Page 45 of Laila Manning (Shadeport Crew #3)

I t was there again.

That doomsday feeling, crawling across my skin like a slithering eel of bad news, was just waiting to strike and ruin my day. Or worse—my life.

I scrubbed glasses behind the bar, making small talk when I could, and mentally counted to ten a million and a half times, but still, I was on edge.

“Hey, are you alright?” Nicole asked as I stood frozen, lost in thought, with my hands hovering over the water pan.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry!” I blinked away the distraction and started washing dishes again, but then stopped. “Actually, you know what? I’m not okay.” I grabbed a rag and dried my hands off. “I’m sorry, but I have to leave.”

“Uh, okay.” She stuttered in surprise, “I’ll let management know. Can I do something to help you somehow? You seem really rattled. ”

“I’ll be okay, I just have to—” I paused, trying to find the words. “Find someone.”

“Okay.” She stepped aside as I quickly clocked out. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

As soon as my feet hit the pavement outside, my skin burned to life with anxiety, and it felt that if I didn’t keep moving, it would split into a million pieces, shedding off of me.

Something was wrong. And I was done ignoring it.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Zeke. He was on a job with Jed, no where near Shadeport. I didn’t think it was him, but I had to make sure.

“Dove.” His warm, thick voice answered on the second ring. “Are you okay?”

“Are you?” I replied, walking toward the dumpster corral. “Is Jed?”

“We’re fine. Why?”

I lifted the lock with the toe of my Converse and swung the door open. “I’m fine. But something or someone isn’t. I have a feeling, and I know it sounds stupid, but something is wrong, Zeke. Somewhere. I just don’t know with whom yet.”

“We’re fine.” He repeated, “Where are you?”

“I’m leaving work. I couldn’t focus, and I couldn’t shake the feeling, so I called you, figured I’d start there and work down the line.” Even before I said it, I knew it was stupid. “I think it’s Kade.”

“Okay.” He replied, and it was refreshing to have someone believe me. No questions or doubt, just support. “I’ll reach out and check on him.”

“That didn’t work last time, remember.” I walked around the dumpster, finding it empty of the junkies that frequented the dark space to get high. “But okay. I appreciate it. ”

“Promise me something.” He said, and I rolled my eyes, already knowing what he was about to say. “Be safe. Let me get some crew to come with you.”

“If that’s what you need to do, fine. But I’m not waiting for them to show up. I’m going to claw my skin from my bones if I stay still, Zeke. I can’t describe it or make it make sense—”

“I get it.” He cut me off with the strong, unwavering power I craved and relied on. “I’ll get them to you. Is your location on?”

“For you, always.” I smirked, remembering the way he insisted on being able to find me after the last time I bolted. The last time we argued about Kade.

“Good. I’ll have them meet you. Keep your head on straight.”

“Yes, Daddy.” I purred, feeling brave with his support.

He groaned, and I reveled in the sound. “I love you.”

Now I was melting. Those words.

Something I never imagined hearing from someone with such genuine truth behind them.

“I love you too, Zeke.”

And then I hung up, heading toward the dark alley.

Before I could get there, a truck pulled into the parking lot, blocking the space. Instead of that unusual sense of dread that always overcame me when people were near, I ignored everything else and went to walk around it. Part of me dared someone to stop me. Or even try.

I was too fired up with the need to find Kade and settle the fear building in my chest to let someone get in my way.

“You seen the kid?” A gruff voice called out, and I stopped, looking at the driver’s side window that was rolled down.

“Diesel?” I peered inside, confused to see him in a truck and not on his bike. And then his words struck. “The kid? Kade?” I walked to his window, “No, why, have you? What’s wrong? ”

His gnarled face tightened as he looked back out the windshield. “He’s MIA. And I don’t have a good feeling.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been watching him.” Diesel said, looking back at me. “For Zeke. For you. But he’s gone dark and I—” his jaw tightened and so did his hand on the wheel. “I think he was trafficked.”

My heart sank into my stomach as my knees threatened to buckle. “No.” I whispered, shaking my head as my eyes widened. “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare—”

“He was working for Clarissa Lupold.”

“How do you—” My stomach rolled as the name shattered the hope in my gut, swirling the possibilities around like bile and fire until there could be no other explanation. Clarissa was the senator’s wife. Oh, my god. “No!”

“I found out too late.” Diesel grimaced. “And now I can’t find him.”

I replayed everything Kade said to me the other day at the cafe. He said he worked for a rich lady in East Valley, doing odds and ends around the property.

