Page 31 of Deceit

“Everyone who’s not a member get the fuck out,” Vault calls, his voice echoing in the common room as I focus on my phone, dreading the call I’m about to make.

I barely hear Vault dishing out orders as I pull up Blood’s name and start to walk toward my office. When I open the door and enter the room, I realize Valor is following me along with Ghost. Ghost shuts the door behind him and locks us in the room as I call Blood and Valor does something on his computer that’s in here so he can work with me when it’s necessary.

“King, what’s goin’ on?” Blood answers his phone and dread fills me more than ever before.

“Blood, I need to talk to you, Scathe, and Ace. I don’t have good news to share,” I tell him, the line so silent after I speak I have to look to make sure he didn’t hang up on me.

“Where is she, King? Where’s our girl?” Blood questions as I hear a commotion in the background.

“My daughter better fuckin’ be there!” Scathe yells out and I can envision him being held back by multiple members of his club.

“She’s not. One of the babies here got sick. Savannah, an ol’ lady, wanted her to watch the kids so she wouldn’t leave the compound. Brynn refused to watch the kids. Didn’t want somethin’ to happen to one of them if Jerome showed up when she was with them. Savannah tried to stop her, but Brynn was on a mission and left. I don’t know when she left or how long she’s been gone. Vault is gettin’ more details from Savannah but I knew I had to call you and let you know,” I inform Blood as the commotion continues in the background and now I hear crying and screaming from women.

“We’re on our way. The entire club is comin’. Not askin’ Vault for permission. I’ll owe him when this is over. The only thing that matters right now is gettin’ to Brynn and bringin’ her home. This isn’t on you, King. You’ve been there for her and have made sure she’s safe and protected. Even when you gave her information you didn’t want to. My girl is in love with you and wouldn’t want you to carry the guilt you are right now. We’ll be there as soon as possible,” Blood says before hanging up the phone.

“They’re on the way here. He’ll owe Vault when this is over. His only concern is Brynn and gettin’ her home,” I tell Ghost and Valor.

“I’ll let Vault know. He’s not gonna give a fuck that they’re on the way here. She’s their family and he wouldn’t expect anythin’ less,” Ghost says as he leaves the room and I sit down at my computer.

“Search the cameras in the city to see if you can figure out where Jerome took her, King,” Valor tells me as I hear him typing away on his keyboard. “I’m tryin’ to pull up the security footage at the grocery store so we can get a lock on what kind of vehicle Jerome has right now.”

Without saying a word, I start hacking into the cameras placed all over Pine View. It doesn’t take me long to gain the access I need as the thought of calling my dad enters my mind. Grabbing my phone again, I make the call so I can tell my dad what’s going on and get his help to find Brynn so I can bring her home. Anything less than her being back in my arms won’t do.

“Dad, I need you,” I say when my dad answers the phone as my voice breaks with the emotion I’m trying to hold back.

“What’s wrong, Kingston? What do you need?” he questions me, an urgency in his voice I rarely hear.

“He has her, Dad. Brynn was tryin’ to help Savannah and left the compound. Jerome has her and I can’t track her at all. It’s tellin’ me her phone is still at the grocery store. I know deep in my gut she’s not there, Dad,” I tell him, the first tear falling down my face.

“Okay, Kingston. We’re on our way. I’ll get with Slim and tell him your mom and I are on our way. I’m sure the rest of the club will come if not Killer will be with us. You know your uncle isn’t gonna sit this shit out when it involves you. Have you called Blood?” he asks me, the sound of him moving around filling the background of his phone.

“Yeah. They’re on the way. He’s not callin’ for permission. This is bigger than all that shit. Scathe lost his shit and I know he’s gonna blame me when he gets here. It’s okay. This is my fault. I wasn’t here for her and was out on a job,” I tell him, the guilt eating away at me as I try to focus on the screen in front of me.

