Chapter Twenty-Two

Ghost

W ATCHING ALANA LEAVE the shop brings out every protective instinct I have in me. I don’t want her out of my sight after just witnessing her have the biggest panic attack I’ve ever seen her have since she moved to Pine View. Cage and Joker have looks of defeat and fear filling their features as their eyes lock on their daughter and watch her disappear down the hall and listen as the back door opens and closes behind Kian and her. They both turn their attention to me as Pops takes her seat and his shoulders slump in defeat. I honestly don’t know what I can say to them right now because there are no words that will bring them comfort and the knowledge that she’ll be okay after a nap and time. Alana needs this situation with Terrence over with so she doesn’t have to worry about getting through each day and if she’ll have a panic attack or not. Every single second she’s awake, Alana is consumed in fear and I’m tired of seeing her fake her way through each day.

“Is that how she is every single time she leaves the compound?” Pops finally asks as Beckett and Crab work to divert the attention of the clients currently in the shop.

I lean against the counter, not able to stand on my own right now after watching my girl go through that and knowing there’s very little I can do to help her through it. Until we can break through the fog and haze that surrounds her, Alana can’t hear our words or realize that we’re touching her and giving her our strength and support in the time she can’t have her own. Geek and I don’t even know if what we’re doing is truly the right thing and we have had an appointment with Debbie on our own about it. She’s assured us that we are doing everything in our power to help her and she’ll know we’re doing our best. Even with her words of assurance, I don’t know that we’re doing the right things when it comes to our girl.

“That’s the worst panic attack I’ve ever seen her have. She literally has them on a regular basis but it doesn’t hit her as fast or hard as it did just now. Geek and I are usually with her and can calm her down before it gets too bad. I’m not sure what happened today, but maybe it’s because she’s been consumed with fear or that she held off yesterday’s panic attack. All I know is that I never want to see Alana like that again. She’s so fuckin’ scared and that won’t end until Terrence is dealt with once and for all,” I answer him, looking between her family members as we’re left alone by the rest of the men in the shop as they try to keep working and keeping all the attention off of us.

What’s going on with Alana is no one else’s business. She’s going to be hurt and embarrassed enough that she had a panic attack in the middle of the tattoo shop. Alana has always cared more about what people think of her and how she makes them feel when she’s in public. The only time she can truly be herself and not feel every lingering look and whispered word is when she’s in our home or alone. There she doesn’t give a fuck about how she acts or what she does because no one’s there to see her. What I do know is when she’s truly herself, it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen in my life. Geek feels the same way and we always try to make her feel comfortable enough to be who she wants to be. We’ll never change and will always go above and beyond to ensure her world is as safe and filled with peace and love as we can make it.

“I’m goin’ to see my daughter and make sure she’s okay,” Cage says, his words full of pain and fear.

I watch as Cage follows the same path Alana took not that long ago. As the door opens and closes, the need to go outside and be with my girl consumes me and I go to take a step in that direction when the loudest roar fills the air and I race toward the door leading out back where we park and where Alana went to catch her breath. Shoving the door open and not giving a fuck if I hit anyone with it, I search the parking lot until my eyes land on Kian laying motionless on the ground. Blood pools around him and has already soaked into the pavement beneath him. Rushing to his side, I feel for a pulse and find one while pulling out my phone as Cage rushes back to me.

“Where the fuck is she, Ghost? Where is Alana and why the fuck is the Prospect layin’ on the ground unconscious?” Cage questions me as Pops and Joker head in opposite directions as they search for their daughter and granddaughter.

“I know as much as you do, Cage. We were both inside when she came out here. I’m callin’ to get him help. Call King and have him pull out the footage from the security cameras here to find out what happened to her. We need to call Geek and get him here too,” I say, my voice trembling with fear and worry as my eyes look around the parking lot again for any sign of my girl.

Rage fills me with the thought of her disappearing and I know this is the work of Terrence. He’s been here and took out Kian to get his hands on Alana again. The monster I try to keep buried deep bubbles to the surface. I don’t bother pushing it back down because I know without a doubt that I’m going to need him in order to find my girl and bring her back home.

