Page 63 of Skid
“Grace is gone. I need the brothers to hit the streets and find her,” I barked and could hear loud shuffling in the background.
“What do you mean she’s missing? Where the fuck is she?” he asked, and I stopped the recording when I saw her sit up from the bed.
“I’m going through my cameras now, but I woke up to find her and all her stuff gone. No note, and her phone goes straight to voicemail. I need to find her now,” I yelled as I watched her walk into the living room and watch me from across the room.
Her eyes were sad, and I could see the tilt in her head, her tell of contemplation.
“I’ll get the brothers headed out now, but you need to call the madman. Whatever is going on isn’t club business, but she’s your woman, so I’m making it our business. Tell him not to cross me, and he better fix whatever he fucking broke, or so help me god.” I understand his anger at Devlin but now wasn’t the time.
“Just find her,” I barked and hung up the phone as I watched her climb the stairs to my office.
Dialing Devlin’s number, it rang twice before he answered. “Skid, how’s Grace feeling today? James said she was sick yesterday.”
“She’s fucking gone, Devlin,” I hollered as I watched her try to turn on my computer and begin to look through my desk. “Oh, fuck.”
There wasn’t sensitive information left lying around, so I wasn’t worried about Devlin’s secrets. It was mine that I feared she discovered.
“What’s going on, Dalton. Talk to me,” he returned forcefully as I paused the video.
“I’m linking you into my camera system,” I explained, and a moment later, I could see he had a visual. Pressing play, I watched as Grace reached deep into a drawer and, with horror, saw she pulled out the envelope with Aubrey’s thumb drive inside. Opening the envelope, she held up the thumb drive, and I heard Devlin yell.
“Motherfucker. How could you leave that lying around for her to find?”
“I didn’t, asshole. It was behind a locked door in my office. I don’t know what possessed her to come in here last night,” I reasoned as the image of Grace on the camera showed her pacing the office with the drive in my laptop.
I didn’t want to see, but I couldn’t look away as Grace sat down behind my desk. She opened a file on the drive, and I could see the raw pain in her eyes, and the video began to play. When she threw up in the trashcan, I cursed into the room as I flipped my chair onto the floor and punched a hole in the wall behind my desk.
“Calm the fuck down and let’s figure out where she went so we can find her and fix this epic fuckup,” he urged with compassion in his voice.
My heart broke as we watched Grace return the drive to my desk and leave the room. I reached inside and pulled out the envelope, pissed I didn’t destroy it when I had the chance. In less than ten minutes, I watched Grace pack everything she brought with her, walk past me in the living room, and out the back door.
“How did I not hear her leave?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
“You can’t blame yourself, and once we find her, we’ll explain everything to her. I promise, Dalton, we’ll make this right,” he explained, and I didn’t believe him.
Grace would never forgive me for my betrayal. I should have told her more about why I came into the bar last month. Instead, I tried to win her heart and push the truth as far away from her as possible. I was selfish and didn’t want to tarnish myself in her eyes. It was wrong of me, and I would spend a lifetime making up for it, if I can find her and convince her to give me a chance.
“Did you install the software on her phone so we can track it?” Devlin asked, and I collapsed onto the couch in my office.
“No. I didn’t want to invade her privacy like that and thought there wouldn’t be a need. Damn it!” I yelled, and Devlin’s dark voice came through the phone.
“Come to the office here. It’s time to use everything Callahan Cyber has to find your woman. You have my word—she will be in your arms soon.”
The phone disconnected, and I rubbed my eyes, hoping to keep from tearing up. The last time I cried was the night Devlin saved Jacob, sending Sadie into Gunner’s arms. If I couldn’t find Grace and fix this, I feared I would live in the darkness forever.
After changing into a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and my boots, I pulled my cut on and sent Gunner a text. He said there were a few brothers on the road early this morning, and he’s checking with them to see if Grace was spotted. I hopped onto my bike and drove well over the speed limit from my cabin into Pierce Bluff. The drive that normally took twenty minutes I completed in just under thirteen.
I pulled into the underground garage and walked to the elevator. Pushing the button for the office floor, I climbed into the suffocating box and clenched my hands, needing to get rid of this nervous energy. Grace was out there alone, hurt, scared, and probably angry.
The door opened, and I stepped into the small entrance before punching my code into the secure lock. Inside, twenty monitors lined one wall, and all the windows had been blacked out, making external light or someone’s ability to spy impossible. Devlin was typing away on his laptop, and I looked for James.
“He just ran upstairs to grab something, but he’ll be right back,” Devlin explained without missing a keystroke.
I opened my computer and asked, “How far have you gotten?”
“She ordered an Uber from the gas station just outside Portstill, and it took her to the Memphis airport.”
“Fuck. She’s running. Do we have eyes inside the airport?” I inquired.