“Oh, my God.” I gripped the frame of the truck door as my legs gave out. “No, D. No! We have to find him. He’s just a kid.” Tears burned my eyes as I stared at the scary man that had befriended me for some reason. Begging him silently to help me.

“I know.” He gripped my hand and nodded to the passenger side. “Get in. We’re going to find him.”

I didn’t think twice; I didn’t hesitate to worry about being in a vehicle with practically a stranger who was clearly a psychopath. Should I have? Probably. But I couldn’t think of anything but what Kade was possibly experiencing at that very moment because of Lupold and his wife .

I ran my hands up and down my legs as he started driving. “Where do we start?”

“I don’t know.” He replied. “My contacts are digging for info on Lupold’s holding spots, but I don’t know where he’d keep a boy.”

“A boy.” I cried, rubbing my head as panic threatened to take hold. “That doesn’t make sense, he doesn’t like boys.” I didn’t know how much Diesel knew about me and my past, but I didn’t care. “He has a thing for girls. Teenagers.”

“Then why—” Diesel shook his head.

“Her.” I whispered, remembering the vile vibes I got from her that day I walked with Zeke on the sidewalk of East Valley.

She was slimy and predatory with every word that fell from her crimson lips.

That day I had been too distracted with jealousy over thoughts of Zeke entertaining her, I missed them.

“His wife. Oh god I’m going to be sick.”

“Hey.” Diesel reached across the seat and gripped my hand as he drove. “Take a deep breath.”

“She lured him into her home!” I cried in a panic, “He said she bought him new clothes and paid him—she was grooming him! And I fucking missed it!”

“You didn’t.” Diesel said, turning the truck toward the Valley, and my blood ran cold. “You didn’t have any reason to suspect that someone would do that to him. Not there, not in the Valley.”

“She’s married to the worst monster in the world!” I screamed, “Of course I should have automatically suspected that someone who took a street kid in with some flashy made-up job was doing it for their own sick desires! I should have fucking known that! But I missed it!”

“We’re going to get him.” Diesel sped down the road, but we were still so far away. With every mile between us and that house of horrors, I felt that same feeling, like my skin was going to rip from my bones .

“But what will it cost him first?” I asked, gutted by the reality.

Diesel didn’t answer me, because the answer was too cruel to say aloud.

I pulled my phone out and dialed Zeke, hoping he was back at the Estate.

Again, he answered instantly. “She has him! That fucking vile snake of a woman has him! I missed it, Zeke!”

“Who?” His voice was calm and lethal as I broke.

“Lupold’s wife! Diesel picked me up and told me Kade was working for her. He’s missing!”

There was a commotion in the background, and then Jed’s voice filled in the gap as he spoke to someone while Zeke talked to me. “Where is she keeping him, Dove?”

“I don’t know.” I cried, “The house maybe? Diesel said they were digging into Lupold’s holdings but he wouldn’t keep a boy there. He has a very specific type,” my stomach rolled again as a cold sweat broke out over my skin. “I think she had him right down the fucking street the whole time.”

“We’re coming.” Zeke replied menacingly. “Jed’s assembling the crew that’s at the Estate. Where are you?”

“Pulling into the Valley.” I cried, holding onto the door handle as Diesel took the corner on two wheels. He didn’t stop at the gatehouse, smashing through the barrier with the hood of his truck as the loud roaring of bike engines followed us through the wreckage from the other side of the street.

The Reaper MC crew was following us in, and the Shadeport Crew would meet us there.

My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest as we turned down the street, racing to the house.

“Laila, don’t go inside.” Zeke roared through the phone as the house came into view. “Laila!” He yelled to get my attention, “Do not go inside that house, do you hear me? Please! ”

“I have to.” I whispered, looking over at Diesel, who glanced out of the corner of his eye at me. “Kade needs me. I have to.”

“Fuck!” Zeke roared, knowing there was nothing he could do because he wasn’t close enough to stop me. “D, keep her safe!”

“On it.” Diesel replied, slamming the truck into park out front of the house as black Escalades skidded to a stop from the direction of Ryker’s estate. “Let’s go.”

“I love you.” I said into the phone, and then hung up as I jumped out of the truck. My muscles felt like they were being electrocuted as I ran with the armed men that came from both crews at the drop of a hat.

Armed guards ran from the home as we got close, but they were so outnumbered, they hesitated for just a moment before opening fire.

But it was long enough.