CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Noah

"I don't care that I've lost my patch. I need to be a part of the search. Alpha… please." I growl the words at my ex-president.

Alpha exhales, rolling his shoulders. "We haven't even had a chance to talk to Dutch yet, and you want me to let you stay on at the club and help—"

"Yes! I fucking love her, Alpha. If something happens to her, and I don't get the chance to help or find out where she is, and she's—" I stop talking because my train of thought is too much to bear. Once I have controlled my racing brain, I continue, "I swear, when we find her, we can tell Dutch everything. I just need to find her. I'm begging you!" I stare at him, not knowing what else to do.

He glances at Loki, and Loki nods, then Alpha grumbles under his breath. "All right. But as soon as we get her back, we gotta figure this shit out with Dutch. You hear me?"

"As long as I know Rhyan is okay, I will tell Dutch everything myself. I need to know she is oka—"

"Pres! I got her," Rip calls from downstairs.

Snapping my head around, I race for the Chapel door. Loki and Alpha are with me as we see Rip rushing inside, carrying Rhyan in his arms. He moves her over to the pool table while I hurry down the stairs, taking two at a time, my heart racing hard and fast.

Dutch and Ellie are by her side fast while I slide in beside the pool table, my stomach instantly churning when I take her in. Her clothes are torn, and she's filthy like she's been dragged through the dirt. There are scrapes all over her arms and legs. She has a clear black eye. But worse than that, there are cuts and deep lacerations on her skin from obvious knife wounds. Swallowing hard, my hands ball into fists before I step closer. Ellie's crying as she runs her hands over her daughter.

Dutch's face contorts in the clear agony he is in seeing his only child hurt like this. "Baby girl, are you in pain?" Dutch asks, his voice full of anguish. He leans in, gently cupping her face, while I stand back. My body shakes in uncontrollable anger. My muscles tremble while Rhyan smiles brightly, her eyelids heavy, her head barely managing to keep upright, her symptoms all in contradiction to each other.

"I feel great, Daddy," she chimes, then lets out a small giggle.

Rip clears his throat. "I think she's been drugged, Dutch. When I spotted her, I saw a car speeding off, but I don't know who it was."

Dutch reaches out, grabs Rhyan's arms, and pulls up her sleeves. We all see it at the same time.

"Motherfucker," I snap. The obvious puncture lines in the crease of her elbow make me want to hurl.

"Someone get Livvy over here. Right. Fucking. Now!" Alpha yells.

My breathing increases, seeing the signs, knowing exactly who is behind this attack. What he is capable of. Fear seeps through me completely, but I need to know. So I slide up beside Ellie. Her watering eyes glance at me as I clear my throat. "Ellie, I need to check something."

Ellie inhales sharply, then moves to the side, allowing me to step beside Rhyan. She spots me, a bright smile lighting her pale face, and lunges toward me. Rhyan's hands snake out, wrapping around my neck and gently caressing my cheek. My arms cautiously slide around her waist, holding onto her so she doesn't drop off the edge of the pool table.

"Noah," she chimes happily.

"Yeah, dragonfly?" My voice is barely a whisper.

She sighs, her hands continuing to caress my face. "You're so good to me. I love how you make my heart dance."

I press my forehead to hers, then pull back. "I need to check something. Is it okay if I do that, Rhy?"

Dutch narrows his eyes on me. "The fuck are you doing, Noah?"

"I think I know who did this. And if he did, he'll have left a calling card," I reply.

With the eyes of the club on me, I move to Rhyan's skirt and gently lift it.

She giggles, running her hands through my hair. "Oh, hey, lover. You wanna play?" Rhyan asks while Dutch scowls at me intensely. I ignore her as I continue to lift her skirt and ease her thighs apart.

My stomach lurches when I see it. Burned into Rhyan's skin is a circle, with two longer ovals crossing each other on the inside. The burn is deep and will leave a scar, which is exactly what that motherfucker wanted.

To leave his branding mark on her.

Claiming her as his.

A trickle of sweat rolls down my temple. I turn, taking a long breath, as I scrub at my bearded chin.

"What? What is it?" Ellie begs.

My bottom lip trembles in rage, thoughts of what else he might have done to her slam through me like a sledgehammer. The images rushing through my mind, hitting me full force one after the other making me feel so fucking nauseous that I hunch over, letting out a shaky breath. My nostrils flare, my hands clench into tight fists while a rush of pure anger surges through me. My face flushes red, but I let out a long puff of air before standing straight to look at Dutch. "This was Atlas. He has a brand he burns onto the inside of women's thighs to mark his property." Dutch's eyes widen, and a fierce glare permeates my soul as I regretfully continue, "And he's branded Rhyan."

Dutch steps up to me, reaches out, grabs my shirt, and shoves me forcefully. "He did this to my baby, because of you?" He pulls back, thrusting his fist, hard into my face.

