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“She could be dead already,” Coop chimes in. “They blame her for Demon’s death.”
“According to our intel, she’s alive. For now,” Ace grinds out, his jaw clenching.
“Not so fast,” Wild Man begins, “Coop could be right. Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I wandered in here and overheard them saying they found her at some warehouse and fucked her up. Sounds like she’s dead,” Wild Man throws in, his expression tight.
“Fuck. FUCK!” Ace slams his fist on the table, and we all jump a little. “For now, we operate under the assumption that she’s alive. We can’t let on that we know anything. Not until we find Willow.” He runs his hand across his chin and looks at Wild Man. “Any leads on BTD’s properties, Wild Man?”
“Digital trail’s scanty,” he says. “There are properties here and there owned by one member or another, but they don’t operate the way we do. I’m still putting it all together.”
“Well, get it done!” Ace’s eyes look like they’re about to burn a hole in Wild Man.
“Fuck,” Dix grits out. “We need to find them so we can find her. Banger will lose his shit if she’s not here when he wakes up.”
“I’m losin’ my shit now,” Ace replies. “How do we know she’s not at the house you’ve been listening to?”
Wild Man says, “It’s too obvious. She wouldn’t be there.”
He’s right, and the boulder in my gut turns to acid. I’m itching to get back to the clinic to check on Banger, but MC business comes first right now.
“Shit,” Lucky growls. “Banger told me that his old gang didn’t operate the way the MC does. They don’t own shit, not really.”
“Then how the fuck do they keep their products safe?” Shades asks, shaking his head.
Lucky laughs. “They live in the hood and squat in foreclosed homes and abandoned buildings. Cheap real estate in shitty neighborhoods.”
Wild Man taps the screen furiously, his brows furrow as if he’s looking for something.
“Who’s watching Banger at the clinic?” Dix cuts in, masterfully diverting Ace’s brewing wrath.
“Olly and Sophie,” I reply.
“Good,” He nods.
“No, not good,” Ace interjects. “We need intel on Willow’s location, Wild Man. Fuck, we need that shit now, like yesterday.”
“I know,” he nods, his attention still on the tablet. “Lucky’s intel was helpful in narrowing it down. I sent it to Gia, too, so we should have something soon.”
“Go! Now!” Ace’s display of emotion is unusual, a perfect illustration of just how stressed he’s feeling about all of this.
Wild Man gets to his feet, heading toward the door without looking back as Ace officially ends Church. The rest of the brothers disperse but Ace holds me back.
“You’ve got a solid poker face, Nova. I can’t tell if you’re hiding something from us or if Banger is on the mend. Give it to me straight.”
I sigh, grappling with the truth. “Banger’s road to recovery is gonna be tough. But he can do it. His vitals are stable, and he’s healing on schedule. But those bullets did a number on him. And yes, him being out cold is actually good for him.”
Ace scoffs, his gaze on me. “You gonna tell me that shit about being knocked out is best for healing again?”
I snort. “Yeah, because it’s the truth.”
“Yeah, okay. I trust you, brother.” He nods, his gaze intensifying. “You doing okay, Nova?”
I shrug. “I will be, brother. I will be.” Some day. “But right now, I need to get back to the clinic.” Staying away for too long makes me anxious. Now that MC business is complete, I can get back without feeling guilty.
“All right, man. I’ll see you soon.” Ace offers his fist, and a firm bump seals our conversation.
I swing a leg over my bike, sinking down onto the rolled leather seat. I let the engine idle, its low hum a soothing backdrop to the commotion in my head. Banger’s face flashes through my mind, an unwelcome reminder of the grim reality.
And then there’s Ace, his words a powerful blend of trust and expectation.Yeah, Banger,I think, tightening my grip on the handlebars.I’ve got your back, come hell or high water.
