Uncontrollable Temptations (Tempted #3)(67)

I grabbed my helmet off the bar and started for the door. “Church in an hour,” I said over my shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Blackie called out.

“To get Reina and Lacey,” I replied.

“You go get Reina, I’ll get Lacey,” he countered, falling into step beside me. I lifted an eyebrow as I tried to figure him out.

“We going to sit here and argue about this or we going to get the women in your life to safety? Because I tell you brother, something happens to either of them on your watch, you ain’t going to be able to deal with that. Trust me, that shit will be the death of you,” he said, talking from experience. He slipped his arms into his cut, checked his gun, and shoved it into the back of his jeans before leveling me with a stare. “I got your girl,” he assured me.

My feet felt like lead as I stood there, staring at him for a moment. I reasoned that Blackie was doing the sensible thing if we split up then we’d save time and get Reina and my daughter to the compound quicker. The sooner they were together under the club’s roof the safer they would be. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling like I was missing something but there wasn’t time for me to get into my head. The fucking thing was behaving at the moment, no need to rattle shit up.

I patted his shoulder.

“Thank you,” I said, and he nodded before we stepped outside. We straddled our bikes, revved our engines, and kicked our bikes into gear. Adrenaline pumping through our veins and determination in our eyes we turned our separate ways out of the compound to bring my girls to safety.

I ran every light, defied the speed limits, and nearly ran an elderly man over. I was crazed, racing against a clock I didn’t know was ticking, blinded by my need to get to Reina. I prepared myself for the hell she’d probably give me, making it hard for me to convince her she needed to come with me. I said I’d give her time but how did I explain that her life could be at risk? Anyone associated with me could be in danger right now. It didn’t matter I decided, I’d gag her and tie her to the back of my bike if she fought me.

I pulled up in front of her complex, turned off my bike and dismounted. I took big strides, a man on a mission, taking two steps at a time to the fourth floor. I reached her door and pounded my fist against it.

“Reina, open the door,” I ordered, picturing her inside drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine like she had when I went on a run and left her. I kept at it, bruising my knuckles as I rapped them against the door. “So help me God, if you don’t open this fucking door, I’ll tear it down,” I shouted.

Nothing.

Motherfucker.

I dropped my fist, cursed under my breath, and took a few retreating steps back and charged my shoulder into the door. Once, twice, before it burst open. I pushed through the doorway and stepped into her dark apartment. I flicked the lights and my eyes searched the small space.

“Reina?” I called for her but silence was all I got in return. I moved through her apartment but knew I wouldn’t find her. Dread filled me as I reached for my phone and called her cell phone.

It rang and rang until her voicemail picked up.

I hung up and called again.

No answer.

I swallowed hard, roughly running my fingers through my hair before calling Blackie.

His phone didn’t even ring and just went to voicemail.

I tried again before hanging up and calling Lacey.

“Please, pick up,” I pleaded frantically.

Before I could hear her voicemail too, I shoved my phone into my pocket and stormed out of Reina’s apartment, not even bothering with the door. I’d probably regret that later but right now all that mattered was getting to the people I loved. You don’t realize what a comforting privilege it is to hear someone you love answer the phone. You don’t realize how desperate you are to hear their voice until you don’t. Until you fear you won’t hear it again.

My mind teetered, my maker called to me, taunting me and I tried with everything in me to fight against it, to fight against my mind as I drove to my ex-wife’s house.

You remember this feeling don’t you?

You know what it’s like to feel so helpless, so out of control, don’t you?

How do you rest your head at night knowing everything you touch is destroyed?

First Jack, now them.

I stumbled off my bike, racing up the walkway of my ex-wife’s house, my feet skidding to a halt at the front door that was ajar. I grabbed my gun from the waistband of my jeans and stretched my arms in front of me, cocking my gun as I kicked the door open.

My eyes jumped around the room, taking in the damage, realizing there was a struggle. I cleared the first floor, desperate to find my daughter, knowing it wasn’t likely.

“Lacey,” I called out into the silent house as I climbed the stairs. I almost fell backward when I heard someone whimpering. “Lacey? Baby is that you? Where are you?”

I started down the hallway when I heard my daughter wail, spinning around on my heel as she emerged from the master bedroom, throwing herself into my arms.

I wrapped one arm around her, dropping my gun to my side and closed my eyes as I relished in her embrace.

“It’s okay, daddy’s here,” I said, caressing her back. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I promised, hoarsely.

She pulled back, her body shaking as she sobbed.