Chapter Fifteen

Valor

SITTING IN CHURCH with everyone, I wait for Vault to call our meeting to order. He's talking to Fox, Buzz, and Kingston about something and I can't hear what they're saying. Vault does keep looking over at me and I know whatever they're talking about involves my girl and I'm not going to like what they have to say when the meeting starts. Killer, Playboy, and Court are directly next to me. I have a feeling this is a strategic move on my brother's part based on whatever is going to be said in this room. I'm not sure what the fuck is going on, but one way or another I'll hear about it as soon as Vault determines they've gone over what they have to so we can get started. Honestly, I want to be back in my bed with Savannah. I left her sleeping after getting up with the girls and sending them to school with the guys. I took them this morning so my wife could sleep in for once. She's always up so damn early and doing everything for those around her.

"Church in session," Vault finally says, pulling me from my thoughts of Savannah laying in bed without me. "This meetin' is gonna be as quick as possible. It's about Conrad, the sick fuck who beat the hell out of Savannah and left her in the house for the girls to find. Fox, why don't you share what you guys have found."

Buzz hates speaking in front of others and we have both clubs gathered in our meeting room today. Fox is a good one to take point since he doesn't give a fuck about what anyone says or thinks. I am kind of surprised Vault is allowing Kingston in here since he's not started Prospecting yet though. I mean, we all know he's been helping Buzz and his dad work to dig up as much information on Conrad as possible so maybe that's why he's been invited into church. No one else would get the same courtesy which makes me wonder if there's more going on than what I've been told so far.

Tension fills me as I sit in my seat and give Fox my full focus. He stands as the screen we use slides down and Buzz presses a few buttons on his laptop so it goes to the screen and we can all see what he's looking at. I still don't look because anything they want us to see is only going to piss me the fuck off.

"As you know, we've suspected Conrad and his father, Governor Riley, of bein' involved in the traffickin' ring since Savannah was attacked and we started lookin' into him," Fox begins as Kingston sits watching his dad and I keep my eyes locked on Fox. "We were right. Not only are they involved, they're the ones who started it. Governor Riley has been sellin' people since Conrad was a young boy. He made some bad investments and came up with this as a way to make fast money to pay off his debt and retain his political seat. I've heard he has ambitions to become higher than a governor.

"What we couldn't find was a link. Not until Kingston started diggin' and usin' the wife's maiden name. He's found three warehouses in her name in three different states. One isn't too far from Pine View, the second is close to Benton Falls, and they've got another one further south. The warehouses were bought years ago and plans were put in place to make them apartments but that never happened. We all know why. I'm not sure if the wife has any involvement in this operation, but it wouldn't surprise me if she does. Mrs. Riley comes from old money and lets her husband walk all over her.

"Governor Riley has a heavy hand and has been arrested multiple times on domestic abuse. The charges never stick and there's always a reason why he's not held. Mrs. Riley refuses to press charges against her husband and she's never the one to call the police on him. Most of the time it's neighbors who hear shit they shouldn't be hearin'. A few times the hospital has called the police when her injuries were too severe and she had no choice but to get looked at. She's been admitted to the hospital multiple times and still refuses to press charges or go against her husband in any way."

My vision is filled with red as Fox' words come out slightly muffled and distorted. We knew Conrad and his father weren't good men. To know how much of an asshole his father truly is makes rage fill me and I know Conrad has been trained to treat women the same way his father does. If Savannah had dated him for any length of time, she would've been dealt with the same way. Conrad would've tried to break her and it would've happened. One threat is all it takes against her sisters and Savannah will do anything in her power to protect them.

"We all know they're pieces of shit. What else do you have, Fox?" Court asks, resting his hand on my shoulder because he can sense that I'm about to lose my shit.

"We've been monitorin' everythin' from the Riley's. There's been a sight posted on the dark web auctionin' off girls, boys, women, you name it. At first we were just workin' to take the site down. Kingston is the one who found pictures of Savannah, Ava, Chloe, and Miracle. These pictures are old and the listin' indicates they're from when we intercepted the shipment and rescued everyone on the truck. The bids for those four alone are in the millions of dollars. That's a lot of money for Conrad and his father to lose and they aren't happy.

"Kingston hacked both of their emails and found communication between each man and several others interested in buyin' the girls while bypassin' the auction completely. They've seen the pictures and don't want to risk someone else gettin' their hands on the girls. Kingston has been workin' on trackin' down these four individuals and he found them. Their information has been turned over to the authorities and from my contact I've been informed these men are gettin' picked up in the next hour. They've already been on the agencies radar and now they have valid reasons to grab them. I made sure the charges will stick and they won't be gettin' out of prison anytime soon. These aren't good men. Three of them have murdered women in the past and the last one has been embezzlin' money from his company for the last five years.

