AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can box up some treats for you now. Do you have any clue what you’d like?”
“Thank you,” she says, holding up the card before putting it carefully into her purse. “Why don’t you pick out a selection? I’ll take two dozen. Include some of your favorite ones in there please.”
“Of course. Give me just a minute and I’ll meet you at the register.”
With a smile, the lady walks toward the register and talks with a few other ladies on her way by. I go through the display case and pick out two dozen candies and load up one of the boxes I got in. When it’s full, I close the lid, put the tongs down, and shut the door of the display case. Making my way to the register I ring her up. After paying and leaving a large tip in the jar, the lady thanks me once again and leaves the shop while telling her friends goodbye on the way out.
The rest of the day goes by fast as fuck. I’m complimented several times about the coffee, the candies, and the shop. Hawkeye remains close to my side at all times. Even when I’m behind the counter, he doesn’t move far from my side. His eyes are always on me, like a warm caress over my body as I work and stay busy.
By the time we close and lock the door, there isn’t a single thing left in the display case. It was filled repeatedly until we had nothing left to fill it with. I brewed so many pots of coffee that we almost ran out of a few flavors. I’m going to have to place an express order. I really wasn’t thinking when I did the order and now I know what I’ll have to order more of on a regular basis.
The only ones left with me in the shop are the members and ol’ ladies of the Wild Kings MC. They’re finishing up their cups of coffee and helping me clean up from the grand opening. Hawkeye has one of the Prospects washing dishes and getting them ready to put back on the shelves for tomorrow. I’ve got everything prepped to make more candy when I come in early in the morning tomorrow. Tonight, I’m just ready to go back to the house, take a warm shower, and climb in bed with Hawkeye. I want to lay in his arms and sink into the deepest sleep I’ve ever had. Exhaustion fills me as Hawkeye wraps me in his arms and leads me from the shop. He knows how tired I am and helps me into his truck before climbing in the driver’s side. We don’t talk as we head home. I lean my head against the window and close my eyes. Sleep instantly claims me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Hawkeye
TARA DOESN’T OPEN the shop on Sundays. It’s the one day she’s going to take to herself to prepare for the upcoming week and get some downtime after being open for the previous six days. For the last two weeks, Tara has been getting up before the sun to go in and make the candies she’ll sell along with the other baked goods. She had to get in two shipments of coffee because she’s selling so much. I’m so fucking proud of her for the success her shop already seems to be. My ol’ lady can’t take a breath without thinking of something for the shop. And I know it’s weighing on her because she’s nauseous all day long around the smell of the coffee. Even the candy has been turning her stomach and not helping her at all. I’ve bought so many boxes of saltines and cases of ginger ale that I should buy stock in the shit. However, I wouldn’t trade a second of it for my sweets.
Today she’s at the trailer with Marco. She doesn’t have a problem being here with me at the house. But, she doesn’t want to leave a mess for the owner to deal with either. So, they’ve been there for a few hours so she can go through each room and clean it from top to bottom. Marco knows if anything happens to my girl when they’re there, it’s his ass and patch on the line. I’d be there, but I had to put in some time at the garage today. We’ve been getting backed up with repairs and tows. Heading outside for a breather, I pull out my phone and try to call Tara. I told her I’d call and check on her when I could and that’s what I’m doing.
Her phone rings and goes to voicemail. Tara doesn’t ever just let my call go unanswered. Especially not now when she’s pregnant with Paige and Ricochet’s baby. I call again with no luck. Worry fills me as I keep calling with the same results. Running back into the shop, all the guys turn to look at me.
“What’s goin’ on?” Kevlar asks me, his voice full of concern as he steps up closer to me.
“Tara’s at the trailer and she’s not answerin’ her phone. I’m tryin’ Marco now to see if I can get him to answer the phone,” I tell my brother, my voice breaking as I pull up Marco’s contact information.
His phone rings until it goes to voicemail. Panic seizes me as I hang up and try to call him again.
“Get the fuck outta here. Head to the trailer and put eyes on your girl,” Venom orders me, his voice hard and cold as he pulls his own phone out.
“I’m goin’ with you,” Kevlar states, rushing out from the shop behind me to our bikes.
We race through town and head to the trailer park. I don’t give a fuck about speed limits or anything else as we make a short trip even shorter. Pulling up to the trailer, I see Tara’s car parked in her spot and Marco’s bike next to her. After hastily putting the kickstand down, I jump off my bike and run up the stairs of the porch and almost break down the door to get inside. Even without anything being in here, I can tell there’s been a struggle. Blood is dripped on the floor, on the walls, and there’s a small puddle in the kitchen. My heart stops in my chest and I drop to my knees. Tears fill my eyes and my past comes back to haunt me once again. A past I’ve done everything in my power to forget.
