It’s been three weeks since Xavier walked out the door to do some “job” required of him with his father and the keys to my car.

Two weeks since Eloise has heard from a word from him.

I don’t know which feeling has consumed me more; the worry that something really terrible has happened, or the anger that he is fine and has just left his sister (and I) scared to death for no reason.

“You haven’t talked to your dad either?”

“No, I’m not sure this is even his real number. I’ve never had to get ahold of him cause I’ve always had Xavier.” Eloise is just barely holding herself together as yet another call goes straight to voicemail.

We’ve spent most of the week trying to find a way to get a hold of them. Asked around town, like The Wolf’s Den bar, Xavier’s friend at the taco truck, even James’s store. No one had any real answers most just said “they’ll show up when they’re ready.”

Eloise has insisted that the police should be the last resort, but the fact that Xavier’s never not come home on time has her really considering it too.

“Well what about the club, it can’t be just the two of them so is there someone we could ask or some place we could go?” My general and very limited knowledge of motorcycle clubs being what I’ve seen on television. 

“I mean, we can go by the compound” she kind of cringes at just the idea, “but the likelyhood of anyone telling us anything is slim just cause we’re not one of the men.”

“Look, I know I don’t get how it works but my car and guns are out there, god knows where, and I need to get them back. Not to mention if we find them, we should also find your brother.”

A few useless idea later and it’s decided that we’ll go by the compound first thing Saturday morning, if we don’t find what we’re looking for there then I’ll report my car as stolen. Before bed I send Xavier a text.

You have until Saturday to call or text me some proof of life or I’m reporting my car as stolen.

“At least tell me you didn’t send him off with your only guns.” Eloise says nervously.

“Oh no, of course not. There’s a handgun by my bed and two more downstairs in the salon, and my grandfather’s old hunting rifle is in the safe in my closet.” She furrows her brows together as she tries to decide whether or not I’m joking. “Have you ever shot a gun, held one?”

She laughs out loud, “There’s no way in hell Xavier would-“

“Well you’re going to learn after school tomorrow,” I interrupt “because I need you to feel safe around them here and who knows what we might encounter while figuring out what happened to your brother.”

Job went well, a little too well if you ask me.

I haven't left the clubhouse since. My prize being all the alcohol and women I could possibly consume. It had been years since I had stayed longer than a weekend, Ripper has been bragging about how my patches have finally counted for something.

Skyla: You have until Saturday to call or text me some proof of life or I’m reporting my car as stolen.

Eloise has been blowing up my phone every day since her night at the movies. Since Skyla had her date with James. All I’ve been able to think about is his hands on her, him kissing her, the two of them in bed together. Jealousy has spread so deep it hurts my joints and muscles have felt tight all week.

“You gonna just stare at your phone all day, Gauge? Why don’t you put it down and fuck me already?” The naked blonde spread out on the bed next to me groans, rolling onto her stomach and wiggling her ass.

I hate myself a little bit more with each new girl I bed and each hangover I wake up with. This was the life I’ve been destined to inherit since I was born but up until now I’d fought it with every fiber of my being. She reaches for me as I sit up to put my jeans back on. “Not now, go find someone else’s bed to slink into.”

“You’re such an asshole! This is my room!” She yells after me as I slip out of the door.

The club is set up like a military compound. The main building itself used to be a motel. Most of the rooms are empty, only about a dozen live here full time.

Each room has a double bed, a loveseat, small dresser and closet, a small fridge and microwave. They all have a small bathroom with barely enough standing room to shower. Some have desks or dining tables, but those are rarely used.

The main building has a bar, restaurant style kitchen and pantry, the dining hall and meeting room… often referred to as ‘church’. It’s unusually warm this evening, which can only mean rain is on its way.

“I think we’ve got a problem.” I say, taking a seat next to Ripper at the bar.

“We?” He questions with a laugh. “Forget to keep it wrapped? Don’t worry about it, the girls know what to do.”

“What? No,” I shift on the the stool “nothing like that. Skyla’s threatening to report the Plymouth stolen if we don’t get it back to her by Saturday.”

“As she should.” He says with a shrug.

“What? We can’t afford cops sniffing around here until we get those new growers established, send one of the prospects to drop it off overnight or some shit.”

“First off,” a sharp elbow to the ribs catches me off guard “you don’t tell me to do fucking shit.

“Secondly, some small town cop sniffing around for a car doesn’t worry me. Last, but certainly not least, grow a pair of fucking balls and take your girlfriend’s car back your-goddamn-self.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Why the hell not? Because you’re rarely sober enough to drive or because you’ve tasted every girl to stop by the last couple of weeks?” He snarls, turning on his stool to face me.

