“Who said this? His mother or father?” I snapped.
“Mother.”
Gripping the mug, I said, “I have gotten the… how do you say… vibe from West that he was not close to them. They are strict. But why would they not want to talk about him?”
Kylo sat at the dining table. “Hell, we could have had information on him, and they didn’t seem to care.” He shook his head. “Who’s up for a drive?”
“Da, I am. I want to see these parents.”
“I don’t like the look in your eyes. Kylo, do you like the look in his eyes?”
“It’s kinda scary. We gonna have a problem with you goin’?” Kylo asked.
“Nyet, I will behave. I would just like to meet these parents who do not seem to care.”
“Um…,” Lucas started. When I looked at him, he winced with a smile. “Can we have your gun?”
I stared. There was no way I would give up my weapon.
Kylo snorted. “That’d be a no.”
I drank my coffee and stood. “We will go in my car. I will have men follow.”
“Is this a good idea? Should we ring Wade and Zion?”
Kylo waved his friend off and also stood, grabbing his cane. “Later.” We moved off toward the front door. “Let them keep doin’ what they’re doin’ because they might find somethin’, and if we tell them where we’re goin’, Wreck will hunt us down to protect you. It’ll waste their time.”
Lucas nodded. “You’re right. Besides, I doubt anything will happen, and I don’t need protecting.”
I snorted, and Lucas looked up at me as he locked the front door. “You are small, cute, and thin. You need protecting.”
He glared. “You make me sound like a darn bunny or something. I can be tough when I want to be.”
“It’s true,” Kylo said. “He took down a brother after the guy punched Wreck. Learnin’ things about the body gives him the ability to know weaknesses.”
I stared at Lucas some more. He looked like a preteen little boy, but I knew he was as old as West and in some of the same classes as him. I nodded, believing Kylo’s words. He had no reason to lie.
Turning, I strode to the cars. Leonid folded out of one. “Sir?”
“We are making a trip, and you will follow. I want the others to stay behind.”
“Yes, sir.”
Moving over to my vehicle, I unlocked it, knowing Leonid would relay my message to the others.
“Do you need a stepping stool to climb in?” I taunted Lucas, since it seemed easy to do. I also hoped it would get back to his partner. I could use a fight to get the energy under my skin out.
He growled under his breath like a little kitten. “Oh ha, ha, ha. Very funny.” He climbed up into the back seat and put his belt on, crossing his arms over his chest.
Once I was in the driver seat, I glanced at him in the rearview mirror as I started the car. “You are no bunny, but a kitten, da?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll let you have your fun since I know it’s you only trying to take your mind off West and also to goad me. You probably want me to tell Wade so he can beat you.”
He read me well. I did not like it. “I would win.”
He laughed. “No, you wouldn’t.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Maybe one day we will see.”
“If you’re gonna stick around in West’s life, I wouldn’t pick a fight with Wreck. He’s a fuckin’ powerhouse,” Kylo said.
“Give me address,” I ordered, and once Kylo uploaded it into the device, I added, “Do you not think coming from a mafia family I know how to fight? I killed a man when I was twelve for hurting my mother.”
Kylo nodded. “Didn’t say you couldn’t fight and kill. Just know we can also.”
I grunted, presuming as much. I was just agitated and ready to take it out on others because we were running around like headless chickens. We had better get a lead going to see these people.
“Even if this doesn’t pan out, we’ll find him,” Lucas said softly.
After a few moments of silence, I told them, “I do plan to be in West’s life.”
Kylo smiled. “Good.” And I caught Lucas’s small grin in the mirror before he turned to look out the window. The rest of the ride was silent, each of us in our own thoughts. Mine consisted of West, and I knew the others were probably thinking the same.
I pulled up at the small house, stopped the car, and took in what was around. The place was run-down, as were the others around it. The house on the right looked to be unoccupied.
“Do we have a plan?” Lucas asked.
“Da, we go in and find out what their problem is.”
“We already know. They’re religious, strict, and unloving fuckers,” Kylo commented. “But let’s hope West has been in contact with them.” We climbed out of the car.
“Are you taking your cane?” Lucas asked Kylo, who limped heavily along.
“No, and don’t fuckin’ tell Saint.”
Lucas grazed his bottom lip with his top teeth in worry but said nothing.
When Leonid made a move to get out, I held my hand up to them. They would stay until I called for them. I doubted I would have to if, as I presumed, they were bigoted old people.
The curtain to the left of the door twitched. They were watching. Good. I hoped they got scared with three men walking up to their house. Though, Lucas was not intimidating at all.
“They know we are here,” I stated, nodding to the curtain, which just moved again.
Kylo grunted. “At least we know they’re home then.”
On the porch, it was Lucas who stepped forward and knocked. It did not take long before the door opened a little.
“Yes?” the woman asked.
“Hello, I was speaking to you on the phone about West.”
“Like I said, West doesn’t live here. He’s away at college.”
She went to close the door. I stepped in and pushed it back against her. She held strong.
“What are you doing?” she snapped.
“We just want to ask some questions. You have no concern for your son?”
“Adrik,” Lucas whispered.
“Nyet, this woman should be concerned when no one has seen him in twenty-four fucking hours. But look at you. You glare up at me without a care.”
“I don’t care, because West doesn’t want anything to do with us.”
“And why is that?” I demanded.
“What’s going on here?” The door opened. I dropped my hold, stepping back. In the doorway stood a fat old man. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Leave this property right now. We don’t take kindly to people like you.”
“Like who?”
“I think he means foreigners,” Lucas said.
“Then you won’t like my kind either. Name’s Gun. I’m a part of the Diamond MC. Remember it. Because if we don’t get some damn answers from you, I’ll come back with my brothers. You want that?”
“You can’t threaten us,” the old man yelled, stepping out onto the porch. “Grace, call the police.”
“Da, call them, and then we can get them to ask you the questions.”