Chapter 27

Sitting inside Brew Me,I patiently wait for Iggie, savoring each sip of my black coffee. I ordered his favorite iced caramel macchiato with white mocha for him, but the ice is almost melted. Meeting with him was already going to be difficult, but I never imagined he would flake.

He texted and said he was on his way and wanted to know the truth about everything, so would he really tell me he was coming to not show up? We haven't known each other that long, but I know well enough this isn't him. Gulping down the remainder of my coffee, I quickly grab his drink and exit the coffee shop. A strange unease lingers, a sensation that I can"t ignore, seeping into my bones.

When I reach my cage, I carefully place his drink in the cupholder and turn the key in the ignition. Pulling out of the street parking spot, I head in the direction of Howards.

As I get closer, my stomach churns and my heart starts racing. The building appears deserted with all the lights turned off, except for the faint glow of the security lights. So he's not still inside… willingly, that is. I circle the block and turn into the back parking lot I know Iggie prefers. No sign of him or his car.

Fuck. Where is he?

I decide to check the side lot and as I pull in, it appears empty at first until I spot Iggie"s car alone in the distant corner. Of course, he would park where there are no lights. I'm going to spank his ass when I see him after I make sure he's okay. When I pull up next to his car, a sense of dread fills me from what I see.

The driver's door is slightly ajar, and I know he wouldn't leave it like that. Jumping out of my cage, I round the hood and look his car over. Nothing else is out of place, but with the door slightly open and his bag occupying the passenger seat, it is evident that he was recently here.

I open the driver"s door and give the car a thorough once-over, but there"s nothing else unusual to note. Then my eye catches something black and gleaming, wedged between the seat and the door, almost hidden underneath. It's his phone.

Something is wrong. This screams of foul play. I need to get the guys over here. No, wait, scratch that. I need to get Viper and Pistol, and then we'll get the rest of the club in on it. I don't want a bunch of people contaminating the scene of the crime.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" The blinding beam of a flashlight catches me off guard and I whip my head around, squinting to see who it is. The night guard from Howards is cautiously approaching, his hand resting on his belt.

I shield my eyes until he gets closer and drops it from my face. His name tag says Bernard. "Had plans with someone tonight and they didn't show. I came to check on him. This is his car, but there"s no sign of him inside. Do you know Ignatius? Did he leave tonight or is he inside working still? I just wanna make sure he's okay."

The guard"s eyebrows shoot up, and his eyes widen. "Iggie left a while ago. I locked up after him. Shit, let me call for backup. We'll need the Boone County Sheriff." He reaches for his radio.

"No!" I bark, and he jumps back. "No cops. Iggie is mine and I'll handle it," I tell him a little more calmly.

"I"m sorry, but I can"t do that," he replies. "If this was foul play, the cops need to handle it."

Turning, I let him see my cut, looking at him over my shoulder. "There's no need. I said we'll handle it."

"O-okay. Well, if I can help, let me know. Iggie's a friend, a good person, that one."

"I will. But for now, head back inside and keep your mouth shut. I don't need anyone knowin' shit yet."

"If it helps Iggie, I won't say anything." He turns and heads back toward the door.

Fury courses through me, causing spots to dance across my field of vision and my lungs to gasp for air. I pull my cell phone out of my jeans pocket and quickly dial Pistol"s number.

"Hello."

"I need you and Viper to get to Howards right fuckin' now."

"Everything okay?"

"Nope. It's really fuckin' not. Just get here." I hang up and get in my truck, waiting for my vice president and enforcer to arrive.

It doesn't take long before Pistol"s truck screeches into the parking lot, coming to an abrupt stop beside mine. Both of them are out and in front of my truck door in seconds.

"What the hell is going on?" Pistol's voice is filled with confusion and frustration.

"Iggie didn't show up to our meeting. I came to check on him since that's not like him. He texted me and said he was on his way. I get here and find his car door open, and his phone on the floor. Something ain't right."

"Are you sure he"s not just inside, Prez?" Viper"s voice falters, a hint of doubt creeping into his tone.

"Yeah. Security came out to see what I was doin' and he said he locked up after Iggie walked out to leave. I'm tellin' ya somethin' happened. Somethin' bad"

We search the car from top to bottom, but there is nothing unusual and the surrounding area is completely clear.

"Nothing else seems off. What do you wanna do with the car, Steel?" Viper asks.

I didn't even think about that. It"s not safe to leave it here, exposed and accessible to anyone passing by. The keys are gone, but that's nothing to Pistol. Shit! What do I do?

Fuck it.

"Pistol, wire it and drive it back to the clubhouse. No one else needs to be involved, and if we leave it here, someone will surely report it and the authorities will be notified. We're handlin' this. Whoever took him is going to pay for touching him."

"I"m on it," he replies, determination in his voice. "Just give me a sec." Pistol grabs something from his truck before climbing behind the wheel.

With a steady hand, he pushes the screwdriver into the ignition, forcefully hammering it in. As he turns the tool, a wide smile spreads across his face, accompanied by the hum of the engine coming to life. He looks at us, grinning. "Haven't done that in a while. Viper, drive this back to the clubhouse and we'll be behind you." He gets out and lets Viper slide behind the wheel.