“It is past time you honor the patches on your leather, so either you fall in line and do as you’re told or you can go back to your shitty trailer park kingdom.” He leans in close, his tone low and holding a dire warning. “You better choose fucking carefully, son, cause if you walk away now you’re as good as dead.”

With that bit of parting wisdom he leaves me seated at the bar alone, I have totally and irrevocably screwed myself this time. With the way shit is going lately I doubt I’ll live long enough to see Eloise walk in her graduation ceremony. I slam my fist into the wooden bar top, cursing. “Damnit!”

“You have got to dress the part or they won’t even let you in the door.” Eloise scolds my outfit, while digging through my closet on Saturday morning.

“What’s wrong with my clothes? It’s seven o’clock in the morning, is anyone even going to be awake?”

She tosses me her carefully coordinated selection, “They probably haven’t even been to bed yet.”

Times up. I’m getting my car back. Eloise is welcome to stay as long as she needs or wants to but I’ve had enough of wondering what happened on that job. 

She’s been feeling quite full of herself since our visit to the gun range yesterday afternoon. Eloise did well, after getting over her initial nervousness, landing most of her shots on the target paper. I don’t expect her to win in any shoot out, but at least she can defend herself if she must.

Eloise has picked out a lace body suit for me, and some tattered black jeans. I opt for my black high top boots over the heels she tried to get me in. My leather jacket and holster belt finish off my ensemble. I get a disapproving look when I zip myself up. So with a very dramatic eye roll, making her laugh, I unzip and leave my jacket open.

“It’s cold.” I complain as we go out to her brother’s car, she’s been taking it back and forth to school.

“So? You look hot.” She dismisses, asking if she can drive.

“You might as well, I don’t have any idea where we’re going.”

Who knows what we’ll be up against today, to be on the safe side I toss Diablo’s bullet-proof vest into the backseat with him. We might not find anything at all, and if that’s the case I guess we’ll find something more interesting to do with our afternoon after I stop by the police station.

“Do I even want to ask why he has that vest?” She says, pulling out of my lot.

“He was supposed to be a military or law enforcement canine, the company that custom makes the vest had already been paid to make him one so I’ve kept it. Now I’m glad I did, our protection has a bit of his own.” I smile, patting the big goof on his head.

Eloise explains along the way that it’s been at least a year since she has been by the compound, something about paperwork for school only a legal guardian could sign. She and her brother had to track down Ripper for a week before they got what she needed. “After that Xavier took him to court, he has… it’s not technically custody but yeah.”

“It’s been just the two of you for awhile hasn’t it?”

“For about as long as I can remember, but before we get any closer I might have a confession to make.”

“Okay? Not like I wasn’t already nervous, just spit it out.”

She cringes, glancing over at me like she knows she messed up big. After reassuring her it can’t be that bad she finally lets me in on why she thinks Xavier never came home. “I might have let it slip that you had a date with James the night he stopped talking to me.”

“That’s it?” I ask. “I’d hardly call it a date but it wasn’t supposed to be some secret, I was going to tell him all about it when he got got back.”

“Well I only told him about it because I know how jealous he can get, and I was kind of hoping it might be the push he needs to make things official.”

“Official? I mean, I guess the intention was sweet but we’re not in high school. I don’t need a boyfriend before prom.” I laugh.

“Is that your way of telling me to worry about my own business?”

“It is, but thanks for trying and thanks for telling me.” Playfully giving her a nudge, I let her know it’s not her fault her brother’s disappeared and if it has anything to do with my dinner with James then maybe he’s not the man I had thought him to be.

As Eloise parks out front I can see why she refers to this place as the compound. The main building is definitely a bar, and from what I can see from here there are multiple warehouse type structures all over the property which probably covers a dozen acres, minimum.

“Wait here for a minute, I’m going to see if my car’s parked nearby then we’ll go in to find your dad or Xavier.” Eloise nods, pulling out her phone. I signal Diablo in the back seat to keep an eye on her.

Weaving through the lot full of motorcycles to check down the side of the building, nothing. I don’t see anyone around so I keep looking, maybe looking like I belong here wasn’t the worst idea. I should go relatively unnoticed.

Parked in front of another building I spot my Plymouth. My blood boils as I notice the garage like door open and inside it are cars in various states of being dismantled or repaired. “I swear to god if they’ve touched a single bolt.” I mumble to myself as I stomp over.

Nothing appears to be out of place, but the keys aren’t inside and neither are my guns. Push comes to shove and I’ll hot-wire my own fucking car to get it home.

“Well, the car is out back so they’ve got to be around here somewhere.” I point off in the direction I’d come from as Eloise gets out of her brother’s car. Putting Diablo’s vest on has him in work-mode right away, I’ll have to be vigilant to keep him safe and out of trouble but based on the noise coming from inside the bar… he just might need it.