Blood in the Water(111)

Then the door opened and the night beyond was obscured by the massive body of Paul, with her father and Terry behind him.





Chapter Twenty-One



“They’ve taken Ash.”



The words hung between the two men, hovering over the table like a demonic spirit.



“They’ve taken my girl?” Samuel’s face had been a mask of horror, white as a sheet; but now it was filling with violent rage. “Who’s got her? Who made that call?”



Paul’s mind was going crazy in a way he’d never known. He needed to find some calm and focus. “That was Spike. Says he’s got Ash at the Traveler’s Rest Motel. That’s where the Rabids are stayin’. Said I needed to bring you and Terry over, room eight, dead or alive, he didn’t much care.”



Samuel was quiet. Paul could almost see his mind twisting the problem, untangling the knots, figuring out the logistics. Eventually he spoke. “We need everyone here. We need the full table. We need to get her back and we need numbers if we’re takin on all the Rabids and some of the Tails. No way Spike’s here alone.”



“I don’t disagree, but Pres,” Paul hated that Samuel flinched when he gave him his title, “It may be that not all the Rabids were in on this. They weren’t all in on the plan to kill you and Terry when I left, and I don’t think any of them knew about the plan to be patched over to the Tails.”



Samuel shook his head. “We can’t know where they’re at now. Jimmy may have got the full table on board with his plan.”



“And what if they didn’t know? Are we gonna kill them all?” Paul couldn’t believe that Rabbit or Cross would have voted for this plan and it sat badly with him that they might be about to deprive a kid, Cross’s little girl, of her only remaining parent.



“You’re showin’ loyalty to the wrong club.” Samuel’s voice was flat, but Paul could see that his rage was peaking off the scale.



“All I’m sayin’ is that some of those boys might be bein’ sold out without their knowin’. This wasn’t a club-sanctioned hit when it was given. They never put it to the vote, and I don’t think they intended to be up front and democratic about the patch over to the Tails. We might have some allies there.”



Samuel turned that possibility over some. “We’ll let the table think on that.”



“It’s your call, Pres.”



Samuel pulled his phone out of the pocket of his kutte, but before he placed any calls he looked at Paul appraisingly. “They might kill you tonight, you know.”



Paul nodded. He knew the risk he was taking. He’d been prepared to receive a death sentence when he’d ridden over. “They might, but I’d like a chance to help you get Ash back before they do.”



“Does my girl know about any of this? What you were here to do to me? What you’re here doin’ tonight?”



“No. I didn’t lie when I said I left her sleepin’. She’s got no idea.”



“If they want you dead, it’ll break her heart.” Samuel was still looking at him with a curious expression, maybe he wondered how far Paul was prepared to go. Paul was prepared to go all the way.



Paul couldn’t keep the despondency from his tone. “It’ll be broke one way or the other. If they let me live, I wouldn’t keep this from her. I won’t lie to her. She won’t forgive me.”



Samuel nodded. “Go and get Fletch and Morse. I think Chiz, Crash and Kong are in the dorms, too. I’ll call Terry, Tag and Sinatra.”



Paul nodded his agreement and went to fetch the members that were sleeping in the clubhouse. He’d known exactly what he risked, and he hadn’t changed his mind about paying the full price. He took a deep breath and stiffened his spine as he knocked on Chiz’s dorm door and focused on the fact that Ashleigh was in danger and that he had to get her back before he worried about anything else.



~o0o~



Within half an hour all the members of the Priests MC were in their seats at the table. Some heavy drinking had taken place that day, but there was no evidence of that. Eyes that had been bleary were now sharp, waiting to be told what the emergency was and what they needed to do. They were all looking to Samuel, all except Chiz. Paul knew that Chiz could see there was something off with him and he was trying to figure it out. He wouldn’t have to wait long.



Samuel didn’t bother with the gavel. The room was silent and everyone was waiting for him to speak. He leaned forward, his clasped hands, the knuckles pale, resting on the solid wood.