Page 4 of Panther's Magpie
I swallow hard. “Outside of Glenwood Springs. Dirty Hangar.”
I didn’t think he could get any angrier, but the vein in his forehead seems to grow.
“Are you telling me that you let my baby sister go into a bar called the Dirty Hangar? You thought that was a good idea?”
I frown. I mean, I didn’t think it was a good idea to go in there, but no one ever lets Aspen do anything.
“Excuse me? I didn’t let her do anything. She is a grown woman and makes her own decisions. None of this even matters. She’s in trouble.”
“Because you left her there to fend for herself. What kind of friend are you anyway?” he spits out.
My lips clamp closed as tears well in my eyes. He’s not wrong. I should have never left her.
“You’re right,” I whisper before clearing my throat. “We need to save her.”
He shakes his head. “There is no we. I’ll save my sister, then you keep your ass away from her. What the fuck were you even doing all the way over here anyway? Don’t you both have school?”
He’s not wrong. I told Aspen we should wait until summer break to make the trek from California to Colorado to see her brother, but she is impulsive. She wanted to come this weekend and wouldn’t hear anything of it. So we skipped two days of classes to make the trip. We had been planning to skip at least two on the way back too. Not the most responsible thing to do, but if I hadn’t brought her, she would have hitchhiked her wayover here. If Aspen wants something, she will get it one way or another.
My anger festers inside as he stares at me like I’m stupid. Like this is all my fault. Truth is, this is his fault. Aspen only wanted to come this way because of him. Because she felt she was losing the only family she had besides me. She confided in me that Calloway had been messaging her less and less. She was worried something was going on with him, or so she told me.
Deep down, I know she was worried he was forgetting her.
“She wanted to surprise you. She misses you. You rarely call her anymore. It’s always texts here and there that are kept vague. She wants her brother in her life, and it seems like you don’t want to be there anymore.”
It’s a low blow. I know how close they both are. Calloway isn’t her brother by blood, but he chooses to be. That should mean more, and it usually does. It also feeds the insecurities Aspen has about people abandoning her. If her own blood didn’t stay, why would Calloway?
“She shouldn’t have. It’s dangerous around here. Obviously, since you went and left her with unknown men. We are wasting time. What exactly happened? What led to you abandoning her there?”
I sniffle as I think back to what happened.
“We stopped in for a drink. She would have left after one, but the bartender told her she shouldn’t be there. That is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. She went to dance while I stayed behind to watch. She ended up dancing with some guy. Then this other guy came over and tried talking to me. I told him we were leaving, but he tried to force me to take a shot. Aspen took the shot instead. Then a fight broke out, and Aspen told me to go. The bartender snuck me out the back and told me to get help from someone I trusted. He said that the cops cannot be trustedaround there. So I came here. It’s the only place I knew where to go,” I admit, looking down at my feet.
I know I fucked up. I left my best friend behind. What kind of friend does that?
“What do you remember about the men? The one Aspen was dancing with.”
“He was wearing something like the guy at the gate was wearing. The leather vest with the patches,” I tell him.
He frowns. “He had on a cut?”
“If that’s what it’s called, yes.”
He rubs his forehead. “What was the name of their MC? Or were you not smart enough to catch that?”
I ignore the jab even though it hurts. He has a right to be angry.
“Ragged Anarchy. I didn’t catch any other patches on the one she was dancing with, but his name was Monster. The guy who tried to get me to drink with him had a patch that said president, but I didn’t catch his name. The bartender’s name was Asher.” I relay the information I kept repeating in my head the entire drive here.
“Fuck,” he curses before pulling his phone out.
“What? What is it?” I ask, suddenly more anxious.
He pulls out his phone, ignoring me.
“Club meeting, right the fuck now. I don’t care what they are doing, they are in church in the next twenty minutes or they will be on prospect duties for the next fucking year,” he barks into the phone before leading me over to a chair.
“Sit here and wait for me to come back. Don’t talk to anyone, and don’t do anything stupid,” he orders.
