Page 73 of Wolf

Beyond that, Danny called and left me a message. He didn’t say much but I’m curious if he has information about the sheriff or the Aces.

With that in mind, I head in their direction. I need the sheriff to turn his attention away from the Saints and Lilli, before she gets hurt, dammit.

I knew the Abernathy’s would be a pain in my ass and with their affiliation to the sheriff, it was only a matter of time before he got involved.

That fucker’s got a hard on for the Saints, even though we generally steer clear of his granddaughter, despite my right to see my sister.

Thoughts of my dad and what might have happened to him bounce around in my brain as I roll down the lane again and stop before the house.

Danny’s car is gone. It’s unnaturally quiet. The door to the house stands open and a single shoe lies on the porch.

Where’s the other fucking shoe?

After parking my bike, I slowly ascend the steps and stop at the door. Pushing it open with my boot, I glance right and then left before cautiously stepping inside.

To the right, I pass what was probably once a parlor, empty of anything but a single chair against the wall. On the left is another room with a crystal chandelier overhead but since the room is empty, I can only assume it’s the dining room.

My boots ring out on the wood floor, and I pause, cocking my head. There’s no fucking sound beyond my breaths and I exhale slowly to relieve some of the tension in my neck.

Where’s Rose?

Bypassing the stairs. I pass a bathroom before stopping in the kitchen. Dirty dishes line the sink and when I open the refrigerator, I spy a handful of groceries.

When I look out the window toward the back of the property, nothing but a tattered flag on a pole, flaps in the wind.

This property abuts the forest, and I scan the trees before turning.

At the base of the stairs, I look up, but nothing stirs. Although it’s not ideal, I avoid carrying a weapon with me during the day. With Rose’s family being cops with a hard-on for us Castro brothers, it’s a risk I try not to take.

Now, I’m regretting it as I wipe my brow on my sleeve and pause at the landing. Three rooms, all the doors open, thank fuck.

The first two rooms are bare of furniture and when I reach the third, I find where I presume Danny and Rose slept. The sheets and comforter are at the end of the bed. There’s a single lamp on the bedside table.

Since the shades are closed, I turn on the light as I step inside. A few stray articles of clothing are piled in the corner with the remainder hanging in the closet or folded and placed on the built-in shelves.

Except for that fucking shoe and the door being open when I arrived, there’s nothing to indicate anything happened here. Still, I can’t ignore the tingle that creeps down my spine. Something did.

The question is…what? And where’s my fucking sister?

Joker is waiting for me when I arrive at the clubhouse. I’m expecting him to try and talk me out of it, which is why I’m surprised when he says, “Sent Hand and Romeo over to your Ma’s.”

“Thanks,” I say, meeting Duke’s stare as Joker slaps me on the back.

“What now?” he says, and I close my eyes. I don’t fucking know. Danny was slippery enough to find the first time.

Where would he go and if he didn’t go willingly, who took him? It could be the Smokin’ Aces but the only reason to take someone rather than leave a dead fucking body is collateral. Are the assholes hoping to bargain for my sister’s life?

Before I can respond, fighting the itchy feeling cascading across my skin, Jersey says, “I know where Spyder is.”

Spyder is the Smokin’ Aces Sergeant at Arms. A weaselly little fucker who enjoys messing with girls for the sole purpose of feeding off their pain. The man makes my already itchy skin crawl.

“How?” I ask. I would hate to think Jersey is the mole in our midst, but I can’t bury my head in the sand over sentiment. Before today, I would have said that I trust him with my life but now, I don’t know who to fucking trust beyond my brother, Joker, and Maddox.

Jersey eyes me knowingly and says, “I know a girl…she called me when he showed up at a party last night.”

A girl…okay. It’s better than anything I’ve got. “Where?” I say and Jersey smiles.

It’s not a sweet or happy smile. Nope, it's the mark of a man who lost his soul to the dark side a long time ago.

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