Sting, page 3
“Good. Ask for anything you need. Men, machines, or money.”
“If they can be found, my guys can do it.” Hunting was something I was good at. All of the Tzars were. I still had reservations about this being the first major decision I’d made as club president, but the cause was a worthy one, and I knew my dad wouldn’t lead me into a situation that was bad for the club. Even if I’d taken his job as president, Warlock was still my dad. “I’ll need to see what your men have on this ring.”
“I’ll have Shotgun hand-deliver it. He can go over it all with you if you like. Fill in any questions you might have.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
“It’s settled, then. Rycks will set you up in a room, and you can start with Shotgun as soon as you’re ready.”
The rush as I planned for a battle hit me then. Adrenaline was a powerful drug. This was what I lived for. I might question my abilities when it came to being president of an MC like Iron Tzars, but this I was confident in. I’d find Iris’s sister. Then I’d figure out what to do with Iris. So help me God.
Chapter Two
Iris
“Do you think they believe me?” I wanted to think they were all taking me seriously, but it was hard when no one else seemed to.
“Honey,” Jezebel moved close to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “If they didn’t believe you, they’d tell you straight.”
“One thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been here is that these men don’t play games. Not like that.” Hope was the one person here I might consider trusting enough to believe what she was saying. I was still skeptical, but it was easier to trust her than the others. Mainly because I’d seen how much she loved my sister.
“Can they really do this? Find my sister?”
“Yes.” Jezebel answered without hesitation. “If Eden and Shotgun can’t readily find her, they have connections who can. They’ll find her, and we’ll bring her home.”
“You seem pretty confident. No one believes me. If it really was a closed adoption --”
“Wrath will find the terms and break it.” Jezebel’s confidence didn’t waver. Her head was up, and there was a satisfied smirk on her face. Like she was eager to see the aftermath of the havoc about to ensue. “He’s a lawyer. Currently employed as the district attorney.”
“Oh. Well, I guess he can do pretty much what he wants, then.”
“Oh, yeah. And if it’s not legal, he figures out how to do it anyway. So don’t worry. Whether she’s been legally adopted or taken by some asshole, we’ll get her back. Period.”
I sagged into a chair, the weight of my discovery and worry finally taking a toll. Tears threatened, but I swallowed them back. “I’ll never be able to repay you guys if you pull this off.”
“Yes, you will.” Jezebel smiled as she knelt in front of me. “You’ll take care of your sister, and you’ll be happy. That will be the best repayment we could ever want.”
I wasn’t sure I believed them, but these people were the first ones to take me seriously. I wasn’t ready to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’d give them any information I could and see what happened.
Another woman entered the room. She had long brown hair reaching down her back in loose curls and kind, brown eyes. She smiled as she entered, greeting the other women warmly.
“Hey, guys!” Her gaze found mine. “You must be Iris. Shotgun’s added your sister to the search. We pulled footage from the party to get her picture. We hacked into the city’s camera system and are using facial recognition software to find a match. It’s a matter of time until we find her.” She held out her hand to me. “I’m Shotgun’s wife. Eden.”
“You’ve already started?” I took her hand, and she squeezed gently.
“Oh, yeah. We were already working on it. We didn’t realize this ring included any of the group homes we hosted for Christmas each year.” She frowned. “We thought it was mostly homeless girls and boys. That’s bad enough, but to think this ring has someone who’s supposed to protect these kids working for them has all the guys here in a snit.”
That surprised me. It also gave me real hope that maybe they would find my sister, and this wasn’t all lip service. “Why is that? These kids are nothing to you guys.”
Jezebel jerked like I’d struck her. “Honey. Those kids are ours as surely as if we’d adopted them. El Diablo and the club pour money into a foundation that is supposed to help each child in those homes go to college or trade school. They can start receiving scholarship money while in high school for classes until they’re adopted. It’s one of the main reasons we found out something fishy was going on.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve never heard about anything like that. Once I was emancipated, I was sent on my way with a smile, a princess wave, and a solid don’t-let-the-door-hit-your-ass-on-the-way-out. Was it because I left early?”
“No, honey. You should have had help through high school if you wanted it. In fact, there have been two different group homes we noticed that took money from the foundation, but the recipient in question either never enrolled in school or disappeared altogether.” Jezebel had a delicate frown on her face as she spoke.
“In fact,” Eden added, “it wasn’t until about a week ago we made that discovery. I found where someone had applied for Jerrica to have a tutor for gifted children a couple of months ago. That had to be approved by Wrath, who’s in charge of the finances. She got approval a week ago. The first check was cut three days ago. Now, you’re telling us she’s gone.”
“Yes.” I felt numb. “Are you telling me this is all an attempt to take money meant for kids in these group homes to have a chance at a better life?”
“Partially.” Eden looked very uncomfortable. “We believe it’s also an attempt to make it look like these children are still where they’re supposed to be. The two homes in question have all applied for scholarships for children taking trade classes or dual-credit college classes. We’re trying to track down the children now. So far, all of them have closed adoption records. While the scholarships should end once the adoption process is final, there are exceptions made if there is a financial need in the new home. It rarely happens that a child that age is adopted from a home, so that part of our program hasn’t had to be looked at much, but the two homes in question have had about eight of those exceptions applied for in the last six months. Which means, it’s not just the home. There is someone in more than one school helping them. Which screams of a trafficking network.”
