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Chapter eighteen

Novo

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything," Sophie screamed, straining against the zip ties securing her to the metal chair. Her mascara ran in black rivulets down her cheeks, but I couldn't find any sympathy for her.

"You've been trying to get close to me for years," I growled, leaning down so we were eye to eye. "Always hanging around, always asking questions about club business. And suddenly Matty disappears and there's a convenient bomb threat?"

"I didn't do anything," she sobbed. "I was jealous, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I was jealous of your little boy-toy, but I would never betray the club."

I slammed my palm against the wall beside her head, making her flinch. "Someone had eyes inside our compound. Someone helped those men take Matty."

Bolt placed a hand on my shoulder. "Bear," he said quietly. "She's not breaking. And we're wasting time."

I knew he was right, but rage and fear made it hard to think clearly. Every minute that passed was another minute Matty was in danger.

"What about Rider?" I asked, straightening up.

"Jono is with him now," Bolt replied. "So far, he's just crying and pissing himself."

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Bring him in. Let's see if facing both of us changes his tune."

Bolt nodded and left the room. Sophie continued to sob quietly, but I ignored her, pacing the small basement room like a caged animal. When the door opened again, Jono shoved Rider through. The prospect stumbled and fell to his knees, his face pale with terror.

"Please," he whimpered, looking up at me. "I swear I don't know anything about Matty."

I hauled him up by his cut and slammed him into the chair opposite Sophie. "Twenty-four hours ago, you were making fun of him at the barbecue. Called him childish, said he was playing with dollies."

"I was being an asshole," he shrieked. "Just to get in with Sophie, I admit it. But I didn't hurt him, I swear."

I studied his face, looking for any sign of deception. "Who recruited you to the club, Rider?"

"Brick," he replied immediately. "He's my cousin's friend."

"And what were you doing when the alarm about Matty went out?"

Rider's eyes widened. "I was helping set up the beer kegs with Cruise. You can ask him."

I exchanged glances with Jono. Cruise had indeed mentioned Rider helping with the kegs when we'd been coordinating the search parties.

"And your phone?" I demanded. "Where was it during the barbecue?"

"Jono has it," Rider said quickly. "I swear I didn't text anyone except my girlfriend.

Check it if you want." Jono nodded so he'd obviously checked.

Something about his earnestness rang true.

I'd been so focused on Sophie and Rider because of their comments to Matty that I might have overlooked the real traitor.

"Who else was recruited around the same time as you?" I asked, a new suspicion forming.

Rider thought for a moment. "Just me and Tik Tac. We were the only new prospects in the last six months."

Tik Tac. The quiet one who always seemed to be hovering nearby. Who'd been assigned to security after the first attack on Matty.

"Jono," I said quietly. "Where's Tik Tac now?"

Jono's eyes narrowed as he caught my meaning. "He volunteered to check the perimeter cameras. Said he might be able to find footage of the van."

"With access to our security system," I muttered. "Son of a bitch."

"I'll get Digger to see what he looked at," Jono said, already pulling out his own device.

I turned back to Rider and Sophie. "If either of you is lying to me, I'll be back. And next time, I won't be asking questions."

Sophie sobbed harder, but Rider just nodded frantically. "I'm not lying, Bear. I swear on my mother."

I left them tied up—we couldn't risk either of them warning Tik Tac, if they were involved after all-—and followed Jono up the stairs.

"Digger," Jono barked into his phone. "Find Tik Tac. Now."

As we emerged into the main room of the clubhouse, Cruise approached, his expression grim. "Tik Tac's gone. His bike's missing, and the security footage from the east gate shows him leaving about thirty minutes ago."

"He disabled the cameras we have on the service road," Digger called from his laptop. "But he forgot about the gas station across from the highway entrance. His bike passed their cameras heading east ten minutes ago."

"That's our confirmation," I growled. "Get me everything on Tik Tac. Real name, known associates, properties. Anything that might tell us why he’s involved."

Digger's fingers flew across his keyboard. "His real name is Timothy Kowalski. Goes by Tim or Tik Tac. Former military—discharged three years ago. No criminal record.”

Digger kept scrolling. "His father owns a small construction company in town—Kowalski & Sons.

" Digger's voice trailed off as he pulled up another document.

"Someone died on site around five years ago. They proved it was negligence and…” Digger whistled.

“The whole thing went away. The company settled out of court and kept their licenses.

