Chapter 33

CHASE

"We need to find this guy."

The sounds of the bar drown our conversation. Jax takes a huge bite of his burger as Asher swigs his beer.

"It's not like we're not trying. Jax isn't getting anything coming up in his hits. Do you know how many Deacons there are? We literally know nothing to narrow it down."

"I'm trying, guys, but honestly, this is where the trail ends. Everything else on the phones B took is useless, just lower-level stuff and Shane didn't really give us anything more to go on."

"And what's about…?" As if magic happens, Jax's phone rings, and I see his name appear.

"What do you have for us."

They continue for a few minutes back and forth as Jax scribbles notes on a napkin.

"Okay, be safe."

"Well?" Asher says.

"He's in, he met Deacon. He's moved him off the lower-level stuff and into the girls. He's supposed to do a gig this Saturday, picking up some girl they picked up. Apparently, someone pissed him off, and they're taking it out on his girl."

"He's fucking sick."

"Yeah…he doesn't really know anything, but he's meant to drop her off this weekend at the guy's house as a warning to back off."

"That poor girl is going to need help."

"He wants to but doesn't know how."

I quickly grab my phone calling Brooke, she answers, and I sigh in relief.

"Did you butt dial me?" she asks after moments of silence as I try to get my breath back.

"No no, it's fine, I just wanted to check in."

"I'm fine, dumbass; now leave me alone. I'm watching Shemar Moore's fine ass kicking down a door."

"Who?" I ask.

She laughs. "It's a show on Netflix—chill your boots and go."

I tell her I love her, then hang up.

"You thought it was her?" Jax asks.

"I just wanted to make sure. We've caused a lot of waves; it wouldn't surprise me if they came after us, and hurting Brooke would definitely send us a message."

"See, this is why I'm single. No attachments. I'd fucking die if anything happened to my girl."

"Is that you keep pushing Harper away?"

He just glares at Jax in response.

"What happened the other night anyway? When you left the bar with her?"

"I tried to warn her about Kyle, she didn't want to listen. She thinks I'm jealous."

Jax snorts, "You are."

"Fuck off."

"Okay so, what do we do with this information?"

"Well, he's gonna find out more about this girl if he can try and figure out who she is. Maybe we can then connect the dots, find out who this guy is, and we can see if we can get any info from him."

"Good plan."

Jax picks up his burger before putting it down again.

"Not hungry?"

"I can't eat knowing there's a girl there suffering, and we're just waiting."

"Not a girl, multiple girls, this guy hurts multiple girls at a time."

"Yeah, he said they're moving a bunch of them to a club."

"Well, if he tells us where, maybe we can go along and get them out before they make the move?"

Jax shakes his head. "Asher, I know you want vengeance and all that, but this is getting bigger every second. Maybe we should call our contact in the police? Let them know about this drop on Saturday? They can take a whole squad and help those girls in ways we can't."

Asher ponders for a minute before talking again. "Do it. You're right."

Jax nods before getting up and making that call outside.

"It's the right decision," I say.

"I know. You're right. But Deacon is ours."

I nod in agreement. "But we need to find him before the police do."

Jax takes another swig of his beer, and I follow suit.

"How's Brooke after the bar?"

I sigh, rubbing my jaw. "Her and Harper argued this morning, Harps said she didn't want anything to do with her anymore."

"Shit, maybe I can go speak to her, try and smooth it over."

I look at Asher—this guy is crazy, I swear. "You really think you going over is going to do anything to help?"

"Probably not. That girl hates me."

I shake my head. "Sure, she does."

"I don't blame her, and maybe it's better this way."

"You remember I tried that with Brooke, yeah? I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for leaving her like that on the beach."

"Yeah, but look at you two now? She's moving in, you're engaged kinda…" he chuckles, "You two are good."

"My girl never leaves the house without a gun—she lost Nate, she lost Harper, and she's fucked up. Would you say that's good?"

"You're not persuading me differently to keep Harper away from me, you know?"

"All of that is my fault because I wasn't honest with her because I couldn't. It was your secret, not mine to tell. But you could tell Harper or at least some of it. You're choosing to not let her in because you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid of anything Chase."

"Sure, you are. You're afraid of the same thing I am."

"And what's that?"

"Losing the people you love."

Asher goes silent, and I let him. Taking another drink as the cold beer runs down my throat, numbing me to the world a little.

"Okay, I told him and said I'll have more info for him soon," Jax says, returning to the table as he slips his phone into his pocket.

"He can do something about it?"

"Yeah, but not till he knows where it's going down, which he doesn't know yet."

"You heard back from Devin yet on getting us that equipment?"

Asher shakes his head. "I haven't had my phone on today."

I sigh, holding my hand out. He digs in his jacket for his phone, handing it over to me before I turn it on, waiting for it to load up. "You need to keep this on, Asher. What if one of us needed to get hold of you?"

"I've been with Jax all day, and my parents won't stop calling me. They're fucking hounding me to go visit."

"How long's it been since you've seen them?"

He shrugs. "About a year. I have no interest in being their perfect son at their next big social event. It's all bullshit."

His phone lights up, and I look down and see several missed calls and a voicemail. "Well, someone's been blowing up your phone."

He grabs his phone from me, looking at it. "It's Harper. Probably calling me to tell me she hates me."

He presses a button, holding the phone to his ear as he listens to the voicemail. His face contorts, anger coming over him as I watch him tense. "That fucker."

"What?"

He jumps up, and me and Jax run after him out of the bar. "Dude, wait, what happened?"

"We were right about Kyle. He tried to force himself on her today—hit her, too. I'm gonna fucking kill him." He dials Harper's number but clearly is not getting an answer. He calls again, and after the third time, he leaves her a voicemail. "I'm gonna go see her."

He storms over to his car.

"Wait, maybe get Brooke to go over."

"She called me Chase, not Brooke. I'll deal with him. Find out where Kyle lives, I'm gonna break his fucking neck."

He slams the car door behind me before zooming off.

"I'll pick up Brooke and meet you at yours. Call me if you find anything before I get there. Do not call Asher. He's gonna kill Kyle if you do."

"You got it."