Page 34 of Strider's Misstep

“Sorry about Anna.” Chaz leans toward me. “You were a fuckin’ saint looking after her all this time.” I narrow my eyes at him. He’s one of the few people who know what happened that far back in time. But there’s no shutting him up. “Wasn’t your fault, Strider.” It doesn’t matter who tells me, but no one will ever know the truth of the matter. He reads that in my eyes. “You couldn’t have done more for her.”

I tried. Even a God I don’t believe in must know I tried.

“You deserve something good in your life,” he continues. “I like Jasmine for you.”

Fuck, so do I. Haven’t I done my penance?

I angle my body toward him and say confidentially, “I just hope she’ll give me a chance.”

He looks at me intently. “Tell her the truth, Brother. Thewholetruth.”

Maybe he’s right. I take a moment to pick up one of the delicious doughnuts and take a bite. My phone rings. Swallowing my mouthful down, I answer.

“ST.”

“Chaz there?”

“Yeah.”

“Put me on speaker.”

I do. His tone makes me almost choke on the morsel that feels like it’s got stuck in my throat.

StoryTeller wastes no time. “Jasmine went to the restroom and Helo went with her. They were gone too long, so I went to look for them. There was an ‘out of order’ sign outside. Realising they might have gone some way to find a different one, I wasn’t too worried.”

“No fuckin’ time for one of your stories now, ST,” Chaz growls. “Get to the point.”

“Then a resort employee comes rushing up, swearing about clowns putting out signs. The rest room was fine. I went in. There was no one inside.”

“They might have been fooled and gone to another bathroom.” I’m clutching at straws.

StoryTeller’s growl comes clearly across the line. “I’d bank everything I own on this being a setup. Don’t think we should waste time.”

Chaz, like me, is clearly worried but exploring all avenues. “Any sign of a struggle?”

Why hadn’t I thought to ask that? Jasmine wouldn’t go quietly, and as for Helo, well, single-handed she could take any number of men down.

But we’re disavowed of that immediately as StoryTeller replies drily, “Discarded hypodermics in the trash.”

“We’re on it!” Legend calls out from the opposite end of the table, pointing between Data and himself. Their laptops are open in front of them and Data’s fingers are moving fast. “We’re trying to get into the CCTV from the resort.”

I want to tell them to move faster, but from the expressions on their faces, I bite my tongue. Frustration is written all over them.

“What do you want me to do?” StoryTeller asks.Fuck knows.Apart from finding my girl. “There’s security here?—”

“Whoever’s taken them won’t be hanging around,” Chaz barks. “Good money on that they’ve already left the resort. Best to get no one else involved. There’s nothing they can do that Soulz can’t.”

“Okay,” StoryTeller drawls as if he’s thinking. “The event’s not far from over, so Sheri and I can pack up her stuff. Make some excuse she’s not feeling well.”

I wonder whether that’s the best option. My gut screams I want everyone looking out for her. But logically, I know she will be nowhere in the building and already off the resort grounds. The only good thing is if they just wanted to kill her, they’d have done so in the restroom and then got out.

She’s still alive.That’s the only thing I can hang onto.

Chaz grunts out approval for StoryTeller’s plan, then reaches over and ends the call. He’s just opening his mouth when Legend yells, “Fuck yeah!” and fist-pumps his hand.

Data gives the explanation. “We couldn’t get in, but we messaged Mayhem. He’s in and is sharing the footage now.”

Brothers start getting to their feet, but Buzz shouts out, “Everyone, sit the fuck down.” He raises his chin toward Chaz and me, showing that he knows our women are missing and that we want to see the footage without being crowded out.

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