Priest: A Motorcycle Club Romance (The Viking’s Rampage MC: Tucson Chapter Book 2)
Priest: A Motorcycle Club Romance: Chapter 18

Icursed again as I watched Riptide walk up to Jenny and start speaking with her. It hadn’t been my intention to hurt her feelings, I was just out of sorts right now. I’d planned to go to church, then go a few rounds in the ring with one of the guys before I spoke to her today. Then she showed up.

She was right about her news. It was fucking amazing that she’d managed to help me get custody of Caitlyn. I’d be forever grateful to her. I just couldn’t drum up any enthusiasm at the moment. My insides felt like they were being twisted up through an emotional wringer and the only way for me to deal with that was to numb myself to everything. It was a bad day for me and I wasn’t good company for anyone.

The girls were with Wendy’s parents and were staying with them for a week. They’d taken Caitlyn as well, claiming they wanted to get to know their newest granddaughter. Her parents were good people. I think after our divorce I’d missed them more than my ex-wife. It was good for them as well, they lost a daughter. By having the girls there, they could heal better themselves.

“What the hell was that?”

I groaned inwardly. The accent let me know exactly who was standing behind me in the doorway. I turned and followed Hush inside.

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t look like nothin’. Looked like you said somethin’ stupid and hurt her feelin’s.” Hush scowled at me.

“It’s none of your business, Hush. I’ll make it up to her later.” When I wasn’t feeling so fucking numb.

Hush’s laugh was incredulous. “You poked and prodded at me when I needed it, Boy. Don’t think I’m not goin’ to do the same. It may not make you feel better, but it’s my way of gettin’ back at you.” He gave me a feral smile as though he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

“Want to spar while you nag at me like an old woman?”

His eyes narrowed and I gave him a humorless grin. “Yeah. We’ll go a few rounds,” he grunted.

We started walking back toward the meeting room. Butcher came down the stairs as we passed. “You two are sparring?”

“That’s right. You want in?” I asked.

“Hell yeah.”

We walked into the meeting room and saw Smokehouse sitting there. Everyone started talking all at once.

Lockout had sent Smokehouse out to Wyoming to help out another chapter a few weeks ago. He’d just gotten back in earlier today and we hadn’t had a chance to catch up with him yet.

“Took you long enough getting back home, asshole,” I told him as I took the seat next to him.

“Thanks. I was beginning to think they’d never let me go,” he said with a grin.

“Bullshit,” Hush replied. “You found a woman up there,” he joked.

Smokehouse grinned. “A woman? Like, just one? Ha!”

Everyone groaned and started giving him shit. We all quieted down when Lockout and Riptide walked in. I settled in, eager to see what it was they’d found out.

Dash was seated across the table from me and he winked at me. The bastard had been secretive about what he and Riptide had found. He just kept saying Lockout wanted to go over it at church.

At least this meeting was keeping me occupied and Hush off my ass about what happened before with Jenny. I stared down at the table as Lockout started speaking.

“Dash and Rip managed to track down Caitlyn’s father.”

My eyes shot up and I found Lockout watching me closely. “Who is he?”

“It’s weird,” Riptide answered. “It took a lot of digging to even get a name on this guy. We tried backtracking from Caitlyn’s birth certificate, but that record was mysteriously lost. We tried following the mother’s name to her marriage certificate, but that was lost, too. Notice the strange pattern? Anyway, long story short we eventually found a paper trail through credit cards and found the father’s name. Once we finally got that we started searching and realized that he dropped off the grid the same time Caitlyn and her mom did.”

My muscles tensed at hearing that. “What does that mean?”

“We’re actually thinking that maybe he has something to do with The Silverbells, but they haven’t gotten the full story yet,” Lockout answered.

“Tracking this guy down has proven to be more difficult than expected. Which means he has something to hide,” Riptide said. “I’m going to figure out what it is.”

“You think he was the one who lured them out there?” Hush asked after we all processed what Riptide was telling us.

“Not sure yet,” Riptide answered. “But that’s the current theory. Either lured, or he took them and forced them to go with him. Stole Sherry’s car and drove them out to that area.”

“It’s a clue to go off, either way,” Dash added. “Maybe it’ll get us some answers about what’s happening out there.”

“Fucking finally,” Butcher muttered. Toxic elbowed him under the table. “What?” Butcher complained. “This is taking forever and I just want to know what’s going on and who I can kill.”

“Really?” Toxic asked, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

“Well, I don’t really care what’s going on,” he admitted. “Just want to know who to kill.”

Everyone chuckled at that. Typical Butcher. No finesse. He was more of a smash and grab type guy. He also had more of a heart than he let on and it wasn’t hard to see that he actually liked Caitlyn. He’d never admit it, but he was pretty good with my kids. It was only babies who freaked him out.

“So what’s the plan?” I asked.

