Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V (18 page)

“They can’t find him, can they?” I asked softly. Everett’s
expression said everything it needed to while Zander’s did too for very
different reasons. His simply shut down. I nodded.

“We’ll go by the house first,” I murmured. Everett nodded
and ducked back out front.

“Pack some shit so you have some standbys in my room.”
Zander said and I fixed him with a look, he grinned, “I like the thought of you
having some things there to use in case impromptu shit like this comes up but
mostly,” his voice softened, “I just like having you in my life and I want some
things in my room to remind me that you’re real and want to be there.”

I went to him, how could I not? He opened his arms and
pulled me in close, between his knees where he sat on the high stool. I put my
hands on his chest and kissed him and he kissed me back oh so sweetly.

“Go on, finish up,” he urged quietly and I nodded slipping
from his grasp. I finished cleaning up and put the chocolates aside to harden
in their molds overnight. We shut down the shop, set the alarm and departed
into the freezing cold winter air. I looked into the leaden dark sky.

“More snow is coming,” I observed.

“Yeah. Let’s move, if it’s cool with you I’ll leave my car
in your driveway and we’ll take yours.” Zander said. I nodded. All it took was
us fishtailing the once on a patch of black ice the first time it snowed, for
me to want to use my little, more reliable car the rest of the winter. You
know, with the added modern safety benefits of shoulder belts and airbags.

We made it to Ev and Dray’s before the flakes started to
fall and Everett and I made quick work of packing some things into a couple of
bags. Hers was one of her ever present gym bags, while I packed neatly in my
little carry on suitcase that had never actually seen a flight. Zander had
stayed out with my car, keeping it warm.

We dashed into the cold and down to the car, locking
everything up tightly behind us. I didn’t mind when Zander slid behind the
wheel of my car. Everett got in back without a word. We rode in silence at half
our typical speed through the snow covered streets, and when we arrived at the
club, we were surprised to find that we had to wait to pull up into the lot.

“Has everyone been called in?” Everett demanded.

Zander gave a terse one word reply, “Yeah,” and looked
uncomfortable. I studied his profile.

“It’s bad isn’t it?” I whispered, but he didn’t answer, the
muscle in his jaw clenching. I could tell he wanted to tell me, to be truthful,
but he had a code to live by and the decision had been made by his club, and I
understood that. I rested a hand on his leather clad arm, a reassuring touch
and looked at his cut, neatly folded in my lap.

“Sometimes your silence is all you need to say,” I reassured
him and with a glance in my direction, he marginally relaxed.

We moved it inside, fast, out of the cold and wet and into
the warmth of the common room which had just about every man, woman and child
of The Sacred Hearts MC in it. Zander gave me a quick kiss and shoved me a
little in the direction of the club rooms with a meaningful look. Everett
captured Dray’s eyes and something was telegraphed between them. She gripped my
hand and we both hurried out of the common area and into the back, just as
Dragon’s voice boomed over the low chatter, “Okay, listen up!”

Everett and I both stole into Dray’s room and shut the door
firmly, she sighed shoulders dropping.

“I think they got him,” she said dejectedly.

“What?” I didn’t want to think about it but she was right.

Evy pitched her voice into a low murmur, “Dray and I talk. All
of the men talk to their Ol’ Ladies behind closed doors, we always know things
we aren’t necessarily supposed to, it’s just the way things are. Grinder left
here in a huff over something or other two nights ago when it was dry, he
hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Him not showing up at the shop today? I
think cinched it.” she gave me a sorrowful but meaningful look.

“They think The Suicide Kings got him?” I swallowed hard.
Evy nodded.

“I think they’re organizing a search out there. I wouldn’t
expect to see much of Zander tonight,” she huffed out a breath and flopped onto
her back in the middle of her man’s bed. I sank down to sit on the foot of it.

“I wish we could get along with them,” I murmured and Evy
let out a short barking laugh full of derision.

“We tried that,” she said bitterly.

“I know.” I looked my friend over and didn’t miss when her
hand unconsciously drifted to the spot on her thigh where she’d been hurt. She
rubbed it through the denim of her jeans with her fingers.

“Does it hurt?” I asked.

She nodded, “Doc said it would, when it got cold. He was
right. I guess it’s kind of like when you break a bone.”

