Page 38 of Saving Helena
"Daisy? What do you know?” I demanded, my voice sharp and urgent as I strode towards her, my heart pounding. Vito appeared from the kitchen, an imposing figure well used to fighting first and asking questions later. I’d thought Helena would have had ample protection here without the brothers intermittently checking in.
Her eyes flickered with relief at the sight of us, her voice trembling as she responded. "They took her, Maddox. I’m pretty sure.” She edged us over towards the edge of the counter and lowered her voice, not that I gave a solitary fuck if the whole diner heard. “There were some men here. They were in her section. Businessmen in suits, with slicked back hair, accents.” She swallowed and looked nervously at Dimitri. “They freaked her out. I think she asked if she could take her break, made a call, and Vito made her a sandwich. She went outside on break right before sunrise.”
She made a call? Who would she call? I guess the Open Road would be the number she’d know. She’d told me she ditched her cell. Christ, I should have gotten her a phone — we had burners she could have used.
“How’d you know she was snatched?”
“Helena was late returning, but I didn’t think it was a problem. You know, with the nerves and all the chaos going on in the diner. It’s a lot.” Daisy shrugged, her copper hair bouncing.
“Yeah, a lot is going on here,” Dimitri sympathized.
“And?” I prompted impatiently. There had to be more.
“I wondered; she’d be gone a while,” she trailed off and looked again to Dimitri. “Anyway, I saw the same men out the diner window. It’d been hours since they were here, and Helena hadn’t come in. I went to check. She was gone, her sandwich and soda cup on the ground.” There was a heavy pause, and I wanted to punch something or shake someone. “There was a little blood,” she said, her words a punch to the gut. “A few drops.”
The rage coursed through me, my fists clenching at my sides as I fought to keep my emotions in check. "Which way did they go?" I growled, my voice low.
Daisy gestured towards the door, her hands shaking as she spoke. "They headed towards the old warehouse on the edge of town. I’m not sure, though. You’ll save her, right?" she pleaded, her eyes looking for reassurance I couldn’t give her.
Without a word, I turned on my heel and strode towards the door, the rest of the Brotherhood following close behind. I tried to ignore the fact that Vito was taking off his apron.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked.
“I can’t sit back doing nothing. It appears I’ll be coming along. Daisy shut it down.”
“Whatever, I don’t have time to babysit,” I added. I didn’t have time to fuck around with the mechanics of diner-running and bullshit, so if Vito wanted to come along, that was fine. I had no idea how he’d get from point A to point B, though, since most of the MCs weren’t much for passengers unless they were romantically involved, so that was up to him. That wasn’t to say that we couldn’t use an extra hand.
“You won’t,” Vito assured. Daisy looked a little stunned by this turn of events, but she was always good for a change in plans and announced in a chipper voice. “Okay, folks, we’re closed. I’ll be coming around and cashing you out.”
I could already hear some grumbles, but I shut out the diner noise as we went outside.
“What do you think, then? Should we go straight to the warehouse?” Dimitri asked, his hands clenching and unclenching.
“It seems a little too easy, but yeah. Where are these boys of yours?” That was the one piece of hope I had. Could it be that simple that the Volkovs had her? Could we be that lucky? Daisy said there was blood, though …
“They’re just pulling up.” Dimitri’s face was sour as he indicated the shiny black Escalade sliding into a parking spot across the street.
Five men unloaded from the vehicle, dressed in spit-shinned suits that looked tailor-made. I’d never worn a suit like that in my life. They crossed the street as if completely unconcerned that thirty bikers were assembled before them. They acted as if they could take us with no problem. Unerringly, they made a beeline for Dimitri.
“Boss,” One of them said, coming to a soldier’s rest, arms locked behind him in front of Dimitri. “We are here to serve.”
Every eye (and ear) of the MC was turned towards Dimitri, who frowned at the five men standing at attention. That singular word, ‘boss,’ had just rippled through the Brotherhood and marked him as something else. Making a decision, Dimitri began speaking to them rapidly in Russian. The leader of the group listened and then responded after a few moments, “Da.”
“Vito,” Dimitri called. “You can ride with them.” He waved a hand at the already departing Russians.
“Thanks … boss.” Vito winked at him before sauntering over to follow the Russians.
“Fuck off,” Dimitri growled, unamused.
I had to laugh. “Man, that shit is just funny.”
As we mounted our bikes and tore out of the diner's parking lot, I was consumed with thoughts of Helena and the desperate need to bring her back safely. I could almost still smell her scent of coconut and sunshine. The idea of never seeing her again wasn’t acceptable. Was someone hurting her? I couldn’t stomach it. I wouldn’t allow it.
Dimitri rode beside me, and I was reminded again that we hadn’t even had Church yet about that whole fiasco with Jake. That was a whole other can of worms that we needed to settle. Dimitri’s expression was grim and determined, and I was thankful he was riding by my side. The thought of having to do this without him was inconceivable.
I could see the worry etched into the lines of his face; his jaw clenched tight with tension. He seemed more like a man on the edge, teetering just this side of breaking. I couldn’t help but realize that I was right there with him. The idea that Helena wasn’t in my grasp was terrifying. I’d always known where she was. Maybe she wasn’t with me, but at the very least, I’d known where she was. I could watch her, see her. Now, even that small thing was taken from me. Right then and there, I vowed that if saving Helena was the last thing I did with my life, it would be enough for me.
The warehouse Daisy referenced stood forgotten on the edge of town, its weather-beaten facade looming against the backdrop on the edge of town. Its once-vibrant paint was now peeled into jagged strips, revealing the rusty metal skeleton beneath. If they ever existed, the windows now were nothing but dark voids, offering no glimpse of the hidden secrets.
