Page 33 of Torrent’s Treasure

“Something is in the lining. Let me cut the seam so we can sew this back,” Gunner muttered.

Cecilia’s stomach turned as she waited for Gunner to find whatever it was.

“Okay, looks like there are two trackers. One was sewn into the bottom between the outside layer and the plastic lining. The second had been sewn into the strap toward the bottom. The odds of Calliope ever feeling something different would be slim. Someone knew what they were doing. I’ll notify Dragon and Mav,”Gunner reported, hanging up.

Cecilia stared at the guys, wondering if it would be inappropriate to ask to destroy something. Horse’s Ass’s plans hadn’t been spur of the moment; he’d been planning something for a while.

Torrent and Cauldron’s phones beeped. Torrent glanced down at his.

“Dragon’s called Church. Let’s head back,” Torrent said, holding his hand out to help her up. Her thoughts were swirling. What were they going to do? Who all was involved in this and how would they keep Calliope safe?

As they walked across the field, Torrent holding her hand, Cecilia forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. She wasn’t sure how much more she could handle. Just when she was ready to take a breath, something else hit them.

Before Torrent opened the door to the clubhouse, he paused, turning to her. He slid his finger under her chin, raising her head until she was staring into his eyes.

“One step at a time—together,” he promised.

She nodded because she didn’t have to do this alone. He opened the door, leading her in. Sally and Calliope were chatting at one of the tables with Chey. Calliope smiled and waved. Cecilia put a smile on her face and started to walk toward them. Torrent didn’t let go of her hand. She stopped and turned back to him. He leaned close, brushing a kiss across her forehead.

“We’ve got this,” he reassured her, not turning to leave until she nodded. She hoped the MC had a plan, because right now, she wanted to go run upstairs and crawl under the covers. She was tired of being strong.

“Cecilia, come sit with us. Chey’s telling a story about her first time putting makeup on by herself,” Calliope called.

Calliope needed normal. Cecilia pressed down the worry, put a smile on her face, and joined the ladies to hear the story with Monster at her side. Later, in the bathroom, she’d cry and have her pity party that she so desperately needed.

Chapter Sixteen

Torrent had held it together well in front of Cecilia today. She’d been through so much, and he’d hoped taking her to the shop would be a way for her to relax a little. Instead, it had given her time to think, which was good because for the first time, he felt like they might have a lead.

He drummed his fingers on the table, waiting for Gunner to join them.

“You good?” Dragon asked.

“Not even close,” Torrent admitted flatly. He wasn’t going to lie to his President. Dragon needed all the information because right now, if Useless came back early from his trip, his brothers would need to hold him off, or he might stuff Useless in the crematorium before he had his life snuffed out.

“I’m here,” Gunner announced, joining them at the table. The Prospect outside the door closed it, and Dragon called them to order.

“Catch everyone up,” Dragon directed, motioning at Gunner.

“Cauldron had me check Calliope’s backpack because it seemed strange that Judith tracked them here. I found two tracking devices sewn into Calliope’s backpack,” Gunner disclosed.

“Who’s tracking her? Judith?” Fury asked.

“I can’t tell who is tracking. I mean, technically, if we were in the right place at the right time and the tracker was sending out a signal, we might be able to triangulate where they were, but it’s not something I can do now,” Gunner explained.

“So what are we going to do?” Bravo prompted.

“I vote for sending the trackers on an excursion. What about if we send it to St. Louis where Cecilia still has an apartment? It’s possible someone might think that the girls went home,” Fury suggested.

Torrent wasn’t sure what they should do, but he didn’t want the trackers where Cecilia and Calliope were.

“That’s a good possibility. Let’s wait to make a decision until everyone gets back tonight. I’d like to know what Mammoth’s contacts said. Is there a way to make the trackers disappear completely for a while?” Dragon wondered.

“Sure. I have a signal-blocking bag. What about we have someone ride it over to Cecilia and Calliope’s home? Leave it active for five minutes, then slide it in the signal-blocking bag. It would be interesting to see who shows up at the house,” Gunner proposed.

“Do that. Confusion right now would be good,” Torrent agreed.

“On another note, it’s Saturday, and everyone is going to want to party. Are little eyes and ears going to be kept from the main room?” Cauldron asked.