Page 10 of Panther’s Magpie (Mountain River MC #1)
CHAPTER
NINE
MAGGIE
I t’s been a month since I’ve seen or talked to Aspen, but it feels like it’s been years.
It’s crazy to think about the fact that I have spoken to Aspen every day of my life since I was eight years old. Even when she would visit Calloway on occasion, she would still text or call me every day to talk about random shit.
I’m realizing she kept some important parts of herself hidden, but she has always been there for me. Not having her now is starting to hit me like a ton of bricks.
My best friend might truly be in danger. Not might. She is. I know she is because I know the kind of men she is with. The kind who would hit a woman for rejecting his advances.
What horrors is she living through?
What’s worse is that I actually find myself smiling and enjoying myself here with the Mountain River MC brothers.
They have all welcomed me with open arms, which is what I’ve always wanted.
That only adds to my guilt because Aspen should be here.
She should be with me. She would eat up all the attention here.
Then there’s Calloway. He has been spending more and more time with me. This is Aspen’s brother. I shouldn’t feel the things I do when I’m around him, but I can’t stop myself. The more I get to know him, the more I think I like him.
I’m dangerously close to developing a huge crush on the guy.
That only adds to my turmoil. I shouldn’t like my best friend’s brother.
That goes against all girl code. Not only that, but I know how possessive of Calloway Aspen can be.
If she knew I were having these thoughts, I truly think that she would end our friendship over it. That scares me more than anything.
Then again, am I clinging to him because he is all I have of her right now?
My head is a jumbled mess. I have no idea what I am even thinking anymore.
“You look upset. Is everything okay?” Panther asks as he finds me sitting in a chair out front watching the guard at the gate.
“No. Everything won’t be okay until Aspen is here,” I admit to him.
He sighs, sitting down next to me. “I agree. We are doing everything we can. You can’t let it put you into a depression, though.”
“I have nothing else to do, but think about it. My rent is up to date. I don’t have school anymore. I have no friends here, really. The guys are great, but they have things to do.”
“You’re lonely,” he says.
I think it over. I am. I really am.
“I guess so,” I mumble.
He stands and holds out his hand to me. My stomach erupts with butterflies.
“Come on. Let’s go, Magpie.” He wiggles his fingers as he smiles at me.
I beam at his nickname for me. It’s something so simple, but it means the world.
“Where?”
He snorts. “You’ll find out when you take my hand and trust me.”
I shouldn’t do it, but I do. I take his hand and let him pull me out of the chair. He uses such force that I collide into him. His hand grips my hip to keep me steady.
“You okay?” he whispers.
I nod, swallowing hard. He turns me, keeping his hand on the small of my back as he leads me around the main clubhouse.
I don’t say a word as he leads me to a trail at the edge of the woods. Not until we get a bit farther in and I realize I am wearing the wrong shoes for this.
“I think hiking boots would be better for this,” I tell him, looking down at my flimsy tennis shoes that are meant more to look pretty than be functional.
He looks down and frowns. “We aren’t going far. I can carry you if it’s too much,” he tells me.
I shake my head. “I can manage.”
The longer we walk, there are more rocks and sticks I step on that dig into the bottom of my shoes. I make a vow to never buy footwear for fashion again. Only what it will do for my feet.
When we get to the large lake, I realize it was well worth the walk.
“Wow,” I mutter.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? In the summer we can swim in it. It’s still a bit too cold now.”
I swallow hard. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “I like coming out here when I’m feeling lonely or depressed. It reminds me that I am only a small piece of this world. There is so much more out there than me. It helps me put my big problems into perspective. Makes them seem not so big anymore.”
“I don’t know. Aspen missing is still a pretty big problem for me,” I admit.
He squeezes me tighter. Somehow it helps me relax.
“For me too. Still, Aspen is a fighter. She reminds me of a hawk. She seems so small when you see her from a distance, but then she crashes into your life, wreaking havoc.” He chuckles.
“She is good at creating chaos. You really think she’s okay?” I ask.
He is quiet a long time before he finally answers me.
“The men who took her aren’t kind. I won’t lie to you and say she is drinking tea and running those assholes around in circles.
She is going through something really fucking terrible right now, but she is resilient.
I know we will get her back alive, and then we can help her work through what she has gone through.
Trauma changes a person. You need to be aware that the Aspen we bring back might not be the same Aspen who left us. ”
I wrap my arm around his waist, hugging him closer at his words. He’s not wrong. I keep imagining my spitfire Aspen telling those men where to shove their dicks, but if that were the case, Aspen would be home already.
She isn’t coming home on her own, which means they are doing unspeakable things to her.
I start to shake. Panther pulls me into his arms, crushing me to his body.
“Let it all out,” he whispers as he caresses his fingers up and down my back.
He lets me cry for several minutes as he whispers soft reassurances into my ear. I melt against him, soaking in the comfort his body offers.
When I finally pull back, he wipes the tears from my face as he looks me in the eyes.
“Magpie, I…”
His phone rings, cutting off whatever he was about to say.
I think he might have kissed me right then and there. He looked like he wanted to, or maybe that is my own wishful thinking.
“I’ll be right there.” He hangs up, looking back down at me. “I need to go. It’s almost time for church.”
