28. Grizzly

28

GRIZZLY

M y phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see Bane's number flashing on the screen. I step away from Meredith and the others and go outside so I can hear him.

"This better be good, Bane, you're interrupting something very important," I tell him gruffly.

"You need to get to the clubhouse, there's been an incident," he says, and the line goes dead.

My blood runs cold, and it feels like there's ice in my veins as I make my way back inside to find the others. I spot them and go over to them, grabbing Trap by the arm and getting close to his ear.

"Party's over, we've got to get back to the club. Something's wrong. Don't tell her anything just get Dart and meet me outside," I tell him before heading for the door.

A few minutes later, they saunter out of the sorority house and make their way over to me and their bikes.

"What the fuck is going on, Grizzly?" Dart asks me. "We were about to get a night with our girl."

I can't help but laugh at the disappointment on his face. I can tell he's got it just as bad for her as I do, and that's pretty bad.

"I have no idea what's going on, that's why we have to get back. Bane called and said there's been an incident and that's all he said before he hung up," I tell them as I swing my leg over my bike and start it up.

Trap and Dart are right behind me all the way back to the club even though I know I broke every traffic law in the book trying to get there fast. I shut off the bike and jump off of it, making a beeline for Bane. The other two are quick to follow and catch up to me in no time.

"What the fuck happened, Bane?" I ask him.

"Skeeter went out for a cigarette an hour ago. She never came back in. We don't know what happened or where she went," he tells me in a low tone.

"Shit," Trap mumbles from beside me.

Skeeter has been with the club for several years, one of two female members. I was skeptical of her at first, but she's proved herself to be a valuable member.

"It has to be the Bratva, it just has to be," Dart says softly from beside Trap.

I failed her. I know I failed her. I underestimated the Bratva and figured they wouldn't hit so close to home. They must have figured out what happened at the auction and came for retribution. That's the only thing I can think of to make them want to take someone from my club.

Anger courses through me as I try to figure out what we're going to do to get Skeeter back. I'm not sure there's anything we can do at this point. They may have already killed her, and that's a thought I don't want running through my head.

"Why the hell did she go outside to smoke? Everyone smokes inside at the bar, there was no need for her to be outside alone," I snap.

"I looked at the camera, and it appears she was also on the phone. She probably didn't want anyone to overhear her conversation. I hear she's got a man in the military, maybe it was him. She was grabbed right after she put her phone in her pocket. I can't tell who grabbed her or if they belong with the Bratva or not," Bane says, anger lacing his tone.

I'm so overcome by anger that I walk a few paces away from the bikes and kick gravel around with my feet. A roar rips from my throat as frustration bubbles up through me. The Bratva is the only organization I can think of that would do something like this. I know the only way I'm going to find out is to get information from somewhere.

"Dart, I need you to get in touch with your contact and see if he knows anything. We've got to act fast if we have any hope of saving Skeeter. Bane, I want you to continue going through the camera feed and see if you can find something else that might be of help to us. Trap, I want you to go back to the campus and make sure Meredith gets back to her room okay and then come right back here," I tell them as I head for the door to go to my office.

I slam the door to my office and go behind my desk, opening a drawer to reveal the bottle of tequila I have hidden there. I'm on my third shot when there's a knock on the door. Dart pushes the door open without waiting for me to tell him to come in. I don't know what it is with him, but he never has the patience to wait.

"Sure, come on in," I say sarcastically as he plops into the chair in front of my desk.

"I didn't think you would mind my lack of formalities with the information I have for you," he says as he leans forward and puts his elbows on the desk.

"What's the information? Can we trust it? Are you sure your contact is someone that can be trusted?" I ask him as I lean forward, sliding the bottle of tequila across to him.

"I'm positive the information is trustworthy, and so is my contact. It seems that the Bratva have begun doing deals with another MC. There's only one club I can think of that would have any reason to do anything to us and that would be the Crimson Cobras. My contact seems to think they're trying to get in touch with another club as well," Dart says as he takes a shot of the tequila.

Before I can say anything in return, Trap walks into the office. I give Dart a few minutes to bring him up to speed. The look that flashes and Trap's eyes is one I haven't seen in a long time. My eyes lock with his. I know what he's thinking, and I couldn't agree more.

"Well, Trap, it looks like it's time for a plan."