Page 55 of Unhinged

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

ARROW

I hang up the phone, shoving it deep into my pocket. My jaw's tight enough to crack.

Judge snuck out.

Mom sounded half-panicked, even though she was trying not to be. Said she thinks he went to find Dillon. Told me to tell Gidge so she can handle it how she wants.

Yeah.

Good fucking luck with that. She's gonna lose her goddamn mind. Question is, which version of her we’re gonna get. The soft one who spoils that boy rotten? Or the Gidge who'd burn the world down without flinching?

I make a slow sweep of the room, searching. Don’t see her at the bar. Don’t see her by the tables either.

A prickle starts at the back of my neck. It feels wrong. Off. The same way it did that night on the side of the road when Earl had her pinned down and bleeding. That creeping chill in the gut, like the air shifted and just ain’t right anymore.

I move faster now. Instinct kicking in, dread clawing up my spine.

I head over to where Gears and Acid are standing, talking low with Nitro. Catch the tail end of it. "—might need to pull rank if Peter don’t keep his shit together," Nitro says. "He’s sniffing around my sister. Told him once, told him twice."

Gears grunts, arms folded. "If she’s hanging around here, it’s on you to keep her from making bad decisions."

"Peter ain't allowed at parties yet anyway," Acid adds, voice flat. "Ain’t earned the right."

I roll my shoulders, feeling the weight of it all pressing down.

Prospects. Problems. Lockdown.

Same old shit.

But my mind ain’t really on it. Not tonight.

I scan the crowd again, that tight feeling back in my chest.

"Where’s Gidge?" I ask, keeping my voice even.

All three of them go still. Something cold settles over the group. We all feel it now.

Gears shakes his head slowly. "She was just at the bar. Maybe with Franko? Maybe scheming again."

I glance over at the pool tables. Franko’s there. Candy. Suave. All accounted for.

But Marcus? He’s gone too. The bad feeling explodes wide open in my gut.

"I don't like that she’s missin', and that homeless fucker is too," I say, voice dropping lower. "He might be her buddy, but we don't know him. Covered for her before. Could be covering now."

"I don’t trust him," Acid mutters, mouth curling in a sneer.

"Let’s go find our omega," Gears says, already pushing off the wall.

But we don't even get the chance.

The back door slams open hard enough to shake the goddamn floor. Dillon comes sprinting in, hair flying, face white as a ghost. Judge is right behind her, crying.

My blood goes cold. Every instinct I got snaps to full fucking alert. Acid is already moving toward them. Gears spins, shoving toward the sound system and slamming the music off. The party crashes into silence, every brother turning to stare.

"What happened?" Acid barks.

"They took her," Dillon gasps out, hands shaking.

"Who?" I snap, but deep down I already know.

"Brydgett," she chokes.

My heart stops. Not metaphorically. I swear to God it just straight up quits in my chest for half a second before it slams back to life.

"What happened?" I growl, voice raw and mean.

Dillon’s shaking so bad she can barely breathe, but Gears crouches down in front of her, voice low but sharp like a blade.

"Tell us everything," he says.

She nods fast, wiping at her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"I was outside," she pants. "Checking out my new car."

I nod once, jaw grinding.

She swallows hard. "I was video calling my friends, showing it off. Then Judge snuck out. I told him his ass was grass when Brydgett found out, but... I let him look at the car with me."

She twists her fingers together, knuckles going white. Her scent shifts; anxious, the pang of worry rising up.

"Then these guys... they just showed up. Outta nowhere. Three of them. Big. Mean looking."

My fists clench without me even thinking about it.

"And then Brydgett came out," Dillon whispers. "She saw us. She knew something was wrong. I saw it on her face."

Of course she did. Our omega ain't stupid. She’s a killer born and bred.

"And?" Acid prompts, voice rough.

Dillon swallows again, looking at all three of us like she’s afraid of what she's about to say.

"They... they surrounded us. Said they wanted her. Called her 'Omega.' Said she had to come with 'em."

The word hits me like a punch to the ribs.

Omega. Our omega. Ours.

Every part of me twists inside.

"And she went," Dillon says, voice cracking. "She... she told them she'd go if they let us go." She looks down, ashamed. "She tried to fight. But one of 'em hit her. I think they knocked her out."

