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Chapter Twenty-Two
Psycho
The tension in my shoulders and back is so tight, it feels like I’m going to snap. We’ve been out searching all night and have found nothing. Leaning against my bike, I light a cigarette and inhale deeply, letting the nicotine burn my lungs as I hold it in, then exhale long and hard.
Thirteen missed calls, and a flood of texts from Evie sit unanswered on my phone. I won’t speak to her until I’ve brought her son home. Olivia and Lizzie are with her, and I know they’re updating her with the little snippets they get from Chaos and Mayhem.
Pain riddles me, knowing her suffering is because of me and my past doings. It’s twisting me up, and I’m struggling to figure out how to deal with it. I promised her she was the only one I would never hurt, and when I said it, I had no idea I’d already broken it before I finished my vow to her. I should’ve stayed away from her. I should’ve stuck to what my normal life is.
I’d give anything to go back to that night, in the basement of an abandoned shop, and bury Jack Bowman instead of letting his body be found.
My blood runs cold. That’s it.
Flicking my cigarette across the gravel, I pick up my pace and head inside the clubhouse.
Most brothers are crashed out on various battered old sofas, but Chaos is sitting at the bar, draining a tumbler of scotch.
“I think I know where he is,” I announce, getting his attention.
“Do tell, ’cause we’re fresh out of ideas.”
“It’s where I killed his brother.”
“And where was that?”
“A boarded-up shop down on Turner Street. It’s been empty for the last three years.”
“Then let’s fucking go.”
The bar becomes a flurry of brothers waking and preparing to leave. Word travels fast about where we’re going, and I wait none too patiently on my bike for everyone to head out. I’m at least glad to see the cop car that’d been sitting outside the club for the past twenty-four hours is gone. We haven’t got time to play cat and mouse with them this morning. They were aware the club was out helping with the search, yet we were searching for Bowman while they were searching for Thomas.
We set off, and I have to remind myself that it won’t help Thomas if I ride too fast and take myself out on the road.
I can’t be wrong about this, because I’m out of ideas. Riding up onto Turner Street, I park up beside Mayhem and kill the engine. I’m off my bike in one breath and pulling my riding gloves off.
I squeeze the pocket housing my dusters, and it brings me a sense of peace. My brothers prepare to go inside and check out the place with me, but I have to do this alone.
I want to do it alone.
“I’ll go in alone. If I’m right, I’ll send the boy up. As soon as you have him, take him to Evie. Tell the police you saw him walking the streets by the park. There aren’t any cameras there to prove he wasn’t.”
“We’re not going to let you go in there alone, brother,” Chaos barks.
“Yes, you are. Once you have the boy, join me, but I can’t risk shit kicking off before we have him.”
Riot scratches his head. “You sure about this?”
“You think I can’t handle him on my own?”
“Whatever,” Riot mumbles.
I head around to the back of the shop, retracing the steps I took two years ago, and the first thing I notice is the back door’s lock has been smashed open. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I turn on the flashlight and find the main floor of the shop empty, save for some trash and broken furniture littered about.
Nudging the basement door open with my boot, I see candle light flickering at the bottom of the stairs.
“Looks like we’ve been found,” I hear echo from below. Taking a deep breath, I descend the stairs slowly.
When my eyes adjust to the dim lighting, my gaze cuts straight over to Thomas, sitting on a dirty mattress over in the corner.
