“Alright, and this upset you. Why?” River asked hesitantly.

  “Because the man speaking was Hugo Jacquot!” I dropped my bomb. Just saying the name made me sick to my stomach. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

  “Lakelyn, it can’t be him. Why would he be here? This town isn’t even his.”

  “I thought I was imagining it too, so I sneaked over and peeked out the kitchen door into the common room. The whole club was there, and the entire Jacquot family and some of their men were sitting there, clear as day.”

  “Jean-Baptiste is here?” he asked with a growl.

  “Yes, he’s here, and you know what this means, don’t you?”

  “That I’m going over there to kill the fucker.” He went to stand, but I held onto his arm.

  “Sit! No, you’re not. It means that this shipment they’re talking about is us, me. I don’t know how they figured out who we are, but we can’t stay here. We have to run. They’ll come for us tonight as soon as they’re done talking. I bet they’re negotiating a price or reward. We’ve got to leave. And we can’t take anything we have with us.”

  “Whoa, hang on. What if they’re not talking about us?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Think about it. We know the Kings are no angels, and they make their living illegally. But if they have dealings with the Jacquot family, they’re not anyone we can trust or should be around. If they don’t know who we are yet, they’ll figure it out eventually, and we’ll be prisoners for the rest of our lives. I’m not willing to chance it. Are you?” I asked urgently.

  “No, I won’t let that happen. However, we can’t run without anything. I doubt the clothing we had hidden is still where we left it. Pack anything you can in a bag, and if there’s money you can get your hands on, do it. Give me five minutes to get my stuff from Cobra’s place. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back. I got the feeling when they told us about this meeting that it would last a while, and it started not long ago. We have time.”

  I didn’t want to do it, but he had a point. Running without anything would be stupid. “Fine, but go now. Please, we need to leave,” I pleaded. He squeezed my hand and then was up and out the door.

  The entire time he was gone, I raced around the room, finding a bag to pack some clothing and personal care stuff, and then I went to the kitchen. One day, Tyrant showed me where he kept extra money. It was in the kitchen in an ornate jar in the dish cabinet. He used it to reimburse the prospects when they needed to pick something up for him or the club. I had to get funds from it once when he wasn’t here. I felt terrible stealing, but I pushed that thought away. What they would do was far worse.

  I didn’t time him, but by the time I had gathered as much as I felt I could take, River was back with a bag. My brain was beginning to work. I could think. I turned all the lights down to what they were usually left at if I went to bed before Tyrant came home. It happened a couple of times, and when it did, I was in my room with the door closed. He never disturbed me. I raced back to shut the bedroom door since I had left it open. When I returned to River, I nodded.

  “I’m ready.”

  He took my hand, and we went to the front door. He cracked it open, scanned outside, then eased it wider so we could get out. I closed it. The door not being locked wouldn’t raise any alarm, either. We made our way toward the gate. We stuck to the darkest shadows. It was River who spotted Drax. He halted.

  “How can we get him away from the gate so we can leave without him raising an alarm?” I whispered.

  He thought momentarily, then pointed behind and to the left of us. We crept silently that way, which took us back in front of the townhomes. He kept walking. When we were far enough away not to be overheard by Drax, he explained where we were going.

  “I found a side gate behind the second row of townhomes they’re building. I saw it when Cobra gave me a tour of them one day. It’s not manned. I bet it’s set up the same as the front, with the ability to push a button from inside and get out. Or maybe even an old-fashioned lock. It’s our best chance. There’s no way to get our asses over this wall. And with them all in that meeting, no one will be monitoring it.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  I was terrified the entire time. I expected someone to see us and give chase any second. However, in the end, it was as easy as my brother predicted. When we got to the gate, it triggered like the front one, locking behind us. Crossing our fingers that it wasn’t alarmed and wouldn’t alert anyone inside, we opened it. As soon as we were outside, we took off running. River brought out a flashlight. Good. I had forgotten to look for one at Tyrant’s but had gotten something else. They were in my pocket and waistband. As the night gobbled us up, I pushed away the feeling that my heart was breaking. I refused to acknowledge why.

  Tyrant: Chapter 9

  It felt nice to sleep in. I tried to do it on the weekends, but most of the time, I still woke up as early as ever. Last night, we all left the common room after midnight. I’d come home to find River had left, and Lakelyn was in bed. I was disappointed that she still hadn’t been awake. I liked seeing her before she went to bed. And if she was willing, we could’ve talked for a bit.

  I’d turned out the lights and gone to my room. I had paused outside her door. The urge to go inside and check on her was massive, but I resisted and went to my room, where, after a shower, I gave myself another hand job to thoughts of her. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to stand it without approaching her.

  It had become clear, even though overall it had been a very short period that I’d known her, that Lakelyn was unlike any other woman I knew. They didn’t tempt me to do more than maybe fuck them and walk away. I didn’t even do that if they weren’t part of our world. The sluts I fucked more than a few times, but it meant nothing. It was their job. With Lakelyn, I wanted to spend time with her and not just have sex, though God knows I wanted that, too.