“The guys are going to go check out Chet Holden’s last known address. See if there is anything there to find.”

“Figures,” I said. “Chet. Even without knowing what he did to Caitlyn and her mom, he sounds like a douche. No one names their kid Chet unless they intend to raise a douche,” I muttered.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Put me on this, too,” I told Lockout.

His eyes narrowed, not because of my request, but because they all knew I was struggling after Wendy. “Not sure that’s a good idea, Brother. You’re a little close to this one.”

Grinding my back teeth together so I didn’t do something stupid, I tried to keep control of my temper. The fact that I felt close to losing it—especially on my friend and president—was a testament to the inner turmoil I felt. I was known for my calm composure, in battle and otherwise. The last few days I’ve been feeling more and more like a loose cannon.

My God, is this how Butcher feels every day?

“Lock.” I met his gaze. “I need to be a part of this. Caitlyn is my daughter.”

“That’s part of the reason it might be better if you stayed here,” he said. He leaned forward, elbows on the wooden table in front of us. “But fine. You can go. Don’t make me fucking regret it, Priest.”

The relief was so sharp I didn’t even argue. I listened to them plan the mission. By the time they were done I had my errant emotions under control once more.

“Anything else?” Lockout asked.

“Taz stopped by earlier,” I told him. Ignoring the dark looks I was getting from both Hush and Riptide, I continued. “CPS is granting me custody of Caitlyn.”

Everyone started talking all at once again. They were all relieved and excited about the news.

“There’s still more I’ll have to do to officially adopt her, but the biggest hurdle is over with.”

I received a bunch of slaps on the back and grinned because despite how hard they connected they were all happy for me. It was finally starting to sink in. I only wished I’d been able to react when Jenny had told me the news. The numbness was fading a bit, thanks to knowing we were finally moving forward with Caitlyn and The Silverbells.

Lockout released us and I glanced at my phone. No messages. I typed out a quick text to Jenny, letting her know I had club business that would keep me out late tonight, but that I’d call her in the morning. I frowned when, after a few minutes, she hadn’t replied.

“Still want to get in a couple rounds before tonight?” Hush asked, walking up.

“Yeah. I need it.” I followed him and Butcher to the gym. Some of the other guys came with us, eager to watch us fight.

Hellfire was already in the gym lifting when we got there. He arched a brow. “Sparring?”

“That’s right,” Butcher answered. “You looking to get in on it?”

“Fuck yeah.” He dropped the barbell he was holding and the weights crashed to the ground. “You’re mine today, Butcher.”

“Aw, Hell,” he said, fluttering his lashes. “I knew you wanted me.”

Hellfire snorted while Hush and I laughed at Butcher’s shit talking. Hellfire was huge—even bigger than me—but Butcher was fast and fucking mean. Worse, he took hits like Rocky Balboa, they just seemed to fuel him. It would be a fun fight to watch. Not that we hadn’t seen every combination between our brothers that could be made, but it was still fun to watch them pit themselves against each other.

“We’re first,” I called out, ripping my shirt off over my head. I needed the sting of my knuckles hitting flesh. The blood from being pummeled myself. The feelings slinking around inside of me needed an outlet. Between this and our mission later tonight, I knew I was going to feel a fuck ton lighter by tomorrow.

I sat on my bike, watching the building in front of us. The apartment building was quiet—most of the residents were asleep for the night—but we still waited for about twenty minutes, monitoring the people coming and going. There weren’t many.

“Let’s go,” Riptide whispered.

Me and Butcher got off our bikes, looking around as we walked up the stairs that led us to the apartment Chet Holden had been renting. According to Riptide, he’d stopped paying rent the same day that Sherry and Caitlyn had gone missing in the desert. It was too much of a coincidence for me.

We were lucky; although he had stopped paying the rent, Tucson wouldn’t allow you to evict someone for at least ninety days after they stopped payments. We were still inside that window. So if he left anything behind, it should be here.

Butcher and I crowded around Riptide as he picked the lock on the door. It was only the three of us. We didn’t need someone spotting us and calling the cops because a bunch of bikers were milling around their apartment complex.

“You sure no one’s in there?” Butcher asked, keeping his voice low.

“Not according to the company’s database. They aren’t allowed to touch a tenant’s shit until they are officially evicted. Should all still be in there.”

Riptide opened the door and we all stepped inside, shutting the door behind us. I turned the lock then looked around and shook my head. “Light packer.”

“Looks like it was a layover spot for him,” Butcher said. “Like he wasn’t planning on staying.”

We split up and started searching through Chet’s meager possessions. It didn’t take us long to realize we weren’t going to find anything here.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered.

Riptide started to say something when we heard someone talking outside the door. His eyes widened and we all looked at each other.

“Hide,” I hissed.

We shoved each other along until we ended up in the bathroom. The tub had a shower curtain and I groaned, but pointed at it. By the time the front door opened we were all squeezed into the tub—shoulder to shoulder—barely breathing as we waited to see who’d just dropped in on us.

