Leaning forward in my chair, I gently took her hands in mine and gingerly asked, “Ari. Look at me please.”
I waited until she raised her head. I didn’t want to rush her. Women like Ari needed to do things in their own time, not forced. So, I waited patiently. When I saw into her soft blue eyes brimming with tears, I began to worry. Whatever was going on, whatever she was mixed up with, weighed heavily on her. I knew the tension wasn’t good for the baby. I wanted to help her. I really did, but I couldn’t just take Ghost’s wife out of state without knowing the truth. If I was taking her into danger, I needed to know.
“Ari. Who is in Oregon?”
Tears fell down her creamy white porcelain face as she whispered. “I can’t tell you. I am so sorry. Please understand. I would go myself, but I don’t know how to drive yet. I can’t ask Baltazar. He would insist on bringing everyone. I can’t do that to her.”
“Her?”
She shook her head, “I’ve said too much already. Please help me Phantom. I can’t ask Remi because she just had the baby and Momma Roxy would tell me to leave it alone. I can’t. I have to do this.”
Okay. I needed to try a different tactic. Ari was a sweet woman who wouldn’t hurt a soul. Uncomplicated without any secrets. She wasn’t smart like the rest of us. Her time in the cult left her with knowledge of the bible and not much else. Though she was learning everything denied to her quickly, she still tended to get confused over the smallest things and take things literally. Whoever she needed to get in Oregon couldn’t be bad. At least, I hoped they weren’t, but I needed to be prepared for anything. I knew that Ari had no siblings, so a brother and sister were out. I knew Ari would never knowingly kidnap anyone, so whoever was in Oregon was someone important to her. She wouldn’t voluntarily go back to that place for just anyone. This was someone she cared for deeply. My only concern was why now? Why did she wait a year to tell anyone about this person?
I had several questions I wanted and needed to be answered before I embarked on this drive, but I couldn’t just blurt them out. I didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. I needed to take a softer approach. Be gentle with her. Talk plainly.
“Do you know this person, Ari?”
“Yes.”
“Is this person in trouble?”
“She will be. That’s why I need to go tonight.”
Okay. I wasn’t about to let a woman get hurt if I could prevent it. But I needed more information. However, my gut told me that she wouldn’t be as forthcoming as I would like. I was going to have to do this blind. Sighing, I sat back in my chair, my decision had already been made, but she didn’t need to know that. Instead, I said, “Okay, Ari. I will drive you, but I have two conditions.”
“Anything,” she smiled, wiping away her tears.
“First condition. Is this going to be dangerous?”
Her smile faded. “I don’t think so.”
Not the definitive answer I was looking for, so I knew I needed to be prepared for anything that may come up.
Too easy. I never left without my weapons.
“Second condition. Does this trip have anything to do with club business?”
“I can’t answer that.”
And that right there spoke volumes.
Whoever this person was had something to do with the club. I didn’t know what, but it was enough to worry the gentlest woman in the club. To force her out of her comfort zone and back into the nightmare she once came from. Whoever this person was, she had a staunch ally in Ari. Ari would never intentionally put herself in danger. She would never do anything to hurt Ghost or Rebekah, yet she was asking me to take her back into the fray for someone. Someone with a connection to the club.
I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t.
I couldn’t, in good conscious, endanger Ari. Even if this had something to do with the club business, which I was damn near positive did. I couldn’t keep this from Reaper. He’d have my head for sure and I refused to think what Ghost would do if something happened to her. But on the other hand, Ari did seek me out. Asked me personally. I couldn’t destroy her trust in me. I knew it must have taken a lot of courage to come to ask me personally. Like I said, I was screwed either way.
“When do you need to leave?”
“Is now okay?”
Shit. There was no time to plan. I was going to have to go in blind. I hated not knowing what I was facing. Though she said she didn’t believe there would be a danger, I knew going back to that fucking cult compound to expect danger. At the least gunfire. Fuck. If anything happened to Ari, Ghost was going to kill me dead.
This was such a bad idea.
“Okay Ari. Do you have everything you need?” I said, getting to my feet, reaching for the to-go bag I always had at the ready.
She nodded, getting to her feet.