" He frowned. “The majority of their work since has been with Coombes Construction.”

"Blood money," I growled. "Coombes bought his loyalty."

"Or threatened his family's livelihood," Bolt suggested. "Either way, we need to find him."

"His phone just pinged at a gas station on Highway 16," Digger reported. "Heading out of town and could be going to Coombes's estate."

"Let's move," I ordered, already heading for the door.

Jono grabbed my arm. "Bear, wait. We need a plan for when we catch up with him. We can't just storm in. The place is like a fortress."

"Watch me," I snarled, yanking my arm free.

"And get yourself killed?" Jono countered. "How does that help Matty?"

The mention of Matty's name cut through my rage. He was right. Charging in blindly wouldn't save Matty—it would just get me killed or arrested, leaving him with no one to rescue him.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think. "Digger, what else do we know about Tik Tac? Does his father have any other properties or connections?"

Digger's fingers continued to fly across the keyboard. "Nothing I can see. Just his home, the main offices in town, and two equipment warehouses."

"Addresses for the warehouses?" I demanded.

Digger read them off. “Neither of them are near Coombes place.”

I swore. If we picked the wrong place, it would waste precious minutes where fuck knew what was happening to Matty.

“Bear, we can’t be everywhere. We need to get to Tik Tac and see what he knows.

I hated it, but Jono was right. "Agreed. Cruise, you and three others head straight for Coombes's estate. Jono, Bolt, Tex, we follow Tik Tac."

"I'm coming too," a voice said from behind me. I turned to find Daisy standing there, a determined look on her face.

"This isn't your fight," I told her.

"The hell it isn't," she replied, crossing her arms. "That boy was at my table, eating my cookies. And someone took him on my watch. I'm coming. Besides, you’re all going on your bikes, and you need a truck to bring Matty back in. You’ve left the others guarding the clubhouse."

I swallowed hard and Daisy met my gaze. We both knew she meant if Matty was hurt.

"Fine," I conceded. "But you stay back until we secure the scene."

"I'll bring my first-aid kit," she said, already moving. “I'm going to have Maria get the doc to be on standby.”

Twenty minutes later, we didn't need to say anything as Digger confirmed Tik Tac had stopped at a modest single-story home on Maple Street. The mailbox confirmed what Digger had already told us over comms—this was his mother's place.

"Wonder why he stopped here first," Jono muttered as we parked our bikes around the corner, out of sight. "Family goodbye or getting instructions?"

I watched the house through narrowed eyes. "Or grabbing something Coombes needs."

Bolt adjusted his earpiece. "Digger says Tik Tac's phone is still active inside. No outgoing calls yet."

We waited, engines off, the afternoon sun beating down on us. Daisy and Bolt were on their way in the truck. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity, my mind conjuring increasingly horrific scenarios of what Matty might be enduring.

"Movement," Tex whispered, nodding toward the house.

Tik Tac emerged, his posture rigid with tension. He glanced around furtively before heading to his bike, a small duffel bag now slung over his shoulder. Whatever was in there, it wasn't clothes—the bag hung too heavily, its contents dense.

"Now," I ordered, and we moved as one.

Jono and Tex circled wide to block the street exit while Gunner and I approached directly. Tik Tac didn't notice us until I was almost upon him, his eyes widening in shock as he fumbled for something in his cut.

I tackled him before he could reach whatever weapon he was going for, driving him to the ground with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs. The duffel bag and a phone skidded across the asphalt.

"Where is he?" I growled, pinning him with my forearm across his throat.

"Bear, I can explain—" he choked out.

I increased the pressure. "You've got ten seconds."

Tik Tac's eyes bulged as he struggled for air. "My dad," he gasped. "I had to."

I eased up slightly, just enough to let him speak. "Keep talking."

"Coombes has been blackmailing him for years," Ti-Tac wheezed.

"There was an accident at the construction site—it wasn't an accident.

Dad cut corners on safety equipment to save money because the recession meant he was losing everything.

When that worker died, Coombes stepped in.

Paid off the family, the inspectors, everyone. "

"In exchange for what?" Bolt demanded, retrieving the duffel bag and checking its contents.

"Loyalty," Tik Tac said bitterly. "Dad's company does whatever dirty work Coombes needs. Builds to less-than-code when required, demolishes 'problems,' no questions asked."

"And you?" I pressed, my voice deadly quiet. "What was your price for betraying the club?”