“What’s goin’ on, Ghost?” Vault answers the phone as I try to catch my breath and tell him what’s going on.

“She’s gone, Vault. Terrence has gotten his hands on Alana. Kian’s been hurt and we need a van to bring him back to the clubhouse. Get Doc there too. I’m not sure if he’ll need a hospital or not. Maybe it will be better for Doc to come here so we don’t move him and make the situation worse,” I tell Vault, my words rushed out to the point I don’t know if my President even understands what the hell I’m saying right now.

The world around me fades away to the smallest tunnel and I can’t focus on anything around me. I barely register the hand resting on my shoulder for the longest time until I’m gently shaken and I look up to find my dad at my side. I almost forget he was here with everything that happened with Alana and the panic attack.

“Son, we’re gonna find Alana and bring her home where she belongs. When we do, you’ll get your hands on the sick fuck who has her and you can rip him limb from limb. Right now, you need to be strong for Alana. You can’t get lost in your head and allow the demons you’ve been buryin’ deep to consume you,” he tells me, never removing his hand from my shoulder in comfort as his eyes flash with something I’ve never seen from him before. It’s almost as if he’s been transported back in time remembering the past when he was going through everything with my mom.

“I know we’ll find her, Dad. There’s no other choice but to bring her back home. Geek and I need her. We can’t go on with our lives without her here with us. Both of us know that and will do everythin’ in our power to ensure she not only comes home but that we help her get past what’s been done to her by Terrence. I need to call Geek now,” I tell him, my voice still wavering as the fear wars with rage and I know I need to figure this shit out so I can be the man Alana needs me to be regardless of if she’s here with us right now or not.

“I’ll call him, Kaden. I don’t want him to know what’s goin’ on until Playboy’s at his side. Colton is gonna lose his shit and he’ll need his dad with him right now. He needs the same talk I just gave you and it won’t be the same if you talk to him. I think Playboy was goin’ to work with him today and this needs to be handled delicately,” my dad says as Cage, Joker, and Pops make their way back over to us.

All three of them look down at me as I continue to kneel over Kian’s prone body. They look at me and wait for me to make my next move. Instead of losing my shit like they’re expecting, I stand from the Prospect’s body and turn toward the wall of the building. Slamming my fist into the cement, I leave a hole behind and know I will need to have my hand checked out eventually because I’m pretty sure I just broke it. That doesn’t matter right now. The only thing that matters is getting Alana and bringing her home where she belongs.

“Kaden!” my dad calls out, his voice raw with pain and worry as he rushes to my side. He cradles my hand in his as he inspects the damage I’ve done.

My knuckles have been busted open and blood covers my hand. It’s already red and swollen as he doesn’t let me go. Cage makes his way over to my side and also inspects the damage I’ve done to myself.

“Son, you broke your hand. The cast you’ll have to wear is gonna fuck with the wounds on your knuckles. Don’t make another move until you get a cast on your hand. Don’t pull another fuckin’ move like this, Kaden. Alana is gonna lose her mind if you injure yourself any more than you already have,” Cage states, his voice once again soft as him and my dad have a silent conversation with one another.

Cage and my dad might not know one another the way Cage knows Joker, but they can still have a silent conversation no one knows about. Words aren’t needed in this situation because they’re both hurting and feeling the same pain knowing that I just willingly hurt myself and that Alana’s missing. We’re all feeling the pain because a family member has been taken and it’s going to take a while to get her back. We have no clue where Terrence would take her or what he’s already doing to her. Yes, I understand she hasn’t been gone all that long, but if he decides to pull over, a lot of damage can be done in a matter of minutes when the person is fixated on a person and hurting them as much as possible.

“Doc’s here,” Joker says, walking back around the building with Deegan at his side as he lets his attention drop to my hand while he shakes his head.

We all stand by Kian as Doc gets out of his car and rushes to his side. He checks him over and releases a breath of relief.