I drop to one knee, my head snapping to the side, blood seeping into my mouth before I spit it out onto the floor.

"Daddy!" Rhyan yells, trying to jump off the pool table, but Ellie stops her.

The guys reach out, grabbing Dutch to halt him from attacking me further, and I lift my hand up to stop Rhyan from moving. "It's okay, Rhy. You stay where you are. Don't move, baby," I tell her, swiping the blood from my lip as I move to stand.

"I feel fine. Why are you all freaking the hell out?" She waves her hands aimlessly while Ellie tries to keep her on the pool table.

I turn to look at my VP. "Loki, can we get a hit on the car that dropped her off and try to trace where it's gone back to?"

"Wait? Loki's here? Rip, you sonofabitch, you did take me to Asgard. Does that mean I can fly?" Rhyan asks, jumping up dramatically, and moves to leap from the pool table, but I dart lightning fast and catch her just as she falls. She lands in my arms, and I cradle her to me, her hands instantly shifting to my face again, her fingers trailing all over my cheeks.

"Damn, girl, you're high as fuck," Rip mumbles under his breath.

Dutch steps up to me, clear aggravation crossing his features as Rhyan's eyes roll back into her head. "Rhy?" I snap, but she doesn't reply, her body going limp in my arms.

"She's out!" I yell, panic washing over me like a torrential river, drowning me in its unyielding current.

Dutch steps in beside me, pressing his fingers to her throat. "Her pulse is weak, her breathing's slow. We can't wait for Livvy to get here. We gotta get her to the hospital. Right fucking now!" Dutch reaches in, yanking Rhyan from my arms.

I don't have a say.

I go to race after them, but Dutch glares at me.

He doesn't need to say anything.

I know it's a warning.

A warning for me not to follow them to the hospital.

Adrenaline surges through me as Dutch takes off with Ellie, Rip, and Strings while I stand back in the middle of the clubroom, covered in blood—oozing from my lip, but worse, all over my clothes from Rhyan's lacerations. Watching them leave while letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my hands slide up into my hair as the emotion hits me all at once. I groan loudly, venting all my frustration, not caring how the brothers who are left look at me.

Panting frantically, I try to calm myself down.

It's not working.

Nothing's working.

Seeing Rhyan hurt and out of her mind like that, knowing Dutch won't let me do anything to help her, is driving me completely, undeniably, and painfully insane.

A gentle hand on my back makes my head snap up to Loki beside me, trying to comfort me. "For what it's worth, brother, at least she's alive. I'm gonna go search for details on Atlas' car now. Give me a few minutes. I'll find what you need." He tilts his head, slaps my back, then heads for his den.

My body shakes with rage, and I don't have enough strength to keep standing. I don't even have enough to reach the nearest seat, so I slowly slide to the floor. My entire body shudders as Alpha steps up beside me. I stare at nothing, my mind a garbled mess, wondering how far Atlas pushed it with Rhyan.

He wanted my attention.

The asshole's certainly got it.

I now wish I'd given him the attention he craved before it got to this.

It's not like he didn't try.

First, with my mom.

Then, with Rocco in New York.

"I should have fucking listened," I murmur under my breath.

Alpha exhales, folding his arms over his chest. "Hindsight is a wonderful and horrible thing, Noah. Rhyan will be okay. She's fucking strong. What I want to know is, if I give you this chance to make it right, are you gonna fuck it up?"

Snapping my head up to look at him, I widen my eyes. "I know this was Atlas. I want to make that fucker pay. If there's a chance to make it up to you and the club while doing that, I'll fucking do anything, Pres. This club is my home. You guys, all of you, but especially Dutch, you're family. The thought of leaving here or of talking to Dutch and him taking out his vengeance on me doesn't feel right. I know I'm constantly fucking up… just look at Rhyan. Let me make this right, Alpha!"

He inhales deeply, nodding his head. "I'm gonna ask you to do something, and you're not gonna like it. But I promise you, Noah, it's for a bigger purpose. You do this for me, and I won't tell Dutch what happened in New York on the weekend."

My breath catches as I stare at Alpha. "What about my patch?"

Alpha rolls his shoulders. "That I'll need to discuss with the rest of the brothers, but I promise you, Noah, what happened in New York stays with me, Loki, and Mav if you do this one thing."

I slowly stand and look Alpha dead in the eyes. "Name it."

He cranes his neck to the side to release the tension, then he exhales. "You find Atlas, but you bring him back to the clubhouse. Alive . You can't kill him."

My eyes widen, my nostrils flaring. I scrub at my chin, trying to keep my shit together. "You saw what he did to her?"

Alpha reaches out, gripping my shoulder. "I did. But I need Atlas alive and able to function. I can't have him too badly hurt either, Noah."

Huffing out a groan of frustration, I spin, pacing off my anxiety as I try to rein in my emotions. I turn back, facing Alpha. "He can't get away with what he's done to Rhyan, Pres!"

