Page 19 of Panther's Magpie
FIVE
MAGGIE
Ican’t believe I’m doing this. This has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever suggested.
Still, it’s been over a week with no leads. I can tell Panther is getting more agitated with each day that passes. Whoever has Aspen has done a good job at hiding her.
I have no idea what is truly going on, but it’s more than whatever happened in that bar. That much is obvious to me. I have been watching these guys move around the compound. I hear the whispers they think they are hiding from me.
Whoever this Ragged Anarchy MC is, they are no joke.
Aspen, please be okay. Don’t get into any more trouble than you are already in.
I throw the thoughts out there, hoping she somehow gets them, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Aspen isn’t keeping her mouth shut.
I love how sassy she can be. She’s the complete opposite of me. She stands up for herself and tells people how it reallyis, while I keep my mouth shut and try to disappear into the background.
Right now, I hope she is taking a page from my book and keeping quiet. Those men didn’t seem like the type that would appreciate a mouthy woman.
My hands shake as I glance in my rearview mirror.
As we went to leave the clubhouse, Eagle came back heated. I know he doesn’t want me doing this, but I was surprised when he offered to take me instead. Panther insisted on being the one to come with me even though Eagle told him it should be him because he would be more clear-headed. Panther worried Eagle would abandon the mission before it even began. They argued over it for a bit, but in the end, Panther is the boss around here. So there he sits on top of his motorcycle without any identifying features on him.
One thing I learned from Meek is the men always wear their cuts so people know who they represent. Panther taking his off means he doesn’t want to be spotted. I get why. He is following me solo into enemy territory.
I don’t even have a way of telling him I’m in trouble. All we agreed upon was that he would give me twenty minutes before he came storming in after me. I don’t know why he cares. I’m expendable to him. I’m not Aspen. He has no reason to care about me.
Still, it feels nice to know he would come, even if it’s for some silly reason he made up in his head.
I watch as he pulls over to the side of the road. Only about a mile left. This was our agreement. He would wait for me there as I continued on.
It doesn’t take me long to pull up to the bar. It looks much different now. Only two motorcycles out front. That makes me hopeful that the man who picked me out of the crowd isn’t there.The one who wore the same president patch as Panther. That man scares me.
Taking a deep breath, I head inside the bar. I was right. It is empty in here besides two men in the corner playing pool. They each glance my way before going back to their business.
I walk up to the bar, happy to find Asher behind it. His eyes widen when he sees me.
“What are you doing here?” he hisses at me.
“I need to find my friend,” I whisper.
He grabs my arm, pulling me closer to the front door. He glances over and sees the men preoccupied.
“You can’t be here. They are looking for you. They know you got away.”
“Because of you. Thank you, by the way.” I keep my voice low.
“No, you got away because Monster was too worried about the pretty blond while you slipped away. I had nothing to do with it,” he tells me, his eyes hard.
“Got it. Now where is she?” I ask him.
“Listen, it is admirable that you would come back here for your friend, but she is in deeper than you realize. She is connected to the Mountain River MC somehow. Now these guys are salivating over what they can use her for. This is dangerous. A war is brewing. You need to go before you get hurt,” he whisper-yells at me.
“I’m not leaving with nothing. Where is she? Tell me something.”
He heaves out a breath. “She’s safe. They aren’t hurting her yet because of the connection. They are strategizing how to hurt the Mountain River MC the worst. I am doing what I can to keep her safe. That’s all I can tell you.”
“So you know where she is at?”
