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Race thought about it. Odds were, the men got what they wanted and would have no interest in returning to finish what they started with Martha. As far as they were concerned, she was just a nuisance. Cathy was right. It was going to be all hands on deck. Fuck. He was going to have to call Preacher and tell him what happened.
“Okay. Sounds good. New plan, Tulsa. When they clear the scene, I want you to lock up and put a note in the window that Bling is closed until further notice.”
“You got it,” Tulsa replied.
“Cathy, I want you to play this off as a robbery gone bad. Tell them a man came in trying to rob the place and that Martha came out of the back and startled him. He shot her and ran off. No one else was here. Just you and Martha. Can you do that?” He didn’t want the cops involved because he planned on meting out MC justice. These two motherfuckers would never see the inside of a jail cell or a courthouse. No one took what was his and lived to talk about it.
“Yes. I can do that. Um, do you want me to come in and work tomorrow?” Though Cathy asked, he could clearly see her heart wasn’t in it.
“No. Bling will be closed until the police finish their investigation. For now, I want you with Martha. Do you have anyone that can be with your kids?”
“Um. They go to my mother’s after school. I’ll let her know what’s going on. She’ll be more than happy to take care of them.”
“That would be great.” The rest of whatever needed to be said was tabled for the moment as two paramedics came hurrying in with a gurney and equipment. Once they were in position, they asked Cathy and Race to move aside so they could stabilize Martha for transport. He prayed nothing happened to the older woman. It would kill Bellamy to lose her.
Jed and Darren causally stepped up behind him. “Got it,” Jed spoke only loud enough for Race to hear.
Race nodded his acknowledgment as two officers entered the shop. They started off asking Cathy questions, then moved on to Race, Jed, Darren and Tulsa.
“And what are all of you doing here?” The officer waved his pen to encompass all the Sons of Redemption.
“We were outside and heard a gunshot. We came to investigate and found this woman on the floor. She’d been shot, so we called 9-1-1.”
“Where is the owner of the shop right now?” the officer asked.
“She’s out of town,” Cathy spoke up. “I called to tell her that her grandmother had been shot in an attempted robbery. She’s on her way back from California on the first flight she can get out. I can have her call you when she gets here.”
Bellamy’s friend did a good job covering. Thanks to her, Race would have a better chance of finding Bellamy and Liza without police interference. This was between him and Jacob Jacobson.
Once all their statements were taken, the men took off. They needed to get to the clubhouse and regroup. As they were walking back toward Ink Envy to collect Shannon and Derrick, he sent out a text for everyone to meet at the clubhouse ASAP.
He stopped outside the tattoo shop, scrolled through his contacts and hit CALL. “Preacher. Bellamy’s gone.”
16
They must have been driving for the better part of thirty minutes. The last ten minutes had been on a continuous incline, indicating they were heading into the mountains. The SUV pulled to a stop in front of a two-story structure that, although it looked like a log cabin with its log construction and metal roofing, it looked more like someone’s ski lodge or a small hotel.
Mr. Roboto pulled the passenger side door open, waving Liza and Bellamy to get out. With no other alternatives, they slid from the vehicle and took in their surroundings. The house was surrounded by woods consisting of thick tall trees and lots of underbrush. The big snow they’d gotten in Redemption wasn’t nearly as much as they had up here. Bare areas of ground under pine trees were covered in piles needles, their boughs bent heavily under the weight of several inches of snow. She’d spotted four armed men spread out around the house.
Mr. Roboto shoved at Bellamy to get her walking toward the cabin on a stone walkway that had been shoveled. Three stone steps led to a covered porch and an intricately carved front door. He opened the front door and shoved them inside, following in the wake of the man with the gun.
“What the hell did you do?” Charlotte screeched the moment Bellamy and Liza were shoved through the front door. “You weren’t supposed to take Race’s daughter! Just the bitch!”
Why didn’t it surprise Bellamy that Charlotte would be smack dab in the middle of whatever was going on here? She knew the woman was in love with Race, but having her kidnapped was beyond crazy. What was she going to do? Have her killed? And now that Liza was brought into this, what would happen with her? The girl had seen their kidnappers’ faces. Logic would say she was now a liability and would meet the same fate as Bellamy.
She did a quick scan of their new surroundings. Two armed men took up position on either side of the entry. To the right was a living room with a stone fireplace with a crackling fire. If circumstances had been different, Bellamy could see herself sitting on the couch in front of it enjoying a good book.
In a corner next to the fireplace was a vertical bark-covered log with a stuffed black bear positioned with its front paws on it. Above the fireplace was the mounted head of a buck with one of the largest racks she’d ever seen. To the left of the fireplace was a stuffed wolf standing on a large rock with its head thrown back in a howl. Absently, she wondered how they had gotten the heavy rock inside the house and if they had to reinforce the floor beneath it. Unable to see farther into the room, she could only assume there were more stuffed animals out of her line of sight.
To the left of the entry must’ve been a study or office from what she could see. There were floor-to-ceiling bookcases with books, knickknacks and pictures. The colorful spines of the books broke up the otherwise dark interior.
A set of stairs along the same wall led to the second floor. The handrail was made from small trees and lots and lots of antlers where the vertical slats would normally be. The lighting above them had been created out of antlers as well. All in all from what she’d seen, the place screamed macho man hunting lodge. She snorted in disgust. Overcompensating much?
“Shut the fuck up!” the man with the thinning hair yelled at Charlotte. “I don’t take orders from you.” He shoved Bellamy in the back, herding her toward the arched entry to what looked like a hall. Ten feet from going through the arch, they were pulled to a stop and turned to face the wall beneath the stairs. He put his hand to an electronic panel and waited. The wall made a snick sound as it kicked open, revealing the hidden door. They followed him down carpeted stairs until they ended up in a finished basement where she discovered two more armed men.
“I can’t believe how stupid you are! I told you to grab the woman only! Jacob is not going to be happy you brought the Sons of Redemption MC president’s daughter here.” Charlotte scolded the man in charge all the way down the stairs. “Race is going to be so pissed you took his daughter.” She actually sounded frightened at the prospect of being on the receiving end of Race’s wrath.
“Swear to God, bitch, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to shoot you,” the man in charge growled and glared her way, almost daring her to say something else. She must have believed him because she suddenly shut her mouth and took a step back. It didn’t stop her from scowling his direction, though.