I nodded, “My wrist aches sometimes too.”

“I remember when you broke it. I knew your da’ did it, there
was no way you’d be caught dead on a skateboard.” She snorted at the absurdity
and I laughed.

“That purple cast clashed with my hair something awful, but
I was just in love with the color at the time.” I made a face and Evy laughed.

“Yeah, you were seven, you weren’t quite the fashionista
then as you are now.” She shook her head and got up, “Pretty sure if you make a
quiet break for it you can make it to Rev’s room unnoticed. Meet you in the
inner sanctum after that.” I nodded.

“Sounds good.” I slipped out the door with my little
suitcase and walked to Zander’s room and let myself inside, shutting the door
softly and tightly behind me. I set about putting things neatly away in his
little closet and tucking a few essentials in the corner of the drawers where
he kept such things. I was startled when I looked up and he was leaning against
the door frame, smiling.

“Meeting over?” I asked.

“Yeah, it was a short one.”

“Going out?” I inquired, but I already knew the answer.

“Yeah, have to.”

“The weather is bad.” I remarked, hands trembling.

Zander pushed off the doorframe and tugged me gently into
the circle of his arms, “Not going out by myself Sugar, I’m headed out with
Trig. We’re taking his Jeep, we don’t even know where to start lookin’ but he’s
our brother and we gotta try.”

I nodded and hugged his hard body to mine, “Just be careful;
promise me.”

“I promise, Baby. I’ll be back when I can. Try and get some
sleep, no need to throw off your schedule.” He kissed me gently and with a
final appraising look, smiled and let me go, disappearing out the door. I
finished up and slipped down the open hallway to the media room where the old
ladies and a few club bunnies were lounging around. I dropped onto one of the
beanbag chairs and Ashton smiled at me.

“Where’s Hayden?” I asked.

“Out of town,” she made a face, “One of her clients is
opening a hotel in Chicago and brought Hayden in to do the decorating. Poor
Hayden is going nuts, the woman keeps changing things in the middle of them
being installed; Hayden says she’s a complete psycho but this project is a big
deal. It’s what might fix everything that the scandal Andy caused wrecked.”
Ashton looked sad for her friend, “She misses Reaver.”

Shelly snorted, “He misses her too. He’s been over just
about every day this week bugging the Hell out of me.”

Ashton smiled, “He’s been staying in our guest room, says
the townhouse is weird without her in it.”

I listened to the women gossip and chat, closed my eyes and
just relaxed until Moira, one of the clubs’ regular bunny girls spoke up a
couple of hours in.

“Do you think they’ll find him?” she asked quietly. Usually
Chandra would snipe at a girl, but she surprised me this time.

“I don’t know honey, why? You and him have something going
on?” Moira shook her head. 

“Nah, Moira is all about Lucky and he’s crazy about her too.
Surprised he hasn’t made you his Ol’ Lady.” Shelly said. Moira chewed her
bottom lip and looked uncomfortable.

The room fell silent, the television mindlessly playing in
the background for a while, though no one watched it.

Data called out from his little closet full of computers,
“We got incoming! Cops.”

Everett rose from her place on the couch with a frown and we
just about all followed her out to the common room. Ashton and I held hands,
and Chandra and Everett took the lead as the club room front door opened and
two county deputies stepped in, shaking the snow off their boots, trying to
keep the outside from coming inside with them.

Disney and Data went up to flank Evy and Chandra, Chandra
spoke while Data texted next to her.

“Help you fellas?” she asked.

“Yes, do you know a,” he checked his notebook, “Jose
Trujillo?” he asked.

“That’s my father-in-law.” Everett lied boldly.

“He filed a missing person’s report on behalf of a,” he
checked his notebook again, “David Chandler AKA ‘Grinder’.” The deputy looked
grim.

“That’s right,” Chandra said and lit a cigarette. The second
deputy who had been silent up to this point frowned.

“You do know there’s an ordinance against smoking in public
places don’t you?” he asked Chandra. He was definitely the younger of the two
deputies, the older one closed his eyes for a moment and it looked as if he was
praying for patience.

Chandra gave the younger deputy a smug look and blew a plume
of smoke into the air, “Private club,” she uttered shamelessly, and raised her
eyebrows daring him to say anything. The older deputy cleared his throat.

