“Who is this?”
“It’s West. Answer the fucking question. Is Ashtyn with you?”
“No, she’s not here. What the fuck is going on? Is she in trouble?”
“Yeah, she’s in fucking trouble. Axel and I are on the way to your place. Text your address to this phone number. We’re going to need some muscle,” I said before hanging up. My hands shook as I gripped the phone, waiting for the address to put in the GPS.
I typed it in once Remington sent it over, and it said we would be there in twenty minutes.Fuck, that’s not soon enough.
“Step on the fucking gas, Axel! We need to get there quicker!”
“I’m already going ninety. We need to get there in one piece, man.”
I clenched my hands, trying to keep myself occupied. I called Bronx, Gabby, and Cade, letting them know the situation. They planned to drive around town and check Ashtyn’s favorite places–the bookstore and the coffee shop, even though both places closed at 9:00.
I didn’t know what else to do. I felt hopeless. Worthless. Useless.
I was supposed to protect her. I promised her no one else would ever lay a finger on her and look what happened.
She was gone.
Wemanagedtoshavefive minutes off our estimated arrival time. Axel’s pickup truck roared as he drove through the gate to the compound–which was open and waiting for us–and parked in front of Remington and some other dude.
“What’s going on? Where is she? What happened?” Remington looked as frazzled and distraught as I felt. He didn’t even know half of it.
“She’s gone. She was supposed to be at your house talking to your mom about–stuff, and she’s fucking gone! Her phone pinged around Castle Grove. I think your mom’s boyfriend took her. Pete Hannigan. He owns the place she works at. He’s the only one I know of who hangs around here, except you of course.”
“Fuck, I know about Pete. The sick fucker likes to traffic girls from that club downtown,” the blonde guy said, his face marred with disgust.
“You think Ashtyn’s there? Fucking ay, let’s go!” Remington yelled as he tucked a gun in the holster on his back.
“Don’t you have anyone else to go with us?” Axel asked. “He’s going to be surrounded. We can’t go in there guns blazing, just the three of us. Plus, you’re the only one with a gun.”
“Beck, get them each a piece. We need to fucking go.Now.” Remington hopped on his motorcycle and put on a helmet.
Beck–the blonde guy who knows where Pete’s club is located–ran into the building and came back in under thirty seconds with two guns and holsters. “You two know how to use these?” Beck asked as he handed me and Axel each a gun.
“Yes,” we both answered at the same time.
It was a Glock 19–a nine millimeter which meant the bullet would do some damage. I cocked it back and emptied the bullet that was in the chamber. Safety first–and since therewasno actual safety on the gun, I figured not having a bullet in the chamber during transit would be a good idea. Axel did the same, holding the gun like he’d done this a million times. He tucked it in the holster and attached it to his jeans.
Beck laughed. “Damn, you GP boys don’t leave one in the chamber?”
I rolled my eyes and Remington started up his bike. “Beck will come with us. We’re the only ones who can go–most of the guys are out on a run. There are a few here to watch the place but they’re all older. They’d stick out like a sore thumb.”
“The club is called Ethereal. Just downtown. I’ll lead us,” Beck said before putting on a helmet and getting on his bike.
I thought he didn’t believe in safety.
We raced down the streets of Castle Grove, and since the clubhouse was only a few minutes from downtown, we were there quickly. We needed to get there before anything bad happened to my princess. The thought made my guts toss and turn.
Ethereal was a tall, brooding building that towered over the rest of Castle Grove in an ominous way. There were at least three stories to it and neon letters spelling out “Ethereal” adorned the side of the building. It was a modern piece in a sea of old-fashioned buildings and houses. It had a black exterior with black windows that were so tinted, you couldn't see inside unless you were right next to the building.
“I’m not sure if they’ll let you little twerps in, otherwise I’ll just go,” Remington said as he hiked his leg up over his bike and placed his helmet on the handlebar.
“We have fakes,” Axel said as he double-clicked his key fob to make sure the truck was locked.
The line to get in wrapped around the building. There were women in towering heels and short dresses, and men in slacks and suits and shiny shoes. An equal balance of sexes led me to believe the place was more of a legitimate nightclub than Aces.