Viper backs up and takes off, leading the way, with us riding his ass the entire time.

As we pull up to the shop, the familiar scene of our bikes and vehicles awaiting maintenance greets us, interspersed with the occasional client"s car in line for a custom build. Viper leans on the horn, signaling for the overhead door to lift, allowing him to drive Iggie's car inside.

My truck rolls to a stop and I hop out, striding toward the garage where the rest of my officers are. "What the hell is this?" I ask.

"Pistol called. Said we should meet out here and something happened to Iggie." Trucker pipes up. "The rest of the club is on standby. What happened?"

I start from the beginning, recounting every detail I shared with Viper and Pistol. Anger flickers across their faces the more I reveal. When I finish, I observe in silence as they conduct their own investigation.

"What about CCTV footage?" Zero asks.

"Howards has cameras, I think, but not in that lot. It's why Iggie didn't usually park there and because the lighting sucks."

"What about any of the surrounding businesses?"

Checking the other businesses for surveillance cameras didn"t cross my mind.

Fuck, Ashton, what a fuckin' rookie move.

"Fuck!" I roar, kicking the trash can beside me across the garage and the contents fly everywhere. I turn around, slamming my fist against the brick wall of the garage.

Pistol"s arms wrap around me, effectively restraining me from causing any more harm. "Relax, man. We got this. Hawk can do a thorough search of the surrounding areas, making sure to check for any surveillance cameras, right?"

"Yeah. Easy as pie. I'll go get my laptop now."

"You need to cool off, Steel." He releases me. "Don't let your rage control you. We're going to find out who did this and make them wish they never touched your man. Until then, why don't you check on Kiki? She's been askin' for ya." Pistol tilts his head as I spin to glare at him.

He's right. I need to stay calm, cool, and collected in order to do this the right way. Rushing and getting worked up won't help Ignatius. He needs me at my best so I can bring him back faster.

"Alright," I breathe. "You're right. I'll go check on her now. But I wanna know the minute you find something."

"I swear." Pistol holds a hand out for me to shake, and I take it in mine, squeezing tightly.

* * *

"You looklike something the cat drug in," Kiki groans, lying in her bed with Marni next to her.

"Not like you look much better," I snap at her.

She throws her head back, her laughter echoing through the room. "Fuck, don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"Sorry babe. How are you feeling? You really do look like hell." I roam my eyes over her face and what I can see of her upper body.

Her face is a canvas of bruises, with her left eye swollen shut and stitches holding together the skin on her right temple and bottom lip.

"Feel like I went a couple rounds with Tony Stark, but I'll live. Nothing's broken, but I got a few cracked ribs and bruised to hell. What about Cody? You better have cut his dick off."

I settle myself at the foot of the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. "I did better than cut off his dick. Although Viper did do that. We killed him. He was working with Combo and Pepper. They turned their backs on the club."

"That's why you called everyone outside? Public execution?"

"Yup."

Marni lets out a sudden gasp, causing Kiki to turn her head. "They don"t kill unless someone truly deserves it," she explains. "Promise. Don"t worry, there are no serial killers lurking around your place of stay. But damn, that would make my little dark romance heart happy," she murmurs with a wistful smile.

"I don't care about the killing. I've seen death before. Think you could kill my uncle?" she asks.

"S'not how it works, Marni. If your uncle hurts the club, yes. If you were part of the club and he hurt you, yes. But we can't just turn into assassins. I'm tryin' to make the club as legit as possible," I tell her honestly.

I know we won't ever be totally legit. We're a fuckin' MC, but I'd like our money to come from legal means. That"s why I"ve been advocating for a complete remodel of the strip club and brainstorming fresh ideas to attract and retain customers. It"s also why we are building the new club. And we've batted around the idea of opening the shop to more than just custom builds—a full-blown auto and bike shop. Hell, with some of the guys we got here, it could be anything with a motor.

"I see," Marni whispers, her fingers nervously tugging at the threads of the soft comforter.

"You're here now, Marni. If your uncle comes lookin' and causin' trouble, we'll take care of it, but that's as far as it goes. And if you leave here when you're eighteen, we can't protect you wherever you run off to."

She nods but remains silent, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"You didn't come up here to check on me just ‘cause, Prez, and now you've made my nurse cry. Why are you here?" Kiki asks.

Smart, this one is. She"s perceptive as hell, catching onto things others often overlook, and never afraid to voice her opinions. The reason she gets away with talking to me like she does is because she's smart enough to do it privately and, well, if it wasn't for Pistol, I'd say Kiki is my best friend.

A whore as my other best friend. Christ, I might be gettin' soft, but Kiki is a tough bitch, and she's unapologetically herself. She'd be a great member of the club if she had a cock.

"Iggie agreed to meet and talk to me. I went to the meeting place, and he never showed up. Not like him, so I went to his work to check on him."

"Steel…" she warns.

