Page 40

Fury

Six weeks later, Purgatory, California.

“Savage is losing his shit,” Ravage groaned, shaking his head. “He said and I fucking quote, ‘Either he goes, or I do.’ ”

Rolling his eyes, Reaper looked at Ghost and growled. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“Can’t do that, brother.” The VP of the Golden Skulls chuckled. “Phantom will have your balls if you do.”

“Speaking of which.” Reaper said, turning to Player and Matrix. “Any word on the geek squad?”

“No,” both men said.

“Well, they didn’t just fucking disappear.”

“Don’t know what you want us to say, man,” Matrix replied. “We’ve looked everywhere and reached out to everyone we could think of. No one knows where they are.”

Sighing, Reaper dragged his hands down his face. “Fury, tell me you’ve got something?”

Sitting up, I said, “Talked with Mercy last night. They’ve got another lead on Dakota and are leaving in the morning to check it out.”

“Where to this time?” Ink asked.

“Ireland,” Vicious piped up. “Fucker was sighted at a local pub in downtown Dublin. Montana’s reached out to Brian Buchanon for help.”

“And Malice?” Ravage asked.

“After Sinclair found him a new lead two weeks ago, no one’s heard shit from him or Silver,” I explained then added, “Called Sinclair, and Malice hasn’t checked in with him either.”

“And my hunt for Thena Hartley has dried up too.” Ravage frowned. “Wherever this woman is hiding, she’s damn good, and you fucking know I can find anyone, Reaper.”

“What are you thinking, Ravage?” Reaper asked.

Rubbing the back of his neck, the club’s executioner and tracker sighed. “Something has been bugging me. This woman is being hunted by everybody, and I mean everybody. There are multiple organizations looking for her, yet the woman has eluded everyone.”

Player chuckled. “It’s like she’s hiding in plain sight.”

“Exactly,” Ravage stated. “Typically, when someone doesn’t want to be found, they disappear, fall off the radar. They get new identities, everything. They reinvent themselves and become someone totally different. If that’s what Thena Hartley did, then she could be any Jane Doe on the street. Hell, man, she could walk right past us and none of us would ever fucking know it was her. And considering who this woman is, she’s been living this new life since she was in her late teens. She’s made an art form out of it. Hate to say this, brother, but we may never find her, unless she wants to be found.”

“Considering what her life’s been like, I don’t blame the woman,” Vicious whispered.

I turned and looked at my brother. “Her previous life. We haven’t considered what her life was like before.”

“Gonna need you to explain that, Fury.” Reaper gave me a pointed stare.

“Think about it. The woman was born in the Trick Pony. Raised there until she escaped with Sinclair and the others. We know she is the daughter of Edward Goldman and Kathleen Doherty. That connects her to this club. She was raped by Dakota Stone. That connects her to the Soulless Sinners.”

“Her daughter would be club royalty,” Ink whispered.

Ghost sighed. “But she was free. Why return to the Trick Pony?”

“For her daughter,” Reaper simply stated. “Shit. Fury’s right. Remi told me that Thena was the reason she escaped in Louisiana. I’d bet my left nut, Thena allowed herself to get taken again in Louisiana because she thought her daughter might be there.”

I nodded. “I know I would never stop looking if someone took one of my girls. I would do anything, become anyone I needed, if it helped me find them.”

Player sighed. “There are too many avenues she could have taken, but it narrows down the playing field a bit. If you’re right, Fury, and Thena is still looking for her daughter, then she would be highly trained at infiltrating any situation and work closely with missing and endangered children.”

“But Thena’s kid isn’t a child anymore,” Matrix stated. “Girl’s got to be in her late twenties or early thirties by now. If she’s even alive.”

“She is,” I said. “Because if she wasn’t, there is nothing on this earth that would stop me from hunting down and killing everyone I thought responsible for my daughter’s death.”

“Preach.” Vicious nodded.

Groaning, Reaper shook his head.

“It’s tenuous, but I like it.”

“Worked with less before.” Ghost nodded in agreement.

“Player, Matrix, how long will it take you to compile a list of organizations that skirt the lines of the law when it comes to missing people?”

“A week at least,” Player confirmed as Matrix nodded.

“Get on it. When you have the list, Ravage, you’re up. In the meantime, we hold down the fort and pray the others find Dakota and Gray Greer before they do anymore damage.”

With that, Reaper slammed the Golden gavel down on the table, ending church.

“Daddy!”

Smiling, I bent down as Brianna rushed over to me. Picking her up, I kissed her cheek. “And what have you been doing today, troublemaker?”

“Causing hell, no doubt.” Vicious smirked, walking by as he headed straight for Linsey, who was sitting on one of the couches with Remi and Ari, Ghost’s wife.

“Daddy, can we go see Momma?”

Holding my daughter close, I nodded. “Sure, baby. Let’s go see Momma.”

Heading for the club’s infirmary, I opened the door and walked in to find Stitch, the club’s doctor, typing away on his computer.

“Hey,” I said as the man looked up. “How is she today?”

Stitch turned and faced me, smiling. “Go see for yourself.”

Curious, I walked past the man and headed for room two. Since leaving St. Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, Carly had been recuperating under the care of the Golden Skulls’ doctor. The man was highly proficient and a lot nicer than Bane.

Even better, the man didn’t drink.

Not even a fucking occasional beer.

Entering room two, I smiled while Carly moved about the room, packing her belongings. “I don’t care, Stitch. I’m leaving.”

“You tell him, babe.”

Turning fast, her beautiful face smiled up at me. “Thought you were Stitch, telling me I had to stay another night.”

“Hi, Momma!” Bri shouted, wiggling out of my arms as she reached for Carly.

Taking my daughter, Carly hefted her up on her hip, kissing her cheek as my daughter giggled, hugging her neck tight.

“Where are the other girls and Drew?”

“Drew and Andi are still in school, and Charlie is with Linsey and the twins,” I said, looking at my watch. “The pre-school bus should be dropping them off soon.”

“Good, that gives me time to get settled at home. We do have a house to go home to, right?”

“Yep.” I smirked, leaning against the wall. “Linsey and Remi even decorated it.”

“How goes the hunt for Thena?”

“We discussed this, Carly,” I firmly said, shaking my head. “You will not have anything more to do with club shit or anything related to it. From now on, you are Switzerland. This shit will never touch you again.”

Sighing, she pouted. “But I can help.”

Standing firm, I pushed off the wall and wrapped my arms around her and Brianna. “I know you can, but you agreed, Charlotte. Drew and I almost lost you. I can’t go through that again. You even said so yourself. No more. Besides, we have four kids who need their mother more than the clubs need what’s in your head. Now, let’s get you home so you can live that life you’ve always dreamed about.”

Smiling up at me, she said, “I can’t wait.”