Page 23 of Raptor

He reaches out to shake my hand and I pull him in for one last hug. "Get your woman, Rap. I can't wait to meet her."

This kid is the fucking shit. "Be good, kid. I'll see you soon."

He leaves my room and I begin to pack my clothes. I know the goodbyes are going to be long, and I appreciate Rush taking the time to say his privately.

"Brother,"Pyro greets as I exit the airport. "It's about fuckin' time."

I chuckle. Getting off the plane, it felt as though I was home. Everything in me settled the second I breathed in the Irish air. "Tell me about it. How is everyone?"

"Good. You'll see for yourself that life here isn't as hectic as it was back in the States. Even Preacher is doin' better."

I nod, glad my brother is doing okay. His world turned upside down when he found out Tyson wasn't his son. It fucked him up mentally and it's got to be hard to come back from that.

"Ace said you spoke to Rush. What do you think about havin' him here?" he questions as we climb into the SUV.

"I think it will be a huge benefit to us to have him here. He's a good kid. He'll thrive here."

He grins. "That’s exactly what I said to Ace when he spoke to me about it. Havin' Rush here will boost our numbers. Not only that, but it'll give us a better in with the younger generation. So far we've only got Tank and Bozo who are under the age of twenty-five."

Tank and Bozo are the prospects for the Dublin chapter. From what I understand, they'll make great additions to the club.

"When Dig and Octavia find out, they'll lose their minds," I tell him. "I'm surprised they haven't known he's wanted to leave. It's clear he's not entirely comfortable with them. He's a lot closer to Esme and Serenity, and in turn Shadow and Reaper."

"It's got to be hard for them, Dig especially. Tavia was hurt because of Rush's actions. He's got to live with the reminder that his woman was shot for the rest of his life. It's got to beeven harder knowing the boy who shot her is livin' in the same clubhouse."

"When you put it that way..." I muse. But it's still fucked up that even after all these years they've never let him close, and that's why he wants to leave. He's a good kid and can feel the disconnect from them. Leaving will make Dig and Octavia better, and it'll give Rush a fresh start. "When will the vote be?"

"We're havin' ours tomorrow, and from what Ace said, tomorrow evening is when they'll have theirs."

"He'll get the votes," I say adamantly.

"No doubt. I've given Wrath and Preach the head's up about it, and from what I've gotten from them, they're both willing to vote in favor of Rush moving."

I take a deep breath. I just hope the other brothers are the same and vote for him to move.

"Now, you've not asked about her, but I know you're dyin' to know. Brother, Chloe's not heard from her at all for the past forty-eight hours. All calls and texts are goin' straight to voicemail. Jess said she spoke to her yesterday but hasn't spoken to her today, and like Chloe, her calls are goin' to voicemail."

My gut tightens. Fuck. What the hell?

"I'm takin' you to her home now. I know you don't want to wait. I wouldn't if it were Chloe."

The rest of the drive is tense. I'm on edge as Pyro drives us, my mind fucking racing as I think about what the fuck could have happened.

It takes close to thirty minutes before we reach Mallory's house. It brings back memories of when I was last here. Christ, it's been too fucking long.

"Brother," Pyro says low, "the door's ajar."

Just as we reach the door, it's opened and a tall, dark-haired guy walks out, his head held high, his gaze on us. It's clear this man is a killer. "Pyro," he greets.

"Rap, brother, this is Maverick, Chloe's uncle and Jessica's cousin."

I give him a chin lift as he smiles at me. "Jess told me what happened and asked me to check it out. The house is empty. They left in a hurry, taking only half their clothes, both Mallory and Jayne's. We'll find out where they've gone."

"Their cell phones?" I rasp.

"Sitting on the kitchen table. I assure you, we're going to find them. But from what it looks like, they've upped and left willingly." He turns to Pyro. "If I have news, I'll have Jess call Chloe."

Py nods. "Appreciate it, Mav. Thanks."

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