Page 11 of Venom's Sting

His expression turns to disbelief. “I can’t believe that she wasn’t there after all.”

“Yeah, me either. The worst part was that my grandfather used my behavior to get a restraining order against me. So, in the unlikely event that I go snooping around his place again and get caught, I’ll wind up in jail.”

Ven’s eyes narrow as the look on his face shifts to one of suspicion. “How fucking convenient was that? The old man couldn’t have planned it better if he tried.”

My breath catches in my throat. It had never entered my mind that my grandfather might have set up the perfect trap to keep me away from his farm. “Shit, you might be right about that. I’ve been a gigantic pain in the ass, I’ve probably seen him more times in the last eight months than I have in the last eight years. But every lead brings me right back to his doorstep.”

His head snaps up to look at me. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“I didn’t think so either, but I saw the video myself. Sergeant Pike looked everywhere, attic, basement, closets, bathroom showers and even under beds. I know that house like the back of my and she wasn’t there.”

“Don’t you have brothers or sisters to help you look?”

I shake my head, “No, there’s only ever been me and my mom.”

“Can’t you get the rest of your family on board, aunts, uncles, cousins?” He must see by the look on my fact that I don’t have anyone to rely upon. “So, what you’re telling me is that you’ve got nobody, and you’ve been looking for her for coming up on eight months.”

I nod, fighting back the tears once again, aggravated with myself for always getting so emotional when it comes to finding my mother. “It’s been really hard but if I don’t find her, no one will.”

“And you’ve been fighting this all on a barista’s salary?”

“To be quite honest, I was once reasonably comfortable. I had a photography studio, a decent apartment, and earned a good income. My photography studio caught fire and burned down, and I haven’t been able to rebuild it because I’ve spent my entire savings and the insurance payout trying to find my mom. I’ve sold off everything I own, including what photography equipment wasn’t damaged by the fire. I work the early morning shift because most offices aren’t open this early. It frees up the rest of my day to keep the search alive.”

When I’m finished, he tells me, “I just want you to know that you are hands down the best daughter in the entire world. You’ve been going at this on your own for far too long. That stops now. From this moment on, you’ll have the Savage Legion MC spearheading this search and rescue.”

Chapter 5

Venom

Izip the large book up in my leather jacket and hit the road after Amy agrees to come to the clubhouse when she gets off work at one o’clock this afternoon. Luckily, Rage is there so I grab a coffee, walk up to him, and join him at the bar.

“When did you turn into Ven Bob Square Chest?” He teases.

I frown at him because I’m not really in the mood for joking around right now. I unzip my vest and pull out the scrapbook. “Are you up for helping me a solve a missing persons case?”

He jerks back and stares at me for a second. “Of fucking course I am. How old is the kid?”

I take a sip of my coffee before answering him. “No, dude. This isn’t one of Rigs’ missing kids cases.”

Glancing down at the scrapbook curiously, he asks, “Then who the hell is it?”

“Remember that woman I told you about who was being chased by dogs?”

“Shit! Is she missing?”

I open the book and point to the first page. “No, but her mom is.”

Glancing down at the picture of an older woman with light brown hair, he says, “I don’t understand, did this have something to do with the day you saw her?”

“No. Yes… It’s complicated,” I say.

“How’s about you start at the beginning and tell me everything?” When he’s not bitching about stuff, Rage is so calm it makes me feel hot-headed by comparison.

I rake my hand though my hair and tell him, “I have a better idea. I was going to get Rigs to help us out on this one. Maybe we could find him, and I’ll tell it all in one go?”

Rage gets to his feet, nodding. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan, because getting information out of you is like pulling fucking teeth.”

I love Rage like a brother, but he can get my hackles up faster than anyone else in this club. Ignoring his angry muttering I head towards the offices at the back.

---