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Taylor

“What do you mean Aries is missing?”

Boone pushes his tattooed hands into his hair and leans back into the chair, obvious stress and frustration on his face at my question.

“He went on a recon mission for the Morrison case and hasn’t come back.”

I pace the small VP office at the back of the Clubhouse. “Why did he go alone?”

“I don’t fucking know, Taylor. I’m not an Aries mind reader,” Boone snaps.

I stop dead in my tracks and glare at him. I know this is bad. Our President and head of Braveheart is gone without a trace, leaving Boone, the VP, and the rest of the clubhouse to find him, but I refuse to let him speak to me like that.

Sighing, Boone leans on his desk, his face full of remorse. “Sorry Tay. I’m stressed out and I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way.”

“It’s okay, Bo,” I say as I fall back onto the lounger in the corner of the room and pull my tattooed knees up to my chest. “What are we going to do? Do we need to call in other teams?”

Bo is about to answer when the door flies open, banging against the wall as Tuck, our latest prospect, barges in. “Boone! Where’s Aries? I’ve been calling him for two days.”

Abruptly, Boone rises from his seat, walks around his desk, and marches right up to Tuck, his hand going straight to his throat and pushing him against the wall.

Boone’s face bleeds malice. “Come barging in like that again, you will leave with one less limb. If you want to be part of this organization, you need to learn some goddamn respect, Tucker,” he says through gritted teeth, his hand squeezing Tuck’s throat tighter.

I expect Tuck’s face to morph into fear like anyone else’s does when they face the death stare of Boone’s black eyes, but he doesn’t. Instead, a small smile spreads across his face and he leans forward, kissing Boone’s nose and my mouth drops open.

A low growl rumbles from Boone’s throat as he squeezes his neck before letting go and pointing to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”

“Yes, sir.” Tuck has a skip in his step as he happily moves to sit in the chair when he catches sight of me. “Oh hey Tay, didn’t see you there. Did you dye your hair?”

“Mhmm. Black seemed to fit my soul better than the red.”

“I like it!” Turning back to Boone, who is now back in his seat, looking more stressed than I have ever seen him.

In the two years that I have been here, I have learned a few key things.

One . Do not come between Boone and Aries. They are thick as thieves and there is a reason they are President and VP of this unusual club.

Two . If you are lucky enough to be brought behind the curtain, that is the true heart of Braveheart, do not waste it. Trust is earned, not given. Don’t fuck it up.

Three . If you cross anyone in this club, you might as well sign your own death certificate, because the moment you so much as put a pinky over that line, the only way you are leaving this clubhouse is in a body bag.

Four . If you are granted a second chance. Whether that is to use your unlawful skills or are spared for the benefit of Braveheart, take it. Because the alternative is a nasty and deadly trip to the Bastille. Also known as a one-way ticket to hell.

Five . The men and women here have the patience of saints, but everyone has their breaking point. Express yourself. Fight for what you believe, but do it respectfully because even the most patient will break.

Boone is the prime example of number five at this moment.

Somehow Tucker always skates just under that limit with Boone, despite the crushing anxiety I know he is feeling right now.

“What do you want to do, Bo?” I ask.

Boone's fingers fly over his phone before he sets it down and pulls his long black hair into a bun atop his head. “I don’t know Tay. Everyone is out on a mission with Team Blackbird, so we’re down to bare bones. Aries was supposed to be scoping out a property, and now he’s been missing for two days.”

“Do we have a last known location from his phone?” My mind itches with the need to get to my computer and try to find this thorn in my side.

“Yeah Bo. Let Tay work some of her hacker magic.”

Boone shakes his head and sighs, defeat written all over his face. “Already tried to ping his location several times. Wherever the hell he is or whoever took him was smart and didn’t want him found.”

My stomach sinks. This man may be a royal pain in my ass, but the idea of him being taken by some lunatic makes me sick.

Memories from the past make their way to the forefront of my brain, but I quickly push them away.

Don’t go there, Taylor. Not now. Focus on Aries.

“So. We go knocking on every door in the area where he was scoping out and beat the shit out of them until they give us answers.”

Tuck’s excitement is evident on his face as his head bounces between Boone and me, desperate to get his hands on someone.

“Absolutely fucking not. Aries would bring me within an inch of my life if I let you anywhere near this.” He’s looking at Tucker, but I know his statement is more directed at me.

Damn Aries and his overprotective, hovering behavior.

Sitting up, I cross my arms over my chest and run my thumb against the tattoo on my ribs that always grounds me in situations where I want to run and hide in a closet as a panic attack overtakes me.

Bravery is fear’s worst nightmare.

“Aries doesn’t control what I do, and neither do you, Bo. I appreciate you both looking out for me all these years, but I’ve been on countless missions with Ari. You know him. He would never bring me if he didn’t think I could hold my own.”

Boone’s head falls back against his chair. “Tay, I do not doubt your ability. I call you a badass at least once a day, but this is different. I can feel it in my gut. This isn’t just him disappearing for a few days because of a bad mission. Something is wrong and I will not put either of you in a situation that could get both of you killed.”

I want to argue, but I don’t. Instead, I fall back against the chair because I know he’s right. Something is wrong. That’s why I was in Bo’s office at the ass crack of dawn today. And clearly I’m not the only one.

Silence fills the room for just a moment, and my mind wanders.

Where the hell is this man that annoys me to the point of wanting to pull my damn hair out one second and then the next is the most caring person I have ever met?

Panic starts to rise in my chest.

I need to find the man who took me off a path that was bound to kill me.

The room grows smaller and just as I am about to run out, Tuck stands and backs up towards the door.

“Sooo, what you’re saying is you care about us? Awww Booney, that’s so cute. I really wish I could have recorded it to play when you threatened to kill me again.”

Boone’s control snaps, and he stands, sending the chair flying backward. He makes it one step around the desk before Tuck is bolting out the door.

I try to hide my panic, turning to laughter, but I can’t and his head snaps towards me.

“What? It was funny!”

Boone looks to the door Tuck just ran out of then back at me, his face full of concern and defeat.

“I’m calling the team in. We need to find Ari. Now.”

I stand and move to walk out of the room, knowing he needs privacy.

His hand on my arm stops me, and his dark brown eyes stare down at me. “We will find him.”

Stealing my spine, I pat his hand. “I know.”

I walk out the door and the second I hear it latch behind me; I lean against the wall and take a deep breath.

Where the hell are you, Ari?