Heathens & Hand Grenades (Book 1 of the Heathens Duet)

Chapter 60- Dario

While fully deserved, maybe punching the fucking Hulk wasn't my brightest idea. Sloppy form equals swelling knuckles. Riggs has to have told me about a million times. Hell, the big fucker himself helped to correct my form when I first got adopted by them. All that training and practice flew out the door when she didn't walk in behind him. Makes perfect sense to do when your whole job is typing on a computer all day, with your fingers and knuckles moving constantly.

I blindly reach for another can of liquid energy when I'm met with a water bottle and my graveyard of cans cleared away. Ugh. I open the top and take a sip that tastes like nothing while I try to get back into the groove the drink knocked me out of. It's more the change from the expectation that messed with me, but I don't voice that aloud. I tried to explain it once and while the guys tried to understand, I'm pretty sure Jax was the only one to truly understand. He gets wanting things a certain way and the way it makes my skin crawl to have that disrupted. Although we've come to the understanding that he just leaves my room as is in his cleaning sprees. Once a week I allow him to reset for both of our sakes, but otherwise I need my piles of chaos in their designated spots otherwise my train of thought completely derails.

"Take a five-minute break man. You need to eat something. A nap at least. You're more likely to miss something if you're sleep deprived," the culprit urges.

I try to ignore him, typing louder. It's petty, but clearly punching him didn't help. Icing him out is better than unleashing all the words churning in my gut, desperate to be spewed in his face. I wouldn't be able to take them back and I'm half afraid I wouldn't mean it even if I did.

I rub at my left shoulder, the puckered skin aching with phantom pains. He's right and I hate it. Any time away from my screen feels like I'm letting her down. The others can't do what I can. My breaks are time for god knows what to happen. I can recover just like my boy Deku, go plus ultra. What if the worst happens while I'm eating or sleeping? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself or them.

They didn't see her after Kace attacked Jaxson. Not fully. Calling it a panic attack feels wrong, though it's probably the closest word for whatever happened. She froze, lost in her head for what felt like an eternity, and not in that cute, random way I've come to adore where he thoughts are consumed by her imaginary cat Mr. Whiskers. No, this was more Frodo fighting ringwraiths paralyzing fear.

Kace sent her back into that and doesn't even realize. I don't know if that makes it better or worse. In the end it doesn't matter. She could be anywhere, but I know in my heart, he has her. Her personal boogeyman.

Still, I force myself up from my chair even as the grooves molded by my body's prolonged position try to hold me in place. Water bottle in hand, I exit my cave, grateful the guys have dimmed the lights a bit so the transition isn't so jarring. Riggs hands me a plate when I get to the living room. Nothing fancy, just a sandwich and chips that I inhale like a man starved. Probably am considering I can't remember the last time I ate something not gummy or sugar fueled and within arm's reach of my keyboard.

The guys voices are a dim hum around me. I know they're speaking but it's just noise in the background, a station on the radio that I can just about hear, the frequency not quite right. I'm missing something. I've poured over property and tax records for Colton Barnes and his father Christopher Barnes. Nothing that would be likely to hide Calista, not with her face plastered on the news like it has been. Colton lives in some ostentatious, new luxury apartment building in town that has more vacancies than occupants. Not surprising given the median income in the area. He could probably get away with stashing her there with the lack of neighbors, but I doubt he'd put her somewhere everyone knows their faces. He's been meticulously planning this for way too long. His father is still living in the family house just outside of downtown Bells, so that's a no go.

She can't have just disappeared off the face of the planet. He's not us for fuck's sake. "That's it!" I jump up at the realization, my water spilling on the carpet much to Jax's annoyance. He's not us, but he is like Kace and Riggs. At least somewhat, if they went to the dark side and went full Griffith. Well, time to gain some guts and go all berserk on him.

I bet I look crazy grinning like I am, but I can't help it. "Riggs, Kace," I grab their full attention. "Where or how would you guys hide property you didn't want anyone to connect to you? I'm talking off the beaten trail, few neighbors and those you did have wouldn't ask questions."

"You check maiden names? Mother, grandmother, aunts? Anyone where the title would end up with either him or his father as the sole owner in case of death. Gram always put everything in her maiden name. Told Gramps it was in case he wanted to forget where his home was, it was with her. Literally," Riggs laughs fondly at the memory.

"Try looking near lesser known state and national parks, lakes, hunting leases. More cabins, more dudes trying to get away for the weekend. Usually pretty dead during the week, though we are in season for hunting, but it would hide most signs of violence. No one thinks twice about a tarp in a trunk as long as you got a pair of antlers to go with it," Kace offers.

"I'm leaving the minute I find her. I don't care if it's just me," I start, "and Jax," I add at his pointed stare. I had already counted him in on this rescue mission, but it's nice to get confirmation. I want us all in on this plan, but I don't blame her if she refuses to come back with us, with Kace and Riggs. She thinks they betrayed her. more than that, they betrayed all of us. It's not something I see any of us getting over anytime soon.

"I'll gather supplies. Assembling and packing will give me something useful to do. I'll be ready when you have a location," Jax lets us know as he goes off to the armory. It's more of a large hall closet that we half converted, but it works. Callie didn't notice it the whole time she was here, not that it would've made a difference. Everything inside is locked up behind another door with a similar locking mechanism to the front door, like a secret door to Rambo's version of Narnia.

"I'm going too," Riggs tells me. "My issues got us in this mess. Time to unfuck it. She deserves to sleep without worrying about that bastard finding her again." No matter what happens, it seems an unspoken agreement from all of my brothers that dear old Deputy Barnes will be a problem our girl should never live in fear of again.

I don't hold out hope about Kace involvement. I'm tossing my dishes in the sink, intent on getting back to my computer with these new lines of inquiry.

"Hey Rossi," he calls. I turn to look at him, my shoulders tensed in preparation for further disappointment. "Four in, five out," he utters solemnly.

"Four in, five out," I promise back.