“He’s gonna be okay. Yes, he’s lost a lot of blood but it’s a head injury and that’s typical. We need to get him to my office. I’ll keep him there for now. I can give him the treatment he needs without takin’ him to the hospital. They’ll have to report his injuries to the police and I’m sure that’s not a can of worms you want to open right now,” Doc informs us, his voice void of emotion as he looks at each one of us. Doc’s eyes drop to my hand that my dad’s still holding in his and I watch as his eyes open wide. “Ghost, what did you do to yourself?”

I looked at the wall behind me, the dent in the cement with pieces crushed laying on the ground beneath the mark I’ve made. Doc shakes his head and motions for the rest of the men to help him get Kian loaded up in the van Zayden just brought and parked behind his car. I watch on as Kian’s loaded and Deegan gets in next to him so he doesn’t roll all over the place in the back on the way to Doc’s office. My dad leads me to my truck and gets me settled in the passenger side of the vehicle as if I’m a young boy again. We don’t talk once he gets in the driver’s seat and he pulls out to follow Doc and the van holding Kian. I’m unable to pay attention to the passing scenery as we make our way through the city to the office where my dad parks before helping me out and leading me inside.

“When are you gonna call Playboy?” I ask my dad once I’m settled in an exam room as Doc rushes around to make sure Kian’s head wound has stopped bleeding.

“I’m gonna go call him now. I wasn’t about to let you hurt yourself even more than you already have. Now that you’re in here, I can leave you alone for a few minutes to talk to him. Hopefully Slim can get to them quickly to help keep Geek under control. I’ve taught you over the years to control yourself and learn when you need to shut down to prevent this kind of shit from happenin’. Geek has had that same trainin’, but I fear this is gonna be too much for him. The last thing we need to do is have him runnin’ off on his own and gettin’ himself hurt or gettin’ Alana hurt if he manages to find her,” he informs me, pulling his phone from his pocket as he leaves the room just before Cage, Joker, and Pops make their way in and take up seats surrounding me.

It doesn’t take long for Vault and several other members of the club to show up. Vault and Valor make their way into the small exam room I’m in while everyone else waits out in the waiting room. No one talks or questions me as we wait for Doc to ensure Kian is stable before he can make his way in to put a cast on my hand. I want to laugh at how ironic this situation is. Alana had the same injury when Terrence hurt her the last time before she made her way to see her family before moving here with us. She had her cast on when we first saw her. Now, when I see her again, I’ll have a cast on my hand.

I ’ve gotten the cast on my hand that goes up just below my damn elbow. Doc told us Kian is stable and the stitches are in his head. He’s wrapped the injury and is giving him pain medicine and antibiotics along with giving him fluids through the IV. He’s not sure when Kian will wake up, but he won’t leave his side until he does so he’s not confused. That’s something that needs to be checked out because we have no clue what he was hit with or how much damage has been done to him. Doc can only determine so much until he’s awake and able to talk to those around him. Deegan and Crab are gonna stay at Doc’s office to keep an eye on things and let Vault know what’s going on with regular updates.

My dad drives me back to the clubhouse and I’m once again in a daze because all of my thoughts are consumed by Alana. Wondering what she’s doing, if she’s okay, and where Terrence is taking her. At this point, we have no clue if he’ll remain in Pine View or the surrounding towns. There are so many what if’s flooding my mind and I have no clue what to do to stop them. It’s only going to get worse when Geek gets to the clubhouse and we see one another for the first time since the news of Alana being taken from us.

By the time we get to the compound, the rage coursing through me is on the verge of exploding. Cage and my dad surround me as Killer and Devil join our small group. None of them leave my side as my dad leads me to a table in the back of the room as we wait for any sign of Geek and King to enter the common room. I don’t accept the beer Beckett hands me or notice it sitting on the table in front of me. All the conversations in the room sound as if my head’s been submerged under the water. It’s all muffled and sounds like a jumbled mess as my eyes focus on nothing in particular since I can’t see anything at all. The only image in my mind is Alana with a soft smile on her face as she looks up at me and Geek. This is the only way I want to see her and nothing else will ever be good enough.