Melancholy

“Finish up here. I’ll go back and organize some solid men to take.”

“On it, boss.”

I climb onto the bike, starting it. Santana’s arms go around me, and I can feel her hands shaking. I wrap my fingers around hers, squeezing.

“It’s goin’ to be okay, Tana.”

“I hope so,” she whispers.

Me fuckin’ too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

2014 – Santana

“It’s going to be okay,” Ash says as I throw some clothes into a suitcase.

“They’re after her, too. They’re going to get to her before us and . . .”

“Hey,” she says, taking my shoulders and turning me towards her. With a soft expression, she whispers, “Trust in Maddox. He’s going to make sure she gets home.”

“He’s not God,” I say in a shaky tone. “If they get there before us, they’re going to take her, and do God knows what else.”

“They might not have left yet. We could be in for a head start.”

“Maybe,” I say, staring at the faded red shirt in my hands. “God, if something happens to her before I can get to her . . .”

“You’re thinking too far ahead. For her sake you need to stop doing that, honey. It won’t help anything. You can’t change what happens, but you can change how you think about it. Be positive; she needs that from you.”

I nod, swallowing back the tears threatening to escape. “Thank you for helping me pack, I needed a break from the drama.”

She waves a hand. “Always.”

We hug once more.

“Ready to go?”

We both turn to see Maddox and Krypt at the door. Maddox is dressed all in black, his long hair pulled away from his face allowing me the full, perfect view of his chiseled jaw and the way it shapes his gorgeous face. I nod softly, throwing the shirt into the suitcase and zipping it.

Maddox comes in, lifting my luggage while his other hand finds my chin. He tilts my face up, his blue eyes intense. “It’s goin’ to be okay.”

“I know,” I whisper, even though I don’t really believe it.

“There’s still a good amount of activity at the Tinmens’ compound, which means there’s a good chance they haven’t left. We’re goin’ to get her back, I promise you that.”

I nod. It’s all I can do. He leans down, pressing a hard kiss to my lips before letting me go and turning towards the door.

“Let’s do this.”

Yes, let’s.

~*~*~*~

The plane is actually quite nice. It’s older, but the inside is clean and tidy. It has one row of seats along the left side, and on the right are some beverage and refreshment carts, as well as blankets, pillows and other such comforts. The toilet is right up the back, and is typical for the plane’s tiny size.

We didn’t take a whole lot of bikers, being that the plane only carries ten people. That made it difficult to take anymore than that. Maddox took his finest, though. His finest being himself, Krypt, Mack, Ryhder, Tyke, Austin, Grimm and Zaid.

I’m not entirely sure why he brought Tyke, being that he can only stand for so long before needing to sit from the pain. My guess is that he doesn’t like to leave him out, and that Tyke is one of his closest friends. Plus, he’d make a good watch, and the man is killer with a gun—probably better than most of the club members.

“What’s the plan when we get in, boss?” Krypt asks.

“We’ve got an address. Not sure if it’s still his, but it’s worth a shot. We tracked it down from the business and went from there. He lives outta town, so it makes sense that it’d be the place.”

“How are we goin’ to go in?”

Maddox has a glint in his eye when he answers. “We’re goin’ to go up to the door and ask for the girl, gauge his reaction. Best case scenario, he hands her over. Worst, he has a fuck-load of people that will put up a fight. That’s why we’re takin’ a whole lot of weapons.”

“That’s so dangerous,” I say.

Maddox reaches over, taking my hand and squeezing it. “No other choice. A surprise attack is the best we’ve got.”

“What if . . .” I hesitate. “What if I went in and pretended I was lost . . . I could see if she was there first.”

“No fuckin’ way,” Maddox growls. “I’ve sent you in as a plant before; didn’t like how it ended.”

“It was fine,” I protest.

He flashes me a wild glare. “You were hurt, and it fuckin’ scared you. Not happenin’.”

“You could get her killed,” I say, my voice firm. “If you go in and just demand her, he might make a call that will end her. Then what?”

Maddox leans in close. “You need to trust me, Santana.”

“You’ve hardly made that easy.”

He flinches, and everyone else stares at the walls as if they’ve suddenly changed color. Maddox gives me such a pained expression my heart explodes as he stands and disappears to the small space at the back of the plane. I sigh, dropping my head into my hands. God, I don’t mean to be such a brat. I’m scared for my sister. If this goes wrong . . .

God.

I push to my feet, avoiding the stares as I head down the hall. A hand lashes out as I near, and I stare down to see Mack is holding onto my arm. His expression is firm, but gentle. “Be careful about the words you use in there, Santana. He’s tryin’ the best he can to get that girl back.”