Getting up from the bed, I went to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. My sister fell into my arms, and I wrapped mine around her. We said nothing. Just stood there and held each other. Sometimes the best moments in life were when no one spoke a word, but you knew everything they wanted to say. This was one of those times.
When Ensley pulled away, tears welled in her eyes. Taking my thumbs, I swiped the top of her cheeks wiping away the water.
“Shh … don’t cry,” I told her. “I’m okay. Or I will be okay.”
She blew out a deep breath, still clutching onto me and holding me close. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think this could happen, Katie. I’m so damn sorry.”
Leaning in, I kissed her cheek and pulled away, grabbing her hands in front of us.
“No one knew. Right?”
Ensley nodded.
“Right. This isn’t anyone’s fault, Ensley. You don’t get to lay that guilt on your shoulders.”
Ensley’s lip tipped. “I swear I told you the same thing.”
My head shook. “That was totally different, but I’m working through that. I just have a little bump in the road that I need to overcome.”
Ensley pulled away then pulled the long sleeves of my shirt up, seeing all the bruises. Then moving on to the other.
“I’m fine.”
“You have bruises.”
She wasn’t wrong because I could honestly feel my flesh on fire from where he grabbed me, and my face was on fire from when he slapped me.
“They’ll heal.”
“That’s it. Pull down your pants,” Ensley ordered just as the bathroom door opened.
Dryerson held up his hands. “Don’t let me stop ya. I’ll sit back and enjoy the show.”
I felt my lip tip. The tightness of it reminded me of how much had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
“I’m not pulling my pants down,” I told them both. “I’m fine. Doc checked me out, and I’m good.”
“Heard you panicking when you woke up,” Ensley said softly. “Don’t like that.”
“Join the fuckin’ club,” Dryerson threw in.
“Both of you—stop. Time. That is what is going to help. That and information.” Then a memory slammed into me like a freight train.
The laptop that twin guy set up in my apartment.
“What’s wrong, Wild Kat? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Dryerson stood in front of me, looking down, and my heart began to race.
“My apartment. He … that twin left a laptop on my table. He never told me what it was for.”
“Motherfucker,” Dryerson clipped then called out, “Micah!”
A few seconds later Micah stepped through the doorway, his eyes instantly going on alert when he got the feel of the room.
“Need to get to Katie’s house. The motherfucker left a damn laptop there. Need to find out what’s on it.”
“I’ll round up the guys,” Micah said, kissing the top of Ensley’s head and then starting to take off.
“Uhmm, no. We’re goin’ with ya,” Ensley declared.
“Club business,” Micah said.
But Ensley wasn’t having any of that. “No. It’s not. It’s Katie’s business because she was the one kidnapped. She was the one who had to defend herself. Me being her sister, I’m goin’ to be by her side.”
“Cruz may say no.”
Dryerson chuckled. “That man ain’t gonna say no. Kat’s in.”
“Get dressed. We’re leavin’ in five.”
“Oh, Wild Kat,” Dryerson said, grabbing my attention. “You two stay in the car until we know it’s safe. It is non-negotiable. There will be men on you outside. And if either of you pitch a fit, I’ll make sure that Cruz says no.”
“Yes, sir.” Ensley saluted him giving me a chuckle.
“Yes, Kemosobie…” I teased, and Dryerson gave me a scolding look.
I would do this for him. As much as I wanted to be right there when they found out, he needed me to be safe. I needed me safe and my sister. Lord only knew what could be on that laptop.
“Let’s go.”
Now, who was this twin guy, and what did he want with the club … and me?
37
DRYERSON
I hated leaving Katie in the SUV with her sister. Cruz had a soft spot for Katie, and I knew he wouldn’t say no to her coming. Now keeping her safe while we figured out what the laptop was about would lay in Ax, Raid, Deke and Booker’s hands.
Without a shadow of a doubt they’d protect her. It was the only way I could leave her and go into the apartment. Shielding her from any more danger was my highest priority. I loved that woman, and whatever I was about to learn on that damn laptop wasn’t going to be good. I could feel it in my bones.
Not all of Ravage came, which Cruz decreed. He ordered for Micah, Nox, Cooper, Ryker and myself to investigate, while Ax, Raid, Deke and Booker were to protect Ensley and Katie.
He was president, and what he ordered we followed.
Standing at the door, I pulled out my keys to unlock it, but instead just turned the handle. It opened with ease. Putting the keys away, I pulled out my gun and led everyone in. Checking each room, they were all clear.
“Clear,” I called out as Micah was staring at the laptop on the table. “What do we have?”
Micah lifted it, no doubt checking for anything out of the ordinary. Say like a bomb. I wouldn’t have put it past this asshole.
Micah opened up a large silver and black case and began to look inside. The case held tons of tech gear, most of it even the CIA didn’t have.
He pulled out a black box the size of a one dollar bill and several cords. He set this by the laptop.
Me, I wanted to open the fucker, but also knew that Micah was right.
“This’ll test it beforehand to see if there are any bombs, viruses, or worms that’ll be triggered when we open it.” He hooked it all up and opened the lid of the machine that came to life.
Micah’s detector showed nothing. “The damn things not even on Wi-Fi,” he said, surprising me. Tech seemed to be the way to go to destroy people these days, but the twin didn’t do it.
Micah hit the space bar and pressed some keys.
The reflection staring back at me made my skin crawl. He might have looked like me, but he was not a man like I was. He was a fucking dead man, literally.
Micah looked to me. “Ready?”
“Do it,” I ordered, standing behind him with Cooper, Nox, and Ryker standing around us.
Hey, big brother. Looks like you survived, and I didn’t if you’re listening to this.
That voice. No wonder Katie had a difficult time seeing my twin for what he was. So similar. Even the inflections were the same. It was uncanny.
It also means that the plan got fucked up along the way, which pisses me off because it should be me sitting there as you.
“What the fuck?” Cooper asked.
You’re supposed to be this badass Marine and biker guy, but you had no idea I’d been watching you for years. Learning your mannerisms and quirks. Watching you fuck.
My blood was boiling.
I bet that one got your blood pumpin’, huh? He gave off a chuckle.