“That doesn’t mean I can’t find them hot,” Isla snaps.
“The point is, I don’t know if they can be trusted. The way Hulk said what he did, he might have meant that the Russians and Devil’s Soldiers were working together and trying to get information out of him for whatever reason. The other option is that the Russians took him to get information on the MC, and if that’s the case, then that might mean that the Devil’s Soldiers are looking for him and might be willing to help us if it means leading them to him.”
“But we don’t know where he is,” Sawyer reminds me, eyes narrowing. “They covered our heads and you said they always cover yours. What’s to say that they aren’t driving you in circles so you can’t figure it out?”
“Maybe that’s true, but it might be enough information for them,” Isla argues. “I didn’t get a bad vibe from them, andI mean, if they were working with that Russian bastard, then wouldn’t they know you were the one working on this Hulk guy? I mean, wouldn’t that have been the perfect time for them to hurt you or grab us?”
“Or maybe they were sent there to check on us and make sure we weren’t trying to run,” Sawyer argues.
“I ran into two of them last night, too,” I admit. “Two different guys. A guy named Frost and one named Bowie. They ran off Roger, who thought it was the perfect time to shake me down for cash. They offered to walk me home.”
“See? Creepy and sounds to me like they were following you to make sure you didn’t say anything,” Sawyer announces triumphantly, slumping back in his chair in an almost casual pose. I’d think he was bored if I didn’t see the razor-sharp focus in his eyes.
“Or maybe it was just a coincidence,” Isla rushes out. “I mean, maybe they were out looking for their friend, right? If he is one of them, then those guys won’t stop until they find them, right?”
“This isn’t an episode ofSons, Isla,” Sawyer gripes, glaring at her.
“No, but it’s the same idea,” she argues, scowling back at him. “I mean, did they follow you all the way back?”
“Not that I saw, but the two from last night, they’re good at hiding in the shadows, so I might not even notice if they did.” I think back to the one, Bowie, barely being visible in the darkness. It freaked me out then, and now, realizing that I might not have been able to shake them completely, disconcerts me even more.
“Okay, but why wouldn’t they have the MC there if they were trying to get information?” Isla points out smugly. “I mean, even if they told those Russians pukes what information they wanted, wouldn’t the MC be the ones to know if what he was saying wastrue or not? And wouldn’t they want one of their own people there to get the information out? Especially if they think he’s a traitor or something?”
“She has a point,” I agree. Sawyer doesn’t look convinced. “Look, at this point, we might not have a lot of options. It’s either I figure out a way to come up with the money that Mom owes Vlad and send you both somewhere that you’ll hopefully be safe with strangers, or we risk contacting the Devil’s Soldiers and hope they can help us. Maybe they can get you out of here, or at least guard you, and I’ll give them everything I can on their guy. We’re out of options otherwise. You can’t stay here. Not after everything.”
“I don’t want to be away from you,” Isla says fiercely. “So I’m not going anywhere. But we do have those trusts that Dad set up for us. I don’t know how much money is in them, but you can have mine if it’ll help get Vlad away from you.”
“No,” I respond firmly. “No, Isla, I appreciate that, but that is money set aside for you for your education, and when you came to live with me, I made sure that Mom can’t touch either of yours. Your father set it up as a trust fund that his lawyer won’t let you or I access until you’re twenty-one, unless it’s to go to college.” I put my hand over hers. “Right now, you have more than enough to live comfortably, and that means that money stays there to gain interest so that you can get through school without debt and then do what you want when you’re older. Even if we could access it now, I won’t take it to pay off our mother’s debt.”
“I never understood why Dad never set anything up for you too,” Sawyer gripes. “I know you’re not his kid, but he always liked you.”
“Your father gave me more than you can understand,” I amend, remembering that intense conversation. He wasn’t my dad, but he insisted that he thought of me as more than just astep-daughter and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “He paid for my nursing school, and he gave me a small trust when he died. Not as much as yours but enough that I was able to invest it and have a chance at a good retirement. I’d take that money out, but I’d lose a bunch of it and it’s not enough to pay off Vlad. I thought about going to the bank for a loan, but that takes time we don’t have.”
“And who’s to say that he won’t take the money and then still tell you it’s not enough?” Sawyer reasons. “These guys are scum and they like to keep you on the hook for forever. Especially someone like you that they can use.”
See? Smart kid.
I nod. “Exactly. So that leaves us with going to the Devil’s Soldiers or sending you away.”
“That only leaves us with going to the Devil’s Soldiers,” Isla corrects, pulling her hand from mine. “We’re not going away with strangers. And who’s to say they won’t follow us there if you did? And they’d probably be able to get us without you knowing about it.”
Sawyer is quiet as I look at him. Ever the thinker, he always tries to piece together the puzzle in a way that is easiest for all of us. Finally, he slowly nods. “Devil’s Soldiers it is. But how are we going to talk to them without Vlad seeing us? If we’re seen, he’ll know for sure Hulk talked to you and definitely kill him.”
He’s right, but I already thought of a way last night. “Leave that to me, but I’m going to need your help with it when I get it sorted. Okay?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
BULLET
I hope the preliminary evidence is wrong.
The clubhouse issilent as I make my way down to Cryos’s office. Most of the men are out searching again for Hulk and trying to track down any lead that might lead us to where he is. The more and more time drags on, the less my gut feels like we’re going to find him alive. We need a break, something that will tell us where to find him, but we haven’t had a lot of those, so it’s back to using our smarts and technology to make it happen.
Cryos is already hard at work, looking like he’s barely slept a wink. When he sees me, he gives me a defeated look before I shut the door. “They’re all into something or other, Bullet, and trying to separate who might be our rat from the Misfits is like finding a needle in a haystack. A few of them have some drug problems and a couple with what looks like gambling addictions. Most of them have rap sheets a mile long for assault, weapons, or drug offenses. Two of them are going through issues with their OldLadies that look like divorces with them paying out large chunks of change for what I can only assume is child support or some kind of biker alimony.”
“Any of them stick out as the worst?” I ask, moving to stand behind him as he quickly types away.
He brings up five pictures. Arson, Silver, Cobra, Crow, and Crook. “These are the five with the longest sheets, and with the biggest problems that I could see Vlad and his men going after them to turn them against us.”
