Page 35 of Towles

“I appreciate it, brothers. I won’t let you down.”

“We know you won’t,” Beast said. “Now, let’s all go get drunk.

We joined the party at the bar, and Beast announced me as the new VP. My brothers clapped me on the back and lifted me into the air. I noticed April watching from the bar. She raised her beer and smiled. My world was spinning too fast, and I needed to make sure she spun with me. No biker’s life lived in a vacuum.

When the guys put me down, I pushed through the crowd and joined April.

“This is because of you,” I said. “Because you’ve helped me keep my shit together.”

“No, Ethan, you deserve it because you love the club and make it your passion.” Her eyes shifted to mine when we made a toast to each other and drank.

“That may be so, but you saved me from myself. I appreciate that. I’m used to my brothers having my back but nobody else.” I put my arm around her, and we looked across the room at Rose playing pool with TexMex. “I appreciate you talking with Rose. I think you may have saved her as well. You’re fucking good with people, April. The club could use an old lady like yourself.”

“Well, it’s better than some of the names Paul called me.” April stood and reached for her back pocket. “Shit, my phone is in the car.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen next, baby,” I said. “I’m going to the room and will start a shower. You go out, get your phone, and I’ll make you wet when you come back in. What do you think about that?”

“So poetic,” she said. “You have a deal.”

I watched April’s ass as it twisted side-to-side as she left. I snaked through the crowd and reached the room without anyone stopping to talk. Life was fucking good. My father was proud of me. I hadn’t been the one to get them killed; I had a good woman, and my brothers thought enough of me to elect me VP. I was on top of the fucking biker world.

I started the shower and looked at the man in the mirror. He looked back with more pride and happiness than he’d ever had before. I finally loved the guy in the mirror. I was also proud of him.

“You’ve come a long way since Stanford,” I told myself. “Be thankful for what you have.”

I stepped into the shower and closed the glass door. The water felt amazing. I felt amazing and couldn’t wait for April to join me. I remembered what she said about me crawling in bed next to her and not fucking her the way I knew how. I laughed and stepped under the water.

Through the mist covering the shower door, I saw the figure of a woman enter the bathroom. She stood there for a long time, doing nothing.

“You getting in to get some of this big dick,” I said jokingly.

“Ethan,” Rose said.

“What the fuck, Rose? What the fuck are you doing in here?” I slid the door open just enough to stick my head out. “Where’s April?”

Rose began crying, and I stopped in the shower. She handed me a towel, and I wrapped it around my waist. In the bedroom, Beast, Skittles, and Watcher waited.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Where is she?”

“The Prospects who were supposed to be watching the gates were inside getting drunk,” Beast said. “A car pulled into the lot while April was outside. A masked gunman got out and forced her into the car. We have it on surveillance.”

“The Punishers,” I said.

Watcher shook his head. “We don’t think so. He wasn’t wearing biker clothes and sure as hell wasn’t built like one. We aren’t sure who it is. Couldn’t see the license plate to track the car.”

“Keep your shit together, Towles,” Beast insisted.

“I’m good, brother.” I pulled the towel from around my waist and dried off in front of everyone. I dressed and started outside. “Beast, I need to do this alone. Keep everyone here. I’m pretty fucking sure I know who it is and where they went. Give me an hour.”

Beast nodded and ushered everyone back into the club. I got on my Harley and left, heading toward April’s house, except it was no longer hers. The asshole made sure of that. I had no choice; if she wanted to stay with me, she would have to understand what I needed to do.

Not a light was on in the house. I assumed Paul’s car was in the garage. I pulled to the curb and walked up the driveway. I kept the Glock in my waistband.

I knocked several times, and when nobody answered, I turned the knob, and the door opened. Although it was one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city, people didn’t intentionally leave their doors unlocked. Paul wanted me inside. He knew I’d come alone.

“April,” I said and entered the dark house. In the living room, beer cans littered the coffee table. Several pictures with broken glass lay on the floor. “April,” I said again.

“She’s in here, Ethan. Why don’t you come in and join us.”

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