“Do you know where Mr. Trujillo is?” he asked Evy. Evy
hugged herself and gave him a steely look.

“Did you find Grinder?” she asked quietly. We all waited
with baited breath, all of us suddenly rapt on the older deputy who sighed defeated.

“Do you know if Mr. Chandler had any next of kin in the
area?” he asked gently, Chandra’s back straightened.

“We’re his family. I’m sure you get that,” she intoned,
following up with, “What’s happened to him?”

“I’m sorry to have to inform you that there seems to have
been some kind of accident…” I fumbled with my phone, the deputy’s voice
turning to a mindless droning buzzing in my ears as he said words like
‘accident’, ‘highway’ and ‘skid marks’. The phone rang in my ear over and over
before Zander finally picked up.

“You need to come back,” I said automatically, my voice
cracking. I mean sure I hadn’t known Grinder terribly well, only a matter of a
few months but he was a part of this club, for better or worse a part of
Zander’s family.

“Red, what’s wrong? What’s happened?” he demanded, voice
strained with an urgent need to know.

“The police are here,” I said numbly, “They found Grinder;
can you just come back please?” I asked.

“Shhhhit!” Zander swore, then spoke to Trig holding the
phone away from his ear, his voice fainter but still clear as he told the other
man, “Back to the club, cops are there saying they found Grinder. Mandy’s
freaked out, I can hear it in her voice.” He came back on the line stronger,
“Hang on Sugar, we’re on our way back,” he said.

“Okay,” I nodded. The other girls were on their phones too,
likely with their men as the deputies stood by patiently.

Evy looked at them, her phone pressed to her ear and said,
“Both Dragon – Jose,” she corrected, “And Dray are on their way back,” she told
them and I realized I was missing what Zander was asking.

“Mandy, Sweetheart, Baby are you there?” he asked, anxious.

“Yes, yes I’m here,” I murmured.

Zander asked me the one question I had been begging silently
he would leave alone, but I suppose it was only natural and I had to expect it,
“Sugar is Grinder all right?” he asked me.

I didn’t want to answer, I didn’t want to be the one to tell
him that his Brother was dead. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, “Are you
driving?” I asked him and I was met by a cold silence on the other end of the
line.

“Zander?” I asked when the silence stretched for too long.

“He’s not okay, is he?” he asked quietly.

“Just, how soon until you can get here?” I asked quietly.

“Just tell me Mandy,” his voice was so hard, I could
hear
the barely suppressed rage in it. I swallowed hard.

“He’s gone, Zander I’m so sorry – “ I didn’t get to finish
because I heard Zander scream ‘Fuck’ at the top of his lungs and then there was
a loud thump and crunching sound and the line went dead. I stared into the wide
golden eyes of Ashton and she put a hand on my own.

“They’re fine, Zander threw his phone, they’re okay, Ethan
is driving and they’re on their way back,” she quickly reassured me when I
stopped drawing breath. I felt tears well up hot and immediate and I dashed at
them with my fingers. I tamped down the emotions rising hot and furious,
choking me up, sorrow and anger paramount among them that Zander was hurting so
keenly and there wasn’t anything I could do except sit there and wait for him
to come back. Half afraid of what would walk through the door, wearing my man’s
skin.

I’d never seen Zander in a fine burning rage, except that
one time in the ring, but that was exactly what I had heard on the phone. I
walked a little ways away from the rest of the girls, away from Data and Disney
and sank into a chair. Evy was speaking into her phone in a low murmur and was
dashing at some stray tears of her own.

Disney pulled out a chair and straddled it, linking his
long, brightly colored fingers through mine on the hand that wasn’t taken up by
the phone. He sighed. Likely because if I looked as ashen as I felt I was
frightfully pale. I looked at him and his sympathetic brown eyes almost had my
fear level rising rather than easing.

“I’ve seen Zander pissed off plenty of times, Red. He’ll
scream and yell and hit things and generally fly off the handle and it’s scary
as fuck when he does it, but I’ve only ever twice seen him put his hands on
somebody outside the ring. Both times the motherfuckers deserved it and both
times they were dudes. Zander would never hit a woman. Not after watching his
dad tune his mom up as a kid. You ain’t got nothing to worry about,” he
soothed.