Page 27 of Up in a Blaze

He didn’t start work for another few hours.

I hated that he’d have to wait, but he also knew I’d want to help if there was a situation.

Cupping the back of his head, I kissed him quick and hard. “I’ll collect you after.”

“Okay, mon amour.”

The doors opened to the second floor. I pressed the ground button. “Behave,” I ordered.

He crossed his arms over his chest, cocked his hip, and glared. “Mon amour, I am but an angel,” he said as the doors closed him in.

Saint snorted. “An angel with devil horns.”

A small smile slipped onto my lips as I grunted.

At Country’s door, Gun knocked. We waited until Country ordered us in.

Death, Quake, Tech, and Wreck were already there, so it was lucky this room was a lot bigger than Country’s office at the compound.

“What’s goin’ on?” Saint asked.

Country’s hand shot up just as the phone rang. Saint, Gun, and I stopped behind the men sitting—Tech, who held an iPad, and Quake. Death and Wreck stood off to each side.

“Country here,” he answered.

“It’s Talon, and you’ve got Dodge.” Both presidents in the Hawks MC, but Talon was the founding member. Dodge looked over a different chapter of the club.

“What are you after, Talon?” Country asked.

“We’re ringin’ about that favor,” Talon answered in his Australian accent.

“All right,” Country replied, glancing around at all of us.

Something was said in the background, and after it, there was a smash through the phone. “Shit. Dodge, fuckin’ calm down.”

Someone roared something I didn’t catch. Then there were more voices and noise before we heard a woman say into the phone, “Hey, this is Low. I’m Dodge’s old lady. He ain’t coping right now and isn’t in the mood for small talk. You see, our girl was kidnapped. Romania Monroe. She’s just twenty-three. We need help finding her, please.” She sniffed, and then shouted, “Dive, you tell them to shut the fuck up so I can hear in here.”

Some of the brothers smirked from her words, but I’d already stilled.

Memories of my own sister’s disappearance flooded my mind.

Jesus Christ. Fuck me.

“Low, name’s Country. What can the Diamond MC do to help?”

“Hang on. Talon’s back. He’ll let you know. But please, I’m on my knees begging, please do anything you can to help find our girl. She’s a special one. A sweet and kind one with a big heart.”

Fuckin’ hell. Fuckin’ Christ.

“We’ll do what we can, Low,” Country said.

She whimpered, and “Thank you” was whispered into the phone.

“Country, we managed to get one of the guys. The fucker said she’s been put on a ship to the US, but he doesn’t know where it’ll stop. We’re looking into it.” Talon made a deep, gruff sound in the back of his throat. “Dodge lost it now because we just got delivered more information. These cunts are traffickin’ people. We’d seen stories on the news about kidnappin’ but nothin’ about sellin’. We’ve been doing our own work to find these motherfuckers but were comin’ up empty-handed. Thought it was only women they gunned for, but it’s men too. We’re not sure if the US will be the boat’s final stop either.”

Would it be too late by the time we got to her?

Did he know how much time it took to get here by boat?