When I took the kids and Cali back to Kreed’s house, Bryce was already yawning but he was too excited to fall asleep.My parents and Maddie were gonna be there with them so Kreed and I could go to the haunted house for our shift.The guys rearranged everything just so we could be with the kids and Cali.Just one more reason I love the guys in the club with us.We truly lucked out with our team in the military and the guys we’ve added to our team after starting the Feral Dragons.
“You headin’ straight back to town?”Kreed asks me as I leave his house and head toward the front of the compound.
“Nope.Gotta get changed before I head out.You need to change here or are you changin’ there?”I ask him because I haven’t really spent any time with him since the night Cali and I were together.
“Gotta change at the clubhouse.We ridin’ our bikes there or takin’ my truck?”
“We can take your truck.Too many people out tonight and they won’t be payin’ attention to the road.They’ll be focused on all the kids runnin’ around,” he responds as I pull in front of the clubhouse and park my truck on the opposite side of the door from our bikes.“I’ll meet ya in your office.I know your costume is in there so your room is always available for Cali if she wants to lay Rory down.Only room in the damn clubhouse with a crib in it.”
It's true.When we moved into the clubhouse, I bought a crib in case she was ever there and needed a place to lay the baby down.Rory wasn’t even born yet when I put it in my room.I just always wanted her to have a place for the kids to get away from everyone or take a nap.Bryce knows he can always go in my room if he has to get away from all the chaos that can happen in the clubhouse.
Walking in the clubhouse, Kreed and I go our separate ways.I head for my office and unlock the door before entering.Tonight, the clubhouse is virtually empty with everyone being in town for Halloween.Even the Feral girls went with a few of the guys to check everything out for the night.They aren’t chained here and can come and go as they please.
Just before I can change out of my clothes, my phone starts vibrating in my pocket.Pulling it out, I see my papa’s name on the screen.
“Did Bryce or Cali forget somethin’ in the truck?”I answer the phone to hear screaming and crying on my papa’s side of the phone.I’m instantly alert and ready for anything except for the one thing I hear.
“Cali’s been taken, Caleb.The doorbell rang and she went to answer the door.None of us could get to her in time.We were all in the kitchen listenin’ to Bryce talk about trick or treatin’ with you and Kreed,” my papa says as my entire world comes crashing to a halt.
“No.You’re wrong.Cali’s just out on Kreed’s porch or somethin’.She couldn’t have been taken when we just left her and the kids,” I say, denial filling me because I should have expected something to happen on the anniversary of Darren’s death.Instead, I buried my head in the sand and didn’t believe Darren would be bold enough to actually use his anniversary to make a move like this.How many more times am I gonna fuck up with her?
“Caleb, I’m not lyin’.Cali has been taken,” he states again as I drop my phone and look around the office without seeing anything.
Tears fall down my face as I grab the closest item to me and throw it across the room.I barely hear the shattering of glass as I continue to grab one thing after another and destroy it.Cali doesn’t deserve this shit.I should have been there to protect her instead of worrying about getting to the haunted house.That can happen every damn year, but Cali can never be replaced.Bryce and Rory don’t deserve to lose their mom because Kreed and I weren’t thinking about the situation properly and were more worried about trying to honor a man who is more than likely alive and mocking us.
“Fuck!Cali!”I yell out, continuing to destroy my office until there’s nothing left standing.Even the couch has been upended and is now halfway through the door.
Leaning against the wall, I slide down until my ass hits the floor.Wrapping my arms around my legs, I bury my head and continue to let the tears fall.I give myself a few minutes to let the fear, rage, and guilt consume me before I stand from my spot on the floor and remove the couch from my door.Leaving my office, I find Kreed just coming down the stairs.
“Call everyone the fuck in.Right.Now,” I bark out to Evan causing Kreed to snap his head in my direction.“Emergency church.Cali’s been taken from Kreed’s house.”
“No!”Kreed yells out as he practically jumps down the rest of the stairs and rushes to my side.“Who the fuck told you that lie?”
If I can’t believe Cali’s been taken, I know Kreed won’t believe it either.She means too much to both of us and we can’t ever believe someone has the balls to hurt her.None of the guys will believe it, but my papa wouldn’t call saying something like that unless it were true.
“Papa called and told me.He’s not lyin’, Kreed.Cali’s been taken.It’s on us because we should have figured the fucker would do somethin’ on Darren’s anniversary.Or what we thought was his anniversary.I don’t know what the fuck to believe right now,” I tell him as we make our way to church.“Evan, send everyone into church when they get here.Don’t bother leavin’ the phones and weapons with you guys.We have no time to waste.Cali is too important to let some fucker have for very long.”
“You got it Reckless.Master is in his room.He didn’t have a shift at the haunted house tonight,” Evan says, causing Kreed to turn and race to Master’s room while I head on to church alone.
I walk in our meeting room and straight to my seat.Sitting down, I cross my arms on the table in front of me and lay my head down letting more tears fall.I don’t give a fuck who in this room sees me like this.Most of the men saw my tears when Darren died and now they’ll see them because the woman I love has been ripped away from me.She’s been taken from her children and every man and woman on this compound who loves her.Luca!Pulling out my phone, I call my dad.
“We’re on our way to the clubhouse to join you for church,” he informs me without another word of greeting.
“Don’t care about that.Where the fuck is Luca?”I ask him, knowing he’ll realize the importance of the question immediately.
“He’s with us.He wants in the meetin’ with us, Caleb.You gonna give him that right?”
“He’s not gonna be anywhere else.I want him in this room while the rest of the Prospects head to the haunted house to close it down,” I tell my dad before hanging up the phone and setting it in front of me.
Reaching up, I wipe the new tears away.While I don’t give a shit about these men seeing me this vulnerable, I’m not about to just let the tears continue to fall.Cali needs me to be strong and clear headed so we can put a plan in place.Master and Kreed enter the room just before my dad, papa, Tank, and Luca.Kreed immediately goes to Luca while my family comes to me.I’m surrounded on each side by my dad and papa while my uncle stands at my back.Master works on setting up his equipment so we’re ready to go when the rest of the guys get here.
“You can break in a little bit, Caleb.Right now, you need to be the President of the Feral Dragons and show this fucker exactly who you are.Don’t let Cali suffer because you’re hurtin’ right now.She’s gonna need you to be the strong man who can face any challenge.You’ve always been her savior so it’s time to do it once again.Save your woman and stop wastin’ time makin’ her your ol’ lady,” my dad whispers as the rest of the men run into the meeting room and start to take their seats to wait for us to begin putting a plan in place.
“I’m done waitin’.Cali is mine,” I whisper just before slamming the gavel on the table in front of me and calling church to order.
Master starts speaking while the rest of us shut our mouths and listen to what he’s discovered so far.Not just about Cali’s stalker, but about Darren, his family, Cali’s family, and everything else he’s been looking into.It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to remain in my seat and let someone else talk.I want to bark out orders and send every man around this table out searching for Cali.The other part of me wants to be in the house with the kids because they need me.If I could rip myself in two and still get everything taken care of, I would just to be there for the three most important people in my world.However, I know my mom, aunt, and grandma are with them and that they’ll be down here in the clubhouse waiting for us to bring Cali home.My girl is coming home, there’s nothing that will stop me from finding her and making sure she returns for her kids and me.That she returns for Luca who is sitting across from me between Manic and Kreed with tears rolling down his face.He’s hurting just as bad as Kreed and me and letting everyone know.Like me, Luca doesn’t give a shit who sees everything he feels for the girl who means so much to every man at this table.
