Page 124 of Vengeance & Sin

It’s been over two weeks, and I still have nearly nothing on Jade. I’ve tried, fuck have I tried to let it go, but I just can’t. She’s everywhere, in our school, our home, the clubs. Her pomegranate scent lingers all over the house, and no matter what room I’m in, little things let me know she’s been there even when she's not.

It’s driving me insane, crawling under my skin like an itch I can’t scratch.

The only thing I found was that one of her twin blades was missing from her right boot a few nights after the murder at the station. But before I could even call her out on it, she had them both again. She never mentioned it being gone. I wouldn’t have even known if I hadn’t snuck into her room the night before our meeting last week.

As far as evidence goes, that’s pitiful. I can’t even bring myself to tell the guys about it because I know it won’t be enough.

All of this has pushed me to the point of desperation that's so strong I’m willing to do anything to get the answers I know are here waiting to be uncovered.

Desperation led me to the point of having Jade secured and knocked out in the trunk on our way to Hopper’s integration rooms.

Desperation led me to call Jamerson and Ant in for help instead of my brothers. I know they would never help me with this, let alone allow me to go through with it.

Yeah, I’m desperate, and the only problem is, I’m not sure if I’m desperate to be right or wrong anymore.

Fuck!

I slam my fist into the steering wheel so hard that my knuckle splits. Ant sits next to me in the passenger seat. He gives me a weird look out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t comment. I can’t say I blame him, I’ve been a mess all night, and I know they can tell.

I’m usually pretty laid back. Not much gets to me, but Jade has, and now I’m a fucking mess for everyone around me to see.

Hiding this from the guys isn’t helping. But they would never go for it, not even with permission from the boss.

Which I have.

I busted my ass to look up everything I could and use every skill I had, which is a fucking lot and still got nowhere.

So I went up the chain, right to the boss.

I have an email to the boss for work and emergencies. It’s encrypted by someone who might even know their shit better than I do. I tried to do it independently, but after so many dead ends and failures, I had to give in.

I explained my suspicions to the boss in the least crazy, stalker, fucking madman way possible. Playing hard on the implications this could have on Vengeance and the dangers we’re putting ourselves and Rick’s family in.

It was a low blow. I don’t need to trust Jade to know she would never hurt Clair. She looks at her like she's her savior, and I guess, in a lot of ways, she is. But desperation makes people crazy, and I’m so done with feeling crazy over this.

The boss permitted me to bring her in and get answersby any means necessary.While I don’t intend to take it further than questions and a possible scare tactic, I’m grateful for the boss taking this seriously. It made me feel slightly less insane.

We pull up to the club in record time, thanks to my lead foot tonight. Unfortunately, the sedative I hit Jade with isn’t long-lasting, and I would rather get her here and down to the rooms before it wears off instead of giving her a second dose.

A second dose will keep her out longer, and every minute is precious right now. It won’t take long before the guys realize she’s missing, and I need to get all the answers I can get before that. I’ll never get another chance like this one, so I need to make it count.

We pull up to the shed that sits at the back of the property. Only members of Vengeance know that it’s more than a shed. Well, us and the unlucky bastards who end up down there with us.

I’m not sure if it’s something Froggie added or something that was here when he bought the club. Inside the shed is a cellar hatch that leads down a set of concrete stairs and to five rooms that we use for interrogation, or torture, whichever is needed.

I pop open the hatch and hesitate for a moment as I look down at Jade. Her hands are bound, and so are her feet, her head lulled to the side, giving the appearance that she's simply asleep. I know better, though. It’s just the effect of the sedative. I would know, I’m the one who hit her with it.

I look down at her for a moment, feeling like an asshole. I shake my head to push the feeling away, I have to know, or I'll never get past this shit.

Jamerson reaches into the trunk, intending to scoop her up and bring her down. We don’t often bring lower ranks with us, but when we do, they tend to do the bitch work. I don't know whether it’s to be helpful or suck up, but I never complain.

Before he can grab her, I all but lunge forward and scoop her up into my arms. I’m not sure why I do it, but it’s done, and I can’t exactly put her back down now. I initially had zero intention of touching her, more than happy to let him carry her, but at the last moment, my body moved.

I try not to focus on the why as I make my way through the shed and down the cold, damp stairwell. With nothing else to focus on other than my thoughts or Jade in my arms, I find that my thoughts are the safer option.

I don’t want to cause her harm, just get answers, and if the sedative were to wear off while Jamerson or Ant had her, she’s liable to freak out.

Jade doesn't like to be touched, and she likes it even less when she doesn’t know someone, especially if that someone happens to be a man.

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