Page 34 of Azrael

“Time to report to Charming,” I said finally, heading for the side door we’d entered through.“He’ll want to know what we found.”

And what we didn’t find -- like Mazida herself, alive and well.That particular absence hung in the air around us, unspoken but impossible to ignore as we stepped back out into the late morning light, locking the door behind us as if it mattered anymore.

* * *

The Devil’s Boneyard compound loomed ahead of us.Security cameras tracked our approach, though the brothers manning the gate waved us through without hesitation, recognizing our cuts and bikes.I led our small procession, Havoc and Gator flanking me as we parked outside the clubhouse.

The main building stood solid against the afternoon sun, its weathered exterior hiding the fortified structure beneath.Years of club life -- celebrations, fights, deaths, and victories -- had seeped into the very walls.Our boots crunched against the gravel as we dismounted and made our way toward the entrance.

Inside, the familiar scent of leather, cigarettes, and whiskey greeted us.A few Prospects hustled around, cleaning and restocking the bar area.They nodded respectfully as we passed, their eyes curious but knowing better than to ask questions.

“Church in session?”I asked one of them, a skinny kid with tattoos crawling up his neck.

“Yes, sir,” he replied, gesturing toward the closed double doors at the far end of the hall.“President and VP been waiting for you three.”

We made our way across the room, passing the well-worn pool table and leather couches.Havoc stepped ahead and knocked once on the heavy wooden doors before pushing them open.

Charming and Ashes rose from their seats as we entered.Neither said anything right away and waited until we were closer.

“You found something,” Charming stated rather than asked, gesturing for us to take seats.

I nodded, pulling the bag from inside my cut and placing it on the table between us.The plastic crinkled as I spread out the contents -- Mazida’s cracked phone, the postcard, and a small plastic baggie containing a scrape of the blood we’d found.

“The purse, the phone, and a few of the scattered clothes -- nothing was cleaned up,” I reported, meeting Charming’s gaze directly.“There was a drop of blood in the kitchen, which confirms a struggle took place.”

Charming picked up the postcard, examining both sides before setting it back down.His face gave nothing away, but the tension in his shoulders told me he recognized the significance.

Havoc leaned forward, his massive forearms resting on the table.“The overturned furniture suggests she was desperate to escape and knocked it over herself.I don’t think the type of men who’d enter the house so quietly would make a mess of the place.”

“No sign of a break-in?”Ashes asked, his voice tight with controlled concern.

I shook my head.“That’s what’s strange.Locks intact.No broken windows.Either she knew them and let them in --”

“Or they had a key, or picked the fucking locks,” Charming finished, sitting back in his chair.“Professional job.”

“That’s how it reads,” I confirmed.“Nothing of value was taken.Cash and credit cards still in her purse.This wasn’t a robbery gone wrong.”

Gator shifted in his seat.“If the police determined this wasn’t a kidnapping after seeing the state of her bedroom, they’re idiots.Or someone came back, searching for something.Maybe she wasn’t dragged from the bed.They could have tossed it during their search.”

“Or looking for someone,” Ashes added grimly.

Charming’s fingers drummed once on the table, a rare tell that indicated his concern.“Zara?”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” I replied.“Once they had Mazida, they probably thought Zara would turn up and they could snatch her too.But that depends on why her mom was taken in the first place.”

“That postcard,” Charming finally said, tapping it with one finger.“Message is clear enough.”

I nodded.“‘Stay safe.’Signed only with a C.”

“Her dad has been dead for years,” Ashes noted, his brow furrowed.

“Exactly,” I responded.“Which means it’s from someone else.Someone who felt Mazida needed warning.”

Charming exchanged a look with Ashes that spoke volumes about conversations I hadn’t been privy to.Something deeper was happening here, something they’d seen coming.

“When was the last confirmed sighting of Mazida?”Charming asked, turning back to us.

“Zara didn’t say, but I can ask.”Although, I’d hoped I would have some answers for her today.Instead I just had questions.

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