“So, if you take this to the authorities, they’ll be able to unseal the adoptions and make sure the children are all safe.”
“Perhaps.” Jezebel pursed her lips. “But that’s not how we operate.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Time is of the essence. If we do this by the law, it may be too late. It will still take time, but we intend to not only find the children, but shut down this shit show permanently.”
“Still not getting it.” I thought I might, but it seemed a bit extreme for embezzlement.
“You do.” Hope’s words were soft, and she gripped my hand where she sat on the couch beside me. “We believe this is all part of a human trafficking ring. If we’re right, then anyone involved deserves whatever El Diablo dishes out.”
I was silent for a moment, letting it all sink in. I knew Jerrica was in trouble, but I think my mind didn’t want to go there. It made sense she’d been sold, but the thought of what was happening to her made me want to throw up. Right after I killed someone. Starting with Mr. Brown.
“I want in on this.” I met Jezebel’s gaze with a hard one of my own.
She shook her head. “Much as I’d love to tell you the guys would be happy to have the help, they won’t. Any of the guys who go into the field on this are all highly trained ex-military. Anyone else stays here. You’ll only be in the way. If they are distracted by you, someone could get killed.” Jezebel looked sincere. She was as refined as El Diablo seemed to be but had that same core of ruthlessness inside her. The couple was a great match.
“Then I want to know everything they know. I want to be in on any meetings or planning, and I want to hear everything that goes on when they’re in the field. I have no idea how you guys operate, but I’m willing to bet there is always someone listening in no matter where the main team is.”
Esther ducked her head, but not before I saw the grin on her face. Jezebel cocked her head to the side, studying me. “Yeah. I like you.” She nodded her head as if she’d proved a point to herself. “You have spunk. I’ll talk to my husband. He has final say.”
“It’s not a request.” I was pushing it, I knew. These women were being nice to me. The club was going to help me find Jerrica. Making demands would get me nowhere, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
“I definitely like you.” To my surprise, Jezebel looked proud of me. “Excuse me. I’ll go tell my husband he needs to make a seat at the table for you.” It was possible she was making fun of me. I was at least a decade younger than she and vastly less experienced with the male-dominant aspect of a motorcycle club. But I didn’t think she was. I thought she might respect me for demanding what I wanted. Either way, I hoped it would be enough to get me on the inside. Because, once I found out where Jerrica was, there was no holding back. I’d bring my sister home the second I knew where to go, and damn the consequences.
Unfortunately, finding any of the missing children took time. Time they might not have…
* * *
Iris
They’d been at it for more than two months. El Diablo welcomed me into every meeting they had regarding the situation, and it really seemed to be all they were working on. They were careful how they worded it so none of them sounded like they were glad Jerrica had been taken, but it seemed like Jerrica going missing was the break they needed. Unlike the other children, they had a close timeframe for when Jerrica had been taken, and the trail was fresh. Didn’t mean it was easy going.
Also, one of the men working on finding Jerrica… intrigued me. I didn’t want to notice him. Didn’t want to think about him instead of my sister, but Sting was fascinating to me. He wasn’t as old as the others and seemed unsure of himself at times. Other times, he took charge from men far older and seasoned than he was. I tried not to stare at him, but he was in charge. I justified my preoccupation with him because he had the final decision in anything that happened. The reality was far less noble. I pulled my attention back to Shotgun, needing to keep my eyes on what was important.
“There’s so many roadblocks and hairpin turns, me and Esther are having trouble breaking through.” Unlike most of the time I’d seen Shotgun, he was agitated and frustrated as hell today. “These fuckers better hope someone other than me finds them, ‘cause if I get to deal with them, I’mma throw a motherfucker a beatin’ he’ll never fuckin’ forget.” The normally easygoing man was ready to go to war. Anyone could see that.
“Have you reached out to Giovanni Romano?” Unlike Shotgun, El Diablo was calm as ever.
“Last night. After I realized we were getting nowhere. He said he’d get Bones involved in this too. And Ripper at Salvation’s Bane.”
“Good. With all of us working on this, it’s only a matter of time. Questions?” When no one voiced any, he dismissed everyone.
I followed Shotgun out of the room. He was muttering to himself and seemed none too happy. It was a bad time to bother the man, but I wanted to watch over his shoulder. All the information was coming to him, and I wanted to be there when he got the word Jerrica had been found.
He went to his and Esther’s office, and I was hot on his heels. He did a double take when he went to shut the door and I slipped in before he got it shut.
“Oh, shit! You OK?”
“Yeah. You didn’t get me with the door.” I grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “You don’t mind if I hang out here, do you? I promise I won’t say a word or get in the way.”
Shotgun scrubbed a hand over his face, like he was bone tired. Esther looked up from her computer and smiled at me. “Of course, you can stay. Don’t mind him. He’s cranky if he doesn’t get a solid eight hours.”