  I was trying to hold myself back. If she’d been someone I didn’t give a damn about or was in our biker world, I would go straight to her and tell her I wanted her in my bed. But it was more than that. I longed to have her on the back of my bike. And that was something no woman had ever remotely stirred in me. I might not have many rules, but that spot was for the one I made my old lady. Before Lakelyn, I doubted that would ever happen.

  I’d been tempted to take her on my bike more than once. If that happened, it was a done deal. I couldn’t do that to her without her consent. She had no clue what the rules of my world were. I wouldn’t trick her into it. I had more morals than to do that. Once claimed and on my bike, it was a permanent claim. I’d have her name tattooed on my skin and mine on hers—the only thing to separate us after that was death. I didn’t know if all my brothers thought that way, but I did. The only thing was, I had to be sure she agreed. Forcing someone to be with you or to stay with you against their will was abhorrent to me. Those relationships ended in disaster, pain, and sometimes death.

  It was after eight o’clock, and there hadn’t been a peep out of Lakelyn’s room. She must’ve been super tired last night. Usually, she was an early riser, like me. I’d made coffee and already had one cup. I was thinking about another cup when there was an abrupt knock on my front door. It opened, and then footsteps were headed my way. I went to see who it was. Cobra was striding down the hallway.

  “Where’s Lakelyn?” he asked abruptly.

  “In her room. Why? What’s wrong? Where’s River?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know. Are you sure she’s in there?” he asked.

  He was scowling, which caused my gut to tighten. Swinging around, without saying a word, I headed for her room at a sprint. Cobra was right behind me. When I reached the door, I paused long enough to knock and call out loudly.

  “Lakelyn, it’s Cobra and me. We’re coming in. Cover yourself,” I announced.

  If she happened to sleep naked and he saw her, I’d probably have to kill him. In case she was and didn’t have time to cover herself, I ordered over my shoulder, “Keep your eyes closed until I say open them.”

  I took his grunt as confirmation that he would. I turned the handle. It was unlocked. Opening the door, I found the bed empty and made. Not allowing myself to panic yet, I turned to the bathroom door. When I saw it open and dark, my heart began to pound.

  “Can I look yet?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  We were scanning the room, although it was clear she wasn’t there.

  “Son of a bitch, she’s gone too. Check the closet, and I’ll look in the dresser,” he stated.

  I was already headed there. When I opened it, I saw there were empty hangers. I slammed the door and stomped into the bathroom. Her bodywash, shampoo, and conditioner were gone, as were a few other care items, such as her hairbrush, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrush. I spun around to face him.

  “River is gone, clearly. We need Crypto. He’s got to be able to tell us when they left.” I already had my phone out, making the call.

  A sleepy Crypto answered. “Morning, Pres, what can I do for you?” he asked. He yawned.

  “Cobra and I are coming over. We need you to find out when Lakelyn and River left this compound.” I got straight to the point.

  “Fuck, give me five minutes, and I’ll meet you in my office,” he muttered. He sounded more alert, and I heard rustling sounds.

  “We’ll bring the coffee. See you in five,” I said before disconnecting.

  “Did you get all that?” I asked my VP.

  “I did. Let’s get the coffee and go.”

  As we went to the kitchen, I asked, “Did you see River when you got home last night?”

  He shook his head. “No. I thought he was asleep. His door was closed. It wasn’t until I got up and he didn’t that I found out. Once it was well past his usual time, I went to see if he was alright. When he didn’t answer, I went in and found the same thing we did in Lakelyn’s room. Based on the state of the beds, I think they left sometime after we sent them back here. They’ve got a good eight to ten hours lead.”

  “Motherfucker! Why would they leave? I thought they were happy here. She hasn’t mentioned wanting to leave for two weeks. Has he?”

  “No, and he seemed to be the same. He asked questions about the lifestyle and didn’t appear turned off. I didn’t tell him the dirt, but he knew we weren’t guys in white hats. Do you think they were lulling us into letting our guard down the whole time?”

  I shied away from the thought. My anger was beginning to push away the concern. No one made a fool of me and got away with it. I filled a tumbler with coffee and then slapped the lid on it.

  “Let’s go see Crypto. He’ll be able to find them,” I told him.

  “If they ran, do we want to find them?”

  “Goddamn right, we do. I won’t let anyone make fools of us without answering for it. It’s time they learned who we truly are.”

  I seethed the whole way there. When I entered the clubhouse, I was in one of the foulest moods ever. It was a good thing we came in the back entrance. The door was open to Crypto’s office. He was behind the desk. His hair was uncombed, and he was only wearing shorts and flip-flops. He gave us a chin lift when he saw us. I returned it and handed him his coffee.

  “Thanks,” he said before taking a long drink. Even as he did, he was typing one-handed on his keyboard. We sat in chairs on the other side of his desk.

  “Any idea when they might’ve left?” Crypto asked.

  “Their beds aren’t slept in, so after they went to the house and before an hour ago. Though if they snuck out after we got home, I would’ve heard it. So try from nine-thirty to twelve-thirty last night,” I told him.

  “Got it. Any idea why they left?” he asked.

  “Not a fucking one,” I muttered.