"No. I'm serious. I had a gut feeling something was wrong, and I was right. His car was in the parking lot, but he wasn't. Without goin' into detail, someone kidnapped him. I know it. Hawk is pulling CCTV footage from the area to see if we can see anything."

"Oh, Steel. I"m so sorry," she apologizes, her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't need your apologies. That's what people say when you lose a loved one. And while Iggie might be lost right now, he won't be for long. We're going to find who did this and I'm going to rip their fuckin' throat out."

Kiki opens her mouth to say something, but before she can utter a word, Viper swings open the door, instantly filling the room with his presence. "Hawk has something, Prez."

I spring off the bed and rush toward the door, my heart pounding. "Thanks, Kiki. Holler if you need anything. Marni, keep your eye on her."

I rush down to my office, where I know Hawk will be waiting, and pause to inhale deeply before entering.

"Have something good for me, Hawk," I tell him as I move behind my desk and sit down.

"The building across the parking lot has cameras and one catches the corner of the lot Iggie's car was in. I know what happened now, we just have to find the who."

"Show me," I force out through clenched teeth. At the same time, Hawk sets the laptop in front of me and hits play.

"About thirty minutes before Iggie got out of work, this masked person unlocks his car and gets in the backseat. They don't do anything but crouch down and wait for him. And they came from inside Howards. I don't know if they work there or were shopping, but it's a clue." Hawk plays the footage and it's as exactly as he says.

Dread pools in my stomach and my blood feels like it's boiling. "Fast forward to when Iggie comes out."

"Here we go," Hawk whispers.

The footage is black and white, slightly grainy, but I can make Iggie out as he walks to his car. He stops next to the door and digs in his bag briefly before his head turns to look toward the building and then back to his car.

He throws his bag inside and slips behind the wheel. He sits there for a minute looking around, like he's looking for something. Then he leans back in his seat and that's when the person in the backseat slithers from the floor like a demon in a movie. Judging from their arm position and the way Iggie thrashes in the seat, it looks like they wrap something around his neck.

His fight is in vain, though, since he stills and my heart shatters. The slim figure gets out of the car and puts a hand to their ear. I'm assuming they're calling someone, and I'm proven correct when a white box van reverses up next to the sedan. The rear door is even with Iggie's driver's side back door.

Together, clad in all black attire, they forcibly remove Iggie from his car and load him into the back of the van. With a slam of the doors, they speed out of the parking lot, heading westward.

I rocket from my chair, sending it careening back against the wall. "I want to know where they went with him. Use traffic cams or other footage from businesses on the street."

"On it, Prez." Hawk grabs his computer and begins to type furiously.

We need a plan, and I want eyes everywhere. This is my fuckin' town and someone stole what is mine right out from under my nose. I'm going to find whoever they are and rip them to fuckin' shreds.

Storming from my office, I enter the main part of the clubhouse. "Listen up!" I shout, getting everyone's attention. "You all know we're on alert. I want boots on the ground and everyone lookin' for Ignatius. If you see him, you call me. Are we clear?"

Yes, Prez fills the room and pride washes over me. This is why I joined this club and became the president. I wanted brotherhood, family, and something we'd all be proud to be a part of.

"Prospects! I want you to go to Iggie's house. No one goes in unless it's me. I want to know everyone who even drives past."

Chad nods and leaves behind the bar, headed toward the door with Nate on his heels.

"Rubble, Tex, take Zombie and stake out Howards. When they open, I want Zombie to go inside and see if he can find anything out. I have a feeling whoever took him is either a frequent guest or works there. See if you hear anyone missing work or a guest that they're surprised doesn't come in."

The men in question stand up. Tex slaps Zombie on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow. The three of them leave, with Rubble leading the way and Zombie not far behind. He's the best one to send inside since he doesn't speak. Mute that one. No idea why, but he's a good man with a pristine record in the Navy and no medical reasoning behind his lack of words. Suits me fine. We get on without him talking and he hears more than the rest of us.

Finally, I turn to my road captain. "Trucker, I need you to find and bring Iggie's friend Draco here."

"No problem. Do you want me to tell him what's going on so he comes willingly or just drag him along?"

If we hurt Draco, Iggie will have my ass and that's not on my list of things to do. I need his friend to come here and tell us everything he knows about Iggie's life. I know a good chunk given my obsessive, borderline stalking tendencies, but he's known him longer.

Fuck! I should have put the tracker in Iggie himself and not his car. Not a mistake I'll let happen twice.

"Tell him Iggie's in trouble and we need his help. If he doesn't come willingly, do whatever needs to be done to get him here."

"Consider it done. I'll go grab his address and other information from Hawk and be back." Trucker moves past me, heading to my office where Hawk still is.

"The rest of you cruise the town. We're looking for a white box van. The plate number was covered up, but you all know the deal. You see something suspicious, follow your gut. If you see Ignatius, I want to know. Also, the person who took him goes by The Manager, so if you hear anything of the sort, I want to know."

I watch as the rest of the club gets up and exits through the door, ready to start scouting the town for my man.

Hold on, Iggie. We're coming for you. And when I find you, I'm going to bathe in the blood of those who dared take you from me.