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I grunt as a fist pounds against my chest. “Oomph,” I gasp, and my eyes fly open to Viking standing over me. His expression brutal.
Brother has the appearance of a fucking savage. And he is, especially in the ring. Only stupid fucks try to go toe to toe with him.
“Fuck. Man. Scared the hell outta me. Thought them bitches killed you.”
“Take more than some pussy to kill me.” Hazel drugged me. And now she’s likely nowhere to be found. Fuck. I sit up and rub my eyes. I blink a few times and gather my bearings after being knocked the fuck out. Anyone else and they’d be dead for the shit she pulled on me. Fucking dumb. Let my dick do my thinking and now I’ve fucked up. Prez is getting married, and I’m expected back in West Virginia soon. He’s going to kill me.
“You good?”
“Yeah. Shit. Your sister, Karma hits harder than that.”
“Don’t be bringing my sister into your shit,” he warns.
“Where is she these days anyway?” I smirk as I head toward the bathroom.
“North Carolina. Away from the likes of you,” he yells as I close the door.
Viking’s sister is hot as fuck, but she’s also a Royal Harlot. Not a bitch you want to piss off if you want to keep your dick intact. Every one of them bitches is crazy. Must be a membership requirement to join their pussies only club.
I wash my face and hit a shot of mouthwash. Before I do anything, I need some food on my stomach and a steaming cup of coffee to wake my ass up. When I exit the bathroom Viking is cursing.
“Check your fuckin’ wallet. Cunts rolled me after I passed out. Woke up in one of the damn loungers by the pool freezing my ass off. Gives a whole new meaning to blue balls. Didn’t even get my dick sucked.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Nuts were about froze to the damn chair.”
I pull my jeans on and grab my wallet off the floor along with Hazel’s picture. “I’m all accounted for. Musta been that Crystal bitch got you. Last thing I remember is I was in the pool.”
“Hell, man. What’s our plan now?”
“Breakfast. Got a few addresses to check out then I’m going to watch that damn strip club to see if either of them turn up. My guess is if I can’t find Hazel her big ass friend will lead me to her.”
Can’t believe she fuckin’ drugged me. She had to of found her picture. What must she be thinking?
**
“What did your food ever do to you?” Viking stares at my plate, lip curling upward.
I continue to squirt ketchup over my scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Brother, I can go the rest of my life without tasting that shit.”
“Your loss.” I shrug and flip the lid on the ketchup closed. We all can’t be health fanatics like him. Probably shoves celery or some shit up his ass to train for his fights. Though gotta say he’s a bad ass mother fucker. I wouldn’t want to take him on. “Gotta be better than that mush you’re scarfing down.”
“Dude, it’s oatmeal.”
“Whatever. Looks like white baby shit.” I shudder and spear my eggs with a fork.
“What the fuck? You know I can’t hear about gross shit when I’m eating.”
“I wouldn’t call that eating. More like prison food.” I’d rather cut off my left nut than ever eat oatmeal again in my life. Fed me that shit nearly every morning in juvie. Was like eating paste. I grab the salt and pepper, giving both a good shake over my plate.
“Gonna eat yourself into an early grave all that damn salt.”
“You my momma now?”
Before he can reply, his cell rings. “Yo. Talk to me.” He pauses then grins. “Fuck yeah.” He bangs a fist down on the table. “Yeah. No shit. Good. Hell yeah. I’ll be there.” He ends the call still grinning like a loon.
Our waitress tops off our coffees showing more cleavage than she was when we first sat down in her section. “Thanks, darlin’. ‘Preciate it.”
“You boys need anything else, give me a shout.” She licks her red lips.
I glance at her name tag. “Will do, Shelby.”
She saunters off, swaying her hips.
“You good to go stalk Hazel while I meet up with Hallow?” Short for How Low Can You Go. He patched over from our club to Nashville.
“Yeah. I got this. When you riding out?”
“After this pick up. Unless you need me to hold your hand.”