  It was quiet except for Crypto’s tapping away for a good ten minutes. I was about to ask why it was taking so long when he stopped, frowned, and typed more.

  “What is it?”

  “Give me another five minutes,” he mumbled. It was all I could do not to tell him no. Finally, he looked up at us.

  “According to the cameras and the security log that tracks any time a door is used in the clubhouse or the gates, a hallway door was opened last night after the Jacquots arrived. Not long afterward, it was again accessed.”

  “It could be one of the sluts coming and going. They were told to stay away, but they might not have listened,” Cobra stated.

  “No, it wasn’t them, or Drax would’ve said. They were all sent off the compound. The interior cameras show it was Lakelyn,” Crypto told us.

  “Why would she come in when we told them we had a meeting and needed to be alone?” I asked.

  “She went into the pantry and then was in the kitchen. She left pretty fast. I don’t have the interior of the compound or your homes monitored. However, exactly twenty-one minutes later, the side gate was opened. The camera back there showed her and River leaving. They were running, Tyrant.”

  “What the fuck?” Cobra questioned.

  “Do you think she heard what you were talking about to the Jacquots, and it made them run?” Crypto asked.

  “I don’t see why it would. They’ve seen and heard enough to know we’re into illegal stuff, even if we didn’t directly talk about what we do. Selling guns is hardly that horrible in the scheme of things. It’s nothing like what a lot of others do or even the Depraved Sinners MC,” I protested.

  “If they were planning to leave, why come to the clubhouse first and then take twenty minutes to leave? If they had been scheming to do it, why not just run?” Cobra asked.

  “I’m sorry, Tyrant. I was monitoring the live feed in the common room and the exterior cameras along the front and up the road from us, where cars would have to come from to get to us. The cameras that caught them outside the wall were the ones on the actual wall that show the immediate area around them.”

  Crypto had his hands buried in his hair, tugging on it. I knew by the expression he wore that he was kicking himself. I wasn’t about to blame him.

  “Hey, Crypto, no one is blaming you. You were doing what I asked you to do. You can’t constantly have an alarm or alerts for every door. It would drive you insane,” I told him.

  “Yeah, well, it doesn’t help. I can’t prove the motherfucking Jacquots are our enemy or not, and now this. I would swear they liked it here. I’ve been wondering if they’d stay for good. And if Lakelyn…” his words faded away.

  “If Lakelyn would what?” I asked.

  I swear, if he said she’d end up with one of them, I’d punch him. All the guys seemed to like to flirt with her. She appeared to take it in stride, laughing and joking with them, which kept me from losing my mind and hurting one of them. Crypto gave me a wary glance.

  “Don’t kill me, Pres, but the way you’ve kept her at your house and acted with her, we did wonder if you might be interested in her. You stopped talking about when they would leave. She’s been helping out around here. It seemed as if you two might be sleeping together.”

  “No, we’re not sleeping together. I want them found,” I ordered.

  “And when I do?” he asked.

  “Then you tell me. Lakelyn needs to discover that you don’t fuck with the Kings of Anarchy. For now, this takes priority. If you can’t find them, we’ll get you help to do this and the Jacquot research. I’ll check in later. We need to tell the rest of the guys what happened right now. I want eyes and feet on the ground around this area. We’ll go patrolling. Get the word out to our contacts to see if they have seen or can find them. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find them without you having to do a bunch of work.”

  I stood, and Cobra rose with me.

  “I’ll find them,” Crypto stated determinedly.

  ☙☙☙

  It had been nearly sixty-nine hours since we determined River and Lakelyn had left the compound. It was nine o’clock on Monday night. I was unable to relax. I didn’t go to the garage to work today. I had no doubt I’d driven poor Crypto crazy with how often I was in and out of his office since they disappeared. I couldn’t seem to stop myself. As for sleep, that had been practically non-existent.

  In between being pissed off at her for running away, I found I was worried about them. The things that could happen to them on the street were scary. I knew that better than most. Homeless people were never seen or heard from again. I kept imagining someone like the Depraved Sinners getting their hands on them.

  We’d gone out on and off most of Saturday and Sunday. Today, the guys had to work. I spent time out on the streets, just aimlessly riding around, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. I was beginning to lose hope. They’d already found a way to leave Turmoil. Lakelyn had talked about their need to get south before the fall, which was still three months away. But if they had to walk it, it would take months. And if they hitchhiked, that could be dangerous.

  Crypto had assured me they hadn’t gotten a bus ticket out of town. He had a way to monitor the bus stations. He looked worse than I did. We were both dead on our feet and needed to take a break. I was sitting at a table in the clubhouse, staring sightlessly at the bottle in front of me. The guys were staying away from me. I was biting off their heads, and they didn’t deserve it, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.

  The chair next to me was pulled out. The scrape of the chair legs on the floor made my teeth clench. I glanced up to find Cobra sitting down. Then more chairs were moved, and in them dropped my other officers. They wore determined expressions. Here it came. They were about to give me a lecture.

  “Pres,” Cobra said first.

  “VP,” I said in return.

  “Tyrant, we need to talk,” Howler stated next.

  “About?” I asked. I wasn’t making it easy on them. Yeah, it was the asshole in me.