Chapter Twenty-Two

As soon as Givon stepped out of his truck, Leo grabbed his shirt and punched him in the jaw. Givon flew back, hitting the side of his truck, hard. A tiny fraction of satisfaction coursed through him but his blood still burned with anger. Leo curled his hand again into a fist, and just as he went to charge someone’s arms came around him from behind, trapping him, and North Tabion put himself between them.

“No, Leo,” Braden said tightly. “This won’t help anyone.”

“It’ll make me feel better,” Leo snarled.

“He can arrest you for assaulting an officer,” North reminded him.

“Then I better get in a few more punches and make it really worth locking my ass up.”

“Stop it,” Braden warned him. “We have to concentrate on Merrie.”

Givon pushed himself away from his truck and stalked toward him, gently probing his bruised jaw.

“Are you through?” he asked Leo.

Leo wanted to punch him again, but Braden’s arms were steel bands around him. Slowly, sanity returned. He gave a quick nod and Braden’s eased up on his hold.

“What happened to you?” Leo asked North, pointing to the bandage around North’s head.

“Axe took a shot at me.”

“What?” Leo gasped. “Why is he after you?”

“Because if I get to him first, I’m putting a bullet in his fucking head,” North replied coldly.

“I did not hear that,” Givon grumbled.

“Did you see Merrie?” Braden asked.

“I didn’t even see him. Luckily for me, the fucker is a lousy shot.”

“I’d like to see your security recording,” Givon said to Leo.

Leo turned to stomp back into the office, not bothering to check if Givon was following or not. Moments later, he crowded into the small room with the other men, watching the scene play out. The camera set angled from the corner of the waiting room, catching the front door and the reception desk. Axe was clearly seen coming in and pulling out a gun. The dialogue wasn’t recorded but no words were really needed to see the terror on Merrie’s face.

“Shit,” Braden whispered.

“After our talk, I went looking for him all night,” North said quietly. “Since the shooting, the club members are out hunting him as we speak. When they found out he’s turned traitor then when he shot me… All they want is to get their hands on him.”

“I don’t really care about your motorcycle club,” Leo said.

North glared at him.

“Where would Axe have taken Merrie?” Leo persisted.

North shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ve checked all his haunts.”

“Personal property?” Braden asked.

“He rents a room at the clubhouse,” North answered.

“I’ve got all my deputies out searching and I can deputize a few other men,” Givon said. “But this is a big county with lots of woods. I take it you guys want to come out on the hunt?”

Braden tapped Leo’s arm. “One of us should stay behind, in case she comes back like she did the first time.”

“I’ll go mad if I stay here,” Leo told him.

“How about we take turns looking?”

“Fine,” Leo said. “But you’re staying behind first.”

He left of the small security room as the other men followed, although he didn’t acknowledge them. When he walked back outside, Detective Christianson pulled up in his car.

“What’s wrong? I got an urgent call from Sheriff Halloran.”

“Axe took Merrie at gunpoint,” Leo told him. He pointed at North. “And tried to kill him.”

The detective paled. “When?”

“Half past eleven. I didn’t realize it until about noon.”

Leo opened his truck door, rummaged in the glove box then pulled out a map of the county and spread it out on the hood. “Okay, tell me where everyone is.”

“I have Charlie scouting along Route 18, including the Devil’s bar,” Givon said. “Cynthia and George are patrolling the east and west.”

“By the way,” Braden asked Givon, “what happened to your department leak?”

“It would’ve been easy to fire the boy,” Givon replied. “So I’m not going to make it easy.”

“You could arrest him,” Braden suggested.

“For running his mouth? I’d rather teach him a lesson.”

North snorted. “Believe me. You don’t want this ass riding yours. Poor bastard.”

Givon smiled, cold and evil, giving Leo pause. Back when they were in high school, he remembered some kid smashing Givon’s windshield with a baseball bat over some stupid thing or other. The next day, the kid had replaced the window himself while Givon had stood by watching. No one had ever figured out what had happened to make the guy fix what he’d broken, but damned if anyone ever messed with Givon Halloran again.

So Braden stayed behind while they all broke up and headed out searching. Leo hadn’t a clue where to search, except where the Demon Devil’s hung out, so he headed toward the bar where Deputy Charlie Earenflight was also patrolling.

He remembered the turf war that had raged when the Demon Devils settled into Destiny twenty years ago. Braden was off at college but he’d deferred his own schooling for two years to help Clip with the ranch. It had been a dangerous time, even to go into town for groceries. He hadn’t thought highly of either motorcycle club. Things had settled down, especially when Old Patch had taken over the Red Wolves. But the animosity hadn’t completely gone away.

He drove by the bar on Route 18 several times, hoping that he would see something—anything. The parking lot remained empty except for a couple of bikes. He passed Charlie a time or two and waved at the deputy.

Where would Axe take Merrie? Had he hurt her? Was she crying or suffering? The questions tormented him until he thought he’d go mad. He’d promised her she’d be safe. He’d told her that he and Braden would protect her.

God, he was a stupid fucking fool.

All he could do was pray that he’d get the opportunity to make it up to her. He couldn’t live without her.

After a few hours of driving around, hoping to see Axe or Merrie, he went back to change places with Braden. When he walked into the house, silence greeted him. He experienced the crushing weight of one possible future—one where Merrie might never be back. It hit him so hard he sank to his knees. He let out a roar of pain, wincing when all it did was echo back.

* * * *

Twilight dusted the sky when Braden, Givon, North and the other two deputies arrived back at the house. Leo had every light turned on, thinking it was like a candle in the window, leading the lost back home.

As everyone piled into the living room, Leo saw the frustration on their faces. He turned toward the kitchen to find something to do—maybe brew some coffee—when the sheriff’s phone buzzed.

“Yeah?” Givon barked. “What? Where? Holy shit. All right. We’re on our way.”

He hung up and turned.

“What?” Braden demanded.

“She’s safe,” Givon said.

Relief, sweet and sharp, rush through Leo.

“Where is she?” he asked.

Givon sighed, the only indication that something wasn’t quite copasetic.

“Givon?”

“Seems like Gray Dog rescued her.”

Absolute silence met his statement. Leo saw that even North was dumbstruck.

“Excuse me?” Braden demanded, breaking the disbelief in the room.

“She’s at their bar on Route 18.”

Without another word, Leo left—just walked right out of the door toward his truck. He slid behind the wheel just as Braden got into the passenger seat. The two glanced at each other and Leo knew he must look just as relieved as his brother did. Leo started up the truck and took off.