Alpha raises his hands. "I told you that you wouldn't like it. But you have to trust me. For a bigger purpose. Remember?"

My foot taps on the floor anxiously, but I nod my head. Snapping my eyes open, I look right into Alpha's eyes. "I'll bring you Atlas, unharmed. But Pres, what if he has people around him? Are they fair game?"

Alpha chuckles. "I don't give a shit about the assholes he works with. I just want Atlas. If you kill every other fucker around him, so be it."

Fire ignites so fucking hot, a volcano of molten lava flows through me.

This asshole chose the wrong foster brother to mess with. He might have saved my ass back when we were kids, but that does not give him the right to think I owe him now. To take it out on my mom, and even worse, on my woman, is the absolute final straw.

Atlas is going down.

And if I have to take out… Every. Single. Fucker who knows the motherfucker to do so, then I don't care if I have to wipe out half of the continental United States to make that happen.

"Can I take some men with me to bring him in?" I ask.

Alpha nods. "You take whoever you want. You know this guy better than anyone. You know how he works. You take the lead on this, Noah. You run this mission."

Straightening out my shoulders, I stand taller. "I won't let you down, Pres."

"Just keep focused. Don't let your emotions get in the damn way."

My stomach churns, thinking about Rhyan and the torture he put her through, but Alpha is right.

I can't let my mind go to that place.

I have one mission…

To get Atlas back here in one piece.

Then, I have to see what Alpha has in store for him.

"I got this, Pres. I swear!"

Alpha grips my shoulder and then gestures behind me. "Glad to hear it. Now, I think Loki has some information for you."

I glance behind me at Loki standing in the doorway of his den, and I turn back to Alpha. "Thank you for this chance. I appreciate it."

"Don't fucking let me down, Noah."

Dipping my chin, I take off toward Loki with a fire in my step. He steps out of the way, letting me enter his den, and then closes the door. "What do you have for me?"

Loki hands me a watch, and I furrow my brows but take it from him. "Put this on, and watch it while you're riding. It will work like a GPS and send you the coordinates of where the car that dropped Rhyan off is currently located."

Widening my eyes, I slide the watch onto my right wrist. "You were able to track the car?"

Loki nods. "Yeah, followed it back to an abandoned asylum."

Snorting out a laugh, I shake my head. "Fitting. Are you able to find anything else out about this place? How many other people are there with him? Anything I need to know before we head in there?"

Loki rubs the back of his neck. "From what I can tell, the place is a junkie's hangout. You gotta be careful of sharps and any other paraphernalia that could be lying around. They could also be growing or cooking, so be fucking careful. You smell anything off, you get the fuck out."

"I hear you. How many men do you think I need with me?" I ask his opinion. Loki has run multiple missions, but I am completely new to this, so I value his input.

"If it were me, I'd take at least two, maybe three. Go in a van, so it's a quiet approach, and you can bring Atlas back without hassle. That's how I'd do it."

Nodding, I let out a long exhale. "And how do I know which men to take?"

Loki grips my shoulder. "You take the men you know will have your back in this, Noah. Who will have no issue following your lead, especially because you're a prospect. Or at least, you were. Don't take anyone who will question you or let the emotion of it all get on top of them."

Nodding, I hear what he is saying. Don't take Dutch, even though he would be my first point of call. "Understood. Thanks for your help, VP. You're good at this."

He shoves me toward the door. "If you need backup, hit the button on the side of the watch. It will alert me, and I'll bring the rest of the guys. It'll tell me your location, and we will come running."

"Thanks, Loki. For giving me a shot at making this right."

"We all deserve a second chance. Make this count, Noah."

I turn for his door, then walk out with a pep in my step. I must make this work. Walking out into the clubroom, I spot Ink, Maverick, and Wes all sitting together. The exact group of misfits I need right now. I step in behind them, gaining their attention. "Guys, I have a mission, and I need the three of you to help me carry it out. Alpha's orders."

They all glance up at me, furrowing their brows.

"Alpha put you in charge?" Maverick questions.

"I know, it's odd, but it's for a reason. I need you guys to trust me on this. I have the location on Atlas. Loki gave me this watch with the GPS coordinates. We have to take the club van and head out. Alpha's instructions are that collateral damage is irrelevant. All that matters is we bring Atlas back to the clubhouse in one piece." I hold up a picture for the guys to see what Atlas looks like, so there's no mistaking.

Ink rolls his shoulders. "Fuck it! I'm in."

Maverick exhales, seemingly less excited. "Yeah, fine, me too."

Wes smiles wide. "You know I'm down for anything, brother."

"Thanks. This means a lot to me," I tell them, sliding the image into my pocket.

Maverick stands, grips my shoulder, and pulls me in for a back-slapping embrace. "We got your six, Noah. We always do." He pulls back. "Now, let's go get this sonofabitch!"

The four of us turn, heading for the parking lot.

Time to end this fucking feud.