Page 33 of Lost King

"I was putting tools away when two dudes grabbed me. After that everything happened so fast. One of the men holding me had a gun. He told Quinn if he didn't go with them they were going to kill me." At his last statement, Beth lets out a sob. The officer begins to speak again, but I can't hear anything past the whooshing sound in my ears. It's taking everything I have to choke down the bile rising in my throat. I know what's coming next out of Liam's mouth, yet I'm not prepared to hear it.

"Quinn gave himself up for me," Liam chokes out. "He gave himself up and then they made him watch as they beat the shit out of me."

"Can you tell me what these men look like?" the officer asks.

"No, sir. I don't remember," Liam curtly replies.

Suddenly my vision blurs, and my legs feel as they are about to give out. Thankfully, Christy comes up behind me and catches me before I fall and guides me over to a chair.

"Is she okay?" the officer inquired standing from his chair.

"She's fine officer. Just a little stomach bug," Christy lies. "Emerson, look at me."

Fighting back nausea and tears threatening to spill out, I look at my friend who's kneeled in front of me.

"You have to call the club right now,"she says in a hushed tone, so the cop doesn't hear us. "You have to call Jake and get them here now."

Drawing every bit of strength I have in me, I quickly stand and excuse myself from the room. I don't want to alert the officer to what I am doing. My loyalty is to the club, and right now the man I love is missing. I have a feeling the shit that has been happening with the other bikers has something to do with Quinn's abduction. If that's true, the cops won't be any help. Running down the hall, I slip into the stairwell, and with shaky hands immediately dial Jake.

"Doc?" Jake's husky voice answers and I can no longer hold back my anguished sob.

"Jake."

"Emerson, sweetheart?" his voice now gentle but alert. "What's wrong?"

"You and the guys need to come to the hospital—now," I cry, "some guys took Quinn." I hear some rustling in the background along with Jake barking orders followed by the sound of his motorcycle starting.

"The guys and I are on our way sweetheart. Be there soon." Then the line goes dead.

Swiping the tears off my face, I take a couple of deep breaths. "Get your shit together, Emerson. Quinn needs you to stay strong," I say to myself. By the time I calm myself down and decide to walk outside to get some fresh air I hear the rumble of Harley's pulling into the lot. Lead by Jake is Logan, Gabriel, Reid, and Bennett. Every one of them with the look of murder in their eyes, and it's that look that gives me hope. I give the guys a brief rundown of what Liam said went down earlier tonight.

"I want to talk to the boy," Jake demands, and we all make our way up to his hospital room. When we walk in the officer is still here, and he stands.

"Delane. You and your boys need to leave. The cops will handle the situation."

"I don't fuckin' think so. One of my brothers is missing, and if you think me or my men are going to go home and sit around with our thumbs up our asses, then you have another thing comin'," Jake squares off.

"Don't make me have to take you all in for obstruction," the cop spits.

I hear a growling noise come from Gabriel.

"We're not obstructing shit," Jake fires back.

When the cop opens his mouth to say something, Beth interrupts, "Jake and his men can stay. If my son remembers anything else, we'll be sure to give your department a call."

The cop reaches into his pocket and gives Beth a card with a phone number. "Call me if he remembers anything else."

I can tell by the officer's red face he doesn't like the fact he was dismissed, and Jake got his way. As soon as the cop disappears out of the room, we all turn our attention towards Liam.

"Satans Reapers," he says. I realize he lied to the cop telling him he didn't remember who took Quinn. I look to his mom to gauge her reaction to her son lying to the authorities, and she doesn't look the least bit upset. That goes to show the kind of impact Quinn has had on this boy's life. He and his mom are choosing to give their loyalty to the club rather than the police. Jake turns and gives Gabriel and Reid a signal and the two of them burst out of the room. He turns to Bennett and barks, "Lockdown."

"I'm real sorry, Mr. Delane," Liam apologizes. "I should have fought harder, but those men were too strong."

Walking over to the hospital bed, Jake places his hand on the kid's shoulder. "None of this shit is your fault, son. Quinn did what any of us would expect him to do. If he were here now, he'd kick your ass for feeling guilty about it. Now, we're going to head out and let you get some rest."

It's in this moment I see why Quinn and the guys admire Jake so much and what makes him a good President. His brother is missing, and only God knows what's being done to him right now, but here he is keeping his cool in front of this kid and reassuring him not to place blame on himself.

I follow Jake and Logan out of the hospital and to the parking lot where I watch Bella climb off Grey's bike and head straight for me. Her tears mirror my own, making me aware she's heard the news by now, and I realize Logan most likely summoned her here for my sake. These people have become my family, and right now I need them more than ever.