Chapter Twenty Four

HATCHET WALKED OUT of the meeting room. Jagger lifted his chin. He was ready to get the search done and return to Seaglass Cove.

"You're early." Hatchet shook Jagger's hand. "How were the roads?"

"Not too bad. We missed the morning commute."

Hatchet greeted Dio. "Long time no see, brother."

"Good to be back." Dio hitched his thumb over his shoulder. "Is the bar open?"

"Self-serve. Our bartender ran off." Hatchet grinned and looked at Jagger. "Speaking of Katrina, how is she?"

"Worried about her dad." Jagger walked over to the table with Hatchet while Dio shook the road dust off. "We've hit a dead-end."

"Us, too." Hatchet exhaled heavily. "You know him better than me, but I have to say, most of our members who spent more than a couple of years in prison usually take off periodically. Confinement gets to them, whether behind bars or within the club. I think Ruger got an itch and had to get out of here—considering he's got a punishment to dish out. He could be fighting demons we don't know about."

Having informed Hatchet of his relationship with Katrina and why Ruger was missing, he wasn't surprised by Hatchet's opinion. But he needed to know how long Ruger expected to be gone. His daughter needed him.

"I'm going to check out a few places in town." Jagger ran his hands through his hair, catching his fingers on the snares made by the wind. "Someone has got to remember seeing him."

"Feel free to take some of my men if needed."

"Appreciate it." He stood. "I think I'll join Dio in a drink before we head out."

"There's a couple of rooms in the back you can use if you plan on staying."

He nodded and made his way to the bar. Grabbing a beer, he popped the top and took a long drink. They'd made the one-hundred-thirty-mile trip without stopping. All he wanted was a drink and to take a piss.

Dio was deep in a conversation with Matrix, an old Havlin member from back in Jagger's father's day. He finished his beer and used the restroom. They needed to hit the road if they planned on hitting each place he wanted to check out.

Carla, a Havlin bitch, stopped him in the hallway. "Look at you, sexy. I haven't seen you in years.

She wound her arms around his waist. He grabbed her wrists and untwined himself from her grasp. At one time, she'd entertained him. But Katrina was now old enough and a permanent fixture in his life. He had no use for any of the bitches.

"Good to see you." He stepped away.

Carla had aged as women who partied hard and lived a rough life often do. He stepped away from her and returned to Dio.

"Ready to hit the road?" He took a cigarette from the pack and put it in his mouth.

Dio dropped his empty bottle into the trash and walked with him outside. At the motorcycles, he lit a cigarette.

"Did you hear anything from the others?" he asked.

"Greer mentioned Rugger used to shoot pool over on Carson and Sixth. The place is called Vinny's." Dio sat on his motorcycle and held his helmet on his lap. "Besides that, everyone is under the impression Ruger is unstable. Moody, keeps to himself, and has a temper. Sounds like he never adapted well to life outside the bars."

Jagger grunted. Ruger, to some degree, was always like that to others. Except with Jagger. But that was before Ruger took the fall for Jagger's crime.

"Let's head over there." He took another hit off his cigarette and put it out.

He knew the city of Beaverton like the back of his hand. It was a populated area with almost a hundred thousand people. There were heavily populated cities around them, but the biggest was Portland. Ruger could be anywhere.