I nod. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“I’ll bring you here anytime you need,” he promises me.
Why does that sound like heaven to me?
PANTHER
There is something about Maggie that calls to me. It’s the same call I felt when I first joined the Mountain River MC. Like it was meant to be.
It can’t be, though.
“Can I ask you something?” she asks, stumbling on a rock.
I grab her arm, pulling her into my side as I keep her steady. I don’t remove my arm as we continue to walk back toward the clubhouse.
“Sure,” I tell her.
“How did you end up here?” she asks.
I laugh. It’s a common question. One I don’t normally answer, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t answer her.
“Do you remember much of me and my friends when you were a kid?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Well, Eagle and I have been tight for a long time. We had a few other buddies, and we would ride our bicycles around town. Eagle, being a dumbass, saw a motorcycle outside one of the shops and sat on it, asking me to take a picture. It was the president’s bike.
The guy came out, grabbing Eagle by the arm.
The rest of our buddies bailed, but I snuck around the back and pounced on the guy.
We scuffled before he had us both pinned to the wall.
He asked what kind of crazy kids would do something like this.
When we admitted we weren’t kids and that we were only admiring his bike, he relented.
Said I moved like a panther. He hadn’t even seen me.
Then he told Eagle he had talons like an eagle.
He said we could prospect for his club if we wanted.
He admitted they did dangerous and illegal shit, but it was a family.
He said our coward friends weren’t invited, though. So we went and never looked back.”
She grabs my arm a little tighter as she climbs over a fallen tree.
“So that’s where your name comes from?” she asks.
I nod. “The president will take suggestions, but he is the only one who ultimately decides your name.”
“That’s kind of cool,” she admits.
“You think Panther is a cool name?” I tease.
“I mean, Calloway is a good name too, but Panther makes you seem fierce. Deadly.”
I swallow at her admission. Hearing her call me Calloway does something to me. I only let Aspen use my given name, but I find myself liking when Maggie does too.
“You can call me Calloway if you prefer,” I tack on. “Since you knew me before all this.”
She shrugs. “I know you as Panther now. I wouldn’t want to slip up and make the guys think any less of me by calling you the wrong name.”
I want to insist she call me Calloway, but I don’t.
I let the subject drop as the clubhouse comes into view.
Once inside, she turns to me. “Thanks for the walk.”
I nod as she walks away.
Heading into church, I see all my men already there and waiting. I shut the door behind me before I take my spot at the head of the table.
“What do we have?” I ask.
“I heard back from our contacts. I got a couple leads on where they might be keeping her, but Meek said he hasn’t seen any activity there, so it’s likely a dead end,” Eagle tells me.
“I still can’t find shit on the bartender. I have even tried to grab a picture of the dude as he leaves the bar, but he is always hiding his face. It’s fishy as hell. It’s like he knows we are looking for him. Even with the sketch, I’m coming up empty,” Meek admits.
“He might. We did send Maggie back in there. Maybe he caught wind that she is working with us?” Talon asks.
“That is likely since the club also knows Aspen means something to us. I tried to play it down like she’s just some club girl we want back on principle, but I doubt they bought it,” I tell them.
“There is more. They hit our garage downtown,” Hawk informs us.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“How bad?” Eagle asks.
“A few thousand in damage. They left this behind.” He pulls out a photo and pushes it down the table for each guy to look at.
When it finally gets to me, my stomach churns.
It’s a picture of Aspen. She’s wearing clothes, thank God, but she looks drugged. There is a man on her chest licking it.
I feel like I’m going to throw up.
I close my eyes. “Meek, can you go get Maggie, please?”
I hate that I have to do this to her, but I need to know.
“Are you sure?” Meek asks.
“I’m sure. She’s the only one who saw her that night.”
He leaves the room quickly, coming back with a frightened-looking Maggie.
“What happened?” she whispers.
I beckon her over to me. She comes without question.
“I need you to look at this photo and tell me if it’s what Aspen was wearing the night they took her,” I tell her.
Her hand flies to her mouth as her eyes water.
I flip the photo.
Maggie collapses. I manage to catch her, pulling her into my lap.
“Shhh. Is that what she was wearing?” I ask her.
“Yes. That man is the one who had her. The one they called Monster.”
I look at the picture a little closer and realize she is right. That is Monster. From the angle, I couldn’t tell right away, but it seems Maggie would never forget his face.
I cradle her in my arms.
“She’s still alive. They wouldn’t kill her. Not if they are toying with us. We know what she was wearing now. Put out the picture to all our contacts. Any information leads to a reward. Church adjourned.”
The guys all nod but don’t say a word as Maggie sobs against my neck. They each stand, giving Maggie a worried expression. I love that they care about her too. She’s become part of this club without even trying.
I sit there and hold her as I lock away my own feelings. There is no room for me to lose my shit. I wish I could process my feelings the way Maggie is right now.
“It’s okay. She’s alive. We are going to get her back,” I tell Maggie.
She only cries harder. I know she feels guilty. I didn’t help matters when I accused her of leaving Aspen behind.
Truth is, I was scared for Aspen, and I lashed out.
I can’t do that anymore. I need to keep it together.
I need to be strong for Aspen.
For Maggie too.