Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
“Fuck, Ruby.” Karma’s voice is pained.
“Calm down, brother. Keep your head about you. Gotta get your son. That’s your priority. I’ll find my daughter.”
Ruben “Ruby” Castillo is a long-standing Hellion. While not an original, he’s been in the club longer than I’ve been alive. When my mom and Boomer got together, we lived next door to Ruby and his wife, Jenna. I spent my summers and afternoons playing with Maritza, her sister, and her brother. We waited at the bus stop together for school and never had a birthday without sharing cake with their family for any of us. If anyone is like a second set of siblings to Kick and myself, it’s the Castillo’s. Sure, we’re all adults now. We don’t fight like we used to. It doesn’t change that Maritza is like a sister to me.
Her relationship with Karma is more complicated. They aren’t romantic, but she’s a staple in the man beside me and his son’s life.
As for Dia Crews, she is the Hellions daughter. Everyone loves her and not because her parents are Tripp and Doll Crews. Dia is Dia. She is a bottle of sunshine with a splash of sass inside. Loyalty is in her veins so deep she has always and will always take a brother’s back. She’s a tiny tornado. If any of us have issues with a female and Dia gets wind, she doesn’t hesitate to get in a broad’s face. She’s fierce, kind, and absolutely someone who encourages and uplifts every single person she comes in contact with.
On the flip side of that, she doesn’t discriminate. If she thinks a brother is treating a broad wrong, she’s the one to call him out on his bullshit. She’s tough as balls that one.
After my accident, my parents were right at my side as expected. Dia, though, she was a teenager, still in high school. There wasn’t a day she didn’t come by the hospital or the rehabilitation facility to see me. She would grab my wrist, check my pulse, and look to the ceiling. “Whew, Busted, strong heart, thank God. See Busted, you got such heart, God said he can still do big things without legs.” Even when I was semi-conscious, I could hear her telling me how strong she thought I was. I might not have seen it in myself back then, or even now, but she sees it. Right now, whatever is going on, I need Dia to be strong the way I know her to be.
Dia sees the damn best in everyone. She’s not afraid to tell you. The level of vulnerability she gives to everyone around her. There isn’t a second of any day around her where you question whether you matter. She lives out loud the theme that you can’t say I love you too much.
Where did they go? What the fuck is going on? There is a heaviness in my gut simply thinking about them being in danger. I feel torn. I know Karma needs me and the club will take care of getting to Dia and Maritza. Still, though, those two are family for me and I want to help them too. I have all these questions and I feel twisted inside on where to be, what to do.
“Get Hollis, Karma. I’ll be in touch about Maritza and Dia. You keep us posted on your situation,” Ruby says remaining calm.
Ruby is steady like that. He says he’s learned with age that reacting without thought makes more problems than slowing down to assess what is really going on. He has the experience behind him to live those words.
“Call Link and get them in on it,” Ruby instructs, “Hellions marker on Tripp’s order.”
I don’t know if I could be calm if my daughter was missing. One thing I do know, Tripp and Ruby, the whole damn club will give out whatever marker, money, or anything necessary to bring them home.
“Of course. No marker. They are family too. I know my cousins they won’t accept a marker. Time is wasting. We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Karma says before ending the call.
He looks to me as I use my hand control to press the gas more and go a little faster. I’ll take the damn ticket if I get pulled. We don’t have time to fuck around.
“What the fuck is going on? What in the hell did I do so wrong in this life to have everything I love vanish with too many questions?” He asks to the air around us while looking at his phone. He doesn’t hesitate to call Link.
“You get someone to him, Karma?” Link answers without so much as a hello. They grew up together in Freedom Falls, Idaho. Lincoln, Draven, and Nixon still live there, but have come to visit Haywood’s Landing. I know they are amped up wanting us to get to Hollis.