“This isn’t on you, Kingston. You’ve been with your girl every fuckin’ day and haven’t been goin’ to work doin’ the installation jobs like you were before. This is on the fucker who’s developed an unhealthy obsession on her. Yeah, I know everythin’ you’ve found. I’ve been keepin’ tabs on this situation because I know you’ve found your one,” my dad informs me, his voice gentle as I listen to his words that refuse to sink in.

My dad says a few more things to me as I focus on the screen in front of me. I don’t even know when he hangs up the phone because finding Brynn is my only focus right now. I’ve made the necessary calls and can now do my job. The screen is blurry as I try to search for any sign of Jerome’s car in all the traffic in the city. Valor already slid a photo of Jerome’s car in front of me. I find the car after several long minutes that feel like an eternity. I follow it’s progression out of town and toward Cedar Bay. There’s so many places to go between Pine View and Cedar Bay. At the edge of the city, the cameras stop. I’ve lost them and failed Brynn once again because there’s no way I can continue tracking them.

“Vault’s callin’ church. Bring everythin’ you two have so far,” Ghost says, entering my office again. “Vault’s gonna call Blood when we’re in church so he can hear what’s goin’ on. Is your Dad comin’ down?”

“Yeah,” I tell him, grabbing the file I’ve filled with all the information on Jerome as Valor and I leave our desks and head out of my office.

Kian takes my phone and chain before I enter church. Heading inside, I take my normal seat and can already feel the tension in the room as no one speaks and we all wait for Vault to call the meeting to order. It doesn’t take long at all.

“Brynn has been taken. She went out to help Savannah with the kids and Jerome managed to get his hands on her. Give me a second to call Blood. Promised him I’d call while we’re in church so he knows what’s goin’ on. Scathe and Ace are in the truck with him so they’ll know everythin’ we do. Tonya and Brynn’s mom will be in the truck too. I don’t give a fuck about them hearin’ the information we have. The only thing we’re holdin’ back is what was found at the apartment because those two women don’t need to know that shit. Blood and the other two already know,” Vault says, picking up his phone and putting it on speaker as it rings through to Blood.

“We’re here,” Blood answers his phone and I sink lower in my seat as the guilt gets even heavier on my shoulders. “King, sit up. I know this shit is weighin’ on you and I already told you this isn’t on you. Your dad told you the same shit. He called me the second he hung up with you. Brynn loves you and knows you had to go to work. You love her and that’s why this is hittin’ you so fuckin’ hard. We’ve all been there and know what you’re goin’ through.”

“King, my dad is right. We all have to work and make money. Brynn understands this and knows you were gonna get back to her as soon as you could. Don’t internalize this shit and let it fester. Focus on bringin’ our girl home where she belongs so you can start livin’ your lives together,” Scathe says, the rage he’s feeling lacing his voice as it echoes through our meeting room.

“This is on me! I wasn’t fuckin’ here for her!” I yell out, finally shattering and losing my cool as I stand from the chair so fast it slams against the wall behind me. “If I were here, she wouldn’t have been here on her own. I could’ve gone to the fuckin’ store for the kids.”

“Stop, King,” Jinx says, wrapping his arms around me before I can pick up my laptop to slam as the rage overwhelms me. “We’re gonna bring her home.”

“I fuckin’ failed her,” I break, more tears sliding down my face as I tell them about following Jerome’s car as he left Pine View and headed for Cedar Bay.

“We know what direction they’re headin’ in then,” Ace speaks up, his voice calm instead of filled with rage like his dad and brother. “We’re gonna bring my niece home and there’s nothin’ that’s gonna stop that from happenin’. She’s a strong woman and will get out of this shit one way or another. We might not find her until after she’s already escaped on her own.”

“Valor, what did you find?” Vault asks once Ace is done speaking. “The only thing we know is her cell phone was found by Devil in the parkin’ lot of the store by her car. That’s why it’s showin’ you that she’s still there. Her phone is off. Not sure if it’s gonna work from the fall or if it damaged it beyond repair.”

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