Page 23 of Tormented By Regret

“Ain’t it a little early for your ass to be up?”

“I haven’t gone to bed yet.”

That was never a good sign. “What’s going on?”

“There’s been a string of murders along the highways leading up to New Mexico. Most of them were brutal stabbings, one was pretty gruesome.”

“Okay. What does that have to do with the MC?”

“Ron Hargrave was mentioned recently. An escapee from the Louisiana Mental Institute. He’s been called deranged and dangerous; his image is all over the news.”

“How the fuck did he get out?”

“Nobody knows and those in charge aren’t talking. They haven’t signaled out who the killer is, but he seems to have the same M.O. Intimate stabbings, all done in the same manner. The women are all in their mid-thirties, Caucasian, and with each murder the killing gets more and more intense, as if he’s perfecting the craft. But what’s concerning to me is that the killer is following a specific itinerary and he’s coming from the west coast, following your route.”

“The west coast? Do you still have eyes on Lucy?” She was my main concern in all this.

There was a long pause. “Brother…Lucy’s gone missing.”

“What?” Dread filled my heart. I’d been so consumed by getting the package that I lost track of what was truly important.

“When did this happen?”

“The day your plane went down. I had her on the surveillance cameras. They were picking up on feed from the hospital, I was monitoring her shifts, and then she disappeared. She didn’t show up for her morning shift, so I tried tracking her down on traffic cams but there was no sign of her vehicle. I didn’t want to add anymore to your plate but a missing person’s case with her name on it was just sent to me.”

“She’s missing,” I repeated, trying to wrap my mind around it.

“I’ll keep looking for her, brother. I’ll keep searching.”

I knew the Hoax was trying to keep me calm, but I kept going back to Jameson and his Tower moment. That burning tower scorched into my memory. Lucy wouldn’t just disappear, she had a family, a good life. It was too coincidental that Ron would be up that way. Deep down I knew he had her, and if it was true what the news reports were saying, she had no hope.

“Put word out on her disappearance, Hoax. Do what you can? Somebody has to have seen her. And you keep me posted if you hear anything.”

“I will. I’m sorry, brother.”

“She’s not dead, Hoax. So, there’s nothing to apologize for. Just find her.”

I was approaching the club’s garage, Edge and Blaze were out front waiting on me. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll keep in touch.

Ending the call, I headed inside with the members. I stopped short when I saw the motorcycle they had gotten me. She was a Harley Road Glider. A beauty coated in deep royal blue.

“Holy shit,” I muttered.

“She was left behind by one of our men, we gave her a new coat for ya, figured she’d be good if traveling with your girl.” Edge said.

“She’s brand new,” I stated, absentmindedly, fascinated by the sleek machine, its glossy blue paint gleaming under the light. I ran my hand over the smooth curves of the fuel tank, feeling the power pulsating beneath my fingertips.

“Pretty much, although we did clean her up for you.”

“I need to repay you guys for this. It’s too much.”

“No need,” Blaze stated, raising his hand to stop me. “Jameson’s got it covered. You just get your girl home safe.”

My girl. Was that what they all thought she was to me? I didn’t correct them. As long as they didn’t lay a finger on her I’d let them think what they wanted.

I swung my leg over the saddle and settled onto the leather seat. Blaze handed me the key and I slid it into the ignition, turning it with a satisfying click. The engine roared to life, and I gripped the handlebars tightly, feeling the vibrations coursing through my veins. This wasn’t just a bike; it was an extension of myself, and I could feel the raw power of the machine beneath me.

Edge reached a hand out to me and I shook it. “You take care of yourselves on the road.”

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