"This means that there's only gonna be more interest in the girls. Kingston has several alerts up regardin' all four of them and he's taken down the site so no one else can bid on anyone. I've personally been in contact with the victims we rescued that night and they're all accounted for. Even the one who is in rehab is still there. Slim and Shy will be goin' to see her in two weeks when she can finally have visitors. They're all grateful for what we've done to help them and are gonna stay vigilant and make sure they keep an eye out for anythin' suspicious. They aren't gonna do anythin' to get caught again even though their pictures also have gotten a ton of bids and the price is almost as high as the girls. Conrad and the governor aren't gonna let them go easy and will try to get them one way or another.

"Conrad gets his hands dirty while his father does nothin' on his own. He sends men out to do the jobs for him. Conrad has no choice in the matter. If he doesn't comply with his father's demands, he's tortured and then he has to put his work on hold until he heals. He's a grown ass man and allows his father's security to beat him whenever it's deemed necessary. It's happened his entire life and I'd say Conrad has been forced to become the asshole he is today to suit his father's needs," Fox states, his voice hard and cold as he relays the information they've been digging up over the last few days.

"What's the connection between Conrad and Savannah's mother? Have any of you found that shit out yet?" I question Fox, knowing there's one there but no one's said anything to me specifically about how they found one another so many years ago.

"The bitch went to Conrad for drugs. He was sellin' for a while as part of his father's other ventures and she ended up owin' him a ton of money. As a way to not only pay off her debts to him, but to get her hands on even more drugs, she sold all four girls to the fucker. Conrad saw pictures of them in the house one day and that's when he stepped up to get even deeper into business with his father. Saw it as a way to impress the stupid fuck and stop gettin' beat daily. Conrad made sure she had a burner phone once we intercepted the truck and saved the girls from bein' sold. He contacted her every other day tryin' to find the girls again. When he discovered Savannah and the girls moved to Pine View, he met with the mother and sent her here to get Savannah and her sisters away from the compound. Conrad was sittin' around the corner waitin' for her. At this point, he'd take Savannah on her own because he knows he can get the girls once he has her," Fox informs us as I slam my hand on the table in front of me.

"That bitch was gonna sell out her own flesh and blood again!" I explode, rage filling me to the point I explode.

Shaking off Killer's hand on my shoulder as Court steps up closer to my side, I don't flinch as Playboy steps up closer to me either. None of them will hold me back with the fucking pure rage flying through my veins at the thought of Conrad being so fucking close that day and none of us knowing. I was seconds from losing Savannah and I had no fucking clue.

"Valor, you need to calm down," Killer says, only managing to piss me off even more.

"I'm not gonna fuckin' calm down. That's my fuckin' wife and daughters bein' talked about. If it were Gwen and your girls, would you be calm? No, you fuckin' wouldn't. You'd be destroyin' everythin' in your fuckin' path to get to the assholes after your girls. When I fuckin' get loud, I need to fuckin' calm down. Not gonna fuckin' happen. None of you saw what my wife looked like when she thought she killed her mother. A woman she fuckin' hates and she still fuckin' cried because she thought she took a life and it made her a monster. Everythin' Savannah does is to protect her sisters and that means she sacrifices herself to keep my daughters safe, she'll do it without hesitation.

"Conrad wants my girls because of their fuckin' mother and a drug debt she owed. Yeah, I know most of you have been in horrible situations with your ol' ladies. This one involves mine and I'm gonna fuckin' do what I need to in order to protect my girls. You don't fuckin' like it, I'll turn in my fuckin' cut right now. Not gonna sit here and debate a fuckin' thing with any of you," I yell, getting in Killer's face because he's the man standing between the door and me right now.

"Sit the fuck down, Valor!" Slim yells, his voice echoing in the room around us as we all stop moving and turn to face him. "Your brother won't step up and say anythin' to you about your attitude in this situation. I fuckin' will. We all get where you're fuckin' comin' from, Valor. You're pissed and you want revenge for your girl. You'll fuckin' get it. Right now, we need to put a plan in place so the girls are safe and we can protect them. You goin' off half-cocked isn't gonna help the situation at all. Think of the girls and sit the fuck down in your seat. Right. Now."

Glaring at Slim, I finally sit down and take my seat with Killer and Playboy at my back and Court taking Red's seat from him so he can be at my side. My best friend moves his chair closer to mine and doesn't say a word but looks at me and gives a slight nod to let me know he's got my back.

"No one's turnin' in their fuckin' cut," my brother says, sitting back in his chair and looking directly at me. "We're gonna protect the girls at all costs and that means makin' some changes. Valor, you're gonna have to pull them from school. I know you said you've talked to them about the possibility, but today it has to happen. Take Savannah to the school and grab all their things. For now, they'll be homeschooled. Once all this shit dies down and is over, they can go back to school and rejoin their teams. Annabell has actually been lookin' into things and there's travelin' sports teams the girls can join once Conrad and his father have been dealt with. Fox, the last thing I want to go over before my brother leaves to get his daughters is anythin' you've found on property here in Pine View."

