Crash (Brazen Bulls MC #1)(66)

Dane pried the phone from his hand and put it to his own ear. “Willa?” he said. Like he thought he’d get a response when Rad hadn’t. Then he listened for a moment.

And then he hung up the phone.

“NO!” Rad yanked it back off the hook. Nothing but a dial tone now. “FUCK!” He slammed the handset on the hook again and again, until Dane and somebody else—Ox, it was Ox—dragged him back.

The entire diner full of travelers and truckers, the waitresses, the cooks, almost all of the Bulls and the Horde, stared in silence at him.

At his side, Dane gritted through his teeth, “Let’s sit down. Let’s work this out. We’ll get you to her, but we gotta know where to go.”

Every instinct in him shouted to shake his brothers off and go, just go, just ride, get to her. He’d find her. He’d feel her. He was hours away and she was hurt, he knew she was hurt. Something bad had happened, was happening, and he had not a minute to spare.

It was Smithers. That bastard had found her. That was it. It had to be.

He beat me up and raped me. He heard Willa’s calm voice saying those words. He beat me up and raped me.

He heard himself promise to keep her safe.

Help me. Help me.

“I gotta go, Dane. She needs me.” He wasn’t shouting now. Emotion had closed his throat too much for shouting. “She needs me.”

“Then let’s find her. Go sit down. I’ll call Slick and see what he knows.”

It took everything he had to nod and let Ox lead him to the long table, made of several four-tops hastily pushed together, where the Bulls and the Horde sat.

He did not f*cking want to be sitting with the f*cking Horde right now.

Delaney stood at the head of the table. He put his arm around Rad and gave him a squeeze before he pushed him to sit at his side. “Let’s see the number she left. Let’s start there.”

Rad handed him his pager.

“I don’t know it.”

Rad shook his head. He didn’t, either.

“Bulls—anybody know this?” Delaney handed Rad’s pager to Ox, who shook his head and passed it to Simon. Around the table like that, until Gunner had it. He squinted at it so long, Rad wanted to punch him on principle.

“Maybe…”

Rad jumped up. “You know it?”

“Hold up.”

Gunner reached into his kutte and pulled out a ragged little black book. He flipped through, squinting at a few pages and moving on. Rad thought he’d go mad with waiting. Then Gunner stopped, checked the pager, compared it to something in the book, stared a crazy long time, back and forth, like he was trying to make the suspense build. Asshole. Finally, he said, “Yeah. The main number is the Osage—that shit motel off of 44? The next number is the room. 105. They got it set up so calls go to the room if you key the room number after the main.” He looked up at Rad with a proud grin. “That’s where she called from. The Osage, room 105.”

Rad wanted to beat that f*cking grin off Gunner’s face. But he forbore and snatched his pager back. “I’m goin’. Right the f*ck now.”

“Rad. Sit.” Delaney spoke with clear calm.

Muscles pounding with the need to f*cking move, Rad couldn’t sit. He stared at his president as the last strings of his control twanged.

“Sit,” Delaney repeated. “Now.”

His knees creaked in protest, but Rad sat. “Prez, I gotta go.”

“Think, brother. Take a breath and think. One—we’re in the middle of a run here, and you know how important it is. We can’t all have your back on this. Two—we’re hours out. Even if you go balls first, there’s more than four hours between you and her. Three—the prospects are home. Let’s get them to her and find out what’s what.”

Through his fury and panic, Rad saw that sense. Seeing more than the problem immediately before him had never been his strength. He’d never lead this club—which was fine; he didn’t want to.

Delaney, on the other hand, was a good leader—and a good brother. He saw ahead. Rad trusted him with the club, with his life. And with Willa’s. He took the breath. And then another.

After a compassionate nod, Delaney looked over his shoulder. Rad turned his attention the same way and saw Dane heading back.

“Got Slick and Wally waiting for my call back.” Dane sat down. “What’s the word?”

“Gunner says the number came from the Osage Motor Inn.” Frowning at Gunner, Delaney added, “Do I want to know how you know that?”

Another punchable smirk from their crazy brother. “Bangin’ a married chick. We meet up there. She pages me when she’s ready.”

Rad stood. “The prospects need to get to her.” He meant to go to the phone bank and make the call himself, but Delaney reached up and grabbed his arm.

“Sit. Dane’ll call. Let’s decide what we tell them.”

“They need to get in the f*ckin’ room and GET TO HER NOW!” He slammed his fist on the table, and the silverware clattered.

Staring at the spot Rad’s fist had landed, Delaney said, “Dane. Tell Slick that they need to get to the Osage, room 105. They need to be carrying and ready for trouble. Slick should have his pick kit with him. They need to call with a sit rep.” He turned to Rad as he said the rest. “We will wait here until we hear from them. Tell ‘em to move it.”