“Am not cranky.” Shotgun put his chin up stubbornly.
Esther rolled her eyes. “He’s totally cranky.”
He sighed, deflating. “Yeah. I’m cranky.”
“I know this is stressful, and you guys didn’t have to take this on, but I want you to know I appreciate it. I can’t find my sister without your help.”
“Oh, Iris!” Esther got up and came to me, hugging me fiercely. “You never have to thank us for that. Yes, it’s stressful, but it’s stressful because none of us want any of those children in danger one second longer than they need to be.”
“The longer it takes me to find them, the more likely it is they’ll be hurt.” Shotgun sounded like he was only half listening to the conversation. He was scrolling through images and camera feeds on four different monitors. It didn’t seem like he blinked as he worked.
“Just give us some time to work through this.” Esther gave me an encouraging smile. “We’ll find her and everyone else.”
I sat in a chair behind the pair and watched them work. They spoke softly to each other, Shotgun working through his task while Esther studied one electronic document after another. I squinted and leaned forward and realized she was going through adoption records.
“How did you get access to those?” I couldn’t prevent the question from popping out. Esther looked back over her shoulder and grinned. “Important people in high places. Wrath sent these to me. It’s time consuming, but we’re being careful not to leave a digital footprint.”
“So nothing comes back to you when you find these assholes.”
“Now you’re getting it.”
Shotgun snorted. “I remember a day when you’d have balked at that, doll.” He reached over and squeezed his wife’s hand.
“True. But I’ve realized over the years I’ve been here that sometimes bad things need to happen to bad people.” The smile she gave her husband was intimate and lovely. For the first time in my life, I realized what I’d been missing. Adult affection. I didn’t mean sex. But the closeness only two people who loved each other had. I was barely an adult, and only because I got a judge to say I was, but I’d lived my life like an adult since our mother died -- taking as much responsibility as I could for myself and Jerrica. I wanted a man to look at me like Shotgun looked at Esther and to stand between me and the rest of the world when I needed him to.
I sat back, remaining quiet. All day. I didn’t leave unless they left, and that was only to go to the bathroom. Someone brought them food and made sure there was plenty of coffee and soda.
We were there three days before the first break came. After that, things started moving quickly. Up to a point. It had been exactly eighty-nine days since my sister had been taken. To say I was giving in to despair was a severe understatement.
“There are kids in a warehouse on the outskirts of town next to the docks.” Shotgun gave a clipped account, sounding as angry and agitated as the last time the whole group had major information to share. “I’ve counted six kids, but there could be more. And they’re getting ready to move them. Like in the next couple of hours.” He ran his hands through his hair. Esther placed a hand on his arm and rubbed his back, like she was soothing a wounded animal. “I doubt there is any way to move in before they’re gone without risking one or all of them getting killed. We simply don’t have time to get Sting’s team all the information they need to plan the operation.”
There was a long silence before El Diablo spoke. “Do you know what their patterns are? Will they immediately pick up a new group of children?”
“Oh, yes.” Esther stepped up this time. “We know their patterns. We’ve gone back over camera feeds everywhere a camera is pointed even remotely toward that warehouse. Most were disabled or destroyed over the past six or eight months, but I found some two blocks over that happened to be pointed at a decent angle. It wasn’t perfect, but, with the help of Giovanni and some really nifty image-enhancing software, as well as the citywide access he got us, we were able to piece together their movements over the last six months. So we moved it back another six to establish patterns. That went far faster because it took them a while to disable the security without anyone making too big a fuss. They offload the children and pick up new ones on their way back to the warehouse. Exactly ninety days later, they do it all again.”
“Same time?”
“Every time.”
“So, if they get this group off before we’re ready to confront them, there will be another group within… what? Hours?”
“Yes.” Shotgun crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t like this, El Diablo. We’re not going to be ready to be able to help this group, which likely has Jerrica in it.”
“Does Giovanni know the full situation?” El Diablo was all business, his accent clipped and his deep voice commanding the room.
“He does. He’s sweating as much as we are, though he won’t admit it. Pulled Merrily in to help him from what Alexi said.” Shotgun shook his head. “Even he doesn’t think we have time to pull this off. But he’s got the whole fuckin’ city hacked. He’ll know where they go and who they’re with. We’ll get them all back. Just not today.”
“You have to!” I couldn’t stay silent any longer. “Jerrica’s already been through enough! All of them have! It’s been three months! They’ve probably already hurt the kids they took. You can’t let these people… sell my sister!”
“I know you’re upset.” El Diablo stood and crossed the room toward me. He wasn’t at all threatening about it, but I still backed up a step. Right into Sting.
He wasn’t from Black Reign, but he was the man tasked with getting my sister. I gasped and turned to face him, knowing I was trapped between him and El Diablo. For some stupid reason, my hands landed squarely on his T-shirt-covered chest. Muscles rippled beneath my touch, and I gasped at the unexpected pleasure those sensations caused. Sting just looked down at me, tilting his head and narrowing his gaze, studying me like he might an insect. Right before he squashed it.