“No!” I yell out, my voice echoing off the walls of the small trailer. “Where the fuck is she?”
“We’ll find her, Brax. Come on. Let’s see if we can find Marco. Maybe she’s here and hidin’ in a closet or somethin’. Maybe this is Marco’s blood,” Kevlar says, helping me off the floor and even I can hear the doubt behind his words. He doesn’t believe what he’s saying any more than I do.
Pulling my gun, we make our way through the trailer. There’s a few more spots of blood. Especially in the bedroom that was Tara’s. My legs almost give out again as I walk through the room. In the bathroom, we find Marco’s body. Kevlar rushes to his side. He checks him for a pulse.
“He’s alive. Barely,” my brother informs me, pulling his phone out and making a call.
Without needing to, I walk through the rest of the trailer, already knowing I’m not going to find my girl here. She’s been taken and I know exactly who the fuck has her. Lucifer took her and now we need to find out where the fuck she is. My main concern is for my sweets, but I also have to think of the baby she carries for my brother and his woman. My ol’ lady is so fucking innocent in this and doesn’t deserve to be hurt because of a man who wants what isn’t his. Lucifer is a selfish, greedy fuck who only gives a shit about what he wants and it doesn’t matter who he takes out in the process.
Making my way back to the bathroom, I find my brother looking at Marco as he remains unconscious and laying in a pool of his own blood. Or maybe some of its Tara’s blood. I don’t even know at this point. Averting my eyes, I can’t stand to look at the mess on the floor. My heart is beating so hard, it feels as if it’s going to break right through my chest and land on the floor at my feet. Turning around, I punch a hole in the wall just outside the bathroom. My anger levels are rising with every fucking second we remain here.
“There’s an ambulance on the way. Venom said we’re gonna make sure we don’t say anythin’ about Tara bein’ taken. The cops aren’t gonna do fuckin’ shit. We can make up an excuse about her car bein’ here if we have to,” Kevlar tells me, setting his phone down on the floor next to him.
“I don’t give a fuck about what you gotta do, Shawn. I’m ready to go find my girl. She’s been fuckin’ taken from this trailer and we have no fuckin’ clue where she is. What the fuck would you be doin’ if this happened to Lyric? Oh, that’s right, it did fuckin’ happen to her. And you lost your fuckin’ mind. So, I don’t give a fuck what has to be done. I’m goin’ to find my fuckin’ girl before she gets killed by this stupid fucker,” I tell him, turning to leave the trailer and leave him on his own.
“No one rides alone, Brax. You know that. Venom called church. He wants everyone at the clubhouse. Now. We’ll wait for the fuckin’ ambulance and then go to the clubhouse. We’ll get Tara back before anythin’ can happen to her,” Kevlar says, his words not doing a fucking thing to calm me down. It does stop me in my tracks, but that’s about it.
I should feel horrible that I don’t feel more about Marco being in the hospital right now, but I don’t. The only thing on my mind is getting to Tara and bringing her home where she belongs. After this, my woman isn’t gonna be out of my sight for any reason. I don’t give a fuck what anyone says or thinks about it. I’ve more than pulled my weight when it comes to King’s Kustoms and if I have to take time off until we find this fucker and gut him, then that’s what I’m gonna do. Venom can kiss my ass if he doesn’t want me there for my girl. He’d be there for Vanessa and no one could tell him any different. Well, he’s not gonna tell me any different. Not when it comes to my ol’ lady and keeping her safe. Walking in the clubhouse, I don’t bother handing over my phone or gun to the Prospect waiting outside the doors of church. Venom can fucking fine me or whatever he’s gotta do. I’m not giving up my phone or weapon in case I have to run out of here. If I get one message or call about her, I’m gone regardless of what anyone has to say about it.
Taking my seat at the table, I’m among the last ones inside. I can hardly sit still as Venom slams the gavel on the table in front of him.
“Tara’s been taken from the trailer she used to live in and Marco’s currently in the hospital. We don’t know anythin’ about his condition at this point in time. I’m gonna head there as soon as this is over with. Our focus right now is Tara and findin’ out where the fuck she is. We’ve been searching Cedar Bay and the surroundin’ area for fuckin’ weeks with no sign of Lucifer or this bitch. Every fuckin’ time we get a lead, it turns out to be a dead end. Now, we’re gonna figure out where the fuck they are and get Tara back,” Venom states, his voice hard and deadly as he looks around the table.