Butcher elbowed me to make more room and I glared over at him. Sure we could have just killed whoever walked in, but that wasn’t our style. What if one of the residents had seen us coming inside and had gotten security? Then we’d be killing innocent people.

No. We needed to figure out who this was. We had to make sure we didn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.

“I don’t know why you insist on coming back here each week, Chet.” A man’s voice floated down the hall.

Looking over, I met Riptide’s gaze. We both grinned. Butcher looked like he was ready to jump out and torture the men who were walking through the apartment.

“Just grabbing what I need, John. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

I jerked my chin to catch Riptide’s attention. “Should we grab them?” I asked. My voice was so low I barely breathed the words out.

Riptide considered that, then shook his head. He took something out of his bag he’d carried in. I frowned at the tiny thing between his fingers and gave him a questioning look.

“Tracker,” he whispered.

Butcher rubbed his hands together eagerly. “We can get all these fuckers at once.”

He said it a bit too loudly and I buried my elbow in his ribs. He grunted softly in pain. We all froze and waited to see if the men had heard him.

They were too busy out in the living room to notice us. I motioned to the tracker. “I’ll do it,” I mouthed at him.

Riptide handed it over and I reached forward and slowly—as quietly as I could—pulled the shower curtain back. I hesitated—listening—as soon as I’d made enough room to get out of the tub.

I stepped out and listened again. The guys were moving back and forth from the bedroom to the living room. I’d stepped behind the door so I wouldn’t be seen. I had to make this quick. Poking my head out of the bathroom, I caught sight of movement in the living room.

“What the hell’s so important that you keep coming back for it?” Chet’s friend asked.

“Don’t worry, John. This is the last time. It’s all coming with us tonight.”

“Good. You should have grabbed it the first time around.”

I moved silently down the hallway and into the master bedroom. There were bags on the bed that hadn’t been there when we’d first searched the place. Moving over, I carefully unzipped one of the bags and shoved my hand with the tracker inside. I rummaged around until I felt the bottom and dropped the tracker there.

“Good. Because Ethan isn’t going to sanction many more of these trips. I’m shocked he even let you come back for anything. You know we’re supposed to leave it all behind when we join. No earthly possessions beyond what he provides.”

“Yes, but some of these things were requested by him. More importantly, it’s not your place to question, only obey.”

What in the fuck are these guys talking about?

The voices were coming closer. I swore under my breath and looked around. The closet was open and it was easy to see Chet was taking shit from there and shoving it in the duffle bags. If I hid there, I’d be caught. My eyes dropped to the bed and I sighed.

Dropping to the floor, I worked on squeezing myself underneath the bed. It was a tight fit as I wasn’t a small man, but I’d just managed to shove myself back against the wall when the guys came into the room.

Christ it’s like I’m in high school all over again.

“I know the rules, but Ethan granted me a favor. This is what I asked for,” Chet said.

“Seems like a waste to me,” the other guy muttered.

I heard rustling as they picked up the bags. It was too bad they didn’t stick around so I could listen in more, but they headed out almost immediately. I was about to crawl out from under the bed when I heard John speak.

“Hey, I have to take a piss before we carry all this down.”

Groaning softly, I held still. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice the shadows of Riptide and Butcher still hiding in the tub. I waited, holding my breath as I heard the bathroom door shut.

The minutes passed slowly, and it seemed like he was in there for a long time, but finally the door opened again and I let out a sigh of relief. The sound of them loading up all the bags floated back into the bedroom.

As soon as the front door shut I crawled out from my hiding spot. I froze, on my hands and knees as Riptide and Butcher burst out of the bathroom, both gagging.

“Jesus fucking Christ! What did that guy eat?” Butcher gasped.

Riptide had a disgusted look on his face. I gave them a confused look. “That guy just dumped a fucking load that would do an outdoor shitter proud. Fucker said he was going to piss, fucking liar.”

The fact that they were grossed out was saying something since all of us had used the outhouses overseas during our deployments. Fuck, we’d even been around when the Privates had dumped jet fuel into the toilets and burned off all the shit inside. These men were no strangers to nasty shit and yet they still looked green in the face.

“Let’s get out of here,” I told them, shaking my head. I did myself a favor and held my breath as I passed by the bathroom.

We made our way out of the apartment and I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check it. I frowned when I realized Jenny had never texted me back. I could see that it’d been read, but she hadn’t responded. Damn it. I was going to have some fucking explaining to do tomorrow.

Shoving thoughts of her to the back of my mind, I got on my bike. If we were lucky, coming here tonight would finally give us an idea of what was going on.

One thing was for sure. Caitlyn’s dad was alive and he was a part of all of this. Whatever this was. I couldn’t wait to fucking find out and put the whole thing to rest.