Page 59 of Mad Max

As I get examined, Mad Max tells General everything that happened. I knew some of it. Most, really. The rest I process quickly to try and solve the puzzle inside my head.

“You all busy?”

The words come a second before the knock, but Law wasn’t really asking as he and Bulldog come into my exam room and post up against one of the walls.

“Ruby here yet?” General asks as he pokes my face with a gauze he says has something on it to numb the pain. But I’ve got a feeling he’s lying. I swear I see a gleam of joy in his eye each time I flinch.

“Not yet. My girl needs a few stitches before they’ll let her go.”

General stops poking and looks at his prez. “I’ll check her when she gets here.”

Law nods in agreement, and I glance at Mad Max, who nods too. Guess they have issues with the doctors up north. Or maybe Law just needs a man who he trusts a bit more to look over his little girl.

“They say anything yet?”

I could kiss my beast for asking the single question I want to know but can’t voice with how much prodding General is back to doing. Of course, I could probably kiss him anytime if given the opportunity. But he’s too far away, and I really want to know what Law has to say.

“A bit. Most were working girls for Duke before he pulled them in for this. A few got sold off earlier, but they don’t know to who. Most of the time, one of the girls is just picked out and pulled away. Some said their pictures were taken; others just say they’ve seen nothing but the room we found them in.”

“So Duke wasn’t lying.” The group looks to me, and I continue talking through my thoughts since no one is stopping me. “He said he only just now started taking people. He needed willing people before, and it would be easy to use a prostitute—they don’t really ask many questions, just show up where you tell them. Probably wasn’t that difficult to get them there. If any of them used drugs before, I’d bet it was even easier to control them. Were any of them redheads, by chance?”

“No. Why?” Bulldog answers.

I shrug as if it’s obvious, but then I remember they didn’t read over my shoulder when I talked to Store Owner like I thought they would have. Guess when Mad Max says he trusts me, the entire club really does.

“Candy’s a redhead, around five feet, and has a few tattoos on her arms. If Duke doesn’t have her, then who would?”

“Who says he doesn’t?”

I tilt my head and stare at Mad Max, confused by his words.

He leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together as they hang between them. “Just ’cause she wasn’t there doesn’t mean he doesn’t have her. If this ‘Store Owner’ thinks she was taken by him, that she was living on the south side when it happened, he might still have her. We have no intel that it was Duke’s main operation we just crashed. Who’s to say it was more than a holding cell? If he plans to take over the south like we think, then he’s going to have more than one. You’ve done the research. Are the four corners known for crossing over into another territory to get new people?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Then he’s got her. We just don’t know where yet. After tonight, he’ll be on the lookout for new product and quick. If we can monitor the missing persons a bit more, we might get lucky. Either way, the Hounds are involved now. We got skin and now blood in the game, and we’ve seen what Duke’s capable of. We’re in this. Right, boss?” Mad Max turns his attention to the man by the door.

“Damn straight. Motherfucker made my little girl bleed. I’m going to take everything he has, and then I’m going to gut the asshole with a dull spoon.”

I feel like I’m the only one gasping like an idiot. I knew my beast was awesome, but come on! Did no one just see that? He literally spoke more in the past ten minutes than in all the time I’ve known him. The fact that no one is questioning him has me thinking this is why they keep him around. That Law and Bulldog sought him out tonight for this very reason. He sees things others don’t. He’s even got me seeing things I didn’t before.

I think I’m falling in love.

No, that’s not right. I am in love.

The more I sort my feelings out, the more I understand them. The fact that I have feelings for Mad Max should have been all that was needed for my brain to figure it out. But I’ve never felt this, never had to understand it before. Any time feelings started becoming involved in any type of connection with another, that person would leave.

I don’t think he’ll leave, though. He hasn’t yet, and he’s had the time to do so. Whatever he promised my uncle has been paid.

I’m not an idiot. I know Jimmy must have told him to watch out for me. He always does. Doubt he meant for such proximity, but you get what you get.

“Paging Dr. Trooper. Dr. Trooper.”

General exits, and I look to Mad Max once more.

“His real name is Sam Trooper. We call him General for Surgeon General,” he explains.

“Yeah, that makes sense. But you should change his name to Storm.”

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