Page 45 of Blade
“What?” I asked just as Phoenix blurted out “Why?”
Hawk looked defeated. “We’ve been thinking about it for a while. It feels like too many people are finding out about our abilities. Then when we didn’t get any backup from Nationals, we felt a little jaded. We’re doing a lot for the club, but the club isn’t doing as much for us anymore. We want to branch out—start our own club.”
“Jesus, Hawk. That could create some very powerful enemies if certain people don’t like your decision,” I warned. This was big. Bigger than them staying here.
“The hog farm is gone. Everything but half of one barn burned to the ground. We lost all but a handful of our hogs. What we had left, we sent to slaughter because we had no way to take care of them or house them. The clubhouse is destroyed,” Hawk explained bleakly.
“Maybe we should all leave,” One Short grumbled. “We’ve pretty much been on our own here too for a while. Things have changed….”
“And not for the better,” Gator added.
Shock rippled through the room.
Raptor sat back dumbstruck.
“What do you think?” Phoenix asked Raptor.
“I think we need to discuss this some more, because whatever we decide we need to stick together,” he replied. He filled the Ankeny boys in on the plan we were considering.
“We’d have to discuss that on our side too. But I own all the land in Ankeny, and you own the land here. So, we wouldn’t be beholden to the RBMC for our property,” Hawk mused as he scratched his jaw.
We wrapped everything up and left the chapel. When we reached the common room, I heard Hawk ask their prospect, “Where’s Chad?”
“He said he was going outside to walk around,” the young guy replied. “I figured that was okay?”
Something seemed off and my stomach started to churn. “Find him. I don’t like this,” I practically growled. There was no definitive basis for my instincts, I just knew.
We all went outside and spread out. It was hot, but not as hot as it had been over the past month. If someone didn’t know the area, it could end badly. The property was pretty big.
When there was no sign of him by the clubhouse, I decided to tell Eliska to stay inside and lock the door. I didn’t trust thisprospect. When we’re in church, the prospects should be waiting in the clubhouse in case we need them.
The wooden steps echoed loudly as I climbed them. When I opened the door, the silence hit me immediately. She wasn’t there.
I told myself that she probably went to Sage’s. Voodoo and Angel said the women were talking about getting together. So, I went there next. With each crunch of the gravel on the path under my boots, my heart beat faster.
The second I stepped onto Raptor’s porch, I could hear the women talking inside and I let out a sigh of relief. I had my knuckles on the door as soon as I was within reach of the heavy wood.
Sage swung the door wide. She peeked over my shoulder and then tilted her head as she frowned. “Aww dang it, I thought maybe you were bringing Eliska.”
“Wait… she’s not here?” I asked, my anxiety cranking up to the max immediately.
“No.” Sage shook her head.
“She’s not in my cabin.”
“Okayyy,” she drawled. “Did you check her room?”
“It’s not her room anymore. I moved her into my cabin.”
“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “When did that happen?”
“Last night. But Sage, that doesn’t matter, she’s not there and the prospect is missing too.” I was beginning to feel irrational. Like I was unraveling.
Raptor stormed up the stairs behind me and grabbed my arm. “Blade, let’s go. Now!”
“What? I’m trying to find Eliska! She’s missing!” I wasn’t going anywhere until I found her.
“That prospect has her. Facet has been upgrading our security system over the past couple of days. He installed a newcamera pointing toward the cabins. Eliska got into Squirrel’s truck they drove down here, and they left,” he quickly explained.