Chapter 32

Chapter 32
Zero

“Prepare to ride tomorrow. I'm not saying Houston can't find our girl, but you are the best hunter we got man,” Storm says to me.
Which is the truth.
It's how I got my name.
Zero failed missions, zero missed kills, zero unfound missing persons. And for the last 8 years since I got the name it has remained, zero.
“I’ll go with him,” Spade demands.
No one argues to that.
“Get Falon to go to Barfa this weekend and speak to Kandra, maybe she heard something. Knight and Killer, you stay, got a bad feeling about this. Don't want the girls and Prez without protection. Snake and I are going on a little racing trip tomorrow night. What do you say man?” I feel Snakes energy across the fucking room.
The guy loves speed of any kind.
“Bull needs to shadow the girls. Venus don't tell them shit. Falon is the only one who needs in. At least until we know more got it.”
“Yeah.” Venus has been taking it bad since we found out, she was the one to send Jade on the mission.
Jade was up for getting her tat.
We voted her in a few months back but Rounder said to hold off until she sorted stuff out with her sister, Abby.
“This was supposed to be a walk in the park, a simple meet up with Mercy, collect some evidence for a client then come back to Kanla. I think the question is not whether she was taken but where was she taken,” Snake points out.
“And who the fuck took her!” Spade growls from behind me.
“There's not many people who’ll touch a Satan Sniper. I don't think we should rule out the entire Cosa Nostra. The Famiglia yeah, they’re too powerful to even bother with that shit, but the outfit is still into trafficking. Jade has a history in that world, it's clear someone could've seen her, recognized her. She did after all kill a dozen of their men.”
Killer voices exactly what I’ve considered except,
“We are forgetting one other person who could want her dead.”
They all stare at me.
“Mayor Grison.”
Storm considers the implications this would cause but his eyes harden.
“Killer, you up brother.” Killer nods but his face looks grim and I know why.
His brother's son is spending the night at the Clubhouse. He hardly gets to see the kid since he moved in with his dad in New York.
Killer sees my intent to go in his place but shakes his head at me.
“Let's get Jade home.” Storm bangs the hammer on the table.
The mumble agreements from all of us as we walk up the cemented steps to the main floor dies down when Spade opens the door.
Music is blasting through the Clubhouse and there's not a soul in sight.
Crazy girl by Eli young band is playing, but it's not playing from the speakers but sang by a feisty 19-year-old trouble maker.
Storm’s feet carry him faster than all of us to where the music is coming from, well more to who the music is coming from.
Knight groans and Bull follows the man to the bar.
Venus smiles next to me but doesn't move, neither does Killer whose lips are pressed in a harsh line.
“Your sisters here, what's up your ass?” I ask him.
Killer snickers,
“My sister is here dumbass.” He follows the direction Storm went in.
“His pride is a bit bruised. Beggar rejected his gifts this morning and hid out with Spade for over two hours in the training room.”
Venus shakes her head.
“Who does that? She's something.”
“Didn't know they were hooking up,” I reply, feigning disinterest but inside I'm fucking boiling with rage.
And this is the last thing I need now if my head is going to be clear to find Jade.
“Not yet.” She sounds too certain.
“How do you know?”
The music stops along with the singing as I ask that question. At the same time Venus’s violet knowing gaze settles on me.
A small smirk stretches across her face.
“Same way I know you’re jealous, observation.”
I glare at her and grind my teeth knowing I'm in a rut.

Denying Venus’s suspicions or ‘observation’ is like telling Killer's sister, Kylie to shut up, pointless.

“And what is it you have observed regarding Killer, Doc.” I keep the sarcasm to a minimum but I can't deny it isn't there.

But Venus as usual doesn't give a shit.

“He spent 18 minutes extra in the shower yesterday plus another 18 this morning. Killer doesn't take thirty minutes in the shower washing his crack dumbass.”

She saunters off, her hair open and swishing as she walks away.

And that's one of the many reasons I wish Venus was a guy so I could knock her out without having the fear of getting castrated.

Deciding to ignore the loud squeals coming from the lounge area, I head for the kitchen for an early lunch. The faint smell of roasted chicken that Chadley made this morning wafts through the air and my stomach growls.

They should be back by now.

I open the double door to the kitchen and Chadley is bent over the bucket, squeezing the mop.

Her hair hidden underneath that grey woolen hat her ma gave her last Christmas. I thought she threw it out.

She's the only girl in the club I haven't ever fucked because she's Falon’s cousin, so off limits in my book.

That doesn't mean we ain't friends.

I walk past her and smack her hard on the ass. I'm caught off guard as she assaults me with the mop.

First a hard swat to the leg.

“Stop, shit.” My voice booms through the kitchen.

But she doesn't listen, and I have my arm across my face blocking the crazy woman.

When she lifts the broom to hit me again, I grab the mop. “Enough of this shit,” I bellow.

“You had no business slapping my ass.” The unmistakable voice sends a sick thrill through me.

But the death glare and the fact that she's probably plotting my murder reminds me to tread with caution.

“Didn't know it's you Beauty, thought you were Chadley.”

She gives me a doubtful look that I return with a straight one.

Yeah baby, bring it on. We stay like this, in a staring competition until Killer walks in.