"There's nothin' here. We started our search in Pine View. Didn't find anythin' in anyone's name here. Kingston expands the search out in a five mile radius every time he looks and still can't find anythin' in their names. He's checked false business names and everythin' we'd look for in this situation. There's someone else involved and that's the name we need. Once we have that person's name, we'll be able to dig up a ton more information. I'm gonna be runnin' through every transaction the assholes have made. I've already found several off shore accounts in their names and will be checkin' every deposit and withdraw to hopefully find the fucker we're lookin' for. Buzz is gonna keep workin' on diggin' up everythin' he can so we can send all the information to our friend in the FBI," Fox informs us as I barely register the words he's saying because all I can hear is my heartbeat pounding in my ears. This is not what I want to fucking hear at all.

"So we don't know a fuckin' thing about where they're hidin' out. They could literally be right under our noses and we have no damn clue!" I growl because this isn't fucking acceptable.

Rationally I know the guys are doing everything they can to find the fucker and his father. It doesn't do anything if we have no clue where they are.

"No. We don't know where they are. All signs point to both Conrad and his father being in Pine View right now though. I have no clue if the mother is here with them or if she's still closer to Benton Falls," Fox answers, determination filling his face as he turns his focus on me. "We will find them, Valor. If there's one thing I can promise you, it's that we'll find them and make them pay for every crime they've ever committed when we do. No one will get the girls and take them from you."

"You can't promise me that, Fox. As much as I want to fuckin' believe you, there's no way you can guarantee a damn thing. If Conrad wants to get his hands on my girls, he'll find a way to make it happen. We all know that based on everythin' we've seen in the past. Conrad and his father have a ton at stake right now without my girls in their clutches. I'm goin' to let Savannah know we gotta get the girls from school. They already know what's goin' on and knew this was a possibility. I'll be at home with my family until tomorrow. I'm sure Savannah will come work on the books and I'll set up a place for the girls to do their work here in the clubhouse so they're surrounded by men. Court, I want you with me," I state, not giving a fuck if anyone doesn't like my choice in the situation.

"Meetin' adjourned. Valor, go get your girls and bring them home. We'll all have dinner in the clubhouse tonight. The women are gonna start cookin' in a little bit and I know they won't stop until enough for an army is prepared," my brother says, pointing at Red, Chrome, and Dime telling them to come with me and Court to get my girls.

"Killer, Playboy, Stryker, and Wood I want you four with Valor as well. Don't let them out of your sight," Slim orders as Court and I leave the room and I head in search of my wife.

Walking through the clubhouse, I find Savannah in the kitchen with the rest of the ol' ladies. She's wearing her rag and there's a large smile on her face. I'm about to wipe it right off and it feels fucking horrible because my wife doesn't have many reasons to smile with everything weighing on her shoulders regarding Conrad and them being sold to him by her own mother.

"Love, we need to talk," I say, walking up to her as she turns to face me and her smile immediately falls. "It's time. We need to get the girls from school and let them know they won't be returnin' right now. Conrad and his father are in Pine View and no one can find them. We have no clue where they're hidin' out. There's more, but we'll talk in private once we get the girls from school. The guys are waitin' on us. You wanna call or just show up?"

"I think we need to just show up. What if they're tracking our phones? Or doing that thing where they can intercept all calls and messages. You know what I'm talking about," she says, fear filling her eyes as Shy and Annabell surround her and wrap their arms around her the best they can.

"Good idea. We'll leave our phones for Fox and the guys to go through to make sure there's nothin' on them before we get back. Once we get the girls, I wanna take their phones as well. He could've done somethin' to theirs and we wouldn't know. Maybe we use burners for now until all this shit is over and we can get new phones," I suggest, taking Savannah from Shy and Annabell and lead her into the common room. "Fox, take our phones. Can you go through them and make sure there aren't any programs or anythin' on them that shouldn't be? I'm gonna grab a burner phone for now. Maybe that's what the five of us should be usin' until this shit stops."

"It's a good idea, Valor. Kingston and I will get on this while Buzz keeps workin' on his task. Get the girls and I'll have somethin' about the phones when you get back," he says, stepping up to Savannah as I leave her and go grab a burner phone from Buzz in his room down from my brother's office.

Once I've got the phone set up and ready to go, I head back to my wife and the group of men who will be going with us. There's already a few guys at the school with them. Court isn't there already because of church. Vault wanted all of our guys here so Slim sent some of his guys in place of ours. Taking Savannah's hand, I lace our fingers together and we make our way out to the truck so we can grab our daughters from school. At least two of them should be in lunch right now which will make it easier to get them. I think Miracle is in gym which means we'll have to wait a few extra minutes for her to change if she decides to. I don't give a fuck how long it takes to get my girls as long as we get to them and make it back to the clubhouse in one piece I'll be happy. Then, I need to sit down with my wife and tell her everything that was said in church today. She deserves to know everything and then we can figure out what to tell the girls together.