Page 7 of Up in a Blaze (Polished P & P #4)

CHAPTER SEVEN

BLAZE

A s we walked through the cold warehouse, Henri nodded at something the real estate agent said. Saint appeared from a room off to the side and joined them, adding his own opinion.

Gun and I trailed a bit behind, taking in things as we went, until Gun’s phone rang. He stopped to answer, but I kept following the others because I didn’t like the way the agent’s eyes kept running over Henri’s body.

“May I ask what you’re thinking of running in here, Henri?” the agent asked.

The fuckface turned toward what was mine, and once more his gaze swept up and down.

I moved up behind Henri, curled an arm around Henri’s neck, and pulled him against my chest. The agent gulped from my stare. Henri shook his head and patted my arm but didn’t step away from me. “I am sorry. For now, the information is top secret,” Henri told the guy.

“Blaze, Saint, a word,” Gun called.

After another stare down with the agent, where I hoped my look read that I’d kill him if he flirted with Henri, I yanked Henri’s head back and kissed him hard before stomping off with a chuckling Saint.

“At least the agent didn’t piss himself,” Saint commented while I wished the guy had. “What’s up, lover?” Saint asked as we stopped by Gun.

“Country’s at Polished. He wants us there right now.”

“What for?” I asked.

Gun shrugged. “Something about a phone call from the Hawks MC.”

“Shit, what the fuck happened now?” Saint said.

“Henri,” I called.

He faced me. “Oui, mon amour?”

“We gotta go.” I wasn’t leaving Henri alone.

“But—”

“Now, firecracker.”

He studied me for a moment and then nodded. “Nathaniel, we love the place, and we’ll be in touch very soon. Thank you for your time.”

“We’ve had a lot of interest. It could get snapped up quickly,” Dickthaniel said to Henri.

When I shifted my stance, his gaze came to me. I stated, “Then it’d be best if you put it on hold until Henri talks to you again.”

He licked his lip nervously. “I can’t?—”

Saint snorted. “Dude, you can. Just give us until tomorrow since something important came up. We’ll be in touch.”

He looked around at all of us before nodding.

Henri clapped excitedly. “Thank you, chéri.” He blew the man a kiss and swayed his hips my way. I’d tan his ass later for the air-kiss.

But then he stopped beside me and pushed to his tiptoes to press his lips to my chin and cheek. “You are my world, mon amour.”

“Fuckin’ better be.”

He cackled and walked away. “Come. You can tell me outside what the rush is, oui?”

Gun moved to keep up with Henri while Saint and I trailed behind them. Since we’d come from the compound earlier, we’d driven into the warehouse parking lot. We climbed back into the car out front and took the short drive to the underground car park at Polished right next door.

In the elevator, Henri bit down on his bottom lip. “I hope nothing bad has happened.” He glanced up to me. “You go with Saint and Gun. I’ll be in the break room.”

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?

Hang the fuck on… they were selling them, which meant they’d at least keep them in one piece.

Unless they acted up.

Images of Emily’s beaten body flashed through my mind. If it hadn’t been for the tattoo she got behind her ear, I wouldn’t have recognized her.

That could happen to Romania. A young girl like my sister had been.

Fury ignited. I ground my teeth together. My gut clenched, almost painfully, from the fear building for this unknown girl.

“Talon, I’ll get my men onto this situation now. We’ll find out where the boat will stop and intercept it. But you know a trip like that could take a month and then some?”

“Yeah, we fuckin’ know,” Talon bit out.

It was too many days and weeks for something else to happen. For the abuse they’d receive.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Rage stabbed at my temples. I sucked in a breath through my nose. I wanted to hurt someone. We had to find them.

End them.

A soft hand touched my back, I looked over my shoulder, ready to tell whoever it was to fuck right off, until Henri moved around in front of me.

Country and Talon spoke some more, but it all drowned out as I focused on the man before me.

His presence calmed me.

Slowly, Henri ran his hands up over my chest to my cheeks.

The thoughts of hurting and hunting cooled. Whoever thought to get Henri in here knew me better than I thought anyone did.

Henri winked.

“You got it, Talon. Talk soon,” Country said and hung up. “Blaze, you good?”

I grunted.

Henri patted my chest. “Mon amour, you should use your words.”

Letting out another grunt, I tugged Henri against me and buried my nose into his dark, messy hair. His arms wrapped around my neck, hugging me close.

“All right. Tech and Blaze, I need you two to do what you can to find out about this ship’s destination.”

“There’s a fuckload of ships that port all over the US,” Tech said.

“I know,” Country answered. “But I also know that you and Blaze will get this done.”

“Shit.” I sensed Tech standing and pulled my head up.

“Are you all right, mon amour?” Henri whispered.

I nodded.

“Henri, a woman connected to the Hawks MC has been abducted. She’s on a boat to the US,” Death explained.

But the real reason he would be telling Henri was for him to keep an eye on me. To calm me as he had and ground me if my thoughts went too dark.

“Saint, Gun, and Wreck, pick up Torch and get to the streets. I’m gonna reach out to our cop friend and see if he knows anything,” Country said.

Saint, Gun, and Wreck nodded and left, while Tech approached me.

“You good to head downstairs?”

Henri wasn’t due to work yet. I wanted to stay with him, but the need to search pounded into me.

“Go, mon amour. I’ll hang about until my shift starts. I have many things to do for the business venture too.”

“Stay inside.”

He nodded. “I know you love me, and I know I come first in your life, but I want you to put your time into finding this woman. I promise I won’t get too snippy.”

Snorting, I wrapped a hand around the front of his neck and made him rise to his toes. I dipped to kiss him hard before I walked out of Country’s office.

In the elevator, I leaned against the back wall and looked at Tech. “You texted Henri?”

“Yeah. You know I investigated you when you first showed. Know about your sister. Knew this would mess with you. I didn’t overstep bringing Henri up, right?”

Shaking my head, I grumbled, “Thanks.”

“Got your back, brother, like I know you’d have mine. Even when you aren’t a patched-in member to the club.”

Christ, that hit hard to my chest.

I’d always distanced myself from people due to the work I’d been in. Henri was the only one who I wanted in my orbit. It had been him who made me see it was important to have people in your life.

But I never realized how lonely I’d been for a brotherhood connection in the way the Diamond MC had. I wasn’t a member, but they treated me like I was, and it felt fucking good.

More importantly, they’d accepted Henri into their fold too.

The door opened, and Tech glanced at me. “If you think you’re being swallowed by darker thoughts, just let me know, and I’ll get Henri to you right away.”

Snorting, I nodded and realized Henri was my emotional support person.

“What?” Tech asked.

“Nothing. Just appreciate the help, Tech.”

“Hell, I can’t lose the only person who understands computers like I do.”

I’d made a good call ending the shady shit I was into. My life with Henri was looking up, and I was in a position where I could help in situations like these, with people I wanted in my life by my side.