“Get the fuck outta here.”
Viking downs his coffee and folds out the booth. “Anything comes up give me a shout.”
“Let Prez know I’ll be back in time for the wedding. I’m not returning without her.”
He lifts his chin and is gone. He’s not supposed to be here anyway. Prez needs him back in West Virginia. Was hoping to be on my way back with Hazel by now myself. I finish up, pay the tab, drop some cash on the table for a tip, and ride out. First address is an apartment complex near Percy Priest Lake. Doesn’t escape me that it’s also close to the airport. Fuck me. She better not of gotten her ass on a plane. I park a building over not wanting the sound of my bike to spook her. The outside of her building is clean. Decent. Neatly trimmed bushes. Most the doors have a welcome mat and a potted plant. A flag. Something to personalize the entryway, except Hazel’s if this is still her place. Would be a hell of a lot easier to track her if she had credit cards, but Slick couldn’t even find any bank records. She lives off radar. Probably due to the fucking life of crime she is leading. Making it hard for the men she takes advantage of to track her sassy ass down for retribution.
All the blinds are shut, not giving me much to go on. I check the mailboxes for names but nada. Only apartment numbers assigned.
Around the backside some kids are hanging around the picnic tables.
The blinds are pulled on the black sliding glass door but not completely.
I approach the kids. “You want to earn twenty bucks?”
“Depends.” The tallest boy of the group stands puffing his chest out.
“You know the chick that lives in the end apartment?”
“Nobody lives there, man. She moved out about two weeks ago.”
“You remember what kind of car she drives?”
“Why you asking so many questions about Hazel?”
Bingo. She lived here. Can always count on kids to give up information without realizing they are selling your ass out. “You want the twenty dollars or not, my man?”
“Make it fifty.” He folds his arms over his chest and flares his nostrils.
I bite back my chuckle. “Alright. You tell me what kind of car she drives and where I might find her, and I’ll give you fifty.”
“Deal.” He holds his palm out expectantly.
Where in the hell are the parents? Greedy little shits but gotta respect the hustle.
“Here, man.” I slap a fifty in his palm and he holds it up to inspect it. Jesus. Kid is a gangster.
He nods, apparently satisfied, and shoves the money in his pocket. “She drives a red car. My mom said she switched apartments because of a mold issue.”
“You know which one?”
“Six C,” a girl announces.
“Cool, lil’ mama. Ya’ll do me a solid and don’t tell anyone I was asking. But in the future don’t be taking money from strangers or giving out information on anyone. I’m not a bad man but if I was... Damn parents need to talk to your asses about stranger danger.” I stomp off in search of apartment Six C.
I end up right where I parked. No red car and I can’t recall if there were one or not when I first arrived. Those kids coulda been lying. Guess I’ll find out if I wasted fifty bucks or not. I scan the front. Another corner unit. Note taped to the front door says not to knock until after ten. Dancers keep late hours. I’m willing to bet this is the place. Kitchen blinds are open, but place appears to be bare. I hit the back. Sliding glass door like the other. I peer into the glass through the slats of the vertical blinds. I see a couch and a TV but its dark and no movement or sound.
I scan the surrounding parking area but no red car. Place is pretty quiet. I get on my Harley and head back to the motel. I need a damn shower and to regroup before I hit up that damn strip club again.
My cell vibrates with a call from Roane. “Yo.”
“Where you at? Thought you said you’d help me move shit at the shop today.”
Fuck. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Sorry. Listen. Remember that special tat I talked to you about?”
“What about it?”
I smile to myself thinking about the rosary being tatted around Hazel’s neck. “Better get started on that design. I’ll be claiming my woman soon.”
“I can do that.”
I hang up with him and dial Viking. “You still on Royal Road, man?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“Think Hallow has a cage I can borrow. Motorcycle isn’t ideal for grabbing Hazel.”
“I’m sure we can work it out. You headed here?”
“On my way now.”