crew hopped on their bikes and began their journey west. They had loaded up on weapons: guns, bats, and brass knuckles—which were Nikolai’s weapon of choice. The man loved using his hands for pain as well as pleasure.

Blade, of course, grabbed his trove of knives. There wasn’t a murder he committed that didn’t involve one of his blades, hence the nickname.

Caden grabbed a gun as well as a hunting knife. He wasn’t sure what they would be walking into, but if he was able to get up close and personal with Lucas’s ex, he wouldn’t mind plunging the knife into the man’s gut. Perhaps see how deep he could get the blade before pulling the man’s intestines out through his stomach. The thought of murdering the man who had hurt his love made him feel all warm and tingly inside.

Throughout the ride, Ace kept in touch with Sheriff Burke, providing updates to Marcus and Caden as they rode to their boy’s rescue.

It didn’t take long for one of Burke’s contacts to spot Darryl’s vehicle exiting the interstate on one of their CCTV cameras and heading down toward a deserted area.

Burke thanked his contact and informed him that backup would not be needed as he had the situation well under control.

Exiting the interstate, Marcus led the hoard of bikers toward a flickering red glow off in the distance. It had to be Lucas’s campfire.

It wasn’t until Cade was faced with the possibility of losing Luc that he realized he couldn’t live without him. He no longer cared what others would think. He had found someone who made him smile and feel good and always lit up the room whenever he entered.

A world in which Luc was not a part of was too horrible to imagine.

The thunderous roar of all of their bikes came to a halt once they reached the makeshift campsite. Dirt and dust kicked up into the air, adding to the eerie silence of the open space around them.

Throwing his leg over his bike, Caden ran to where Lucas was sitting, motionless, staring at the fire.

“Luc!” Caden shouted, dropping to his knees in front of the boy. “I’m here. Are you okay?”

Lucas’s warm brown eyes slowly drifted toward Cade. It took a few seconds before recognition finally set in.

A smile slowly spread across Lucas’s face.

---