Silence falls heavy over us. I see Gears' hands flexing slowly, like he's already choking the life out of someone in his mind. Acid’s breathing so hard it sounds like a damn freight train.

Me?

I'm standing so still I feel like I'm about to come apart at the seams. I can't even process the rage. It's too big. Too much. They touched her. Took her. Laid hands on our omega. No fucking way they're walking away from this.

"Which way did they go?" Gears asks, voice pure fucking murder.

Dillon points toward the tree line behind the clubhouse, her hand trembling.

"They went that way. They walked down the drive. Also said they took Mayhem out. I know he’s alive, but the leader said he’d wake up with one hell of a headache.”

I nod, filing it away, but I'm already scenting the air. Already feeling for her. Her scent's faint. Coppery. Scared. But it's there. It's fucking there. I meet Gears’ eyes. He jerks his chin once—go.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Franko jerking his head toward me, trying to get my attention, mouthing something. But I ignore him.

Not now. We don’t have time for more of his shit.

Our omega is missing.

I don't think about Nitro’s sister. I don't think about the prospects. I don't even think about the party—'cause it ain't a party no more. The music’s dead. The laughter’s dead. Every brother in the room’s got murder in his eyes, waiting for orders. Waiting for us.

Gears turns slowly, eyes sweeping the room. His voice is low, but it hits like a war drum. “You heard Dillon. My sister—Brydgett—has been taken.”

A stillness falls. Like the whole club is holding its breath.

Then Gears straightens, jaw locked. “Half of you take the front gate,” he barks. “Check on Mayhem while you’re out there. I want eyes everywhere—back roads, highway exits, rooftops if you can get to 'em.”

Mayhem. Shit. If they hurt him ? —

"The rest of you, with us," Gears snaps. "We’re taking the back."

Boots stomp. Guns click. It’s like watching a damn army come to life.

And me?

I only think about her.

Brydgett.

Ours.

And what I’m gonna do to the fuckers who touched what’s mine.

I jerk my chin toward Dillon, who's still standing there clutching Judge like she ain't sure if she should run or fight.

"You take him to Mom," I tell her, voice flat. "Have her check him over. Tell her everything. Tell her to start the phone tree. We’re going on lockdown. Pack your shit and help Judge get his together."

Dillon's mouth opens like she’s gonna argue, but before she can, Judge shoves away from her, fists balled up at his sides.

"I'm not leaving without my mom," he snaps.

I crouch in front of him, grabbing his shoulders tight. "Yeah, you are, little man," I say, staring straight into his wet, furious eyes. "And you will. We'll make sure she comes home safe. You gotta trust us, yeah?"

His chin trembles, but he jerks a nod, tears shining. Then his voice breaks. "It was my dad," he says. "Or... or the alpha who hurt her. Please. Please don't let that bastard hurt my mom."

My throat feels like it’s closing. Like I can't breathe around it.

"We won't, kid," Acid says from somewhere behind me.

Judge swipes at his face with his sleeve. "He... he wanted to take me too. But Mom told him I was Ike’s. She lied to protect me."

His hands are shaking now, rage and fear fighting for space in his little body.

"And he told 'em... he told 'em to take me," Judge says, voice wobbling, "and kill Dillon."

"Or rape me," Dillon grinds out, jaw clenched so tight I can hear her teeth creak.

My blood runs cold. Gears whirls around so fast the air cracks behind him, his face pure death.

"What?" he snaps, voice like a shotgun blast.

Dillon doesn't flinch. Just nods once, sharp. "The guy… I think Brydgett called him Earl. He told his men to take Judge. Kill me. Unless they wanted me first," she says, each word like glass scraping her throat. "One of 'em volunteered. But Brydgett... she said no."

Everything inside me coils tight. Hot. Savage.

"Fucking brave," Acid mutters, shaking his head.

"Fucking heroic," Gears growls.

I push up slowly, blood pounding behind my eyes.

"Fucking bold omega," I say, low and fierce, my fists clenching hard enough my knuckles pop.

She's ours. She fought for them. She fought for us.

And whoever touched her…Whoever dared lay a fucking hand on her... Isn't gonna see another goddamn sunrise.