Page 17 of Asher

I called out, “Yeah?”

Charlie opened the door and then headed inside.

“I’m not sure who she has helping her, but no fucking luck, Pres. You want me to get with Hippie, just say the word.”

I leaned back in my chair and sighed, “Just keep looking for her. I trust you, Charlie. I know you’ll find her.”

He nodded, then walked out of my office.

Closing my eyes, I tried to think of anywhere that she could be.

This shit was getting old real fucking fast.

It’s been sixteen years since I laid eyes on her.

Knowing her, I was surprised now that I think about how long it’s been.

And add into that how long it’s been since we’ve dealt withVerity Runner’s MC,which I thought we had dismantled years ago when I started this MC.

VRMC was a one percent motorcycle club like we were.

However, where we drew the line at hurting kids and women, they didn’t have such lines.

Therefore, we dismantled them before Stella was born because no way in fucking hell was I going to allow an MC that was all about trafficking kids to be in the same world that my daughter lived in, we were able to save seventy-nine children.

But we had gotten word from one of our informants that we didn’t get all the members like we thought we had.

The president... a man everyone referred to as El Toro, no one knew his real name, had apparently gone to ground.

But he was back in the land of the living.

Needing to get my mind off where my thoughts were headed, I got out of my office and walked through the clubhouse.

As soon as I saw the glow from the media room I had installed a year ago, I headed in that direction.

A year ago, Stella and Chloe wanted to go see a double feature at the theater.

And I had been all for it, and it had been fine for years.

Until I saw two of the attendees eyeing the girls up and down when they were only thirteen years old.

I had threatened the two punks to within an inch of their life.

But that hadn’t stopped them when the girls went the following weekend again.

That was why I had the media room built.

And boy, but it got fucking used.

That made it easier not to sweat over the ten grand I had shelled out.

But what really made it worth it? Seeing the smiles on the girl’s faces at Christmas time in their pajamas and fuzzy blankets.

I walked to the media room and saw Chloe’s eyes light on the television, and Stella was fast asleep.

I didn’t question it as my feet carried my body to the recliner beside the couch, where they were settled.

But first, I grabbed two throws, covered Stella up, and then handed one to Chloe.