Page 30 of Macon

Blink answers before I can. “Yeah, we need to hit up this strip club he’s known to go to on weekends. It’s one of JJ’s spots.”

“Okay, a few of us should hit up this spot before heading to the club. Marcus and his men are at the club with the girls, so they’ll be okay until we get there,” Wolfe explains, standing up.

My father grabs my shoulder when I stand up. “We’ll find her, son,” then gives me a reassuring pat.

I reply calmly, “Thanks, Pops.”

Present Day

We’ve been sitting outside the strip club, waiting for Dexter to come out. We know he’s inside but don’t want to make a scene, so we’re waiting outside.

Once we found out Dexter was inside alone, we sent most of the men off to the club, leaving Shy, Blink, Wolfe, Cash, and me here waiting.

“I think a couple of us should just go inside and maybe scare him into leaving,” Cash announces.

Blink replies, “I agree. I know I can intimidate him into leaving without a scene.”

I look over at Shy and Wolfe. Once they both nod, Blink and Cash jump out of the SUV. I sense movement out of the corner of my eye, so I glance around the parking lot but don’t see anything.

I sit back and let out a long breath. I noticed a small form moving through the parking lot a second later. This person has a hood over their head.

“We got company,” I announce. “Three o’clock moving between the cars.”

Wolfe, who is in the front seat, leans over to get a better look. “Probably some tweaker looking to score.”

I watch the small form move anxiously between two cars. It seems like they’re watching the door to the strip club. Wolfe’s probably right. It’s some tweaker waiting to score.

I can tell now it’s a woman’s body the closer they get, so I watch her move in and out of cars, pacing.

The door to the strip club swings open, and lo-and-behold, Dexter rushes out. Like a panther after its prey, the woman charges him.

What the hell?

Everyone in the car jumps out, moving toward Dexter, but I move toward the woman.

She screams as she runs toward Dexter. “What have you done with her?”

Dexter is still a few car lengths away when I grab her from behind, surprising her. She screams, thrashing in my arms. I see my brothers have cornered Dexter, who starts to yell and fight them off.

“Calm down,” I demand, trying to control her. In the midst of her thrashing around, her hood comes off, and I freeze, letting my grip loosen only to get an elbow to the face, which jolts me from my shock.

“What the fuck?” I yell.

She doesn’t stop fighting me, almost freeing herself from my hold

“Raydene. Calm the fuck down. It’s me. Mac,” I declare.

Hearing me, the woman freezes. I turn her to face me and gasp when I see her face.

“What the fuck?” I demand.

Instant shock ignites between us like God himself touched us both as our eyes widen. I take a deep inhale.

Standing in front of me is a woman who looks identical to Raydene, but at the same time, not at all.

The woman’s eyes dart back and forth, fear and shock etched across her face.

“Mac?” the woman breathes.

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