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A moment later, my phone vibrates. First, I look at the pictures because I’m sure I’ll be fucking pissed if I read the note first. The pictures all look similar to the ones I saw earlier, but I think it’s been a few years since the pictures in the other set. Then I flick over to the letter and I see red. It takes every ounce of restraint to keep from doing or saying something I’ll regret.
Her mother taught her well, don’t you think? Mae isn’t worth protecting. Once a whore and druggie, always a whore and druggie. She has a purpose to fulfill, and that purpose is not with you and that pussy-ass club. If she isn’t returned by midnight on the 2nd, you and your club will suffer the consequences.
“You do realize that’s not Mae, right?” I bite my tongue on the fact that I can guarantee that’s not her body strewn about in those pictures since I combed over every inch of Sunshine’s body this morning.
He sighs.“I do now. I checked the timestamps on the backs of these, and Mae would have been fifteen or sixteen. Thor knows about these now.”He pauses and the feeling of dread running through me grows worse.“We got something else delivered this morning. Thor and Phoenix know, but it will be brought up to the others in Church later tonight. He was going to ask Python and me to do a video conference, so Reaper’s club knows what’s going on as well.”
After a few seconds, my phone vibrates again and my stomach twists.
The first picture is of a finger on top of bloody rags in a box. Even though I don’t want to, I look closer at the finger. There’s a tattoo around it.
“Smoke, did you see the tattoo?”
“Yeah, I did,”he says quietly, though I can tell it’s strained. There’s scrollwork around the name ‘Jax’ and the edges are hazy, almost like a ring of smoke.
“Was there another letter?”
“No, there wasn’t. Ryder dusted the box and papers, but he didn’t get any hits on the fingerprints. Other than partials of her bloody ones.”
“I know you hate the woman, Smoke, but we got to get her out of there. They’ll kill her if we don’t.”
“I know,”he grits out.“Problem is, they’re in the wind. A few of the others drove over to Rixen earlier today, talked to the neighbors and the people at that diner Mae used to work at. No one’s seen them since you guys did at the mall. The trailer was completely trashed with blood everywhere. I’ve got my systems running and if any of our cameras pick them up, I’ll get a message. I already asked Python to do the same thing.”
“Fuck, this isn’t good.” I run my hand through my hair, frustrated that we’d lost them. How the fuck do I tell Mae that her mom is hurt and in danger? And that we don’t know where the fuck they are?
“Can you get Thor on the line? I’m gonna get Reap.”
“Yeah, give me a few.”
I mute my phone and head to the door. Opening it, my gaze locks on Reap’s and I nod toward Church. He gets up, but he’s not alone. Python, Devil, Punisher and Odin follow him. Devil closes the door after everyone’s inside and I unmute my phone.
“Timber,”Thor’s voice comes across the line, and I can tell he’s pissed as fuck.
“I’ve got Reaper, Devil, Python, Punisher, and Odin here.”
“Well, fuck. All my guys are here. You just want to do Church now?”
“Let me see how much time Lil’ Bit and Ma have left preparing super. I’ll let the others know we’re meeting,” Punisher says and leaves the room. Python hooks up his laptop and starts tapping away.
“I’ve got the club gathered. Timber, go ahead and hang up. Smoke and Python are doing their thing.”
I do as he says just as the door opens and the guys start filing in. I take a seat, my knee bouncing with anxiety.
“It’ll be about forty minutes or so before the ladies are done,” Punisher says as he takes a seat. Reaper gives him a chin lift, as do I.
The wall lights up and Smoke’s face fills the screen. After a moment, the camera changes to where it’s focused on Thor, but I can still see most of my brothers.
Thor fills everyone in on the first note Smoke got the other day and today’s package. To say they’re pissed he didn’t bring it up the other day is an understatement.
“So far, there have been no hits with our cameras here in Junction Creek,” Python says.
“Same here,” Smoke says. “Last image I have is of three blacked out cars, similar to the ones that tried to run you all over yesterday, heading out of town. The plates all came back stolen. I’m tracking their cards as well as Lillian’s accounts, but these guys mostly deal in cash, and I don’t know how much they have on hand.”
Everyone’s silent for a few moments, absorbing what we just learned.
“Smoke, did you happen to find anything out about Mae’s dead name?” I ask, remembering that one journal entry of Lillian’s.
“Yeah, but I’m still chasing down a few things. Preston did, in fact, launder money under Mae’s ‘dead’ name since she was born. He stopped for a while, but about five years ago started it up again. I haven’t touched anything yet because I didn’t want to tip our hand since these fuckers are in the wind.
